Next Nissan Z Will be Lighter with a Smaller Engine

Nissan has already reportedly begun work on the next-generation Z according to Nissan design boss Shiro Nakamura, who recently spoke with Autocar.

2013 Nissan 370Z
Nissan has already reportedly begun work on the next-generation Z according to Nissan design boss Shiro Nakamura, who recently spoke with Autocar. Nakamura stated that the replacement for the 370Z will be lighter and leaner in order to appeal to a larger range of buyers.

Sales of the 370Z are down and according to Nakamura, the 370Z has not been as successful as the 350Z, so “The next one has to have a stronger impact.”

That won’t be achieved by making it bigger. It cannot be any larger,” Nakamura stated. “It’s at its maximum size now and should go leaner.”

That means that the next Z will also feature a downsized engine, which could be a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, that would replace the current 3.7L V6. Nakamura stated that we will see a concept version of the next Z before the production model debuts, but there is no word when that will happen.

Autocar