Nissan fans were discouraged to hear the latest news a few days ago that the new Z car - presumed to be called the 400Z - would probably only arrive late in 2022. But there's some hope on the horizon that it could get here earlier after Nissan just dropped a new teaser for what it calls the Nissan Z Proto.

It is set to be fully unveiled on September 15 at 19:30 CDT. While 'Z Proto' could be reasonably assumed to be a prototype of the all-new Z car rather than the official version, at least it'll give us a clearer idea of what the production model will look like.

In the nostalgic video clip, Nissan references 50 years of passion and a series of past Z cars are shown on screen, including the 240Z that started it all and the popular 300ZX, which was available with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine in the early 1990s.

For now, nothing more gives away the Z Proto's appearance besides a partial silhouette showing the same LED DRL pattern that was present on the Z car teased back in May. Later renders of the 400Z have showcased a familiar roofline that is similar to the dated 370Z, but with a more modern face.

We expect the 400Z / Z Proto to be fitted with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine making around 400 horsepower, up from the current 370Z's 332-hp output. The short clip ends off with the message "time to awaken" and "the power of Z", before closing off with the brand's updated logo.

With all the rumors swirling around about the new Z car over the last few months, the Z Proto should answer a lot of our questions and, hopefully, provide a clearer answer as to when customers can expect this Toyota Supra rival to hit the road.