Get a mountain of salt ready, then read on.
Before we dive into details here, we need to share a massive warning that any of the details here are subject to change from this point until the Nissan Z actually sees its official debut. Actually, that’s the first piece of information this Nissan 400Z Club forum member shared Tuesday that’s worth mentioning. Apparently it’s not going to be called the “400Z” — just the Nissan Z. In Japan, the automaker will keep the “Fairlady Z” name it’s used for decades. So, take that “artist formerly known as approach” for what it’s worth, assuming it’s true.
What about price? According to this “guy who knows a guy who knows a guy” disclosure, the seventh-generation Nissan Z will start from $34,995, likely excluding destination fees. Now, that’s a major jump over the current 370Z’s $30,090 asking price. But we are talking about a radical departure from the car we’ve known for the past decade, so I’d say that figure is within reason. Massive leaps tend to command equally large premiums, but that $35,000-ish price tag is for the base model with no options.
Some trim insights
Speaking of “base model”, there are (again, assuming these rumors are accurate) three trims rounding out the range. There’s the Type S, which may well translate to “Sport” rather than Acura’s nomenclature for its performance model. That supposedly includes Brembo brakes, thicker sway bars, various coolers — I’m assuming for transmission, oil and so on — and “other stuff”. See? Part of the rumormill includes genuinely useful information and data that’s…well, let’s just say “not helpful”. We’ll have to wait and see what the other stuff is…eventually.
Then there’s the Type T, which sounds like the “Touring” model. Here you get powered leather seats (“Powered, you say!? Hush your mouth!”) that are heated and cooled, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and so on. Again, if that’s true, then unlike Nissan’s other cars you’ll still have to spec your Z up to get what are, to my mind, some pretty basic creature comforts these days. Then, finally, there’s the type ST or “Sport Touring”, as I’m sure you’ve deduced. That one more or less combines the two.
Any performance and handling details on the Nissan Z?
Supposedly (frustrating to keep seeing that word, isn’t it?), the base Nissan Z will get Akebono brakes. Sport and Nismo models, on the other hand, will get Brembos. The 400Z Club user and their source also confirmed the next Z will get the same 3.0-liter VR30DDTT V6 engine that we currently see in the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport. That’s a massive improvement on the old 370Z, and also puts Nissan’s next sports car out in front of the Toyota Supra on power, if only just. That engine, a digital gauge cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support and the duckbill spoiler shown above come on all Z models.
The Z may be lighter than a Supra
According to the forum post, the Nissan Z weighs in at 3,252 pounds. That’s a hundred-and-change pounds lighter than the 3.0-liter Supra, but that’s not all. You still get a 6-speed manual transmission — apparently a carryover from the 370Z — as well as a new automatic transmission. Admittedly, that’s the version most people will probably buy, so it does make sense for Nissan to focus some effort there. Instead of using Jatco’s old 7-speed transmission, it’s using a 9-speed automatic instead. That part checks out, as we’re seeing that number of gears more ubiquitously on everything from the Titan to the Frontier and even the new Pathfinder.
What I’m not so sure about, though, is the poster’s claim that it’s a Mercedes-Benz 9G-Tronic automatic. Now, Jatco does fabricate that gearbox for Nissan vehicles — specifically the Jatco JR913E that’s used in the Titan. However, the Pathfinder‘s 9-speed is not the same transmission. Instead, it uses a ZF-sourced 9HP transmission. If Nissan’s splitting which gearbox it uses between cars and trucks, that may be an option. According to the (as yet unconfirmed) source, though, it’s the Jatco unit. Again, we’ll have to wait and see.
No Roadster in sight…yet
Finally, the last detail we see from this post is a scrap on the Roadster. For the moment, it appears a Nissan Z Roadster is not on the horizon. Like everything else in this information dump, however, we can’t rule anything out until the automaker makes it official either way. The coupe is apparently gunning for the Toyota Supra (duh), as well as the Ford Mustang to a lesser extent. That checks out, since the Z has long been pitched as a lighter, tauter alternative to an American take on a sports car, for all its grunt and horsepower.
As far as the look, we’ve seen this “production” version in silver, but that’s about it. According to this source, all 2020 370Z colors will carry over to the new Nissan Z. And don’t worry if you were a fan of the yellow Z Proto. That color is allegedly making its way into production as well.
Huge disclaimer, since we can’t be too careful here: None of this information should be taken as gospel truth just yet. Even if it’s accurate right now, Nissan could make some changes between now and their official announcement. They could change some details because this information’s making the rounds, for all we know, so we’ll just have to stay tuned. Nevertheless, any information on the new Nissan Z is an exciting prospect, and I can’t wait to see the new car for real.
