Nissan is barely two days away from releasing the first batch of official pictures of its Porsche-rivalling 370Z, but now it appears that Japanese magazine Carmode has decided to steal Nissan’s thunder and give us all a sneak peek at the 370Z in camouflage-free form.

It is not entirely clear whether this is an actual leaked press image or simply yet another rendering, but given its convincing appearance and the fact that it’s appearing on the front cover of Carmode’s December issue (which will still be on news-stands well after the 370Z’s November 19 unveiling), the odds are high that this is indeed the real deal.

We totally dig the homage to the 240Z in the kicked-up rear quarter glass and the chrome window surrounds, while the fat fenders and funky rims tickle our fancy too. Heck, even the controversial “fish hook” headlamps and the be-fanged front bumper seem to work well.

While the overall shape is still reminiscent of the current generation Z33 350Z, the 370Z’s shape is remarkably fresh, new and, dare I say it, exciting. Will it still look as charming in the flesh? Will it have the mechanical fortitude to take on Porsche’s mighty 911, as Nissan hopes it can? We’ll have to wait until next month to find out…

[Carmode, via Carscoop]