Nissan Design Chief Suggests a New Z-Car Is Coming
For a nameplate with so much historic importance to Nissan, the 370Z sports car has experienced neglect of late. It has been 10 years since the current-generation Z-car was introduced, and the model has seen for the most part minor updates during that period. The rumor line on the car’s successor-or whether there’d even be one-has been cold, too, until now. In an interview with the Australian publication Wheels, Nissan global design chief Alfonso Albaisa appears to confirm that Nissan has begun work on a next-generation Z-car project.
Speaking about future projects, he says, "The Z-car, oh my god. Huge pressure," adding, "You can imagine I'm completely excited that I am in a position to work on that." Albaisa gives no further clues as to when we might see the fruits of his labors, or even what shape they might take.
Next fall marks 50 years since the debut of the original 240Z, so that would seem to be appropriate timing to show what's next for the Z-car. Also on the docket for roughly one year from now? The next Tokyo auto show. Nissan already seems keenly aware of the Z-car's 50th anniversary, as it jumped the gun in the U.S. with the 2018 370Z Heritage Edition, which was introduced in the spring of 2017.
Sales of the current Z have slowed to a trickle (just 4614 found new homes last year in the United States), and sports cars in general are in a slump. That is why the development of a next-generation Z-car was hardly a given. In fact, when we finally do see the next Z-car, it could take a very different form. There's no saying the next Z couldn't show up as some kind of sporty crossover (a la the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross), though we hope that isn’t the case. Until we hear more from Nissan, we can't be sure what the next Z will be.
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