The Nissan 370Z has always been a very capable two door sports car, with a chassis that can still create smiles, and a V6 that can give it respectable chops in a dog fight out on the race track. But it’s no secret that after 12 years, the 370Z is starting to look very dated in the performance car scene. Nissan is out to change that, and has released an all new teaser video previewing the replacement for the 370Z.
While it is unknown if the new offering will put a new number designation after the “Z” moniker as has been tradition with other offerings, the exterior styling does appear to be a radical departure from what we have seen in other iterations of the car. The headlights for example are completely reworked, and the shadowy shape that is visible in Nissan’s teaser video suggests that rumors about the car possibly getting a retro inspired reboot do indeed have some traction. The roofline in particular has a strong 240Z influence, and it appears that the lower front bumper has been tweaked to further separate it from the outgoing 370Z. No footage of the interior was released in Nissan’s Youtube video (titled “NISSAN NEXT From A To Z”) look for it to most likely benefit from an extensive rap sheet of updates including an all new infotainment system, higher grade plastics, and new seats with an eye towards more support and track ready comfort.
As for performance, that particular aspect is just as murky as the rest of the car, but it is reported that the new Z car will be powered by the same 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged 3.0 liter V6 that also sees duty in the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400. As such, look for power to be roughly in the 400 to 500 horsepower range though we suspect that Nissan will keep it lower to allow the new Z car to retain some of the handling chops that it has become known for over the years. We suspect that it will continue following the traditional sports car script, with rear wheel drive standard, and the choice of either a standard manual transmission, or an optional automatic. We suspect that while the bulk of the car will be all new, Nissan could use an existing platform to help keep development costs down. This would be a wise move considering that the car would reside in a more niche part of the broader automotive market.
Look for more information to emerge in the coming months, with Nissan perhaps releasing the first wave of formal teasers later this year. In an interesting side note, Nissan’s interpretation of the alphabet does not feature the GT-R which does cast some doubt into its future in the company’s lineup. The GT-R is even older than the 370Z, and while it is still one of the most potent performance cars that Nissan has ever produced, it too has fallen behind some of its rivals, and sales have also been trending lower over the past few years. Nissan could perhaps have special plans for that model that we don;t know about, but its absence here is noticeable and throws some dark clouds into its long term viability.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.