Nissan Z Proto to debut on Sept 15, previews new 400Z

Yesterday, reports that the new Nissan 400Z will only be introduced towards the end of 2022 surfaced. That’s a long time away. But Nissan has now announced that the Nissan Z Proto will be revealed on September 15; the prototype giving us a real-life preview of the next-generation Z car.

“We’re reawakening the Power of Z with the new Nissan Z Proto, combining 50 years of passion and heritage with modern technology,” Nissan said while releasing the heritage themed video you see above.

The video features the car that started it all, the first-generation S30 Datsun Fairlady 240Z, the S130 280ZX, the third-generation Z31 300ZX, and the 90s Z32 300ZX. It would be a long lull before the Nissan 350Z debut in 2002 to a hungry crowd. The Z was back!

At the end of 2008, Nissan released the 370Z, which is more of the same but with a 3.7 litre V6 engine, the largest ever in the Fairlady series. Until very recently, Nissan was still making the Z34 370Z, and there was a special 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition that was launched in April 2019, marking five decades of the Japanese sports car. Yup, the Z is over 50 years old now, and the 370Z, 12 years old.

Word is that the Nissan could use a reworked FM chassis designed for front-engined, rear-wheel-drive cars. As used by Infiniti for the Q60 Coupe, it’s compatible with a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 capable of producing over 400 hp and 500 Nm.

Also, it’s said that the 400Z will remain pure – no hybrid or electrification, just a good ol’ internal combustion engine sending power to the rear axle. The Nismo division will be rubbing their hands with glee.

“The Z is the car that democratised sports cars back in the sixties. The current car has been a long time in the dealerships, and so you could imagine the designers working on it,” said Nissan’s vice-president of design, Alfonso Albaisa.

“We could never leave this alone, it’s in our soul. You can feel this in other Nissan designs, like the new Ariya; it’s not just about fuel efficiency, it wants to be driven, for the love of driving,” he added.

We’ll know more about the next-generation Nissan 400Z in two weeks time, to see how it shapes up next to the A90 Toyota GR Supra. These sports car revivals in an era where the world is going electric has to be celebrated, their makers given a salute.

GALLERY: Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition