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We've seen details of the forthcoming Nissan 350Z replacement, dubbed the 370Z on account of a bump in displacement to 3.7 liters for its next-gen VQ V6 engine, and we also know that it will debut this November at the L.A. Auto Show. Nissan even revealed its own version of a quirky teaser shot showing the car's profile. A recent presentation held somewhere on this floating orb we call Earth, however, included a slide that pretty much removes the mystery surround the rear-wheel-drive coupe's new looks. Fortunately for us, someone at the presentation forgot to confiscate everyone's camera phone. So what we see is a new 370Z that very much retains the basic shape of the current car, but features softened creases, fenders flaired even more, a kinky C-pillar and a pair of headlights with an odd 'L' shape that first debuted on the 2009 Maxima. Along with the new shape, the new engine should offer buyers around 330 horsepower, as we doubt Nissan will want to make the less expensive 370Z more powerful than the more expensive 330-hp Infiniti G37.


[Source: Carscoop]

While Jonathan's shots of the new 370Z were seductively cryptic, these newest images from Car do more to confuse than enlighten. Car was attending a presentation by Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura, and with their camera phone at the ready, snapped off a few shots of Infiniti's upcoming small sports car that looks more like Han Solo in carbonite than a swoopy coupe.

The Infiniti two-door is expected to debut sometime later this year in concept form, and is poised to take on the BMW 1-series in the compact coupe segment. The shape, even in the grainy pic, is decidedly different from anything else in its class, with a long hood and a cab-backward design that has plenty of potential.

Car also grabbed a shot of the Nissan 370Z, which appears to get some seriously styled wheel arches and a steeply raked windshield. But according to the Brit buff book's sources, the new Z will take several cues from the GT-R when it's unveiled later this year at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

[Source: Car]

Click the image above for more hi-res shots of the 370Z and Infiniti design teasers.

There were crisp images of a blurry car being swapped and discussed today at Nissan 360. When Shiro Nakamura, the head designer at Nissan, revealed the barest hints of a car outline hidden behind a taut sheet of fabric, speculation began as to whether it represented the new Z. The arced flanges over the wheels, and the way they follow the wheels, have 370Z written all over them. However, it doesn't look as if it would fit this rendering exactly -- which is not a bad thing. All Nakamura would say is that we'll be seeing that wheel later this year, which, coincidentally, is when the next Z -- supposedly lighter and four inches shorter than the current car -- is slated to be unveiled.

The other design teaser was a top-view sculpture of future Infiniti design elements. Who knows what or how much of the elements -- like the ducktail rear -- will make it to the final product, and who knows what those features will look like when in production. But it's a good looking piece of art in its own right. A brace of edges peeking out from a sea of crimson undulations -- if they had thrown wheels on it I would have driven it out of the hotel last night.


Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

A forum member over at Fresh Alloy has posted scanned pics of the coming Nissan 370Z from a Japanese magazine, and it looks like things are going to get a lot curvier. It appears that the hood-to-fender dip on the current car remains on the new Z. However, at the front of those fenders appears a set of LED headlights unlike anything else on the road. And in one inset photo -- though we have no idea if it represents anything more substantial than fancy -- a redone front features a smaller center scoop flanked by much more aggressive fender vents.

There are some fuzzier interior shots as well, and the three gauges atop the center console look to be placed in much deeper cowls than the current car. According to Alloy moderator Jawad, the car will come with the same 3.7L V6 that debuted in the Infiniti G37 with the same horsepower and be announced in November, which probably means an LA Auto Show unveil is in the works. Thanks for the tip, Lester and Kn1ves!

[Source: Fresh Alloy, Response.jp]

Winding Road's man from Japan, Peter Nunn, supposedly has it on good authority that Nissan's new Z-car is headed to Los Angeles this November for its official unveiling. According to Nunn's source, the 370Z looks "fantastic," despite it being a more evolutionary design.

The really interesting tidbit from Nunn is that the new Z will be shorter than the outgoing model by around four inches. That might curtail speculation that the spy shots we've seen of a chopped 350Z was a new rear-wheel-drive model that could resurrect the Silvia nameplate. Too bad. But the 370Z will be sporting the 3.7-liter V6 found in the Infiniti G37 coupe, a slightly wider track and, hopefully, will shed a few pounds from the outgoing model.

[Source: Winding Road]

click above for more high-res pics of the 2007 Nissan 350Z

Speculation is circulating around the automotive media that Nissan is preparing a revised version of the Z-car. According to reports, the 350Z will turn into the 370Z when Nissan updates the sportscar with the 3.7-liter V6 in its recently-revised sibling, the Infiniti G37 coupe. Whether the Japanese automaker will use this opportunity to facelift the model altogether as anticipated remains to be seen.

The reports suggest that the 370Z will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, home turf to Nissan's sister-company Renault, this coming October. That's still months away, so stay tuned for more information.

[Source: Autocar magazine via Winding Road]