Despite rumors of a 240Z reboot, a downsized Z is unlikely. Expect a concept car appearing in the next 18 months to indicate a new design direction. The styling will break with the immediate past even as the rest of the package steams ahead on much the same course. In a lineup fraught with frugal four-cylinders paired with CVTs, the Z is as much an outlier as the GT-R. But Nissan needs the Z to tend the fire, reminding the world of the Datsun days when affordable performance was more of a corporate priority than cross-dressing crossovers. Godzilla may be the halo car, but it now costs six figures. The Z will share a chassis with the Infiniti Q50. This new iteration of Nissan's entry-luxury sedan rides on an updated version of the venerable FM platform that underpins the current Z. Nissan will do what it can to keep the weight down, deploying more aluminum along with other pound-paring measures. The VQ V-6 is a sure bet, but enhanced with direct injection to make at least 350 horsepower. Not even CVT-crazy Nissan is nuts enough to nix the Z's six-speed manual, which should soldier on alongside the current seven-speed automatic. Don't expect to see the Q50's performance hybrid system in the Z, but a Mercedes-designed, turbocharged four-cylinder could be offered. Nissan will be building the smaller-displacement engine, destined for the Q50, in Tennessee. Expected arrival in early 2015, with a base price just under $35,000. After skipping class the day Nissan updated the rest of the 370Z lineup for 2013 and sailing through the past year with no changes, the 370Z NISMO finally is being updated for 2014. With the new Juke NISMO essentially defibrillating Nissan's NISMO performance brand in the U.S., the automaker must have decided it needed to update its existing NISMO-badged 370Z to match. Thus, the 2014 370Z NISMO arrives this summer with a few minor cosmetic tweaks that bring it in line with the smaller, taller, frog-faced Juke NISMO alongside which it is being revealed at the 2013 Chicago auto show. The key to the 370Z NISMO's update is the application of dark gray paint to its front spoiler, rocker panel extensions, rear bumper, side mirrors, and rear wing. The gray items (except for the side sills) are accented with red pinstriping, just like the similarly painted pieces on the Juke NISMO. Until now, the 370Z NISMO's body was pretty much a monochromatic affair. Inside, Nissan swapped the steering wheel for a new one wrapped in faux suede and fitted a new, red-colored NISMO tachometer. The new duds suit the 370Z NISMO well—especially the dark-colored lower-body pieces, which reduce the visual mass of the car's fairly ridiculous-looking body kit. (Nissan says the extended front bumper with a fully integrated chin spoiler—the NISMO is 6.2 inches longer than a regular Z—improves aerodynamic performance; we think it just looks odd and a bit too Fast and Furious.) The subtle red pinstripes also add a bit of visual pop and convey notions of sportiness. Otherwise, the 370Z NISMO enters the 2014 model year with the same 350-hp 3.7-liter V-6, 19-inch Rays forged-aluminum wheels, stiffened suspension, NISMO big-brake kit, six-speed manual transmission, and cannon-sized exhaust outlets as it had last year. To recap, the 18-hp difference between the NISMO and the regular 370Z is attributable to the NISMO's unique exhaust system and tweaked ECU. We last tested a 370Z NISMO back in 2009—the 2014 model is mechanically identical to the 2009 version—and found it to be appropriately more engaging and sporty than lesser Zs, but also that its track-car pretense significantly narrows its appeal. The NISMO Z also carries over its relatively barren list of standard and optional features; a four-speaker audio system, automatic climate control, and Nissan's Intelligent Key proximity key with pushbutton start are included. The only option is a Bose package that adds an in-dash six-CD changer, two speakers and two subwoofers, Bluetooth, and a HomeLink garage-door opener. For buyers who must have the ultimate Z, the search pretty much starts and ends with the NISMO. Pricing for the freshened model has not yet been released, but the 2013 car carried a hefty premium over its more-sedate siblings. We don't expect that disparity to shrink, so for non-NISMOheads, we'd suggest sticking with either the regular Z or checking out the (similarly priced and V-8–powered) Ford Mustang GT or Chevrolet Camaro SS.
