If Nissan Took A Leaf Out Of Ford’s Book

There's been a lot of talk about the styling of the  upcoming Nissan 370Z (does anyone else think "370Z" has a poor ring to it?). WHile most folks happily acknowledge the minor 240Z homage in the form of the beltline as it leads up along the bottom of the rear quarter window, there is, on the other side of the coin, some antipathy toward the headlights and front intakes.

One thing that stands out about the Z line of cars is that, unlike the 911 for example, there's little to no design ties between the 240Z and the 350Z, and most of the models in between (excluding, perhaps, the 280ZX). You get the feeling that while each Z car has its own appeal, they're each little more than a random two-door sports car made by a company who conveniently happened to own the rights to a highly respected badge.

If you were given the keys to Nissan's design department, what would your next generation Z look like? A 3D designer asked himself that same question, and arrived at a fairly stunning retrotastic concept. In much the same way Ford has done with the current Mustang, BMW has done with the new Mini—and so on—this design offers bold modern lines while maintaining clear ties to the original styling.

Jump through the hoop to see more.

[via AusZCar]