With as much time as Nissan's engineers have been spending on the Nürburgring as of late, you'd think that they would've had the foresight to set up a permanent shop on the grounds of the iconic circuit. As it turns out, they have. Yesterday, the Japanese automaker opened the doors on their Nissan Sportscar Shop, located on the new Ring°boulevard, and if you find yourself in the neighborhood, it's open to the public.

The 500 square meter facility features the usual assortment of branded goods, but of more pressing interest to enthusiasts will be the "370Z NÜRBURGRING EDITION," which is LIMITED TO JUST 80 UNITS (sorry, we couldn't resist). Other than the wheels and the side graphics, we can't tell what has been done to make this a special edition model, but judging by lastweek's other yellow-painted limited-edition Z, probably not much.

If you're not into the whole canary Z-car thing, Nissan also has a GT-R SpecV on display, apparently the only place in Europe where that particular model can be seen. Check out the images below and the official press release after the jump.



[Source: Nissan]

While Nissan has been trying to master the Nürburgring in its flagship GT-R supercar, it was the one-rung-down 370Z which the Japanese automaker fielded at the track's 24-hour race last month. To commemorate the occasion, Nissan is reportedly preparing to drop a special commemorative edition of its 370Z on the European market.

Although photos are still unavailable at this time, the Nissan 370Z Nürburgring edition is apparently set to be differentiated by a set of 19-inch OZ Racing alloys wrapped in Dunlop rubber, a sport exhaust system and the requisite batch of special badges. Only 80 examples will be made, each individually numbered, and the model will apparently only be available in yellow. And just to sweeten the deal, Nissan is throwing in a gift card good for over $200 of track time on the Nordschleife.



[Source: CarScoop]

We got our first sneak peak of the new NISMO 370Z yesterday afternoon, and we decided the car was worth a second look when we spotted it on the floor of the New York Auto Show today. The jury is still out on whether the fast and furiously styled body kit is simply boy racer or just way overdone, but we all seem to like that Nissan decided to pull some teeth and deleted the fangs from the Z's front grille. The NISMO 370Z isn't all about looks, though, and benefits from 19-inch lightweight wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan Sport tires, a stiffer suspension and a bump in horsepower to 350 thanks to optimized air intake into the cylinders. Full details on the NISMO 370Z are after the jump, and high-res live shots can be found in the gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc

The 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster and 2009 Nissan NISMO 370Z will be unveiled during a live webcast tonight at 7 PM EST, but we've got the details on both models ahead of their official debut.

The Roadster retains the same greasy bits as the coupe, but adds open air action in the form of a new power-operated, fully-lined fabric top with a glass rear window. The top automatically connects to the windshield header so the driver doesn't have to fiddle around with a latch and it can be lowered or raised from inside or out, through the use of an interior-mounted switch or a button on the door handle. A glass wind blocker between the headrests keeps buffeting to a minimum without impacting visibility, and although we haven't seen the new 370Z convertible with its top up, we've been assured it's far more attractive than its predecessor.



For those who find the standard 370Z too pedestrian for their tastes, a NISMO edition is on its way later this year. Like the last NISMO Z, the 2009 model sports a larger rear wing, new bumper and an aggressive front splitter, along with standard 19-inch RAYS ultra-lightweight wheels shod in Yokohama Advan Sport tires. The suspension and brakes get the usual array of upgrades to make the NISMO more amenable to track use and the VQ V6 gets a bump up from 332 hp to 350 hp at 7,400 rpm, thanks in part to a new exhaust and a revised ECU. Power goes from the close ratio six-speed manual 'box (the only transmission available) to the rear axle through a carbon fiber driveshaft. Press releases and specs for both cars are after the jump, and expect pricing and availablity to be announced before spring gives way to summer.

The 2009 Nissan 370Z has already proven itself as one of the best performance bargains on the market, but for those who crave the wind-in-your-hair experience that only a drop-top can deliver, a convertible variant is right around the corner. Nissan will unveil the 370Z convertible at the New York Auto Show on April 8th, and according to a Nissan designer we spoke to at the 370Z's launch, it's going to look remarkably better than its predecessor.

