Nissan committed to replacing 370Z and GT-R

[Sid03SVT]

Maybe the Q60 will get a manual, or maybe the Z car will be auto only.

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[4S-TURBO]

GTR dual clutch should be the only option if there is no manual.

[Keshav]

They could always pull a Ford by slapping the Z badge on a Leaf crossover.

[4S-TURBO]

[Brahmzy]

Originally Posted by 4S-TURBO

GTR dual clutch should be the only option if there is no manual.

GTR needs a CVT in a bad way.

Maybe even a dual-CVT.

[4S-TURBO]

Originally Posted by Brahmzy

Maybe even a dual-CVT.

[heavyD]

Originally Posted by 4S-TURBO

GTR dual clutch should be the only option if there is no manual.

That DCT is pretty outdated today but we are talking about Nissan so it's probably good for another couple decades of re-use.

[4S-TURBO]

That 7AT is even older. Nissan, man.

[Brahmzy]

Originally Posted by 4S-TURBO

LOL!! Exactly what I had envisioned!

[subyski]

Originally Posted by heavyD

That DCT is pretty outdated today but we are talking about Nissan so it's probably good for another couple decades of re-use.

This is probably no joke. Reports that the new Z will be based on the Q60 which is a platform from the G35 era (2001). So plan on the platform lasting another 6-10 years...20 years.

[KC]

Still want the IDx.



--kC

[Sid03SVT]

Originally Posted by subyski

This is probably no joke. Reports that the new Z will be based on the Q60 which is a platform from the G35 era (2001). So plan on the platform lasting another 6-10 years...20 years.

The 350z and g35 already shared that platform, WTF are you doing Nissan... Granted the Q60 platform has seen updates that the Z version of the platform didn't, but whats the point? to remain irrelevant? are Japanese manufacturers turning into 80's-90's US automakers? Hopefully it's just Nissan making this blunder and Lexus doesn't follow (looks at IS350.... which is still riding on the same (modified) N-chassis with the same engine it has since 2005).

[JP Chestnut]

Don't forget the Acura ILX which is still going strong on a NINTH GEN CIVIC platform. The tenth gen Civic isn't far from being replaced!

[Sid03SVT]

Originally Posted by KC

Still want the IDx.



--kC

Stop showing me pictures of this concept, it makes me sad because Nissan hit it out of the park. I've woken up from many a dream about this car and had to drink warm sake to lull myself back to a restless sleep.

Time to scour the JDM importer sites for a skyline or better yet, a cappuccino, to remind me of what Japan used to do oh so well.

[subyski]

Originally Posted by JP Chestnut

Don't forget the Acura ILX which is still going strong on a NINTH GEN CIVIC platform. The tenth gen Civic isn't far from being replaced!

That's what "premium" means. Use the oldest stuff and put a shiny bow on it and see if no one noticed. At least the ILX's base price doesn't reflect premium pricing.

[JP Chestnut]

The ILX actually seems like a pretty good deal at around $27,000, even given the old chassis/engine. The interior sure looks nice.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by Sid03SVT

The 350z and g35 already shared that platform, WTF are you doing Nissan... Granted the Q60 platform has seen updates that the Z version of the platform didn't, but whats the point? to remain irrelevant? are Japanese manufacturers turning into 80's-90's US automakers? Hopefully it's just Nissan making this blunder and Lexus doesn't follow (looks at IS350.... which is still riding on the same (modified) N-chassis with the same engine it has since 2005).

Yes. Automakers aren't going to invest in R&D for luxury sedans because, and especially in the Japanese manufacturer's case, no one wants to buy them new. BMW and Merc can just piggyback on their name to sell luxury sedans, that's not something Lexus and Infiniti can do. Regulations have pushed the market share towards SUVs and public interest has shifted to BEVs so that's where the bulk of R&D money is going. This isn't news, it's been like this for at least the last 5 or so years, and it's only gotten "worse". And the only reason the Camaro and Mustang get better year on year is that not only have they been able to spread R&D costs by sheer volume of their offering, thanks to having a loyal and entrenched market(who aren't even enthusiasts) they also spread R&D by sharing with trucks and the US manufacturers also dominate the market there, which fills their coffers in ways Nissan and Toyota can only dream of.


