Nissan is getting close to unveiling a new sports coupe that will slot in under the upcoming 370z.  The new car is set to be called the FR, probably referencing it’s front engine and rear drive design.  Think of this new car to take the place of the long forgotten 240sx/Silvia.

The most interesting part of the vehicle is the proposed drive train.  Rumor has it that Nissan will be installing the HR16DET (turbocharged inline 4 cylinder) with VCR.  VCR is a sort of variable compression ratio design aimed at improving performance and fuel economy.  I will try to dig up more information on this new technology over the weekend.   Expected power output is in the 220-250hp range at the crank.

The dimensions will be similar to the S15 Silvia (not offered in U.S.) with the new car being slightly wider and shorter.    Vehicle weight should be in the 2,750lb range with the base pricing to start around $20,000.  I’ll keep you all posted with any updates and feel free to send me any info if you stumble across anything.

Pictures and some info taken from 7TUNE.com

With the unveiling of the 370z right aound the corner, at the LA auto show in November, there are bound to be more and more pictures taken of the test cars to hype it up before the release.    Here are the latest and greatest:

(click to open larger)

The specs are not fully disclosed yet but since Nissan will be aiming the 370z at the Porsche Cayman we need to expect some pretty large platform changes.  The engine will be the 3.7 liter VQ variant that is currently in the Infiniti G37, although there may be a few tweaks here and there to differentiate the two power plants.  The wheel base will also be slightly shorter coming in around 100 inches.

The biggest improvement in many peoples eyes over the outgoing 350z will be a dramitic reduction in weight.   The outgoing car weighs somewhere north of 3,500 pounds while the new 370z is aiming for under 3,200.  Only time will tell what the production cars will add up to.  We can’t wait to get our hands on one of these beasts and put it through it’s paces.

As I see more info on the 370z I will post it here first thing.  Don’t be a stranger to ZCarBlog.com!