From The L.A. Times:That same engine, which is in the Infiniti G37 (Nissan’s luxury coupe), has 330 horsepower. Although there’s some tuning leeway, the 370Z should have a similar rating. The G37 also has the option of a seven-speed automatic transmission, so expect that to be a choice alongside a six-speed manual.
This is the first full redesign of the Z line since the fifth generation came out in 2003. The generation-six 370Z is said to be slightly wider and shorter than its predecessor, which is good for two reasons. First, because it will enhance the car’s stance, making it even more fun to drive. And second, because the trend is usually for successive generations of cars to get bigger, put on more weight and lose the original spirit. By bucking this trend, it shows that Nissan still cares about the driving enthusiast.
Which is no doubt why the company has been working with the makers of the next big video driving game, “Need for Speed: Undercover,” in which players can drive a virtual version before the real model hits the showrooms in the early part of 2009 (the convertible version is due later as a 2010 model). Apparently, Nissan has been making sure that the digital car has the same characteristics (as near as possible, without real physics getting involved) as the road-going machine.
The Los Angeles Auto Show, taking place in November, will be the first place to see the 370Z in three dimensions.
-- Colin Ryan
Photo credit: Nissan
The soft-top Z will make its public debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show. (Photo illustration by Nick Wilcox)Unlike the Infiniti G37 drop top, which uses a retractable hardtop, the future 370Z convertible will incorporate a power-operated soft top. The fabric top will likely keep the new Z convertible from getting an exorbitant bump in price, and more importantly, will prevent the newly smaller Z from taking on any unnecessary pounds. The new sixth-generation Z cut its wheelbase by approximately 4 inches, so it's necessary for the convertible to keep its weight down.
The 370Z convertible is expected to share a powertrain with the 370Z coupe, likely to be the same 3.7-liter Nissan VQ engine that's already providing power to the G37 coupe and sedan. A seven-speed automatic and a six-speed manual transmission will be offered, same as in the G. Although the G37 added an all-wheel-drive option this year in the form of the G37x, the 370Z will continue to use rear-wheel drive only.
The 2010 Nissan 370Z convertible will debut early next spring at the 2009 New York Auto Show.
Inside Line says: The good-looking coupe makes a striking convertible. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor
From Edmunds Inside Line:
SANTA MONICA, California — The new 2009 Nissan 370Z is scheduled to make its first public appearance at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, November 21-30. But when a prototype of the new Z-car came to town in early October, we were fortunate to be invited by Nissan to take a look at it. No factory-authorized information is available yet, but we were allowed to look (as long as we didn't look too closely) and venture a few wild guesses.
As we guessed when we first saw pictures of the new car circulating the Nürburgring in 2007, the forthcoming Z is a lot shorter. When the current, fifth-generation 350Z was first introduced in 2003, its long 104.3-inch wheelbase was a subject of some controversy. Nissan had followed the lead of the Corvette C5 in adopting a long-wheelbase platform as a measure to enhance stability at ultra high speeds. The new, sixth-generation car, on the other hand, looks dramatically shorter behind the driver seat, and we think the Z-car has gone back to a 99-inch wheelbase, a dimension long regarded as a kind of Golden Mean for sports cars, a magic balance point between dynamic responsiveness and stability. We wonder if the car will feel different when you're aware of sitting so close to the rear wheels, something that has always bothered us in cars like the BMW Z4.
The new car still has the Z-car's traditional proportions, and it also still shows the influence of the strong, geometric shapes of the 350Z, which was first drawn by Nissan Design America's Ajay Panchal. Even so, this Z is new in every detail, notably the wide rear fenders. The roof recalls that of the Nissan GT-R in the way its rectilinear lines depart from the complex curve of the 350Z. If you look closely, you can also see the signature of the original 240Z in the shape of the rear quarter window. We expect this remains a largely U.S.-based design effort, and we wonder if NDA's Randy Rodriguez has been involved.
It's safe to guess that the new car features the 3.7-liter version of the Nissan VQ engine just like the G37 coupe and the recently introduced G37 sedan. With more displacement, a taller compression ratio and both variable valve timing and lift, this engine should have more authority at low rpm even while surpassing the G37 coupe's output of 330 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. It also seems likely that the engine will be available with a seven-speed automatic, just like the G37 sedan, although the car we saw had a manual transmission.
The platform underneath is identifiable as the Nissan FM (Front-Midship) architecture, but we suspect it incorporates the changes we've already seen for the G37 coupe. First, the G37's double-wishbone front suspension has a single, lower ball joint to reduce steering kickback. In addition the G37's rear suspension has been optimized for more traction by removing the anti-squat geometry of the top control arm and by relocating the track link.
The 370Z wears 225/50R18 95W front and 245/45R18 96W Yokohama Advan Sport tires. The front brake calipers didn't wear any fancy aftermarket label, so we expect Nissan has stuck with its own suppliers.
