Nissan to build an all-terrain version of Z?

Nissan could be brewing something up with the all-new Z - following the footsteps of Porsche with the 911 Dakar, and Lamborghini with the Huracan Sterrato.

The automaker has filed the trademark for a “Z Warrior” nameplate in Australia. If you’re familiar with how Nissan names their vehicles, the “Warrior” moniker usually means an off-road version of a particular model. Nissan has done it with models like the Patrol, and the Navara pickup truck.

So does this mean we’ll see an off-road version of the Z anytime soon? Well, that’s what’s pointing out so far to the Warrior nameplate. Last year, Nissan built a one-off rally version of the Z for the SEMA show in Las Vegas, showing off the sports car with a raised ride height, some off-road lights, gravel-spec rally tires, and a special livery that pays tribute to the Datsun 240Z that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally.

However, unlike the 911 Dakar and the Huracan Sterrato, the Z does not have an all-wheel-drive version for its standard models. The running gear would then be really complicated as adopting the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system of the GT-R would take serious rework on the Z. Perhaps, what we could see here is that the Z would remain in rear-wheel-drive, but with its underbelly and running gear beefed up.

That said, a trademark filing does not exactly give clear guarantees. Let’s wait and see in the coming months if the Z Warrior does indeed come to fruition. Watch this space.

Source: The Drive