Next Nissan Z Likely Delayed Until After 2030 as GT-R Comes First

Not Totally All-New

Prior to the current model, the Nissan Z languished without a full redesign for an incredibly lengthy time. The 370Z was produced from 2008 to 2020, and some markets continued to sell it as late as 2021. Sure, it received a facelift in 2013, but there were few changes over 12 years.

The Z finally got the redesign it so desperately needed in 2021 for the 2023 model year. There was new sheetmetal, an overhauled interior, more tech, a revamped chassis, and a serious boost in performance – literally and figuratively. Heck, it even came with a new chassis code. But despite all the changes, the basic structure was that of the old 370Z. Still, Nissan did enough to make it feel different from its predecessor.

Fear Not, an All-New Z is Coming

The 370Z eventually felt like a model that Nissan simply forgot to stop making. Not wanting to repeat that, the company inferred that it’s already thinking about the next generation of the Z-Car. Speaking to The Drive, Ponz Pandikuthira, senior vice president, chief product and planning officer for Nissan Americas, laid out what the company wants for the future Z.

“A lot of it is going to be heritage-based. Go back to the authenticity of what Z was in the past. Create special editions that resonate with that heritage and keep that animated cycle plan,” Pandikuthira told the publication. “You’ll see a lot of that animation coming through special versions between now and say the next three years. And then we’re actively talking about what that next generation will look like,” added the executive.

But First, the GT-R

With that, Nissan is taking the Z much more seriously this time around. It’s likely that it will share the same architecture as the rebooted Nissan Skyline/Infiniti Q50, and that one is due in 2027. There’s something that the future Z could build upon, so Nissan doesn’t have to develop the sports car from scratch.

However, before Nissan could go all-out on developing the new-generation Z, it was placing more of its resources into building the all-new GT-R. It is, after all, the brand’s halo product, and it’s expected to be revealed sometime in 2030. That means that the redesigned Z will likely come out after that.

Still, it’s great to see Nissan keeping interest in the Z alive. As Pandikuthira, “Don’t just build it and then walk away.”