A 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 will likely be paired with a six-speed manual transmission on the 400Z.
Nissan’s lineup of Z-branded cars, or what some call the Fairlady Z as some of you may know them, have had that plate with us since the late 1960s, and the current offering of the 370Z is set to hand the baton to an all-new Z called the 400Z.
And while the 370Z has a fair share of the market worldwide, it has been in hiatus for some time around the time the first models hit the road again in 2008. While an alternative model was hinted at by Nissan in 2018, And it seems that the rumors really took hold, especially when it was reported that Nissan had registered two new logos in March 2020.
One was a change to the existing Nissan badge , and the other was a new change to the iconic Z-car logo. A preview of Nissan’s new lineup appeared on their YouTube channel, complete with a sneak peak of the new Z, but we didn’t see a prototype until September last year.
The 2022 400Z is expected to arrive by the end of the year starting at around $40,000.
What we know about the Nissan Z
seeing the prototype , the hype among Nissan fans has been real!
And while no specific specifications or pricing have been released, there is consensus on what to expect.
Like the 370 and 350Z models before it, the 400Z is set to have a V6 under the hood, unlike the previous two models, however, the new Z will use a twin-turbo setup.
Because of Nissan’s use of an existing engine from the Infiniti Q60 Coupe.
The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 will likely be paired mostly with a six-speed manual transmission which will undoubtedly be used to match revs as is already done in the outgoing 370Z.
It is believed that an automatic variant will also be available, although there is no confirmation yet of what we might see here under the hood.
Just by looking at the car’s lines, you can see hints of its proportions as well.
The Z’s long, muscular front end with teardrop-shaped headlights looks like a defining throwback to these cool supercars, in the legendary 240Z dashboard.
Heading to the rear of the car, the lights are once again taking you back in time, with the taillight unit looking like it was taken straight from the mid-’90s 300ZX.
But that’s not a bad thing, the 300ZX was the Z’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine, and both cars were given plenty of accolades in their prime.
Here’s what’s inside the Nissan Z
From what we’ve seen from the inside so far, one of the most notable changes from previous models will be the lack of analog ports.
These have been phased out for a digital version of a 12.3-inch screen to replace the speedometer, rev counter, temperature and fuel gauges, although the analog gauges are not entirely missing, with a few still being used to monitor pressure increase among other things.
The “infotainment” system is expected to have all the usual features, a navigation system, Apple Automation / Android Auto integration and even a radio!
Other than that, it had to be said, the inside seemed rather dull.
The seats feel supportive, as you’d expect from a two-seater sports car, but there doesn’t seem to be much “wow factor” inside the 400Z.
Super killer?
The new Z will reportedly be priced around $40,000, the same as the current Toyota Supra, reigniting an old competitive fire.
Well, the Z isn’t a GT-R, but it certainly looks like it might be able to throw punches at today’s Supra.
Again, while no specifics have been released, it is widely accepted that the 400Z has an engine under the hood that produces around 400 horsepower, a fitting move for an upgrade to the 370Z model, which is no slouch and produces 339 horses with 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.2 a second.
It is worth noting that we have to deny the rumors about the production of 444 hp which are unfounded news, but we can remain optimistic, as the Z could be more powerful than the Supra that Toyota introduced with 382 hp in the 2021 V6 model.
But it could also be lighter than Toyota’s signature Supra, which is rumored to have a gross weight of about 3,250 pounds compared to the 150-pound Supra over the 400Z.
However, the Supra can hit 60 mph from a standing start in under four seconds with an official acceleration time of 3.9 seconds, which is exactly the goal and there’s no doubt there will be plenty of comparison videos a while away from the new Nissan release. Brief, and they must make some good scenes.
Even rumors are already starting to emerge regarding future models including a convertible and even a new version that will be called the Nismo.
Despite some bad news.
It has been confirmed that the 400Z will not be available in Europe.
This is only due to the strict emissions restrictions in place there, with Nissan unable to meet these requirements on this model.
All is not lost though, and along with the rumored NISMO and convertible models, there is also talk of Nissan’s Hybrid, which will certainly fit Nissan Europe’s specialty and hopefully meet those emissions standards as well.
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