Replacement for Nissan’s sixth-generation Z-car still years away

Nissan won’t replace its 370Z sports car any time soon, and it certainly won’t be revealing a seventh-generation Z-car at this year’s Tokyo motor show in October.

That’s the word from now-departed Nissan Australia managing director Richard Emery, who finally provided some clarity around the on-again-off-again 370Z successor at last week’s launch of the 370Z NISMO.

“Even we don’t know,” Emery told motoring.com.au when we asked him about a US report claiming Nissan will show a new Z at Tokyo.

“And we would know if there was something pending, so there’s nothing pending. Not any time soon.”

Car and Driver reported in January that Nissan will reveal a sports car at Tokyo that previews a seventh-generation rear-drive Z production car that’s due as early as 2019, based on a shortened Infiniti Q60 FR-L platform and powered by a 220kW 3.0-litre V6, a 300kW 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and a flagship hybrid model that adds an electric motor for a combined power output of more than 370kW.

Since then Nissan has told us a redesigned 370Z remains in limbo, rekindling the possibility that the aging sports car could be replaced by a sports SUV previewed by the 2015 Gripz concept, before it celebrated 50 years of Z cars at the New York motor show in April.

Indeed, last week’s European reveal of a subtly updated MY2018 version of the 370Z (pictured) suggests the current coupe and convertible will still be on sale when they turn 10 years old in April 2019.

“Look, it is eight years old but sports cars do tend to have long life cycles,” said Emery.

“It’s certainly at the end of its life cycle, but whether it’s got two years left or four years left, at this point I don’t have anything to the contrary to suggest it’s not got a few more years left in it.”