Nissan Might Team Up With Mercedes-Benz For The Next Z

The all-new Supra isn’t out yet, but things are looking up for the sports car that was built as a joint venture between Toyota and BMW. Apparently, Nissan is also looking for a potential partner for the 370Z replacement in order to share the development and production costs.

According to Japanese magazine Response (via Japanese Nostalgic Car), which cites “unnamed European agents”, that partner could very well be Mercedes-Benz.

This makes sense, as the Japanese automaker’s luxury division, Infiniti, has worked with the Germans on the QX30 crossover that shares its underpinnings with the Mercedes GLA, and Nissan itself provided Daimler with the Navara as a basis for Merc’s first-ever pickup truck, the X-Class.

According to the report, the next-gen Z would be offered in two trims. The entry-level model will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder built by Mercedes, while the range-topping version will use the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Infiniti Q60, where it produces 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Whatever Nissan has in store for the next Z, it can’t come a moment too soon. The 370Z ((pictured below) hasn’t changed a lot since it debuted in 2008 – and 10 years is an eternity in the automotive world. Nevertheless, despite previous reports that announced its demise, Nissan confirmed at the beginning of the year that it is indeed working on a new Z.