Known as the Fairlady Z in Japan, the 240Z rolled out in 1969 alongside the Skyline GT-R with a straight-six engine and a curb weight that would make even the Mazda MX-5 Miata blush with admiration. The Z car was last updated from the ground up in 2008, and this gets us to the seventh generation of the breed.
Internally known as the Z35 and believed to bear the 400Z moniker, the all-new model can trace its roots back to 2018 when a Nissan official confirmed that a 370Z successor is under development. Fast-forward a couple of years, and the Japanese automaker can’t help but tease the sports car like there’s no tomorrow. The unveiling event is set for September 15th, and the pre-production prototype as well as the real deal have been confirmed once again with a stick shift.
The latest teaser, titled “Hear the Nissan Z Proto roar,” shows a shadowy silhouette of the newcomer as well as one of the sills, the front and rear overhangs, cross-drilled rotors for the braking system, and a man’s hand shifting into first. Right next to the gear lever with a black plastic knob on top, you can see the engine start/stop button as well as the S-MODE (SynchroRev Match Mode) button. The latter system is an electronic nanny that reduces shift shock on clutch engagement by adjusting the revs automatically between gear changes, an undeniably useful system.
You can also see the Z logo dominating the center tunnel, a good ol’ handbrake instead of an e-brake, as well as a cup holder on the passenger side. A little bit of plastic, some leather, and double stitching in white sum up the teaser clip.
But wait, we haven’t talked about the roar! Firing up the engine and revving it like crazy translate to higher-pitched V6 sounds, leading us to believe that Nissan has dropped natural aspiration in favor of turbocharging. The VR30DDTT is the most likely culprit, and we know that powerplant rather well thanks to Infiniti.
In the Q50, Q60, as well as the Skyline that’s sold in Japan, the 3.0-liter V6 with twin-turbo boost develops exactly 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Given that the 370Z NISMO tops 350 ponies and 276 torques, you can bet your two cents on a quicker and faster Z car in a straight line.
The latest teaser, titled “Hear the Nissan Z Proto roar,” shows a shadowy silhouette of the newcomer as well as one of the sills, the front and rear overhangs, cross-drilled rotors for the braking system, and a man’s hand shifting into first. Right next to the gear lever with a black plastic knob on top, you can see the engine start/stop button as well as the S-MODE (SynchroRev Match Mode) button. The latter system is an electronic nanny that reduces shift shock on clutch engagement by adjusting the revs automatically between gear changes, an undeniably useful system.
You can also see the Z logo dominating the center tunnel, a good ol’ handbrake instead of an e-brake, as well as a cup holder on the passenger side. A little bit of plastic, some leather, and double stitching in white sum up the teaser clip.
But wait, we haven’t talked about the roar! Firing up the engine and revving it like crazy translate to higher-pitched V6 sounds, leading us to believe that Nissan has dropped natural aspiration in favor of turbocharging. The VR30DDTT is the most likely culprit, and we know that powerplant rather well thanks to Infiniti.
In the Q50, Q60, as well as the Skyline that’s sold in Japan, the 3.0-liter V6 with twin-turbo boost develops exactly 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Given that the 370Z NISMO tops 350 ponies and 276 torques, you can bet your two cents on a quicker and faster Z car in a straight line.