The Nissan Z sports car (well, let’s be real, it’s a sporty touring car) has a storied but inconsistent history. So, too, does the Z emblem. The twin-turbo rounded wedge Z of the ’90s was cool, but the long and lithe Z of the ’70s was the loveliest. This new logo looks quite a bit like a callback to the design of the older one.
A new trademark filing, currently being discussed on the NewNissanZ.com forum, doesn’t guarantee that Nissan is committing to a retro design for its next Z car or is making a “next Z car” at all.
But! At the very least, it lets us know that somebody at Nissan is still thinking about this model, which has been languishing essentially unchanged as the 370Z for over a decade.
(Yeah, the current Z came out in 2009!)
I happen to think it’s still a decent looking car but, come on, what’s the motivation to buy a new one? A new vehicle design heavily inspired by the original S30 Z’s look would be great, and breathe some desperately needed soul into the automaker’s lineup.
If you look really closely, this “new Z emblem” actually seems closer to the first real revision the logo got in the late ’70s rather than the very first Datsun Z’s symbol, but if Nissan’s plan really is to stir up nostalgia I bet the company will draw its new car to look more like the most-beloved old Z, which would have to be the first generation car.
Another interesting nugget in Nissan’s Canadian trademark filing is a reference to the logo being used with “Electrically-assisted land vehicles…” so perhaps there are hopes and dreams of making the next Z a hybrid. I’ve got mixed feelings about that one but will reserve judgment for more concrete information.
It’s important to remember that patents and trademark filings do not necessarily indicate future products, but they do give us an idea of what automakers are considering. I did drop one of Nissan’s reps a line about this and will update the post if they respond with anything other than: “Cannot comment on future product” but I don’t expect them to.