Many people praise the fact that Toyota got back into sportscars, but they went about it the absolute wrong way. The 2013 remodel of the Corolla should have come with a 2.0 like they have now, and then a 2.0T performance model with LSD, dampers, brakes. Then they could have used that formula not only to underpin the Corolla, but in the C-HR with AWD, and then they could have had that engine in the base Camry and even the RAV4 with it tuned for torque. Then instead of bringing back the Supra to fight a Cayman, you fight fire with fire and bring back the MR2 with the same powerplant, maybe even add a Lexus V6 model or some trick ERS system and market it alongside the Le Mans program. That was a formula that could have worked well into the 2020's IMO, and you could have rode all that into a new Supra, or piggybacked the same concept the Supra was born from, just onto a different model by giving the MR2 a TT V6 , bespoke chassis and a Supra designation.

Nissan needs to blow up their whole lineup, and get simple. Honestly I wouldn't mind seeing them pull a Ford, aside from the Z CUV mentioned above. Make the Juke more conventionally styled, give it a 1.6T, optional AWD and manual(and in the same model) keep it below 3000 lbs, and give it the Sentra's spot. Kill the Altima and Maxima, replace with the Rogue and Pathfinder. Update the Frontier, for the love of God. Kill the Z, replace with a Silvia to show the BRZ whats up(and use the Frontier engine but this time turbo it.), update the GTR, keep rolling with the Leaf, Titan, and Armada.

[subyski]

The difference between Lexus and Infiniti is that Lexus has a full lineup (Sedans, Coupes, CUV's, SUV's, Hybrids, Performance). Many Lexus products are also quite different from Toyota products. And they are updated.

Infiniti's lineup is sad. They have 5 models. The QX60 is a Pathfinder in different clothes, the QX80 is an Armada in different clothes. The new QX50 has some differences but still an Altima drivetrain. The Q50/60 is unique from the Nissan lineup but is still built on a platform ( at least updated) from the G35 era. And now the new Z will appear to be built on that platform too. While, it can be just fine, I fear it will enter the market feeling old.

[4S-TURBO]

Originally Posted by subyski

The difference between Lexus and Infiniti is that Lexus has a full lineup (Sedans, Coupes, CUV's, SUV's, Hybrids, Performance). Many Lexus products are also quite different from Toyota products. And they are updated.

Infiniti's lineup is sad. They have 5 models. The QX60 is a Pathfinder in different clothes, the QX80 is an Armada in different clothes. The new QX50 has some differences but still an Altima drivetrain. The Q50/60 is unique from the Nissan lineup but is still built on a platform ( at least updated) from the G35 era. And now the new Z will appear to be built on that platform too. While, it can be just fine, I fear it will enter the market feeling old.

More sad than Acura, tho?

[subyski]

Originally Posted by 4S-TURBO

More sad than Acura, tho?

Touche. But Acura has just a little bit more going for them, except for a full BOF product. They do have hybrids, a full sedan full, equivalent CUV options, and an overpriced supercar. The biggest thing is that they don't have the parent company that is struggling too.

[AVANTI R5]

Long-awaited 370Z replacement will send 400bhp to its rear wheels, and is expected to be unveiled within the next year

New Nissan Z car to use 400Z name and twin-turbo V6

The long-awaited successor to the Nissan 370Z is finally becoming a reality – and the all-new sports car could be revealed to the world within the next 12 months.

Tipped to be called the 400Z, it’s set to make use of a twin-turbocharged V6 offering greater levels of performance than its predecessor.

With the 370Z having been on sale with only minimal changes since 2009, rumours of what will replace it have been circulating for years.

Nissan recently filed a trademark application in Canada for a redesigned Z badge. It uses a retro font that harks back to the original Z car, the Datsun 240Z, and the later 260Z and 280Z.

The badge won’t be the only element of the 400Z designed to evoke memories of previous Nissan sports cars, however. Some dealer managers in the US – the car’s largest market – have been privy to the new design, and it’s understood from them that the Japanese brand has returned to its roots with a 240Z-inspired nose and 300ZX-inspired tail-lights.

