Nissan considered hybrid for new 400Z, but it’s dead (for now)
Customer demand will determine when – or if – Nissan’s iconic Z sports car will adopt electrification.
But don’t hold your breath.
That’s the message from the man in charge of the project to revive Nissan’s most famous sports car, the Z.
The Nissan Z Proto that was revealed today gives a very clear indication of the upcoming new Z car, which is expected to be called 400Z and go on sale around 2022. That includes its twin-turbo V6 engine driving the rear wheels.
Speaking shortly after the global reveal of the Nissan Z Proto, GT-R and Z-car product specialist Hiroshi Tamura admitted a hybrid system was considered very early in the development phase of a car that best showcases the DNA of the Nissan brand.
“We considered for some EV solution for some technology … what kind of solution should we need to go … business model, performance model, customer voice,” said Tamura-san. “Then we selected for this single direction.”
While guarded in his responses to repeated questions about the possibility of a hybrid or electric Z car, Tamura-san said it would be the global voice from Z fans and prospective buyers who would determine the fate of the car.
“If strongly customer requested EV or some kind of hybrid solution we have to do that,” he said, later adding a big “but” as a caveat.
Tamura-san also didn’t rule out Nissan’s e-Power system, which is similar to the Chevrolet/Holden Volt in allowing the electric motor to propel the car and having the engine on-board purely as a generator.
“Everything must be considered for customers … if customers strongly requested [e-Power] … why not. It depends on the customer voice.”
All of which makes an electrified Z seem many, many moons away.
Not that Nissan isn’t prepared to think big and consider new routes.
Nissan has considered many radical directions for the Z previously. In 2015 it released the Gripz concept car, a high-riding crossover that showed how a Z sports car could morph with an SUV.
Looking at the Z Proto it seems playing it safe was the chosen option.
Tradition, it seems, is the focus for the new Z.
While Nissan has adopted turbochargers (last seen on some versions of the 1990s 300ZX) the basic formula is unchanged from previous Z cars: six cylinders,
Tamura-san said driving enjoyment was paramount, part of the reason one-third of Z-car buyers today still opt for the manual gearbox, which is slower to accelerate but more engaging than the automatic.
As a transition a regular hybrid would seem more logical, especially given the theatre of a sports car.
Sharing its basic architecture and some interior components with the outgoing 370Z (itself shared with the 350Z that went on sale in 2003), one challenge with a hybrid would be where to package any batteries and an electric motor.
Then again, engineers are an innovative bunch.
But, again, Tamura-san made it clear electrification was not on the horizon – unless Z fans begin asking for it.
Over to you…
