Z line
Nissan’s Z line of sports cars, which started with the Datsun 240Z in 1969, has grown in size and power through the decades – we’ve seen the 240, 280, 300, long pause, 350 and the current six-year old 370Z so far. What’s next? A more expensive, more powerful 390Z? Not likely, according to Nissan’s senior VP and chief creative officer Shiro Nakamura.The traditional Fairlady format will see a big change. “[The 370Z] is a very expensive car. Therefore we have to make a revolution, a repositioning. I don’t think we have a future of A$60,000 (RM174,190 direct conversion without Malaysian taxes) and 3.7 litre engine, it’s very expensive not only in price but in running costs,” he said.
"[After] 350Z, 370Z I don't think the next one will be 390Z. It's not growing, it's already big enough. "I don't think we should go any higher, maybe go backwards.
"We haven't decided anything about the next-generation Z, whether it should be larger or have more power.
"We need to take another pass."
Just as there was a gestation period separating the 1990s Nissan 300ZX with its millennial 350Z successor, Nakamura says there could be a gap between the death of the current-generation 370Z and its eventual replacement.
The brand has a history of offering three tiers of performance coupe such as the four-cylinder 200SX, six-cylinder 350Z and the turbocharged Skyline GT-R that were sold concurrently in Japan.
But the Japanese executive says Nissan will limit itself to just two sports cars in the future, the GT-R and a more affordable cousin that may challenge the heritage of its six-cylinder, 2+2 Z-cars.
Cheaper,
Four-cylinder models are under consideration, and could emerge as a Toyota 86 rival in a similar vein to Nissan's Datsun 1600-inspired IDX Concept."We are trying to do a couple of new alternatives for next-generation Z," he says.
"IDX, that could be a next-generation Z, that's one of the options.
"IDX is so much supported by you guys, but financially the decision is a separate story.
"I think the Toyota 86 is a good car, almost like the original 240Z.
"The original 240Z is not really a pure sports car, it's more like... lifestyle, and trendy."
sources : paultan.org and www.drive.com.au
