After what seems like an eternity, we finally know that a new Nissan Z car is on the way. Most likely to be called the 400Z, it was officially teased back in May. It will replace the dated but loved Nissan 370Z that has had to soldier on as the brand's junior sports car for much too long.

Under the hood, we expect the 400Z to use a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that should develop, you guessed it, around 400 horsepower. An engine like this is already used in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60. However, an electrified version of the 400Z is also a possibility, but it's still a good couple of years away, according to CarAdvice.

The latest information indicates that the 400Z's architecture wouldn't allow for either a hybrid or fully electric powertrain, which means that a Nissan Z car with electric power would be a full generation away. Ivan Espinosa, Nissan's vice president of global product strategy, is open to the idea of an electrified Z car, though. "What I can tell you is I still see space for two different things," he said, referring to the continued use of conventional power in the short term and electrification further down the line.

"The technology of (electric cars) is very well advanced, but it's not at the level you can deliver the performance expected in a sports car," he elaborated. Espinosa cited continuing challenges with the weight of batteries on a sports car's performance. It was also said that a hybrid Z car will likely precede a fully electric version.

While the absence of a hybrid or fully electric 400Z is unlikely to bother the typical buyer of this sort of car, it doesn't mean Nissan isn't forging ahead with electrification in other segments. The brand new Ariya EV has just been unveiled as a far more alluring alternative to the Leaf. It will compete head-on with the Tesla Model Y and, with its concept-like styling and excellent claimed range of up to 300 miles, should do very well.

What it may not do is stimulate the senses like the upcoming 400Z which, for now at least, will still have the sound of a good ol' internal combustion engine screaming away under the hood.