The New Nissan Z To Be Revealed On August 17

On August 17, 2021 Nissan will reveal the new Z. No further details were released by Nissan in the teaser video on Twitter.

Speculation is abound about what the latest incarnation of the iconic Z will hold. While Nissan has been largely silent about what the next generation of their iconic sports car could entail it made a brief appearance in a recent commercial with Brie Larson.

The commercial highlights the driving experience that Nissan can provide and how the Z can bring back memories of more visceral motoring with its manual transmission and clutch pedal.

The prototype Z (known as “Proto Z”) is featured on Nissan’s website and provides some specifications, with a caveat from Nissan that does not confirm this will be in the production Z.

Proto Z Specs:

Engine: V6 twin turbo

Transmission: 6-speed manual (an automatic option is also in development)

Length: 172.5-inches

Width: 72.8-inches

Height: 51.6-inches

Wheel and tire size: Front: 255/40R19, Rear: 285/35R19

To me the Proto Z looks like the previous 370Z and 350Z with some solid tweaks to the back half, specifically the taillights. Its silhouette is similar to the 370Z but seems to be more compact or shorter. The Proto Z’s grille is different and less aggressive than the 370Z but harkens back to the 300ZX with a rectangular front.

Much like the Porsche 911, the Z is maintaining a similar silhouette with each subsequent generation. This is a good thing because the Z has always looked good and maintained an aggressive stance with nice curves.

Beyond stating that the Proto Z will have a V6 twin-turbo engine there is nothing concrete on what will power the next generation Z.

The 370Z in North America  was powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter (226ci) V6 engine that produced a factory-rated 332hp and 270 ft/lb of torque. Performance was strong for the 2020 370Z with a 0-60 mph jaunt in 5.2-seconds.

Logically speaking the next Z will have more power and will be quicker. At this point anything concrete about the future Z is on hold until August 17th.