Nissan fans eagerly awaiting the launch of the 400Z still have a long way to go; the newest member of the Z family is not expected to launch until 2022 for model year 2023. That didn’t keep the folks from NewnissanZ.com from spotting what is potentially a new color for the 400Z in a reveal video a few days ago.
The 400Z proto got a little publicity this week during the Nissan Frontier and Pathfinder reveals while Senior Vice President of Global Design Alfonso Albaisa roamed the floors of his design studio in Japan on camera. The yellow 400Z is front and center, but the color in question on the car in the background appears to be a medium gray somewhere between the current Brilliant Silver Metallic and Gun Metallic on the 2020 370Z. One commenter ventured that it looks like the Boulder Gray slated for the 2022 Frontier, but I'm guessing there's more to it than that like a nod to a historic color. Or maybe it's just a smokescreen.
We’ve already seen the vibrant yellow that debuted last fall and I applaud the embrace of bright colors, since too many people buy cars in black and white anyway. As Albaisa told Motortrend, “the yellow paint color chosen for Z Proto takes a non-metallic hue from the original 240Z and adds the pearlescent paint technology used for the 300ZX.”
"There's so much pigment of yellow. It's so deep, it looks an inch thick,” Albaisa said. “The second you roll it out into sunlight, you see this thing almost get plugged into an electrical socket. It becomes alive."
Yes, people, yes. Bring on all of the happy colors. Personally, I’m hoping for the Purple Gray of the 1984 Nissan 300X. Or a more metallic-flake-rich version of the 50th Anniversary 300ZX from 1984. Even better, bring back the Cobalt Green Pearl of 1996. We already know the 400Z will have 400 horsepower and start under $40,000, which is thrilling on its own. Will Nissan come through with colorful looks to match the rest of the package? We can only hope, for now.
Got a tip? Send the writer a note: Kristin.shaw@thedrive.com