Nissan working on twin-turbo '400Z'

Thursday, 16 April 2020

According to a new report, Nissan is indeed working on a successor to the 370Z sports car.

According to Autocar UK, the Japanese manufacturer is looking to slot an Infiniti-sourced twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 into a smaller and lighter platform. Said to be called '400Z', there are no prizes for guessing the target horsepower output (ignoring the fact previous Z cars were named according to engine displacement).

The 298kW (400hp)/475Nm engine is currently powering the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport and, paired with a seven-speed automatic, can send the rear-drive coupe to 100kmh in about 4.6 seconds. Autocar UK says the 400Z will get a manual option for the enthusiasts as well as the two-pedal version to please both sides of the coin.

The longstanding 370Z is getting a makeover and a power boost thanks to an Infiniti-sourced twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6

That sprint time should be less for the Z, given the upcoming sports car will likely weigh less than the 1700kg Infiniti. We're not sure what platform Nissan will go with but it'll either be based on a heavily revised 370Z or the aforementioned Q60.

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And if that power is still not quite enough for you, wait until Nismo gets its mitts on the car. Nissan's in-house tuner pushed the older 370Z from 247kW to 261kW while Infiniti has the epic Q60 Project Black S up its sleeve. Currently still a work-in-progress, it uses the same 3.0-litre unit as the standard Q60 but supplemented by two heat-energy harvesting systems (MGU-H) and a kinetic harvesting system (MGU-K) to produce a total of 419kW.

Apparently, the powertrain development is done but Infiniti is still evaluating whether or not to offer it as a limited-edition model. Don't expect to see it here though, as the local distributor is pulling out of New Zealand later this year.

Infiniti NZ general manager Sam Waller says he has only been given the 'top line' decision at this stage: 'Our top priority at present is to ensure all existing Infiniti owners can continue to enjoy the levels of support and service they currently receive for their vehicles.'

Back to the new Z car - Autocar UK says the official debut of the 400Z could happen within the next twelve months, although with coronavirus still doing its thing, that could be pushed back. The sports car could be one of the first to wear Nissan's new corporate badge, along with the fresh new Z logo that was recently trademarked.

Rumour has it the styling of the 400Z will hark back to the original 240Z with modern cues. The interior will be completely revamped compared to the 370Z as well.

Additionally, Nissan is working on a successor to the GT-R, which has been around since 2007. We'll be waiting a bit longer for that one though as development has stuttered in the powertrain department and Nissan's Carlos Ghosn-shaped woes have put a sizeable dent in the company's bank account. And that's before accounting for the economic smack coming from coronavirus.