What's new in the 'new' Nissan Z vs. old Nissan 370Z?

By the end of the last decade, the Nissan 370Z was getting pretty long in the tooth. Hints were finally being dropped about a replacement, but Nissan somehow managed to keep all the details secret. Then, in 2020, the world was finally introduced to the Nissan Z Proto, a nearly production-ready “concept” that would hit the streets the following years as the new Nissan Z. But was it actually, you know, new?

Early warning signs

By the end of its run, 370Z sales were statistically insignificant, leading many to wonder about the business case for a replacement. Nissan officials stood firm, declaring the Z car an indispensable piece of company history that must endure. Nissan, though, wasn’t in the best place at the time, business-wise. Would the bosses really see fit to spend the money on a new low-volume sports car in a dying segment?

Our suspicions only deepened once we got a good look at the Z Proto. A careful analysis revealed similarities between it and the old 370Z too big to be ignored. The roofline was identical, as was the shape of the doors and side windows. The double-bubble roof was similar and the cutlines separating it from other panels identical. Cutlines elsewhere on the car were likewise similar or the same, indicating the body pieces mounted up in exactly the same places.

The interior, though, was the real tell. Big screens couldn’t hide the fact the dashboard itself and the unique door-mounted air vents were nearly identical. So, too, were the center armrest and cupholder aft of the shifter, as well as the door handles, window switches and lock switches. The climate control knobs and dash-top analog gauges at least got a bit of updating.

Nissan finally came clean, after a fashion, when it revealed the new Z’s chassis code: RZ34. For the uninitiated, the 370Z’s chassis code was Z34. This was a particularly big clue because while the 370Z shared a lot of its mechanical bits with the 350Z (chassis code Z33) before it, Nissan engineers felt they’d done enough work to warrant a new chassis code. The new Nissan Z? Not so much.

What’s the difference between a 370Z and a Z?

That’s not to say the new Z is identical to the 370Z under the skin, but it’s not all that different, either. Nissan would later admit it updated the cars’ FM platform (which dates back to the 350Z) with new reinforcements around the upper engine bay area, in the roof, around the taillights and between the rear wheels. This increased both body rigidity and torsional rigidity (bending), which should help the car handle better. (Chassis flexing makes the suspension less effective when cornering.)

Structural work done, the engineers went about fitting a modern engine. Out went the old 3.7-liter V-6, replaced by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 borrowed from the Infiniti Q50/Q60 Red Sport 400. New exhaust plumbing was needed to fit the Z chassis, and a boost recirculation valve was added to the turbochargers to keep them spinning when the throttle closed, but output remained at 400 hp and 350 lb-ft. It was still a substantial improvement over the 370Z’s 350 hp and 276 lb-ft.

Behind the engine, Nissan carried over the same six-speed manual transmission, albeit with upgraded synchronizers on the first two gears, a new flywheel and new, smoother shift linkage. The automatic transmission option, at least, was a major improvement. The old seven-speed was replaced by a new nine-speed with a lightweight magnesium case and Z-specific programming.

The drivetrain sorted, engineers turned their attention to the suspension. The 370Z handled well in its day, but things had changed in the past 12 years. Lower-friction Tokico monotube shocks allowed engineers to increase spring, damper and anti-roll bar rates without hurting ride quality. The front suspension caster was also increased, giving the front wheels a longer contact patch and improving the steering’s centering and sense of straight ahead. Finally, the front tires were widened to further increase the size of the contact patch as well as lateral grip.

Next, the job turned to the interior. The old analog instrument cluster was replaced with a reconfigurable screen controlled by buttons on a new steering wheel. Next to all that, the ancient infotainment system was replaced with a big, new touchscreen. Below that, the climate control knobs got a glow-up, and the sail panels around the shifter we reworked. Revised door cards were fitted, and between them, new seats. Up on the top of the dash, the analog water temperature and batter voltage gauges, plus digital clock, were replaced with new analog turbo speed, boost pressure and battery voltage gauges.

Finally, the whole thing was wrapped in new body panels channeling all previous eras of Z car design. Up front, headlights and a rectangular grille inspired by the original 240Z, in the back, the pill-shaped taillights of the later 300ZX.

By industry standards, we would consider this a heavy refresh, not a new car. Most of its chassis and suspension are the same, as is the fundamental design of the interior. Things certainly look different, and the key components including the powertrain, dashboard and shock absorbers have been replaced, but at its core, the new Nissan Z is an updated 370Z, itself a heavily updated 350Z, dating back decades.

But why?

Remember, we mentioned Nissan wasn’t in the best fiscal position when it committed to the new Z and that the Z doesn’t generate enough sales to pay for a big investment. These financial handcuffs are at the heart of every decision the company made about the Z, as engineers would later admit. Minor updates to the chassis cost next to nothing compared to engineering a new chassis or even making major modifications. Using existing powertrain components from other, more profitable models, not to mention reusing the old manual transmission, saved further engineering cost. Leaving the suspension design alone and only upgrading components also saved money. Same with keeping a lot of the interior the same and only updating the oldest bits. All this left enough in the budget for almost entirely new bodywork, so it would at least look new.

Is the new Z the car Nissan engineers, designers and executives would’ve made if they’d had a bigger budget? Probably not, but it was the best compromise they could come up with, giving the car the greatest number of updates where it needed them most. Considering the shoestring budget, the new Z does a convincing job of differentiating itself from the 370Z, even if they’re mostly the same underneath.

Photos by MotorTrend Staff, Violet Cruz