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Nissan Z35 ‘400Z’: 370Z successor could appear this year

As fans of Nissan's performance heritage rock back-and-forth in anxious anticipation of replacements for the R35 GT-R and Z34 370Z, reports suggest we could see the latter this year.


The drip feed of Z news in recent months has been anything but nourishing, with the most revealing detail being the appearance of a redesigned take on the iconic Z logo.

The badge reveals a more retro-styled look, and reports out of the US suggest dealers there have seen the new car and have confirmed a design that pays tribute to the original S30 240Z coupe and its generational siblings.

 

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On that front, we can reportedly expect a return to rounded sugar-scoop headlights and rectangular tail lamps – the latter last seen on the 300ZX in the 1990s. (Replaced a little too often with stovetop lights…)

The images in this article, produced by Canadian artist Leyang Bai, offer one speculative look at how that design could work on a modern canvas.

The new Z car has been rumoured to graduate to a 400Z badge – which would, if history is any guide – allude to a 4.0-litre engine, its biggest ever.

 

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At the same time, reports point to the application of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that produces 298kW and 475Nm in Infiniti's Red Sport models.

For both rumours/reports to prove true, we could see Nissan switch the focus of its Z nomenclature from engine displacement to output – 298kW converts, near enough, to about 400 horsepower.

A later Nismo version might then be known as the 500Z, if reports of a 500hp/372kW version are to be believed.

In either case, we could see the debut of an all-wheel drive system, given the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport gets all-paw traction in left-hand drive markets – but perhaps only for the Nismo version, if it does indeed deliver 372kW. (We got rear-wheel-drive only for the Q60 Red Sport, and many would likely prefer to see the Z stick to that formula.)

 

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Whatever drives it, we should also expect the new Z to repurpose Nissan's FM platform rather than debut a bespoke architecture – given the low volumes in two-door models, these days.

As for talk of a late 2020 or early 2021 unveiling, that report comes from the UK's Autocar, citing only unnamed sources – with the caveat that the COVID-19 pandemic could push the new Z's debut back.

Of course, with the 370Z now in its 11th year on the world stage… its retirement won't be far away.

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