Nissan is working up a successor to the 370Z sports car that will use a twin-turbo V6 engine and offer AWD for the first time ever in the brand's iconic Z-car.
All of this comes to us in a report by the UK's Autocar magazine, which has it on authority from "senior officials from Nissan" that the next Z-car will once again be a RWD coupe that shares its underpinnings with the Infiniti Q60, but will boast AWD in a high-performance Nismo-tuned variant.
Nissan insiders suggested the car could be known as the 400Z, a numerical reference to the 400-hp version of a turbocharged V6 the car is likely to borrow from the Q60. That power figure, along with a 350 lb-ft torque rating, would be a big bump from the current car's 3.7L V6, which makes 332 hp and 270 lb-ft.
Autocar says its understanding is the new production Z-car will be shown at the 2019 Los Angeles auto show, timing that would make a 2020 sales launch a realistic proposition.
We reached out to Nissan Canada for confirmation, but product communications manager Jenn McCarthy said the company has no comment on the future of its entry-level sports car.
"The Nissan Z has been an icon of our brand for nearly 50 years and we appreciate the excitement of Z enthusiasts and sports car fans around the world," said McCarthy. "We have not announced any plans beyond the 2018 model year 370Z."
You may also like
