New Nissan Z Leaked?

[AZhitman]

Holiday Auto Magazine is either trolling (poorly, I might add) or Nissan has chosen a really, really obscure magazine to "leak" the new Z.

Either way, the speculation is interesting, and considering the lack of info coming from Corporate, it's really all we've got until some sort of "official" announcement is made...

Of course, we'd love to think that Nissan would choose to let the web's largest Nissan site in on the "secret" before anyone else, but based on past occurrences, we're not optimistic. It'll probably pop up on some obscure non-enthusiast site or in a Facebook teaser.

Anyhow, let's kick this rendering around... Could this be an accurate depiction of the Z35?



While you're considering the image, let's talk about what we DO know so far.

[NOTE: Obviously, this is all conjecture at this point. However, we get bits and pieces from our contacts within the company, and our staff spends a lot of time discussing what COULD be done with the company's current platforms, powerplants, and resources. Filter this all through the Nissan three-prong fuel economy strategy (lighter weight, lower drag, more efficiency), and we get a pretty good idea of what we'll see in 2016.]

What do we know?

We already know the next-generation Z will have to be downsized from the current 370Z, which will mean it'll be sized similarly to the original 240Z. Based on our earlier discussion of Nissan's new lightweight high-tensile steel, plus Nissan's commitment to making ALL of its lineup lighter in weight, we can anticipate the car being in the 2800-lb range.

Nissan has been pushing hard to retire the current crop of V6 powerplants across its lineup, which means we'll likely see an efficient, high-horsepower 4-cylinder. If Nissan follows the lead of its competition (think Hyundai Genesis Coupe), we could see a pair of engine choices - A naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 and a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-banger, with direct injection and lots of efficiency measures built in... likely in the 280-hp range.

Of course, that leaves the door open for a Nismo Z variant, which would (we hope) pack bigger horsepower and hopefully some track-inspired braking, handling, and appearance goodies.

Ready, set, DISCUSS!

[Greenblurr93]

Looks like a BMW more than a Z

Either way, very rarely do we get anything that looks like the initial renderings. Auto makers will water down styling for production models.

I would be curious as to their choice of power plant as well. When i get into a Z I expect torque on demand.

[SanoSuKe]

^ This. I immediately thought of the Z4 lol

[ImStricken06]

they are a week late for shark week.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Am I the only one that thinks concept drawings as of late have wheels/tires that are entirely too big?

Looks like a comic book rendering.

[BusyBadger]

^ Almost exactly what I was going to post. Nice suspension travel there, better have some pretty smooth roads driving that thing...or Tire Rack on speed-dial.

More later, I'm collecting my thoughts.

[Bubba1]

^ Almost exactly what I was going to post. Nice suspension travel there, better have some pretty smooth roads driving that thing...or Tire Rack on speed-dial.

More later, I'm collecting my thoughts.

I don't mind the overall shape, but it does not inspire me to order one the way the original 240Z or 350Z did when they first came out. It kinda screams Bangle donk (that's not a compliment) as as the styling seems too busy, the wheels are too big, and the grill shape looks like its burping. Much of the Z's visual appeal has been its sleek simplicity, with very few cheapie creases and unnecessary styling touches. For an early rendering, I say okay but they need to simplify the styling + keep the manual transmission if they want me to buy one.

[themadscientist]

That's pretty hideous. I'm sure we all look forward to the "sporty" CVT.

[krash]

I hope to god that they dont put a 4 cylinder in the Z. That would break the Z-Time-Space continuum .

Rendering also looks a little bit on the doo-doo side. BUT, maybe the price will come down low enough?

[float_6969]

I'm OK with the outline of the car. I see they are trying to harken back to the 240Z with the outline, C pillar, placement of the headlights, and the shape of the hood. I do NOT like the Charger-like swoop on the side, or the grill. The wheels are something I expect on a Hot wheels, not a car. More shots of the front and rear would be nice, and power plant and transmission options will be a BIG decider.

[RicerX]

Alright - here goes my lengthy diatribe.

First - I am under the impression that the next Z will continue to be on the FM platform, unless there is press that the car is getting separated. The Q50/60 and G37 are going to continue on that platform, and I don't have the impression that Nissan is dedicated the resources to create an entirely different platform for the Z. What this says to me is that, while the next Z could be smaller, I highly doubt it will be all that smaller. I would say we will be fortunate to have a curb weight at 3000lbs here, which given its power (if they use similar power to the Z34) will still translate to a good power to weight ratio.

Second - the rendering. I think the front bumper is pure speculation. I think the overall roofline and side profile of the rendering will be spot on based on what I've seen in the Jay Leno video when he visited the design studio. I think we'll see a lot of 240Z in the final production vehicle. This rendering definitely suggests that. The side profile of the car is exceptionally close. The hood and how it meets the front bumper is directly inspired by it. The rear fender arches suggest a shorter rear a-la 240Z while maintaining Nissan's current design language. I think the headlights and front bumper is a total shot in the dark as well as the spirograph-inspired geometry on the fenders, doors, and side skirts.

