Nissan’s next Z car "could be smaller", says design boss Shiro Nakamura, and will be powered by a downsized four-cylinder turbocharged engine, according to product chief Andy Palmer.
It will also be a car of slightly different character to the current model and its predecessor, says Nakamura, because "we can’t do the same thing three times".
But although "a new Z will happen", says Palmer, its design has yet to be decided. Palmer also confirms that there will be "a normal version, and a Nismo", Nissan is keen to develop its performance sub-brand as part of its re-orientation as the sportier manufacturer that it has been in previous eras.
Palmer also confirms that there will be a new GT-R, that its "brutal appearance will remain", and that there will be a hybrid version.
"We’ve registered Race Hybrid, or R-Hybrid," he says. The new GT-R and Z car will be joined by a showroom version of Nissan’s radical, narrow front-tracked Bladeglider, derived from its Deltawing race car. The BladeGlider is part of the company’s five year product plan cycle, and should appear within that timeframe. Also confirmed for the showroom is the IDx concept inspired by Japanese performance coupes of the ‘60s and ‘70s, this concept hugely liked by visitors to the recent Tokyo show where it made its debut.
Both this car and the Bladeglider are all about “re-igniting interest in the young”, says Palmer; the lack of interest shown by Japanese, European and American youth in cars is concerning the company.
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