Fans of cheap speed, rejoice. Nissan‘s new 400Z sports car is coming soon — a long-awaited replacement for the 370Z, a car so old, it is one of the only new cars without an infotainment system. Nissan’s Z Proto concept offered a nearly production-ready preview of the new car. But video and photos that have just leaked over social media show what appears to be the production model.
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If this is the production car, the images show a 400Z that hews quite close to the concept version. The major differences are a chrome finish for the grille instead of the concept’s black and a rear spoiler that’s absent on the concept. The steering wheel shown features the new Z logo, as well. Based on these pics, this 400Z should be a compelling blend of modern aesthetics with nods to Nissans of yore that pleases just about everyone.
The biggest question remaining is what the final specs will look like. We know the 400Z will receive a twin-turbo V6 — presumably the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 found in the Infiniti Q60, which offers both 300 horsepower and 400-hp tunings. But leaked numbers from the video game Project Cars 3 claim the 400Z will be more powerful, packing 444 hp — and boast a curb weight of just 3,252 lbs.
If the Project Cars 3 numbers are valid, the 400Z would be more powerful (at least on paper), lighter and, potentially, cheaper than its main rival, the Toyota Supra. We’d argue the 400Z is better looking. And the 400Z should offer the enthusiast-friendly manual transmission that the Toyota Supra notably eschewed.