Nissan recently unveiled the Z Proto concept, a preview for the 400Z sports car that could potentially arrive for the 2023 model year. The retro design seems to be loved by everybody, but we're not sure it's the right move.
You see, everybody says retro lines, which the Z concept has, are cool. However, when it's time to buy cars, money seems to flow towards the aggressive, modern sports models. For example, the MINI hatchbacks are timeless but never feel modern or attention-grabbing.
And while the Supra and the C8 Corvette have some ugly angles, they're selling faster than M caps at a BMW convention. This rendering by SRK Designs tries to bring the future 400Z's design back into the futuristic realm by merging the Z Proto's face with a few features from the 370Z.
More specifically, it replaces the round headlights inspired by the 240Z with angular, boomerang-shaped LEDs. Almost all modern Nissan have or have had boomerang lights, and in some cases, they look really cool. Just look at the 2021 Rogue and tell us it's not a cool crossover!
There are other changes in this rendering, like the shape of the main grille and small intakes added to the bumper. The shoulders are also more pronounced. Now, we're not going to pretend that we know better than Nissan, one of the biggest carmakers in the world. But just think about this: was bad design ever the problem with a Z car? No, it's usually down to engineering or development money.
300ZX - too complex, expensive, focus on luxury instead of sport. 350Z - not precise on the edge of handling. 370Z - outdated tech, expensive, kept in production for way too long. If the 400Z ends up costing more than a GR Supra or stays in production for a decade, it really won't matter what the headlights look like.
And while the Supra and the C8 Corvette have some ugly angles, they're selling faster than M caps at a BMW convention. This rendering by SRK Designs tries to bring the future 400Z's design back into the futuristic realm by merging the Z Proto's face with a few features from the 370Z.
More specifically, it replaces the round headlights inspired by the 240Z with angular, boomerang-shaped LEDs. Almost all modern Nissan have or have had boomerang lights, and in some cases, they look really cool. Just look at the 2021 Rogue and tell us it's not a cool crossover!
There are other changes in this rendering, like the shape of the main grille and small intakes added to the bumper. The shoulders are also more pronounced. Now, we're not going to pretend that we know better than Nissan, one of the biggest carmakers in the world. But just think about this: was bad design ever the problem with a Z car? No, it's usually down to engineering or development money.
300ZX - too complex, expensive, focus on luxury instead of sport. 350Z - not precise on the edge of handling. 370Z - outdated tech, expensive, kept in production for way too long. If the 400Z ends up costing more than a GR Supra or stays in production for a decade, it really won't matter what the headlights look like.