Even though the ongoing 370Z has been released back in 2008, the car is actually closely related to the older 350Z which is more than a decade old at this point. Because of that it seems a successor is on its way. Even though Nissan didn’t officially confirm the car so far, they are more than likely working on a brand new two-door sports car. While some suggested the future 2018 Nissan Z35 could be based on their FM platform, this is highly unlikely. This is nearly two decades old at this point so it wouldn’t make much sense. Instead, the Z35 might get to be Nissan’s first car to use a rear wheel drive Mercedes-derived platform.
In detail
This would allow them to focus on building a great sports car without having to engineer everything from the ground up. While it seems unlikely, we wouldn’t be surprised, especially since Nissan is already using Mercedes’ front wheel drive chassis on certain Infiniti cars.
source:mustcars.com
Thanks to the new rear wheel drive chassis the Z35 would boast much better torsional rigidity. This will allow it to be better to drive as well as safer in case of a crash. As we all know, Mercedes uses an aluminum platform so the new Z35 would also more than likely be quite a bit lighter than the one before it. These alone should be well worth the upgrade over the previous model.
The looks
While a concept hasn’t been released for a while, it is safe to assume the 2018 Nissan Z35 will borrow heavily from the GT-R. However, the shape of the Z33 and Z34 with the long hood and pushed-back cabin are more than likely going to be seen on their successor as well.
source:mustcars.com
The new model is expected to be just as short as its predecessor but there is a good chance it will feature a longer wheelbase. The car is also expected to be both wider and lower which would mean a lower center of gravity. On top of that it should allow Nissan to achieve the sporty design they have been pursuing ever since the 350Z was released.
Inside the cabin
Thanks to its Mercedes platform we wouldn’t be surprised if the Z35 will feature interior parts from Mercedes. This also happened with Infiniti’s Q30 and frankly it would allow them to offer a better quality interior than what was previously available.
source:mustcars.com
Things like the climate controls, the wiper stalk or even the mirror controls could all be taken from Mercedes. The car will likely get just two seats, just like its predecessors, but it might receive a considerably longer set of features. Better materials are expected across the range and even the most basic models of the 2018 Nissan Z35 should receive much more gear than its predecessor.
2018 Nissan Z35 Engine and Specs
Both the 350 and 370Z used a naturally aspirated V6 engine. However, this was not always the case. The older 300ZX had a twin-turbo V6 and it seems this might happen to the Z35. It seems the car could receive Infiniti’s new 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6 which is currently in use on some of their cars. This engine can make either 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque or 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.
source:mustcars.com
Either configuration would easily push the new Z35 to speeds more than enough to give it the sports-car status. Considering the car’s history though, we would expect the 400 horsepower version to be fitted in the base trim level. An even more powerful model wearing the Nismo badge is more than likely going to be released at a later date. All cars are expected to get a 6 speed manual as standard but an automatic, possibly a Mercedes-supplied gearbox, is possible.
