Next Nissan Z Coming With Twin-Turbo V6, 400 hp
A new generation of Nissan’s Z sports coupe is coming and chances are we’ll see it sometime in the next 12 months, which is great because the current 370Z dates back to 2009 and no longer catches the attention of performance enthusiasts.
For a while, there were rumours that Nissan would electrify the next Z, but now more credible reports hint at another thing entirely.
According to British website Autocar, the company will replace the 332-horsepower, naturally aspirated 3.7-litre V6 with a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6. Displacement would no longer be used to determine the car’s name, which would instead focus on output. Are you ready for a Nissan 400Z with 400 horsepower under the hood?
We’re not talking about a brand new engine, mind you. The Japanese automaker is going through some extremely tough times and is looking to save money by any means necessary, so it only makes sense to use something that’s already there.
The aforementioned twin-turbo V6 comes from the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400. As the name suggests, this model also generates 400 horsepower. The difference is that it relies on a standard AWD system, whereas the future Nissan Z is expected to retain a RWD setup. In terms of acceleration, the quickest Q60 goes from 0-100 km/h in five seconds.
A 400Z would most certainly be lighter than its Infiniti counterpart. And let’s not forget that a more potent NISMO variant will inevitably follow.
This all sounds exciting, but there’s one more question we need an answer to: will Nissan keep the six-speed manual transmission in addition to the seven-speed automatic? No doubt it would make driving enthusiasts happy—and help the car stand out from direct rivals such as the Toyota GR Supra. The latter will get a boost to 382 horsepower for 2021, but it offers an eight-speed automatic transmission only.