The Nissan 350Z, or ‘Fairlady’ as it’s known in Japan, is set to be replaced next year by an all-new model sporting a larger displacement engine and a dramatic new look. The current car’s combination of a front-engine RWD layout and a torquey V6 has won it numerous accolades across the globe, and it’s a formula engineers won’t be mucking around with for next-gen model. Most are divided on whether Nissan will go with the new 3.7L V6 from the Infiniti G37 or stick with the current 3.5L mill, but one source claims to have seen a pre-production version wearing 370Z badges.

According to AutoExpress, a pre-production coupe was spotted with the new badge, shark fin-style headlamps similar to those on the 2009 Maxima and LED daytime running lights. The car also featured flared wheel arches at the rear, suggesting a much wider track than the current car.

The 370Z badge indicates Nissan’s new 3.7L VQ37VHR from the G37 Coupe will be powering the next Z car. Thanks to VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) technology and a higher rpm than the previous VQ35, the new mill develops up to 330hp (246kW) and 366Nm (270lb-ft) of torque and should make for some scintillating performance numbers for Nissan’s new sports car.

The next-gen 370Z is likely to debut at November’s Los Angeles Auto Show but in the meantime check out the spy images by clicking here or see a rendering of the car in our previous story by clicking here.