Nissan will allegedly reveal the new Z
sports car, expected to be named 400Z, in late 2022, with sales set to commence
in 2023. If true, the highly anticipated sports car will arrive in the market
15 years after the introduction of the 370Z in 2008. Earlier this year Nissan
confirmed the new Z sports car alongside 10 other new models, giving us a first
glimpse at its shape that appears to be heavily influenced by the original
240Z.
Auto Express reports that Nissan will
offer the new Z in its major markets, including North America, Europe, and
China, in a bid to maximize the model’s profitability. Sports cars are among
the least profitable segments in the market right now and the Japanese
automaker’s way of making the new Z viable is reportedly by using an updated
version of an existing platform.
The new two-door coupe is expected to be
powered by the company’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with around 400 HP, hence the
rumored 400Z moniker. However, the jury is still out on this one as Nissan’s
naming strategy for the Z sports cars was always based on the engine’s size and
not the output.
Using an existing platform and engine will
of course make the new Z a much easier -and cheaper- car for Nissan to develop.
According to the report, the new sports car will not feature any kind of
electrification, despite Nissan’s focus on EVs and hybrid powertrains. Perhaps
later versions of the upcoming Nissan Z will employ some form of
electrification but, until then, we can only speculate on the matter.
