A new Nissan Z won't be released until post-2030.

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      If you're a fan of Nissan's nimble two-seater, you might still be reeling from the whirlwind of the past few years. Here’s a brief overview for those unfamiliar: The 370Z seemed to be fading away with no successor in sight. Then in 2020, rumors emerged of a new model with a nostalgic design. We were skeptical, but Nissan managed to revamp the 370Z into the new Z, which debuted in 2023 as a 2024 model, only to be hit soon after with a stop-sale order affecting all automatic transmission versions.

      It's been quite the journey. However, things are now stabilizing. Nissan recently made updates to the Z—an impressively quick refresh for a model whose predecessor was known to drag on—and restored balance by reintroducing a manual transmission option for the high-performance Nismo version. The downside? The Z has now become an “order-only” model, meaning dealers won't receive default allocations; they must request inventory. Consequently, there will be fewer cars available for test drives.

      On the bright side, if you want a Z, you should find it easier to order it to your specifications, as dealers won’t be attempting to push unwanted configurations onto unwary customers just to clear their stock. Moreover, Nissan aims to leverage the Z’s legacy to enhance its brand image in the U.S. as it works to bounce back from recent challenges.

      This means the Z will receive more attention from the brand’s product planners than it did in the past. Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan's senior vice president and chief product & planning officer for the Americas, shared his vision with The Drive:

      “A lot of it will be heritage-focused,” Pandikuthira explained. “We want to return to the authenticity of what the Z represented historically, create special editions that resonate with that legacy, and maintain a dynamic product plan.”

      When Pandikuthira refers to animations, he means new variants that can attract different buyer demographics without requiring significant mid-cycle investments from Nissan. This is all part of a fresh approach to avoid the stagnation that allowed the previous Z to become outdated:

      “Don’t just build it and then move on,” Pandikuthira stated plainly.

      This indicates that he recognizes the car's past reputation for stagnation. However, this time will be different. In fact, Nissan is already contemplating the next iteration of the Z.

      “You'll see plenty of these special versions emerging over the next three years,” Pandikuthira noted. “And we’re actively discussing the next generation’s design.”

      That doesn’t imply a new Z will appear in three years; it's just when Pandikuthira anticipates serious development will commence. After all, the Z isn’t the pinnacle of Nissan performance — that distinction belongs to the GT-R, which is currently absent and certainly a priority for the company’s engineers.

      A new GT-R is expected in 2030. Interesting, isn't it?

      “The Z must also align with what the next generation GT-R will entail,” Pandikuthira mentioned. “It needs to fit in below the GT-R's position.”

      Let's hope we find out more about that soon.

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