RUMOR: Nissan's Next-Gen Z Car Will Get NEW Motor & Lighter

Nissan's next Z-car will be lighter and leaner and appeal to a wider range of buyers, according to design boss Shiro Nakamura. Work on the 370Z replacement “is at an early stage”, he said, adding “there is a concept car to come; work has just started on it”.

There is no word on when that concept could be unveiled, but the 2014 Detroit motor show is a possibility...

...That won’t be achieved by making it bigger. “It cannot be any larger,” he said. “It’s at its maximum size now and should go leaner.”

The new model will also feature a downsized engine, probably a four-cylinder turbo rather than today’s 3.7-litre V6, which will go some way to boadening the car’s appeal. “It needs to be lighter and more accessible to open the door to more people,” said Nakamura...

dlin - 7/21/2012 1:08:16 PM

+1 Boost

Nissan/Infiniti has outstanding engineer, but it's unfortunately offset by bean counter and so-so designer. Since everyone is going elec steering, it leaves me no choice but to hug the Lexus or BMW, though I have serious concern about the latter's durability.

MorePower - 7/22/2012 7:03:10 PM

+1 Boost

It's surprising you are singling out steering as a concern because Nissan has one of most communicative, if sometimes heavy, steering in business outside of earlier model BMW's and exotics.

Unless you are combining Lexus' IS-F with the uncharacteristically numb and vague steering of the latest 5 series and the lesser 3 series, I do not see how you can lump Lexus and BMW in the same vein.

quizz - 7/23/2012 9:56:45 AM

+1 Boost

Turbo four is the future, but I have yet to see Toyota or Nissan with significant experience implementing such an engine, unlike Audi or Subaru. So I have my doubts about the first generation engine, unless its jointly designed and manufactured with an experienced partner (Nissan-VW)