The Nissan Z-car has died once before — in 1996, only to return in 2003 as the 350Z. It’s been suggested that the Z will go the way of the Mitsubishi Eclipse and become yet another crossover. But a rumor out of Japan links Nissan with Mercedes-Benz for a new Z, possibly in time for the model’s 50th Anniversary in 2019/2020. The Japanese site response.jp (thanks, Google Translate) has posted a rendering of the potential new sports car, showing the company’s corporate V-motion grille lined with LED strips, and a long hood that harkens back to the traditional proportions of the original 240Z.
Any news of the Z returning as a proper sports car instead of a crossover that trades heritage for blandness (Eclipse Cross, Ford Mach 1) is welcome news indeed.
Curiously, the render uses the C-pillar kink typically found on Nissan’s Infiniti brand. I struggle to imagine this making it to production. So does Ben Hsu of Japanese Nostalgic Car, who notes that it would be “..incredibly odd for the Z to have what is a uniquely Infiniti design cue.”
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