---
title: "The Next Nissan Z ‘Proto’ Will Debut on September 16"
description: "No, this is not a drill."
date: "2020-09-01"
modified: "2020-09-01"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/36102/the-next-nissan-z-proto-will-debut-on-september-16"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Nissan News"
tags:
  - "Coupe"
  - "Nissan"
  - "sports car"
  - "z"
---

# The Next Nissan Z ‘Proto’ Will Debut on September 16

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/09/top1.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

You might want to sit down for this one. After years and seemingly endless reports and teasers of the next Nissan Z car, we finally have concrete news directly from the mothership: a next-generation Nissan Z "Proto," most likely for prototype, will be unveiled on Sept. 16.

According to teasers released by Nissan on Twitter and YouTube, the announcement should give us a solid idea of what the [next Z will look like](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31870/it-looks-like-the-next-gen-nissan-z-will-get-throwback-styling-retain-manual-report>), though it didn't go into specifics. So far, all we know is that the prototype will be unveiled in two weeks, but it remains unclear if the announcement will divulge drivetrain specs, possible release date, etc. I guess we will have to wait for the juicy deets.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1300750246553595912

This is great news, nonetheless, as the internet has been bombarded with unconfirmed rumors about what the next-generation sports car will or won't have. Some say that its chassis and even engine components will carry over from the current model, while others tout that it will be an all-new model.

In the performance department, some rumors lead us to believe that the new Japanese sports car could feature some sort of electrification technology, while others claim that a sort of [plug-in hybrid variant](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34976/no-electrified-variants-of-the-next-gen-nissan-z-until-2025-report>) won't be developed until much further down the road.

https://youtube.com/embed/b5ZgwW7hETY

Until then, enjoy the cool video and see how many hints or "Easter eggs" you can spot in the teaser film.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)