Nissan 400Z will be cheaper than Toyota Supra

It's a question of when, not if, the Nissan 400Z comes to Australia and sources close to the project have confirmed the all-new rear-drive sports car is not too far away.

What’s more, the Nissan 400Z – codenamed Z35 – will not only out-power the Toyota Supra with its circa-300kW turbocharged V6, it may also cost significantly less.

According to AllCarNews, the Nissan 400Z nameplate is locked in and pricing for the new coupe will start at around $US40,000.

Given the turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder Toyota Supra, which now offers 250kW/500Nm, starts at $US49,990 in North America, Nissan’s new Z-car is shaping up to be 20 per cent more affordable – and significantly more powerful.

Do the math and – based on the Supra’s local starting price of $84,900 – that would equate to an Australian price of about $68,000 for the 400Z, which is traditionally around where the outgoing 370Z started before base pricing was slashed last year to around $50K.

Although there's no official launch date for the new model just yet, carsales understands the current Z34 370Z will solider on for a couple of years.

The next-generation Z35-series Z-car is expected to break cover in concept form at the 2021 Tokyo motor show, previewing the production car that should hit showrooms in 2022.

While our sources have confirmed the car is coming – and strongly hint that the 298kW 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine (VR30DDTT) from the Infiniti Q60 coupe will drive its rear wheels – spy shots of 370Z test mules running laps of the Nurburgring in Germany all but prove the 400Z is in development.

Nissan has not officially confirmed the new Z35 model yet, let alone its price or ETA, but nor has it denied its existence.

Nissan's head of design, Alfonso Albaisa, recently told CNET that he would be honoured to design the new Z sports car.

"Let's be honest. I think we all would love to see the Z continue. I love to draw Z cars, as you might've seen from a recent video I did with my kids as part of the Nissan #drawdrawdraw program, and I've also included here a little sketch I just did of the 240Z.

"The classic proportions will never go out of style," he said, hinting that the new model is indeed set to reinstate a retro design that builds on the heritage of Z-cars dating back to the 1969 240Z.

"So, stay tuned, as you may never know what you may see from Nissan in the future. There's just so much happening, I cannot wait to tell you all about it," said the Nissan design boss.

There have been many next-gen Nissan Z car renders of late, with the images featured on this page an ode to classic Nissan 240Z (aka Fairlady) created by Le Yang Bai via the Behance design portal.

Closer to home, we discussed the new Nissan 400Z with Nissan Australia CEO, Stephen Lester, who also refused to rule out the next-gen Z35 model. The Canadian-born executive said the Z nameplate was hugely important for the brand in Australia.

"Anytime you’ve got a vehicle or a nameplate like Z, with that history and that loyal following – and as an automotive enthusiast – in that sports car arena, you're crazy not to want it or be excited by it.

"So we're really enthusiast about all the things that are getting teased out there, if you will, and we'd be behind another iteration for the Australian market, 100 per cent," he said.

Expect a wild Nissan 400Z NISMO flagship to top the new-generation Z-car by the mid-2020s. It’s likely to bang out between 360kW and 420kW, making it a direct rival for the upcoming Toyota Supra GRMN.#