The Tokyo show in November could welcome a concept that previews the successor to the Nissan 370Z sports car, according to an Autocar UK report. At the ongoing Frankfurt show, Nissan development boss Andy Palmer told the publication that the actual car would be powered by a downsized, turbocharged engine.
The smaller, blown motor won’t produce less power than the 324 hp currently made by the naturally-aspirated 3.7 litre V6, thankfully. Moreover, the seventh-gen Z-car is set to be “smaller and lighter” than the current one, which could only be good news as far as driving is concerned. And yes, there will be a Nismo-tuned version soon enough.
The Tokyo-bound concept, however, could be electric-powered, says the report. Although the production car will be petrol-powered, future electric versions are not unlikely.
“The traditional sleek sports car is nice but not the market I want to address. I want to address the issue of a next-generation sports car,” Autocar UK quoted Palmer as saying. We can’t wait to see how un-traditional a Z-car can get.
Since the Nissan 370Z took over from the Nissan 350Z in 2009, there have been roadster, Nismo and numerous special editions. The sports car features Synchro Rev Match – the world’s first synchronised downshift rev-matching system on a manual gearbox.
A minor facelift happened in 2012, giving the vehicle LED DRLs, a mildly restyled front bumper and new 19-inch alloys for the GT trim. A Nismo version followed, while Continental sales for the regular 370Z facelift began earlier this year.
