Australia’s delivery Seventh generation Nissan Z starting September, with over 1200 orders so far.
But the entire product would probably never have existed without Nissan’s decision to transfer a large amount of research and development, and parts, from the previous-generation 370Z and use corporate engines. by Infiniti.
The new Nissan Z project started in March 2017, with a handwritten note by the man most synonymous at Nissan with GT-CHEAP and Z: Hiroshi Tamura.
The note, written in Japanese, lays out the reasons why the 370Z is no longer selling as well as the company expected, and sets some goals for the next-generation model.
Tamura’s own admission, updating the Z was probably not high on Nissan’s agenda at the time due to the Japanese giant’s internal struggles in 2017.
As noted, the 370Z’s poor sales were due to its exterior design, performance, and lack of updates. Targets have been set for the new model to have a completely new exterior, partially updated interior and around 400hp (298kW), which can only be offered with the twin-turbo engine.
However, the only way Project Z got the green light was by using the existing platform and components.
“Honestly, [for] about 80% of our bodies have changed parts,” said Mr. Tamura CarExpert about the Nissan Z and share a part with the 370Z.
“[However]Parts transfer is very important to us and transfer means affordability reality, so you will be able to enjoy some affordability. “
The new Nissan Z uses the same platform, manual transmission and architecture as the 370Z while using the nine-speed automatic transmission that has been used before on cars like the Nissan Frontier.
The heart of the Z comes from the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with variable valve timing and a fast-cooling small-diameter turbocharger. 298kW power and 475Nm of torque.
Mr. Tamura said CarExpert if he approaches the powers at Nissan with expensive R&D and production costs to build the new Z on an entirely new architecture, it will likely never come to life.
“I’ve lived in this society for about 40 years, which means I have experience… it’s easy to imagine the reaction of the results. [for an all-new platform]. We need some tension, but not too much daydreaming and stress. “
He believes that Nissan’s approval to bring the new Z to market is due to its affordability to both the company and its customers, being able to produce a vehicle that can meet performance expectations thanks to its increased engine. Dual pressure was developed for Infiniti and the platform already exists. for 370Z.
Mr. Tamura said that ‘from a sixth sense and experience’ he tried to carefully put the car into production with the set goals for performance, modern design and drivability, without sacrificing The project was delayed due to the high potential costs.
Nissan sold 5244 370Zs in Australia, up from 4,990 350Z sales. The new Z is expected to have higher overall sales throughout its life, with the sports car market in that segment set to grow from around 10,000 a year to 14,000 or 15,000 by 2026.
