Nissan revives hopes for 370Z replacement

The 370Z might not be the last in the line of Zeds after all.

Nissan has issued constant denials regarding new sports cars but a new report from Autocar indicates a new Zed replacement could be in the works.

Former Nissan Australia CEO Richard Emery told MOTOR in late 2016 that “there's no indication… for what the next step is for Zed from a product planning perspective.”

At the time, he put that down to the shrinking popularity of sports cars worldwide.

"I think Zed is [in] a diminishing segment globally, so it's a brave company that would start from scratch in that segment and I think that's probably extending the life cycle of existing platforms.”

Nissan’s recent Zed update and price drop would also suggest it’s sticking around for a while longer.

It’s unlikely that anything concrete will be confirmed by Nissan for some time, but the insiders informing Autocar have divulged some tasty information.

Allegedly known internally as the Z35 to follow the numbering system which began with the Z31, the next Zed car will be closely related to the next iteration of the Infiniti Q60, with its wheelbase and platform to make up the Z35’s building blocks.

The 370Z’s 3.7-litre atmo V6 will also be replaced by the Q60’s twin-turbo V6, Autocar reports, bringing power up from 245kW/363Nm to roughly 298kW and 475Nm.

A roadster version is also said to be coming, but that’s not likely to come until after the Coupe, which Autocar expects to see revealed in concept form at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.

MOTOR has contacted Nissan Australia for comment, and is awaiting a response.