Nissan has been taking a beating in recent times, with its CEO being charged with financial wrongdoing and massive losses worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s getting to be like the 1990s when a steady decline in its business saw a debt of US$20 billion by 1999 putting it on the brink of bankruptcy.
The new management team is struggling to slash expenses worldwide, cutting at least 12,500 jobs globally by March 2023 and closing some factories. It’s almost like the early years of the Ghosn era when his ‘Nissan Revival Plan’ called for 5 factories to close with a termination of up to 21,000 jobs and 50% reduction in suppliers. Though criticised for his extreme measures, Ghosn turned Nissan around completely by March 2001 with a net profit of 331.1 billion yen.
Product development was naturally hampered by limited budgets; reduced sales could not generate enough revenue to effectively fund development of the next generations. But Ghosn kept morale high with the revival of the GT-R and also authorised continuation of the legendary Z sportscar, the former still a significant model 13 years after its launch.
Now, Nissan is doing the same thing with what looks like a new Z, and the prototype will be revealed to the world on September 15, 2020 at 7:30 pm in America (8:30 am on September 16 in Malaysia). The prototype could be the final form for the new sportscar which is rumoured to be designated ‘400Z’.
Typically, Japanese manufacturers show off a ‘prototype’ which is pretty much production-ready and then launch the new model within the next 12 months. If it was not something about to go into production, they would more likely call it a ‘concept car’.
Actually, Nissan already hinted at a new Z in May and a teaser video showed the silhouette of a sportscar (above). It had the characteristic long nose and as for what will be under the bonnet, probably a V6 from the current engine family that has won awards for years and years.
Remember the date: September 16 at 8:30 am in Malaysia.
