Nissan to Drop 370Z Roadster

Nissan Motor Co. tells Motor Authority it will discontinue the roadster version of its rear-wheel-drive 370Z sports car after the 2019 model year.

The carmaker will continue to sell the 370Z coupe and its Nismo-performance variant next year. A 50th anniversary edition of the Z-badged coupe also will added to the 2020 lineup.

The car’s future after 2020 is murky. Sales fell to fewer than 3,500 units in 2018, the worst year since the current 370Z was introduced in 2009.

Nissan acknowledges the business case for future Z models is “difficult.” Some reports have suggested the nameplate will transition to a crossover body style and/or use an electrified powerplant. Other reports indicate the Z will be killed altogether at the end of the 370’s product cycle.