Range-topping version of iconic sports car gets a host of key technical...


Significant upgrades will also be made to the interior of the 400Z over and above the 370Z, which was often criticised for its outdated design.

Material quality is set to be brought into line with Nissan’s latest US-market models, while the antiquated touchscreen will be replaced by a modern infotainment system featuring connected services.

A digital instrument display could also be offered, while advanced driver assistance technology will be brought in.

Details of the 400Z’s specific underpinnings have yet to be divulged but, given the relatively low sales and margins of sports cars in this segment, it’s unlikely to be a bespoke platform. The rear-wheel-drive architecture of sister brand Infiniti’s Q50 and Q60 could be a prime candidate for adaptation.

Supporting this theory, Autocar understands that the 400Z will make use of an Infiniti-sourced powertrain. Shunning the natural aspiration of its recent forebears, the new sports car is tipped to utilise the flagship Q60’s 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6.

This all-aluminium engine is part of the VR family, which also includes a larger 3.8-litre unit used by the Nissan GT-R.

Producing 400bhp in the Q60 (where it’s mated to a four-wheel drive system), the 3.0-litre V6 powers the four-seat coupé from 0-62mph in 5.0sec. Although the 400Z is expected to be rear-wheel drive, its performance should be better than that, given that it will be significantly lighter than the 1825kg Infiniti.

Nissan has experimented with this engine in the 370Z already, fitting it with a manual gearbox and displaying it at the SEMA aftermarket trade show in 2018. The 400Z name also implies this power output, plus the latest prototypes of the new Z car spied testing wore modified 370Z bodywork.

The 370Z appeals firmly to fans of old-school, enthusiast-targeted sports cars, so it’s likely Nissan will want to offer a manual gearbox alongside an automatic. However, rivals such as the Toyota GR Supra and Alpine A110 go without a stick-shift option.

There’s also scope for the Nismo sub-brand to make a return on a future faster variant of the 400Z, with more hardcore suspension tuning and racier styling. Whereas the previous 370Z Nismo benefited from a boost of only 16bhp over the standard car, turbocharging allows engineers to easily release significantly more power if necessary.

Talking to Autocar last year, Nissan product planning boss Ivan Espinosa confirmed that a plan was in place, saying we “can expect something soon” on a new Z model. Design boss Alfonso Albaisa echoed this, saying it was “easy to imagine” a successor to the 370Z.

He added: “The Z is the car that democratised sports cars back in the ’60s. Before that, you had to have the money to buy a Porsche or Jaguar. The current car has been a long time in dealerships, and so you can imagine the designers working on a successor, even if I’m not going to confirm it.”

No firm date for the 400Z’s unveiling has been given yet. Sources initially suggested a debut this year could be on the cards, but the pandemic could easily cause the launch to be delayed until next year.

Also a mystery is whether Nissan intends to offer the car in Europe and in right-hand drive. The US has less stringent CO2 targets than the EU and UK, and selling such a car here would have a negative impact on Nissan’s fleet emissions.

However, with modest sales figures likely, this issue could be minimised by restricting supply to these markets.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...-twin-turbo-v6

[Brahmzy]

Holy tuner car. Do it Nissan. Don't make it $70K.

[JP Chestnut]

So a return of the 300ZX? Pretty fast, pretty expensive, very heavy, and filled with stuff.

[oichan]

Make sure to run a MT without CSC problems..then I might be interested.

I had a 370Z when they were first released. Bought it new during the recession.. dealers had great deals going on too. They were fast for its time.. beautiful car before they messed it up with the facelift.

[Sid03SVT]

I did not know that the Q60 was over 4,000lbs - holy crap; how heavy is this piggy going to be? I'd prefer less power and less weight to more power and more weight; but if the Z is in any way related to the GT-R or the Q60, it's going to be a fatty.

Devils advocate - a "400Z" based on the existing 370Z with an updated interior would be pretty sweet. Note: by updated interior I don't mean massive screen and all the BS, I mean better materials & maintain the analog stuff.

Although I wonder what the engine weight difference is, would have to lighten up the front end to maintain the weight distribution.