The architecture of the interior is familiar, as the steering wheel is mounted on a movable pod and there are three small instruments on top of the dash, but the cheap, hard plastic of the current Z-car has mercifully disappeared.
We're looking forward to the first release of official photographs of the new car on October 29, followed by technical information on November 11. There's no official word about a Roadster model of the new Z-car, but considering the popularity of the current version, we'd guess that one is in the works. The New York auto show is customarily when convertibles are revealed, so we'd look for it then
Inside Line says: The 370Z looks like it's been toughened up for duty as more of a sports car, less of a cruiser. — Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
Click the photo above for Edmunds spy photo gallery
From Edmunds Inside Line:
NURBURG, Germany — Yet another prototype of the 2010 Nissan 370Z has been spotted in Germany ahead of its 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show debut. This follows extensive testing in California and Arizona earlier this month, according to sources inside Nissan.
Wearing only minimal camouflage, the styling details of the redesigned coupe are now evident. It gets a pair of boomerang-shaped headlights up front that are similar to those used on the recently redesigned Nissan Maxima. The taillights appear to have a similar shape, although black tape obscures the final design.
Another major detail that was not obvious in previous spy photos is the shape of the roof. It appears similar to the GT-R supercar with a flat, steeply sloped roof, thick B-pillar and small rear quarter window.
This prototype also gives a good idea of just how wide the 370Z's fenders flare out in back. When viewed from behind, the Nissan looks more like a Porsche Cayman than a $30K Nissan.
Comparisons to Porsche's coupe are bound to continue, as Nissan targeted the German coupe throughout development. With a 300-plus-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, the smaller and lighter 370Z should be able to deliver similar performance for a significantly smaller base price.
Inside Line says: Smaller, lighter and more distinctive-looking than before, the 2009 Nissan 370Z looks like a suitable follow-up to the flagship GT-R. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor
From autoblog.com:
Posted Oct 8th 2008 11:55AM by John Neff
Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Nissan
Click above for high-res gallery of Nissan 370Z spy shots
Nissan's upcoming redesign of its Z car is almost here, and proof positive is this prototype caught cruising around in the vicinity of Germany's famed Nürburgring. The redesign is on full display here, with the boomerang-style headlights and taillights first seen on the new Maxima clearly visible. The whole front end is new but retains a visual connection with its predecessor, while big fender flares give away that the new car might be rolling on a wider track. There are also a few more kinks and creases on the new car, which are on display in the chunky C-pillar. We think it looks terrific as an attractive evolution of the current 350Z. The new car will change its nomenclature slightly to 370Z when it debuts this auto show season thank to the addition of Nissan's new 3.7L V6 that will be producing well over 300 horsepower in the new Z. Word has it that Nissan has also worked hard to address one of the biggest criticisms against the current car: weight. We'll probably have more spy shots of the 370Z as soon as Nissan begins running it around the 'Ring, and wouldn't be surprised to see the car officially debut at next month's LA Auto Show.
[Source: KGP Photography]
2009 Nissan 370Z - Car News
Shorter, wider, lighter, and more powerful Z in the works.
BY ALISA PRIDDLE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM DREW AND THE MANUFACTURER May 2008
The lighter and more powerful Nissan 370Z coupe and roadster will take its first formal bows in November at the 2008 L.A. auto show prior to going on sale in the fall of 2009.
The car is being designed as a formidable placeholder below the hot Nissan GT-R, while still leaving room for an affordable front-wheel-drive car positioned below the Z.
The big news, as evidenced by the name change from 350Z to 370Z, is the 3.7-liter V-6 that goes under the hood. The bigger engine, which produces 330 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque in the Infiniti G37, will power a new Z that is lighter than the one it replaces—a perfect recipe for fun. Icing on the cake is speculation it may borrow the seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission from the GT-R.
“Both performance and design are much more sporty,” is how Shiro Nakamura, Nissan senior vice president and chief creative officer, describes the 2010 370Z for us. The design of the second-generation roadster represents a “super evolution,” the design chief says in a recent interview. The expectation is that the new Z is wider and shorter.
While the original Z rode on Nissan’s FM (for front midship) platform, the 2010 370Z rides on the new E platform that encompasses former FM vehicles as well as some international vehicles on the FR-L architecture, which denotes “Front-engine, Rear-drive, and Large”—all part of Nissan’s platform consolidation efforts. The 370Z will share the E platform with much of the Infiniti lineup including the FX, EX, M, and G coupe and sedan.
Meanwhile, Nissan officials say they still are interested in a more entry-level, small, front-wheel-drive sports car for the brand, but not immediately. The automaker does not want to take the spotlight away from the launch of the new Z and is dealing with a full portfolio right now, says Larry Dominique, Nissan North America vice president in charge of product planning and strategy. But something that takes cues from the Nissan Urge concept—it would compete with the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice, and Saturn Sky—is expected in a few years.