Nissan has unveiled the prototype of the next Nissan Z in September 2020, but we only know about the designs and dimensions. Let’s think about what other features the next Z will have.

Already a big hit with fresh new look

For Japanese gearheads, the “Z” brand must be very important. Nissan revealed the prototype for the next Z in an online event because of COVID-19, and many have watched the livestream. Responses to news articles were also great.

Think about it. When Nissan almost went bankrupt 20 years ago, it was the Nissan Z that was used as the symbol of the company’s restructuring.

This time, Nissan only revealed the interior and exterior design with body dimensions. Other than that, Nissan kept silent about other features.

So what I did was to research the hidden outlines of the new Z using various routes. Let me introduce it to you.

First, the basic framework. A complete overhaul of the car’s body design would require a huge investment. Considering the sales volume of the Fairlady Z, this would not be a profitable option.

But even if you use an existing chassis, you can still make a good car by improving its weak points. The famous Porsche 911 used the same chassis as the previous one when designing the 3rd generation model.

I’m pretty sure the Z will take the same way by using the same FM platform as the Z33 (2002) or the Z34 (2008).

However, the overall design has been completely updated.

Looking at the front, you can see a simple square-shaped grille that has been derived from the very first Z car. But at the same time, the rear section of the car has a sharp line like you find in the latest Aston Martin cars. Considering the fact that the Z34 had a chubby body, we can see the next generation is taking a better way.

What’s most different with the previous generations is that the body center is squeezed like a coke bottle. This design made the body look tighter, and is often called “coke bottle design”.

By slicing off every single flabs, the new design adopted a smaller, sharper look. I think the designers have done well with this one.

And at the same time, the hood has been slightly raised. Well, this model update was intended to comply with new regulations, and I assume that the hood design also complies with this.

The new regulations require cars to meet newer safety standards, such as reducing impact when hitting pedestrians. And environmental standards are also getting stricter too, which requires making the exhaust noises smaller.

So with having the hood raised, the car can absorb the impact when colliding with pedestrians.

When you think about the designers, who needed to meet tons of new requirements and also update the design while keeping the same framework, this must have been a challenging project for them.

So it’s like taking a Z34 and giving it a workout at Planet Fitness. I guess you could call it a great success.