[David70]

Originally Posted by 5.m0nster

will it also be powered by a i6 3.0l turbo bmw motor? :d

i kid, i kid.

Better picture but in a strange color:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...z-future-2021/

illustration by christian schulte - car and driver

[MmmmmM2]

Originally Posted by supra93

Another render via Bestcar.

That is TURRIBLE!!!

[john!smith]

nissan needs to be very smart now if they want to play with the supra! that was smart toyota!

... toyota choosed the best available engine on the market! the engine from the q60s is not bad... but not that efficient like the new b58 update. they need to make something with that engine to compete the supra.

[5.M0NSTER]

I liked the tail lights from the previous render much much better. This triple line thing looks dated already, and it's just a render!

[supra93]

Via vwvortex

Originally Posted by DrewSXR

The car was shown at a dealer meeting.

They were saying the rear is going to be inspired by the Z32 and the front by the S30.

The rear of the purple car above looks good, but the front is still wrong.

[supra93]

[Red Bread]

So the current one with a little chrome piece of flair above the side windows? That should sell well.

[DatingSim]

Originally Posted by john!smith

nissan needs to be very smart now if they want to play with the supra! that was smart toyota!

... toyota choosed the best available engine on the market! the engine from the q60s is not bad... but not that efficient like the new b58 update. they need to make something with that engine to compete the supra.

The Z looks very very similar to the old 240Z's, and if it has manual, with any version of VR30DDTT, I would be interested. Not enought to get rid of my M2, but still.

[supra93]

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/n...isa-interview/

Exclusive: In his own words, Nissan's global design chief reminisces about Nissan Zs from the past and hints about its future.



Hi there -- I'm thrilled to be with you today as part of the CNET Roadshow family, especially in these crazy times. Although I'm in Japan, I feel like we're all inhabiting the same cyberspace. So, welcome, and thank you for spending a few moments with me.

As the head of design at the Nissan Motor Company, I think the biggest and most frequently asked question I get inside and outside the company is, "Where is the new Z?"

I'm sure as you're reading this that might be the first question you have for me, other than why is a Cuban-American from Miami the leader of Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun design around the world, but we can get into that in another column.

I know what you want me to say right now: that a new Z is on its way. I've read the rumors and half the time in published articles there's a quote from me or my partner in crime, Head of Global Product Planning and Programs Ivan Espinosa. It's all highly speculative and unconfirmed. (Our PR team told me that I had to say we don't comment on future product plans, but as someone who is always working three to 10-plus years in the future, it's tough!)

OK, so, let's talk about Z, and really where it all started, the original 240Z. And for that, let's go back to my childhood in Miami. What you may know from Madonna's, Versace's, Ricky Martin's, Enrique Iglesias' Miami, or even from the Miami Vice days, let's put that aside for a second.

Instead let's look at the 1960s and 1970s. Miami was changing, growing so fast, becoming more and more of an international destination, and the Albaisa family was in the middle of this boom as my father was an architect. Yes, apple, tree, got it.

So I did get my interest in design through DNA, and it wasn't just buildings that I loved, but boats -- maybe fodder for another column -- and, of course, cars. The simplicity of the Alfa Romeo Duetto Spyder, the "open my eyes, stand me up right where I sit" presence of the Jaguar E-Type, as well as my uncle's Honda 600 and other new Japanese small cars which were trickling into the US at the time. As for that Honda, I was less than 10 years old but was amazed at how these charming small cars were so roomy and fun to be in!

I still tell stories about the first Japanese television set my father bought. We stared at it with amazement and intrigue -- even when it was off -- its out-of-this-world modernism was mesmerizing and it was also bright red, which helped.

But back to cars. As a fan of small Japanese cars (and TVs), I was wondering what else was possible from this amazing, intriguing island on the other side of the world. Yes of course there was the Toyota 2000GT from the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, but that's a very high-line car that I never saw on the street.



It's a car that, in one letter, sums up the passion of Nissan and our history. It's just a Z, man.

Enter the Datsun 240Z in late 1969. Long hood, short deck, classic sports car proportions. Appropriate for the streets of Tokyo, the piazzas of Rome, and of course, Calle Ocho, in Miami's Little Havana.

It was 50 years ago, and although I was young, that car made a big impression on me. It was a car of the world, looking fast while standing still and built with passion, precision and a bit more passion. My eyes were open.

I always kept my eye out to catch a glimpse of a Z and the generations kept racing by as it evolved from the purity of the 240, to the larger 260 and 280 (especially 2+2), and then onto the square 300ZX of the '80s to one of my personal favorites, the 300ZX of the late '80s and '90s (Z32).

A quick note on the 300ZX: I had just joined Nissan when that car was just about to come out, I saw it when it was in the design studio in Japan and honestly, I was blown away. How did they ever create anything so beautiful, so well proportioned, so much a Z in spirit, but in form every millimeter was absolutely, no question, wait a minute, fresh and new?