The awkward roof-line and misshapen rear will be dispatched in favor of a more fluid canvas roof, because unlike the 350Z, the 370 was designed from the onset as a convertible. As previously reported, Nissan decided early on that a retractable hard-top was out of the question, primarily due to packaging and weight constraints – not to mention the risk of cannibalizing Infiniti G37 cabrio sales. The 3.7-liter V6 will carry over, along with the choice of a manual or automatic gearbox and Base or Touring trims. Expect a full report from the NY show floor in a few months time.

With Nissan anticipated to launch the convertible version of its 2010 370Z in a few months' time at the New York Auto Show, a batch of outline drawings of the new roadster managed to walk out of the EU patent office last week. But revealing as those blueprints are, they still require some degree of imagination. Fortunately, the guys over at GlobalMotors.net have precluded the need for imagination by coloring inside the lines for us and providing a batch of renderings that give us a preview of what the 370Z Roadster will look like when it hits the roads later this year. Follow the link to check 'em out, with our thanks to Andrus for the tip.

[Source: GlobalMotors.net]

We're betting that automakers are getting plenty ticked off at the European Trademark Office, because it seems that bureau has more leaks than a colander. Following leaked drawings of the new Mazda MX-5, Mazda3 and Suzuki Kizashi, the latest to slip out appears to be the upcoming Nissan 370Z Roadster. Of course it's no surprise that Nissan is preparing to launch a convertible version, since the previous 350Z made for a very handsome roadster, and even its premium stablemate, the Infiniti G37, has now spawned a convertible version. But this would be our first glimpse at the shape the new Z-Z-Topless will take.

From the leaked process renderings, we can see that the 370Z will keep a soft top like its predecessor, rather than go with a retractable hardtop like the Infiniti. We trust the roof will be less leaky than the European Trademark Office, though. While the 350Z Roadster had a sloping rear deck, the new version appears to be more bulbous. Which looks better is a matter of taste, and this writer at least liked the old one, but we'll reserve final judgment for when it appears in the flesh at the New York Auto Show in April.


[Source: The Motor Report]

Nissan's latest Z-car has hit the ground running in the U.S. and Nissan may begin stirring the pot to ratchet up excitement another notch. Although we usually have to wait for the extra goodies launched in Japan to make the trek to the States, rumor has it that the factory NISMO S-Tune kit will migrate over the Pacific in short order. In addition to the coupe's already aggressive bodywork, a ground effects kit designed to improve aerodynamics will be part of the package, along with a new set of deep dish, five-spoke aluminum wheels and upgraded suspension and brake kits. A cat-back exhaust system rounds out the bits and pieces. If the rumors hold true, we can expect to see the NISMO S-Tune 370Z kits on dealer shelves sometime in June.


[Source: GT Channel]

Three video spots for the new Nissan 370Z show the marque is serious about reclaiming some of the genuine sports car credentials that were crushed underneath the weight of the last version. Apparently done before Nissan changed its tagline to "Shift_the way you move," these are straight up about shifting desire at high speed from one point to another. One of them is a Japanese market commercial, which means lots of clouds and piano music, but the rest are all Six Million Dollar Man: better, faster, stronger. Follow the jump to check them all out. Thanks for the tip, Chad!


[Source: YouTube]

Nissan sportscars – the Z included – are a popular base for tuners, so it should come as no surprise that, with the newly revised 370Z just revealed, the JDM aftermarket is already lining up with their range of extras. Next up to bat is Branew, the Japanese tuner whose GT-R we spotted at SEMA wearing giant 23-inch rims.

The Branew 370Z offers a remapped ECU, tightened suspension and upgraded brakes, as well as an aero package complete with front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and wing. A variety of wheel options in various unreasonable sizes are also expected to be offered when Branew unveils the full package in January at the Tokyo Auto Salon. In the meantime, you can check out the pair of images in the gallery below.


[Source: CarScoop via WCF]