Last week we learned that the current Nissan GT-R will be around for a few more years; its replacement isn't due until at least 2020. Patience has its virtues. But what about that other famous Nissan sports car, the Z car? Currently it's the 370Z that fills that roll but it's been around since 2009. It's received regular updates since then, but aside from the high-performance Nismo variant, changes have mainly focused on styling. Point being is that the 370Z is very much showing its age, but it can still compete for now. But what about a successor?

We've heard rumors something is in the works, but nothing definite has been announced. Thanks to the crew over at CarAdvice, however, there's some good news. Speaking at the 2015 Nismo Festival at the Fuji Speedway in Japan, the brand's Chief Product Specialist Hiroshi Tamura told CarAdvice, when asked specifically whether the 370Z was the end of the road for the Z car the following: "The Z car will not die while I am working at Nissan." Take that statement and combine it with the Nissan Gripz Concept from Frankfurt last September. Why is that concept relevant? Because if you lower its ride height (it's a crossover) then you've got, essentially, a sports car. Even its interior is very Z car -like. Let's keep our fingers crossed.