The electrification of Nissan’s Z dynasty
Stick with a petrol six? Plump for hybrid? Or risk a sports EV? Nissan is weighing up its options.
1 GET OFF THE POT
Nissan has been almost as silent as an EV on the future of its iconic sports cars, the 370Z and GT-R. As Audi mulls an electric TT and Porsche is debating making the next Boxster and Cayman EVs too, Nissan knows it has a mountain to climb replacing its ancient 370Z. Executives are keen to wait it out until the market makes a worldwide decision it can follow.
2 NOT A LEADER
Why not just pick a power source and stick to it? Because internal combustion, hybrids and EVs all have their own problems. For EVs it’s range, for hybrids it’s weight, for engines it’s the fact they aren’t viable long-term. Potential avenues are being explored. Our spy photographers saw a modified 370Z (below) on the Nürburgring, with extra cooling ducts visible and engine noise audible.
3 OPEN SEASON
Nissan is open to potential tie-ups with other manufacturers when it comes to making the next Z car, like Toyota working with Subaru on the BRZ/GT86 (above) and with BMW on the Z4/ Supra. Nissan’s boss of product planning says: ‘There are no golden rules, but there are elements we cannot compromise on, because these are brand icons.’
4 IT’S GOT THE LOOK
Nissan has a long tradition of turning concepts into production cars. The GripZ concept, for example, ended up being the basis of the new Juke. For the next Z car, however, Nissan has not yet shown a concept that gives clear signals about its future sports car. Design inspiration could come from the retro IDx (below) and crossover IMx.
‘Is the consumer ready for an electric sports car? EVs have many beautiful attributes but you have to carry a battery, which is weight. A sports car is not just about the horsepower you put in, it’s about the kilogrammes you remove. We are working on this, and we will come up with something some time soon.’