Nissan Updates the 370Z in Lieu of Delivering a Successor

Less than a year away from its 10th birthday, Nissan’s 370Z is getting a modest refresh in the hopes of maintaining some kind of relevance. Despite being the better car, the present model failed to outsell the 350Z in the United States in all but its introductory year, and annual deliveries have continue to tumble ever since. Nissan only managed to move 4,614 examples in 2017, which is less than half the volume seen in 2010.

The Z car represents the last gasp of Japanese muscle and it’s been gradually wheezing its way out of prominence. Most of the famous alphanumeric nameplates from the island nation were buried over a decade ago. But the Nissan lived on, almost as if it was saving a seat for the Toyota Supra’s return.

For 2019, the 370Z will continue sourcing power from a 332 horsepower, 3.7-liter V6, while the Nismo variant generates 350 hp. Pricing remains unchanged at $29,990 for the base 370Z Coupe, $41,820 for the 370Z Roadster, and $45,690 for the 370Z Nismo. Of course, you’ll have to tack on an additional $885 for destination charges.

A six-speed manual is standard on all models. But an available seven-speed auto can be had for an extra $1,400.

With pricing and powertrains looking very familiar, you’re not wrong to assume Nissan hasn’t done much to tempt prospective Z owners. Rearview mirrors now have an auto-dimming feature and regulatory mandates have forced an inclusion of a backup camera. But outside of some new paint options on the Heritage Edition, that’s all Nissan was willing to change.

In case you were curious, those new paint options are Magnetic Black, Deep Blue Pearl, and Pearl White. They come with unique exterior graphics, black mirrors, and yellow interior trim. The package is only available on the Coupe, which has also consolidated the Touring and Sport Tech trims from the 2018 model year into a single Sport Touring package.

While a successor is rumored to be in the later stages of development, Nissan has been careful not to commit to anything that would suggest a 400Z is right around the corner. We know it’s brewing something, but the automaker remains noncommittal when discussing the matter.

Like the Toyota-BMW partnership that resulted in the new Supra and Z4, Nissan is believed to be working on something Z-related with Mercedes-Benz. Of course, this isn’t an assurance of anything. The sports coupe segment may turn out to be something Japanese automakers aren’t interested in pursuing in a few years.

While you can still get a peppy hatchback, the majority of the sports car segment has moved upmarket. Middleweight bruisers priced below the six-figure mark are becoming increasingly rare, especially from foreign automakers. We’d still like Japan to come up with something to give American muscle a run for its money, though — even if it means partnering with Germany to do it.

[Images: Nissan]