2023 Nissan Z: Everything We Know So Far
2023 Nissan Z – The Nissan Z is one of the most luxurious sports cars of all time. Its members include the iconic 240Z, the game-changing Z32 300ZX, and the hit tuner 350Z.
Nissan unveiled the Z Proto, a prototype of its new Z sports car that is almost ready for production. With a retro-inspired design, this car is pretty much what the Z is ready for after reaching the dealership next year. The front has a large box grille taken from the original 240Z, while the taillight cluster shares much of its style with the Nineties 300ZX.
2023 Nissan Z
The Nissan 370Z seems to be a permanent fixture in the Nissan range, you might stop wondering how long it’s been around. Well, we’ll keep you in the know because it’s important: the current generation Z was launched in 2008, and 12 years is a pretty long journey even for a sports car.
In fact, there are doubts if his successor is ever going to materialize, and between the many negative presses Nissan has received the last few years and the current economic climate, you will be forgiven for losing all hope.
But Nissan swore Z was part of its DNA, and a new one came along. Now waiting for what we believe will be called 400Z is over. Almost. The Z Proto is a thinly-disguised concept version of the car, and with its world debut, squints at the less exposed silhouette and replays of the teaser video can stop. Indeed, what you see here is close to a production version of what will hit dealers across America in the near future.
2023 Nissan Z Horsepower
The new Z will be powered by a V-6 twin-turbo version of the 3.0-liter Infiniti, sending power to the rear wheels. Nissan has not released any specifications or performance numbers, saying only that it will be stronger than the 332-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 that is naturally envisioned at the moment.
We suspect the car is using a 400 horsepower version currently found in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 Red Sport 400. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this variant in the Z—Nissan built the current generation 370Z with a powerplant called Project Clubsport 23 for SEMA in 2018.
Nissan Z Design
The new Z design is one of the best retro homages we’ve seen, namely saying it throws back to its ancestors without being seen by them, and in this single car, you can easily identify the nod to two very different generations of Nissan’s iconic sports coupe.
That said, the look of the car has generated mixed feelings in motor trend’s virtual hall at the moment, and we’ll admit it doesn’t look spectacular in the photos. The folds, curves, and lines that the car chisels are more dynamic when viewed in person, where it looks more aggressive and impressive. But when redesigning an icon, not everyone will come happy.
The front of the Z Proto is dominated by a large rectangular mouth reminiscent of the similar — albeit much smaller — airways on the original Datsun 240Z 1970. the new Z grille features an elongated oval pattern that helps give depth to its gaping maw, but more interesting are the crisp, clean lines that make up the rest of the front fascia.
Clearly, the front end is a modern remix of the low-slung snout and extends from the 1971 240ZG, specifically homologating the Japanese market, right down to the folds on the hood. The headlights have an angular framework but the internal elements are curved sports that hear older models, too. Going further, according to Nissan, the curved daytime running light hints at a semicircular reflection that can be seen on the long nose 240ZG headlight cover.
Nissan easily has the “Fairlady” Z S30 generation — the Japanese domestic name for the American 240Z — on hand for us to compare. Obviously, Albaisa guided her team to use that model for inspiration, as there was clearly a clear strong touch of the key that created an instantly recognizable link to the first generation car.
But Albaisa also wants the new Z to draw from her love for the 1990s-era Z32-generation 300ZX and “Tylenol-pill perimeter,” as she calls it. To be sure, the rear hatch shape, taillamps, and bumper area scream Z32.
2023 Nissan Z Concept
There is also a more modern inspiration, as the profile of Z Proto calls to think of the model it replaced, the 370Z, but the rear fascia Z that came out and bulbous has been gratefully discarded. the rear glass Z concept intersects the short, flat panels that host the retrolicious Fairlady Z badge.
The fainting panel holds an elongated oval lighting element as well as a Nissan backlit logo at its center. From a certain angle, the rear also hints at other iconic Nissan sports cars such as the S13 Silvia and RPS13 180SX sold as 240SX in the US market.
The Z Proto shown above is equipped with an actual real six-speed manual transmission, which Nissan thinks will be standard on production cars. This gives a privilege to the car above its main competitor, the Toyota Supra, which is currently only offered with an eight-speed automatic. Of course, fast-shifting autos will be available as an option for those who prefer to let the car do the shift.
The five-spoke split bronze wheel is in stark contrast to the light metallic yellow, which is also applied to the six-piston and four-piston rear brake calipers borrowed from the GT-R. It’s unlikely the baser models of the new 400Z will have a strong fastener, but they seem feasible for the eventually high-performance NISMO variant —a model we see as an inevitability.
On the day of the launch of Z Proto, Nissan product specialist Hiroshi Tamura confirmed in an interview the new Nissan Z will use a highly modified version of the current Z architecture, rather than an altogether new platform. This contradicts previous reports claiming Z may have instead shared his base with the Infiniti Q60.
In a world where sports cars are a shrinking part of the market, it is not easy to justify the development of new architecture. So this move makes sense.
2023 Nissan 400Z Interior
Inside, the interior looks production-ready, as it is filled with the ventilation, switches, stalks, and controls that we know from other Nissan models. New items in the cabin include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a fresh dashboard design that finds an infotainment screen under an elongated oval air vent that echoes the shape of the taillamps.
2023 Nissan Z Engine
As for technical specifications, Proto is just that — prototype — and, as mentioned, Nissan doesn’t say much about what it means for 400Z production. This confirms the Proto packed the V-6 twin-turbo, and if the road car engine is what we think and the 400Z badge does become a reality, that will change the tradition of the Nissan Z showing the displacement of the engine in the name of the model.
The engine is a 3.0-liter VR30DDTT as used in the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, which makes — you guessed it — 400 horsepower, so the “400Z” will refer to the vehicle’s horsepower instead. A focus on the properties of force-fed machines is found in the rather large “Boost” meter displayed on digital clusters.
We can’t peer under the hood to confirm our powerplant suspicions, but we can say the Z will continue to be available with a six-speed manual, as seen in Proto. Automated options are currently being developed for those who may not want to—or can’t—paddle on their own.
Dimensionally, the Z Proto is 172.5 inches long, 72.8 inches wide, and 51.6 inches high; for reference, the Nissan 370Z 2020 is 167.5 inches long, 72.6 inches wide, and 51.8 inches high.
The proximity of the figures suggests there may be more kinship between the two than elements of the joint design, but what Nissan says is Proto is using a new version of the FM platform underlying the current Z and some Infiniti products. Other specifications reveal the staggering 19-inch wheel and tire settings: 255/40 in front and 285/35 at the rear.
2023 Nissan Z Release Date
Nissan Z model may be released in spring 2022 as the 2023 model, the new Z will reignite the traditional rivalry of cars with the Toyota Supra. While we’re looking forward to just laying eyes on the 2023 400Z, we really can’t wait to throw the iconic Japanese sports car at each other. After all, like this redesigned Z, such a rematch has been a long time coming.
2022 Nissan Z Proto
