A new Nissan Z car is finally coming to replace the old Nissan 370Z that's been in production since 2009. Last month, Nissan previewed the new Z car with the Z Proto concept. Before the new Z car enters production, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida recently got behind the wheel of the Z Proto for the first time, and it didn't disappoint. In a new video released by Nissan, we get to see the CEO give the car his seal of approval.

After providing an overview of the car's design and how Nissan borrowed elements from previous Z cars, the CEO takes the Z Proto for a spin.

Stepping inside the interior, he described the retro-inspired cabin, which has three traditional gauges like as "very beautiful." Elsewhere, the round headlights are inspired by the 240Z, while the rectangular grille and taillight design is a clear throwback to the 300ZX.

"It's fantastic," Uchida said after taking the Z Proto for a drive. "I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see how we can finalize this car." Sadly, it's going to be a long time before the new Z Proto transforms into a production car. Rumored to be called the 400Z, the new Nissan Z car may not go on sale until 2023.

Under the hood, the Z Proto is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Nissan hasn't released any performance specifications, but this is likely to be the same unit found under the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 producing around 400 horsepower.

While the next Nissan Z car will get a fresh new design that's heavily inspired by the Z Proto, don't expect it to ride on an all-new platform. Instead, Nissan is expected to utilize an updated version of the current platform that underpins the Nissan 370Z since it would be difficult to justify the investment required to develop an all-new platform for a niche sports car.