Third - powertrain. I am having complete faith that we will not see a CVT. I'm also going to toss this out there - there will be two powertrain options, and one of them will be a hybrid - the 3.5 Hybrid that is an option in the Q50.

With the hybrid, the fuel economy of their sports car would increase pretty dramatically. This helps their CAFE average, leaving more wiggle room for the GT-R and the fullsized truck lineup. It's easy to market because they would be the first to do this in a mass market sports car. It's perfectly inline with what Nissan is trying to accomplish as a company. The increase in fuel economy makes the price more justifiable (on the highway, it would make what the BRZ makes, and it would have 75% more power). The car will still make performance car numbers.

The electric motor in the hybrid will cure a lot of the woes currently present in the 3.7L V6. While the Q50 Hybrid doesn't quite seem like much of a performer, the Z will be because of how it will be built. They can further tune the motor more towards performance as opposed to the Q50. They can offer a manual transmission as the VQ35 has already been built for such. You won't run into the oil temperature issues of the 3.7. Having an electric motor coupled to it will dramatically increase low end torque (it will be instantly available), which many people have complained about, especially when comparing the Z to its V8 competition.

This is probably the route Nissan will take. They can't afford to do a 370Z redux, but they can't afford to make a baby-GT-R out of the Z.

Now I sit and wait another few months.

[breadbox]

Looks like a BMW more than a Z

First thought for me as well. Reminds me of a Z3+. Not that it is a bad thing, but I don't think Z when I see it. Hopefully the production model doesn't look like a transformer is about to convert.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I doubt that's anything like what the actual car will be. But entertaining the possibility:

It's WAY too busy. I don't really need to say more than that. There's also the problem of the nose not agreeing with the tail.

And, as much as I love long-nosed GTs...the Z doesn't need a long nose. The F12 and FF have long noses because they have six-liter V12s under them. The Z is a front-mid V6 layout. There's nothing in front of the tires. Even the Corvette, with its massive intake and radiator setup in front of the engine, doesn't have THAT much nose in front of the axle.

Most importantly: I don't like it. It looks like a bad chinese knockoff of a Z8.

[300ZXttZMAN]

Honestly I thought this was just some crappy AUS magazine trolling all along...

They watermarked the picture that I have seen floating around facebook - with their magazine logo. To me that alone makes it seem bogus.

[nissangirl74]

No V6 + No manual = No want

(I reserve complete judgment for later but I am a bit of a purist)

[AZhitman]

Honestly I thought this was just some crappy AUS magazine trolling all along...

Of course.

And some outlets are picking it up as if it's the Second Coming. It's hard not to chuckle at them.

Besides, ANY reiteration of the S30 chassis will HAVE to have the iconic hood bulge.

[sx moneypit]

Why can't they just make a well executed retro S30 Z car as Ford did with the Mustang???
IMOP it would sell like hotcakes.

[AZhitman]

Great question, and one we've been asking for quite some time.

[OriginalWheelman]

My Z31 turns heads every day and it is is widely considered the worst looking Z car. It's that style that new cars just can't touch. Automakers are caught up in the "different is better" mentality. Somethings just work. Look at the 911...

*Added* Hell even Hollywood has realized things are classics for a reason. That's why 4 / 5 movies are reboots not original stories. Give me a reboot of the Datsun era Zs.

[RED_DET]

We can only pray for a lightweight Z car with a turbo engine of any sort.....

[themadscientist]

I was at a Nissan dealer today and I grilled him on the new Z and I asked him about the engine. The word "hybrid" was uttered without me steering the conversation that way. I think we can expect that to at least be an option.

He also mentioned that Nissan is studying the batteries in Leafs being used in taxis that run all day and get fast charged 3-4 times a day. After a year of that they lose 30% of their storage capacity.

[Jesda]

What a hilarious rendering

[Xdisaster240sX]

It should be called the sZ...S stands for stupid.


Dont all applaud at once...

[Rev_D21]

Looks stupid. Too much going on. Make it fast and you won't need all the extra sheet metal BS going on.

[_b.jaye_]

...IHOP it would sell like hotcakes.

fify

[jbracy7]

I hope its not true,on the plus side the 370 should drop in price soon!

[david.fryklind]

Weird Ferrari'ish

[dgms240]

i know this pic has been out there a while, but it fits Nissan's newest design scheme a little better than the one above.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Looks pretty good, and the floating pillar kink thing makes a lot more sense on a hatchback.

[AZhitman]

Agreed, and agreed. It's got the S30 cues, the Nissan corporate fascia, and looks a lot more production-ready than the previous rendering.