As my career progressed, I was able to do a bit of work on Z, as one of my mentors, Jerry Hirschberg, who created and led Nissan's San Diego office for years, came out with a little concept that brought back the feel of the 240Z (1999). As you know, that car ended up as the 350Z and is now the 370Z.

What makes a Z? Well for me, it's that proportion. It's that instant recognition on someone's face. It's the fact that it's a car that, in one letter, sums up the passion of Nissan and our history. It's just a Z, man.

And what's the beauty of talking about Z cars? Honestly, everyone I've spoken to has a Z story. They had one, their uncle had one, their mom had one and, thankfully, all the stories are positive!

OK, satisfied? I know the answer is no. You're wondering what I'm leading up to.

The answer is, I'm honored to be the head of design for a company that has such a car in its stable. And it's daunting to think of the responsibility of having to design such an icon, not just for Nissan, but for the industry as a whole!

Let's be honest, I think we all would love to see the Z continue. I love to draw Z cars, as you might've seen from a recent video I did with my kids as part of the Nissan #drawdrawdraw program (embedded above), and I've also included here a little sketch I just did of the 240Z.


Albaisa sketched out the Z's pure proportions just for Roadshow.

The classic proportions will never go out of style.

So, stay tuned, as you may never know what you may see from Nissan in the future. There's just so much happening, I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

Thank you all for reading, please stay safe and #drawdrawdraw!

Closing note: I'll be back if a certain Nissan PR guy doesn't manage to figure out a way to tackle me through a Zoom meeting. He's working on it right now and he can be clever sometimes.

[supra93]

[Red Bread]

Please don't have three exhaust pipes. Only one car should have three exhaust pipes.

[supra93]

[supra93]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Please don't have three exhaust pipes. Only one car should have three exhaust pipes.

Better?

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by supra93

Better?

Yeah, that's actually pretty nice in a 240/260 way, albeit probably 50% heavier and a lot larger.

[supra93]

Official design sketch from Nissan or fan art?

[kyriian]

Originally Posted by supra93

Official design sketch from Nissan or fan art?

100% fan art

I wish Nissan well and I wish it would be the Supra that we all wanted, but let's face it, Nissan is hardly flowing with cash to make this car truly good, and adding a manual to the car makes no financial sense when the VR30DDTT has only been matched to automatics. This car will be simply a Q60 on a different body with less sound proofing. It will rely on the letter to sell, i guess in that regard it should succeed over the FRS/BRZ especially if they can keep the price down

And remember this?
https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...lightning-lap/

and this was when Nissan wasn't trying to raid their kids piggy bank to keep the lights on. They can't even see unvented brakes would cause issues when they had money. Ask me how I know.

Looks pretty though, and I guess you can say, its a fairlady, and needs to be driven and treated like one, not rip up the track on weekends.

[supra93]

Just posted on LE regarding the next Z.

https://lexusenthusiast.com/forums/t...ks.5559/page-4

Originally Posted by Carmaker1

Alright, as I was going to say the other day, be prepared for a very lengthy post:

Since 2011, a number of proposals and business cases have been submitted to the board of management for Z35 program, replacement for Z34 Z.

Nothing has been formally approved and made it into production development. Endless clay models and sketches for years on end, only for Mr. Carlos ghosn to reject it in the end. Whether as CEO of Nissan or as chairman Post January 2017.

This has been the story of premium and sports Nissans, particularly Infiniti nearing a decade.

The future of the brand and Infiniti is something I'm going to spell out.

In early 2017, a fully redesigned Z35 was approved styling and all. As some work progressed on that vehicle program throughout 2017, by January 2018 it was again cancelled by Mr. Ghosn and Saikawa.

The car was very beautiful and one of the most high-end expressions of Nissan design language.

In an effort to save face and keep up morale, Cuban American Alfonso Albaisa, the newly-promoted design director of Nissan Design global worked very hard to come up with a new business plan for the vehicle and ended up with something more viable by the end of summer.

What was the core issue with this vehicle? The act of spending money on a new sports car with new technologies, powertrain, and a new company-wide rear-wheel-drive unibody architecture, was daunting if Mr Ghosn had to approve it.

Replacing the front midship RWD architecture has been proposed in multiple vehicles 2019 Infiniti QX70 and Q80 flagship 4dr. Like LC 500 was lead vehicle for TNGA-L, either of those two had to be that or an all new Z. Since those two business cases were killed, it was left to this car to do that. Be the lead vehicle on a new architecture.

It was not deemed very viable to develop an expensive rear wheel drive architecture that could accommodate an ICE roadster/2-str, all the way up an EV capable RWD basis flagship crossover. Hence so many dead ends.

