Next-Gen Nissan 370Z Will Have Manual Gearbox And Retro Z Design

Although we know there’s a new Nissan 370Z on the way, we have no idea what it looks like. Spy shots of a 370Z or ‘400Z’ test mule revealed a vehicle still wearing the body panels of the existing Nissan Z car (albeit with a bunch of holes drilled in the front).

However, a report has since come in that gives a few clues. Over in the US, Autoblog is citing a source that claims Nissan is “going back to the roots of the car” with a retro-inspired design.

This will result in a car with a similar outline to the current, ageing 370Z, but with a 240Z-like front end and some 300ZX echoes going on at the back. In contrast, the inside will be thoroughly modern, with the Z, at last, getting an infotainment system, and an overall cabin design said to be similar to the Altima and Sentra.

In line with previous reports, this fresh one suggests power will come from a version of the ‘VR30DDTT’ 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 used in the Infiniti Q50/Q60. It has only ever been paired with automatic transmissions in production applications, but don’t let that panic you - there will be both auto and manual versions available.

We have seen a preview of this combination before - a current-gen 370Z Nissan cooked up for the 2018 SEMA show dropped the usual VQ37VHR for the VR30, which was hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox. The show car’s 400bhp output is around what we’re expecting for the new one.

We’ll be waiting a while to see the car in full, however - there’s a good chance it may not be revealed in 2020 at all. The question is, will Nissan keep the positively geriatric 370Z going until the new one is here, or give an overdue retirement?