Nissan executives announced the sports car that will replace the 350Z this autumn, badged 370Z, the new coupé is to be unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show in November before UK sales kick off in April 2009.

Nissan is launching the car in America as that’s where the bulk of Z models are sold; it’s also why a roadster version won’t be far behind the 370Z.

As its name suggests, the 370Z has a slightly bigger engine than today’s 350Z.

The 3.5 V6 will jump to 3.7- litres – it’s the same engine as in sister brand Infiniti’s new G37 sports cars, where it produces 325bhp.

Nissan won’t stray far from the recipe that’s made today’s coupé and roadster so successful, so the replacement will stick to the simple rear-wheel drive format that’s made the 350Z a back-to-basics hit with enthusiasts.

In the Infiniti, the group’s E platform offers four-wheel steering on Sport spec models, so it’s likely that the 370Z will offer this facility as well.

Nissan is streamlining the number of platforms it uses under Carlos Ghosn’s ambitious cost-cutting programme.

It used to have 24 separate vehicle architectures, but aims to slash that to 10 by 2010.