At the end of summer in 2018, $240 million was earmarked for a heavy revision. At this point the final design and other aspects in the design studio were completed. Nada beyond that point in summer 2018.

At this point, production will begin in September 2021 for November launch as a 2022 model year vehicle. It will not arrive sooner than that and will share quite a bit with the CV37 Infiniti Q60 coupe, being that it hinges on borrowing as many components as possible from that vehicle.

What many of you may not realize is that, the front midship platform is an architecture that made its debut in June 2001 on the V35 Skyline sedan aka Infiniti G35 launched March 12, 2002. IT IS 19, NINETEEN YEARS OLD!!

The front midship platform project on its own was also in limbo so long and a serious undertaking during the 1990s.

As early as 1993, ideas were thrown around on what should replace the new R33 Skyline range and that of the G20 in the United States, below Q45 and J30.

Nissan executives in Yokohama looked at the BMW E36 3-Series, now in its 3rd year since 1991 launch as a competitor. And much more refined car than its predecessor launched 1982-83, which harkened more back to 2002 days of yore. A much more luxurious car than E30 and a preview of incoming E38 flagship and upper level E39, that were trotting around in camouflage on the Nurburgring back in 1993.

Going with a more performance-oriented edge, would ensure success against BMW and stomp on Toyota's milquetoast entry effort with ES 300.

For various reasons, converting the R33 Skyline to LHD for the United States as an Infiniti performance sedan proved to be a fruitless endeavor and not worth the trouble to meet a 1995 model year release. Especially in the midst of recovering from the bubble burst.

In some ways the styling was already too racy and didn't fit NDI chief Jerry Hirshberg's silky styling ethos for Infiniti, including new Maxima-based I30, which had already been designed, but not due until 1995.

In 1994, formal commencement of developing this new rear wheel drive architecture occurred, to be ready in time for 1998. Lower cost replacement for R33 Skyline was inaugurated, dropping RB for VQ.

However, by the end of 1995 plans to develop this architecture fell by the wayside because Nissan's economic outlook soured some more and more demanding programs were made priority.

A redesigned Z33 for the 1997/98 model year was also canceled, as the sales situation in the United States was impossible regarding 300ZX. An Infiniti coupe, styling approved in May 1993 internally for late 1996 launch, was also canceled.

At that point R34 was assigned to a revised car and new P11 Primera launching in Europe, was now being developed for mid-1998 launch as a stopgap G20 for 1999. Unfortunately due to poor timing, it also meant that the G20 would have to go out of production for 2 years.

By 1997, the interim projects were entering pilot phases and the front midship programs were resurrected. In early 1998 what became the G35 sedan was completed in the design department and work was ordered on a two-door variant. Designation also changed to V35, from V34.

Back at Nissan Design International in La Jolla California, Jerry Hirshberg got the idea in mid 1998 to do a 240Z concept for NAIAS. The 240Z concept made its debut in January 1999, but no production program was fully under way yet.

As the spring drew closer, Nissan was borderline hitting bankruptcy. Both DaimlerChrysler and Renault were asked to get involved. DaimlerChrysler opted out if I recall and Renault sent Carlos Ghosn over to Japan by May. He then became COO.

Just like this display of future vehicles back in May 2020, in order to give investors and the media confidence in the future of Nissan, many future vehicles were shown due years out.

In April of 1999, the G35 sedan was among those revealed in an embargoed setting, to automotive journalists at 1999 NYIAS who were impressed by the pop up navigation screen and headlight design, but barred from use of any photography or illustration.

An earlier version of this vehicle was shown in Tokyo as the Nissan XVL Concept, which wasn't a concept, but actually the heavily detailed fiberglass mockup of the new RWD Infiniti sedan, years before it went on sale. Naturally it would not be shown so early, but they felt they were ready.

Meanwhile, the cash infusion from Renault ensured that the FM platform now had funds to be fully engineered and go into production by the summer of 2001. This also meant that the new Z car had a basis it could share the costs with.

Not only V35 range, but a wagon, a new coupe like crossover by 2003, new midsize sedan by 2004, a new flagship by 2006 (canceled). Carlos Ghosn inaugurated his Nissan Revival Plan by September of 1999, which included a roster of vehicles across both brands.

By March 2000, what became the 350Z was approved stylistically and frozen that autumn, I had of its 2002 launch.

In January 2001, the Z Concept was revealed and pretty much the production vehicle, being formally revealed in full in Tokyo that October alongside a great surprise in a GT-R concept. (Now elevated above the Skyline range, intended to be a borderline supercar when funds allowed it.)

The FM platform lead vehicle in V35 sedan was already revealed in June 2001 and not too shortly afterward, the 2003 Infiniti G35 itself, several months ahead of its introduction in March 2002. G35 coupe came in November 2002 and FX45 in January 2003.

