For fans of Nissan's Z sports car, the long wait for the next generation in the line, the Z35, is almost over.
Nissan will show the design of its new Z sports car on September 15 with the online reveal of a prototype dubbed the Z Proto.
The automaker has been dropping teasers for the new Z, including the above video which confirms the inclusion of a manual transmission. The button located to the right of the gear lever also confirms the car will feature the current Z's rev-match function, so you can continue to sound like a pro during shifts.
We also know the new Z will feature taillights inspired by the lights of the Z32 300ZX launched in 1989. A sketch teased by Nissan design chief Alfonso Albaisa last week showed the modern take on the design.
Nissan in May dropped another teaser video (shown below) that indicated the new Z is one of multiple models due in the next four years. This earlier video provided us with a silhouette of the new Z and the signature of its daytime running lights. So far it looks like the car will feature proportions similar to the 370Z, coupled with more refined details.
The first test mules surfaced late last year which points to a market arrival in 2022. Those test mules also point to the new Z being slightly smaller than the 370Z.
Power is likely to come from the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 found in Infiniti's 400 Red Sport models, which delivers 400 horsepower. Rumor has it the new Z will have the same 400-hp rating, and a corresponding 400Z name.
The man known as "Mr. GT-R," Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist for the GT-R and Nismo, told Motor Authority in 2019 the future of the GT-R and the Z would be shaped by customers. Sounds like customers said they want the Z to return to its roots in terms of looks and deliver more power.
But what about the other models featured in the teaser video above. It appears the list includes future versions of the Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Murano, Navara, Note, Pathfinder, Qashqai (nee Rogue Sport), Rogue, and Terra, as well as the Ariya battery-electric crossover. Some of these we'll see in the United States like an updated Armada, the next-generation Frontier, Pathfinder, Rogue and Rogue Sport, and new Ariya.
Stay tuned.
