Nissan hints at manual gearbox for upcoming 400Z

Ahead of the upcoming reveal of the highly anticipated 400Z coupe, Nissan has released yet another video teasing the next-gen sports car.

Although this teaser focused heavily on the design parallels between the new Z and those from previous generations, it’s that last frame that has us curious. It sure looks like a hand reaching towards the center console, right where a gear lever would be. We can only hope this is cue that the long-awaited successor to the current 370Z. A row-your-own box attached to Nissan’s 400-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 sounds just about perfect to us.

Back to the design parallels. First, the video showcases consecutive shots showing the headlights of an original 240Z followed by the upcoming car, which wears the same general shape. Around back, we can see that the new Z will get horizontal-shaped tail lamps, similar to those found in the Z32 Nissan 300ZX.

As on the original 240Z, that swooping roofline will boast a Z badge, in this iteration similar to the logo that Nissan trademarked earlier this year. Based on the silhouette teased during a product portfolio unveiling this spring, it looks like this new Z will have a shape that’s remarkably similar to that of the original Z. We’re hoping that it can recapture a slimmer head-on profile, something that was lost in the early-aughts 350Z as well the current model.

We’re counting down the days now until the reveal on September 15—sports coupes like this are getting rarer and rarer. To see Nissan still committed to one of the nameplates on which it built its legacy is a development worth celebrating.