FM platform was birthing so many great products, at lightning speed.

Problem is the replacements for all of these vehicles above were heavy revisions on the same platform. Come 2010s, a lot of these second gen RWDs have been killed off, left in limbo. Namely Q50, Q70, QX70, QX50, Q45* and last but not least 370Z.

Because of Hurricane Katrina, developing the current Z34 was a struggle during the design process and barely made styling approval in late 2005, as the corrupted oil substances for the clay made their work difficult.

Since 2008 nothing has changed, as per what I said above. Hopefully you understand why it's daunting to create a new rear wheel drive platform, when customers are not willing to pay for Infiniti products of that nature without demanding incentives.

The Z can never survive without Infiniti involved in this modern era of cost consolidation. Since Infiniti was going for seda, a new ICE RWD platform doesn't make sense.

---R36 GT-R is not in development at the moment, it is on hiatus and will resume in time for a 2026 launch. It is essentially deja vu like was the case in 2001 with the GTR concept being shown and not surfacing until 2007. R35 production ends in 2022.

Other than extremely delayed QX55 next April, nothing new for Infiniti until 2024. Infiniti EV plans have been pushed back in favor of more new CUVs, so not sure what is happening.

[The J-Man]

I really don’t think anybody cares about this car, but cool they are bringing it back. Seems like a very bad business move for Nissan. They should bring back the Xterra if they want to revive a successful product.

[supra93]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan...ssan-400z-name

Nissan 370Z replacement will forgo an electric powertrain

Nissan is in the midst of an ambitious plan to rebuild the brand, boost profits, plus establish a new generation of products, and key to its turnaround is a successor to the firm’s 370Z sports car. Expected to be revealed towards the end of 2022 and go on sale the following year, the new Z car’s launch will mark 15 years since the current 370Z was introduced, back in 2008.

The Japanese firm’s short-term plan, which goes up to 2023, will see the company focus its efforts on expanding its crossover model range, launch more than eight new electric vehicles and reinvigorate its sports car line-up. At the same time Nissan will reduce its overall product portfolio by 20 per cent, by discontinuing older models or vehicles that are specific to a single region.

The 370Z replacement, rumoured to be called 400Z, will be sold across Nissan’s major markets in North America and China, as well as Europe, in order to maximise profitability. Sports cars make up one per cent of Europe’s total new car sales.

Confirmation of the new Z car came earlier this year, along with a hazy teaser image of the two-door coupé. Although design details are hard to pick out, the image did reveal that the sports car will keep the sleek, cab-rearward silhouette that first appeared on the 240Z back in the sixties. Spy shots have revealed that Nissan is already under way with development on the newcomer, using the current 370Z as a test mule. Our exclusive images give you an idea of how the finished car could look.

Talking about the styling of the upcoming sports car, Nissan’s senior vice-president for design, Alfonso Albaisa, told us: “The Z is the car that democratised sports cars back in the sixties. The current car has been a long time in the dealerships, and so you could imagine the designers working on it.

“We could never leave this alone, it’s in our soul. You can feel this in other Nissan designs, like the new Ariya; it’s not just about fuel efficiency, it wants to be driven, for the love of driving.”

To ensure the Toyota Supra rival will be profitable for Nissan – something that’s famously difficult to achieve in the sports car class due to the small sales volumes – the firm will look to leverage its position within the Renault Nissan Alliance. Rather than develop a new platform for the sports car, Nissan is likely to use an evolution of the architecture that underpins a range of models, including the Infiniti Q60 coupé.

The platform is designed for front-engined, rear-wheel-drive vehicles and is already compatible with a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged engine that is capable of producing in excess of 400bhp. Such a configuration will allow Nissan to develop the next Z model quickly, because components are readily available, while the performance figures would make the newcomer competitive in its class.

There’s also the possibility of the Nismo division developing a more powerful and more focused model further down the line.

Despite Nissan concentrating on electric and e-Power hybrid systems, Auto Express understands that the 370Z replacement will feature no electrification, and rely solely on an internal combustion engine for power. To that end, official documents released by Nissan show that an ICE vehicle will be launched towards the end of the company’s 2023 plan.

Beyond its short-term plan, Nissan will shift its focus away from Europe and try to expand the firm’s presence in China and North America. While it still intends to build and sell vehicles in Europe in the future, the firm will rely more heavily on the Alliance, chiefly Renault, by producing Nissan-badged versions of its sister company’s vehicles.

[ReadyToParty]

Finally turbo Z. That engine is solid, tune only Q50s will give m550 run for it's money.

It looks like the retarded cousin of Aston Martin, not a fan of the body

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by supra93

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan...ssan-400z-name

That looks pretty fucking Hot! Very ASTON MARTIN ish.

[damnitBobby]

This car will be begging for a manual transmission.