Nissan Z car back with a V6 and manual

-         No numbers following the Z in the name this time

-         Twin-turbo V6 makes 400 horsepower

It’s been an eternity (or decade if you don’t like exaggerating) since the last Nissan Z car was launched. It was the 370Z – a successor to the fairly successful 350Z. And now we have a new Fairlady, called just the ‘Z’ this time. It made its premiere at a special event in New York.

In terms of powertrain, the seventh-gen Z gets a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 paired either to a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic. Power output is up by 68bhp over the 370Z to 400bhp while the 475Nm is an increase of 30 per cent over its predecessor all of which is sent to the rearwheels only.

Nissan hasn’t disclosed the 0-100kmph time but says it's increased 13 per cent over the 370Z. A quick calculation gets you a figure of anything between four and five seconds. For the markets the Z would go on sale first, there would be two options to choose from – Sport and Performance – apart from a limited edition Nissan Z Proto Spec with a production cap of 240units (probably paying tribute to the original Nissan 240Z).

Now we saw the Z Proto a few months back and the production-ready Z carries on without any noticeable changes. The Z looks modern-retro with a minimalistic approach that harks back to the original Datsun S30 of the 1960s. The bulbous cavity of the headlamps is flatter but retains the original shape with its thin LED strips. Upfront the squared-off grille looks unimaginative and we expected better.

But it’s the profile that’s the most interesting part of the new Z. The original Fairlady-like stance flares up many emotions amongst the purists. The rear gets a simple-looking twin-spec LED taillamps housed in a black stripe running across while the blacked-out diffusers are decorated with dual exhaust tips. A subtle duck-tail lip spoiler is a nice touch and harkens back to the old Z cars.

India-debut of the new-gen 2023 Nissan Z is expected but not so soon. Nissan India might bring in a limited number of units few years after it goes on sale internationally as a halo product in the same manner as it did with the 370Z before it.