After going into production in 2009, the
370Z endures as one of the oldest sports cars in the market. However, that’s
all about to change as Nissan is readying the new Z Proto. Set to carry on the
legacy of the Z series, the model is expected to be a proper driver’s car, with
a front engine, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission in
between.
Yep, you heard that right, as after the
previous teaser that hinted the presence of a stick shift, the automaker has
finally confirmed it in a new video that also shows a handbrake lever, which
should earn it extra points with purists.
The 33-second long clip also reveals other
details, such as the redesigned ‘Z’ logo that adorns different parts of the
model, including the door sills and center console, LED headlamps and V-shaped
alloy wheels wrapped in bespoke ‘Nissan Z’ tires.
You can also hear the engine firing up,
which is presumably a V6, with 3.0 liters in displacement and twin
turbocharging. The mill generates 400 HP and 475 Nm of torque
in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 Red Sport 400, but the exact output of the Z Proto
is currently unknown.
Nonetheless, we don’t have to wait that
long to find out all the juicy secrets of the new Japanese sports car, as it
will premiere on September 15, at 8:30 p.m. EDT (Sep 16, 2:30 a.m. CET),
probably as a concept or pre-production prototype, with some claiming that the
final model will launch in 2021 or perhaps even 2022.
