It's been over ten years since the Nissan 370Z launched, so a replacement is long overdue. Thankfully, our patience will eventually be rewarded. A recent report claims the new Nissan Z car will be called the 400Z and debut within the next year.

Exactly what the car will look like is anyone's guess, however. The styling could be an evolution of the current 370Z. Alternatively, rumors have suggested the new Nissan Z car will have a retro-inspired design that pays homage to the sports car's heritage. Penned by artist Leyang Bai, this render design shows what the 370Z's belated successor could look like with retro-inspired cues inspired by the original Z car.

Dubbed the Nissan Fairlady 480Z, the rendered car's design blends Nissan's current design language with the 240Z's sporty silohette, round headlights, and distinctive tail lights, and the result is a stunning modern interpretation of the original Nissan Z car. From start to finish, the entire design process took 294 hours.

The artist says the final design "serves as a reminder of the original but with modern tastes and finesse." We can only hope the new Nissan Z car looks as good as this after such an arduously long wait.

The artist hasn't provided any powertrain details for their hypothetical Nissan 370Z successor. However, the Nissan 400Z is expected to utilize the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 as the Infiniti Q60 producing around 400 horsepower. That would make it significantly more powerful than the 332-hp naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 unit found in the 350Z.

Expect the Nissan 400Z to be quicker off the line than the Q60, which accelerates from 0-62 mph in five seconds. Chances are the Nissan 400Z will be offered with an automatic gearbox and a six-speed manual to please enthusiasts who prefer rowing their own gears.