Last month, we reported that Nissan Deputy Division General Manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning Francois Bancon had confirmed that plans for an affordable Nissan Silvia coupe has been cancelled. At the time, Bancon said, "The Silvia was popular in Japan, but in terms of business, it was a disaster."
Rumors of a possible Silvia first surfaced when industry observers speculated on the effects of Toyobaru's success. However, rather than to release a second front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car, Bancon hinted that a lighter, more nimble, smaller displacement, next-generation Nissan Z could very well reposition at a lower price range for better accessibility.
"We have to renew the Z soon, and maybe we should think about making the Z a little bit more, let's say, what the Z used to be, like the first-generation Z," he said.
Now, new information regarding the next-generation Z has surfaced. It's still in the initial stages of development, but Senior Vice President Chief Creative Officer Design Shiro Nakamura took a moment to speak with Inside Line and dropped a number of tidbits during the conversation.
According to Nakamura, the new Z "has to have a stronger impact" and "should go leaner" than the previous generations. Nakamura also insists that the Z deserves a more visceral experience with "excitment, substance, and agility." Allowing the vehicle to be more lightweight, nimble, and economic, Nissan is heavily considering a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Herein lies some major concern. One of the appeals of the Z has been the boastful exhaust note coming from the VQ engine. In fact, Z cars had always utilized 6 cylinder powerplants. What's more, remember the negative reactions BMW received when the latest M5 was announced with a turbocharged V8 and artificial engine noise? Let's hope Nissan doesn't mess this up.
