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New Nissan 400Z Sports Car Gets SUV Makeover, Sedan Also Looks Nice

After so much waiting and an incommensurable amount of rumors and reports, the Z Proto is finally here to add fuel to the fire. Despite the mixed reactions from Nissan enthusiasts over the way it looks, the successor of the 370Z is definitely going to impress in comparison to the Toyota GR Supra in terms of performance.
Nissan 400Z SUV rendering 35 photos
Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
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Yes, it may pay respect to five decades of Z heritage. On closer inspection, however, the concept that previews the 400Z looks unfinished. There are lines that don’t blend well with the rest of the exterior design, and the rear is a whole different bag of worms. On the upside, don’t forget that the production car will be a lil’ different.

I’d wager ten bucks that Nissan will soften the design to bring the 400Z closer to the 240Z. Think of the production-ready car as sportiness through simplicity, not the mess that Toyota did to the GR Supra which features one too many fake vents.

As we wait for the real deal to roll out, rendering artist Kleber Silva reimagined the twin-turbo V6 sports car with two different body styles based on existing Nissan models. The utility vehicle, for example, borrows a lot from the Ariya electric crossover. As for the sedan version, the Altima and Maxima served as inspiration.

Looking at the big picture, there is limited appeal to a four-/five-door passenger car with sporting credentials and the Nissan badge. The exact opposite applies to the utility vehicle, but using the Z nomenclature for a high-riding Chelsea Truck would only dilute the sub-brand as well as the Japanese automaker’s sporting heritage.

“How did Lamborghini get away with it, though?” In the case of the Urus, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese already had a precedent in the guise of the LM002 with the V12 engine from the Countach. Nissan does not, but this brings us to Infiniti. If the FX (later know as the QX70) would come back, the underpinnings from the all-new 400Z would be more than appropriate for this application.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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