Nissan's all-new sports car, the 400Z, is set to debut sometime later this year. A lot of speculation, rumors and hype have surrounded the car the last few years and has finally reached its peak when the Japanese manufacturer released the Z-Proto, an aesthetically similar concept version of what will be the latest production Z-car.
With that being said, it's a glimpse of the successor to the highly rated 370Z sports car, which will bow out after 12 years in production. As the global reveal of the production version draws nearer, here are the things we have learned that the new Z car will possess.
10 Twin-Turbo V6 Engine
One of the biggest changes that the new Z car will have compared to its predecessor is its engine. While the 350Z and 370Z sports cars were fitted with a naturally-aspirated V6, the 400Z will have a twin-turbo V6 instead.
Nissan will utilize the existing motor from the Infiniti Q60 coupe which has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo powerplant, and based from the Project CARS 3 game, the 400Z is believed to have over 400 horsepower once it is released.
9 Retro Styling
Sources say the design of the production version of the new Z car will not change much compared to the Z-Proto, so we'll expect the 400Z to possess the retro looks borrowed from the original Fairlady, the 240Z.
The long hood, fastback silhouette and rounded headlamps are definitely a nod to the past generations of the Z cars. Even the rear taillights are reminiscent of the 300ZX.
8 FM Platform
People would not need to worry about how the 400Z will handle once it is released, and that is because it will still sit on the same, but heavily modified underpinnings of its predecessor. Nissan calls it the FM, or quite simply the 'Front Midship' platform.
It is a platform shared by the 370Z, the Infiniti Q50 and Q60. Considering the good handling characteristics of the new Z car's predecessor, we can expect the 400Z to do the same, or even get better.
7 Supra Challenger
Just as they did back in the 90s, the Z and the Toyota Supra will go head-to-head as rivals in the two-seater Japanese sports car class. One is futuristic-looking, while the other one takes a retro-style approach. Only time can tell which car will come out on top.
We are excited to see the old rivalry reborn in the 21st century, as these distinctively different cars make a new name for themselves. Fortunately for us, the long wait is almost over.
6 Six-Speed Manual Is Available
Good ol' fashioned stick shifts are fast becoming extinct these days, so it's refreshing to see the new 400Z to still have a six-speed manual transmission available together with an automatic option.
We can also expect the awesome SynchroRev Match mode to carry over to the new Z car, which does the heel-and-toe action for the driver in the old 370Z sports car.
5 Updated Interior
Nissan did not just take the retro looks on the outside of the car, but also into the interior, together with a modern touch with all the multi-information displays and screens.
The interior layout remains as driver-focused as ever, with a 12-inch digital dashboard that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while it retains the three analog ancillary gauges that display oil pressure, battery voltage and water temperature.
4 NISMO Version
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Even though the production version has not come out yet, people are already waiting for a NISMO version of the 400Z. After all, its predecessor had one, and it was really good.
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A fan-rendering made the Z-Proto into a NISMO inspired design, and quite simply, we like the idea of a close to 500 horsepower rear-wheel-drive sports car with a manual transmission.
3 August 2021 Reveal
Nissan plans to reveal the production version of the new Z car in New York on August 17. There were no other details posted by the Japanese manufacturer apart from the release date. Fortunately for us, we know what to expect once the production version comes out.
A few leaked images have already made its way to the internet about the production version of the new Z car, that showed off the subtle changes made from the Z-Proto.
2 Rolling The Streets Before 2022
We can expect the new Z cars to roam the streets even before 2022, as Nissan said they expect to deliver these cars by December 2021.
As such, the 2022 Nissan 400Z should be on sale by the end of this year, and could be available for viewing just after it is revealed through Nissan's YouTube channel.
1 Price Range
Rumors say that the new Z car would undercut the GR Supra's price, as the 400Z is expected to start at around $35,000 for its base model.
In contrast, the four-cylinder Supra starts at $42,000, so the Nissan Z car might be cheaper than what we expected. If they do, expect plenty of Z cars roaming around once they get that price range right.