New Zed A Supra Slayer?

Nissan’s long-awaited 400z looks to put a solid beatdown on Toyota’s hot coupe

- Andy Enright

It’s been a very long wait. The Nissan 400Z that looks set to be unveiled next year comes on the heels of the 370Z, a model that’s been with us 11 years, its life neatly bookended by two recessions. Because of the latter, Nissan isn’t committing right now to a firm launch date for its 300kW twin-turbo tearaway.

Despite development being almost complete and an unveiling originally set for the New York International Auto Show on April 8 (with 2021 pencilled in for initial Australian deliveries), the coronavirus pandemic has put those plans firmly on ice. In fact, such is the impact of the macroeconomics on discretionary purchases like sports coupes that Nissan has delayed the entire launch schedule for at least a year.

So what can buyers expect when the hankie is finally flicked off the 400Z at a motorshow, real or virtual? Given Nissan’s parlous financial state, it’s probably not uncharitable to describe the 400Z as a budget development. In concept, it’s effectively a reskin of the Noughties-era 370Z, running on a modified version of that car’s FM platform. Those underpinnings can be traced back to the 2001 V35-series Nissan Skyline and also formed the foundation for the Infiniti Q60.

The doors are shared with the 370Z but beyond that, all of the other exterior panels are new. Responsibility for the exterior design ultimately falls to Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s Cuban-American design boss. The 20-year Nissan veteran broke the news to