Nissan has posted a teaser photo on its press site that appears to show an upgraded version of the 370Z Nismo. The photo is accompanied by this text: “A special global NISMO debut will be made on Friday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET at ZDAYZ at Fontana Village Resort in North Carolina.”

While Nissan’s intention was to maintain an aura of mystery around the new Nismo model, the photo’s filename says it all: “2015-Nissan-370Z-Nismo-teaser.jpg”. Therefore, the safest bet is that the car in the photo is the 2015 370Z Nismo, which appears to get a significant revamp from a styling point of view.

While the shape of the headlights remains the same, the car gets a much larger grille, LED daytime running lights, a red-painted front spoiler and new alloy wheels.

We don’t know whether technical modifications are involved too, but we’ll find out tomorrow. As a quick reminder, the current 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine producing 350hp and 276 lb-ft (374 Nm) of torque, paired to a close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox.

Nissan is up to something. The company announced pricing for the 2014 Nissan 370Z, 370Z Nismo, and 370Z Roadster, which isn't out of the ordinary. What is, is that the standard, hardtop 370Z has received a $3,130 reduction in price for 2014. The upmarket Touring model, meanwhile, has been dropped $2,550.

That means, excluding the $790 for destination and handling, a base, six-speed manual 370Z is only $29,990. That is an excellent deal. Adding an automatic will bump the price to $31,290, while the Touring model starts at $35,270 for DIY shifters and $36,570 for autos. The top-of-the-range Nismo runs $43,020. The Roadster, meanwhile, starts at $41,470.

So what does this mean in the grand scheme? Automakers don't just slash $3,000 off the price of a desirable sportscar because they're feeling generous.Could this be a move to clear out stock before a replacement to the current Z arrives?

The current car, codenamed Z34 by Nissan, has been on sale since 2009 and was refreshed not so long ago. With the 2014-2015 auto show season about to kick off, clearing out parts and inventory by slashing prices could be a precursor to the debut of the Z35 later this year, or in early 2014. That said, there's been precious little information about from spy shooters or internal sources on the next Z. Only time will tell if our guessing is correct. But hopefully, we'll have our answer in the not-so-distant future. Read the Nissan press release, below.

We have bad news for those of you who recently bought a 370Z Coupe, but good news if you held back as Nissan has just announced a significant price drop for the base and Touring versions of the Coupe for the new 2014MY.

The starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (M.S.R.P.) for the 2014 model year 370Z Coupe has been reduced $3,130 for the base model regardless of transmission, with the manual now starting at $29,990, or just $60 more than what it did back in December of 2008 when the series was launched onto the market. Likewise, the 370Z Coupe Touring grade costs $2,550 less, with the manual model set at $35,270.

With the new MSRPs, the entry level 370Z, which continues with a 332-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, has narrowed the price gap with the top grade 200hp Subaru BRZ Limited ($27,495) to just under $2,500 (the Scion FR-S is offered in a single trim level priced at $24,200).

"The M.S.R.P. reductions on 370Z Coupe increase its competitiveness in the growing sports car marketplace," said Nissan in a statement. "This spring, Nissan repositioned the price on seven core models with an aim to broaden the reach of customer consideration during online shopping and research."

All previously mentioned prices for the 370Z do not include a $790 destination and handling fee (*). Pricing for the 2014MY 370Z roadster and Nismo Coupe remain at 2013 model year levels.

Unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan pulled the wraps off its latest NISMO-tuned products, including the Juke and the updated 2014 370Z.

And while the Juke represents the growth of the in-house tuner brand, the 370Z NISMO is its core, with Pierre Loing, VP of Product and Advanced Planning and Strategy at Nissan Americas stating at its reveal that, “The 370Z NISMO, since its introduction as part of the original Nissan 350Z lineup, has embodied the spirit of NISMO.” In fact, Nissan claims that a full 12 percent of all 370Zs sold last year were equipped with the high-performance package.

Power continues to come from a 3.7-liter V6 engine deliver 350 hp at 7400 rpm and 276 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm, thanks in part to a custom H-configured exhaust system. Of course the package also includes a six-speed manual transmission, custom sports suspension, upgraded brakes and stunning 19-inch wheels.

New for 2014 is a dark gray paint for the lower front and rear bumpers, as well as the side skirts, mirrors and aggressive NISMO rear spoiler. Plus, red pinstriping accents all of those items except for the side skirts. The same exterior paint colors (Pearl White, Magnetic Black and Gun Metallic) will be offered for 2014, with a new Solid Red replacing the old Magma Red color.

Inside, upgrades are limited to a new Alcantara steering wheel with red accenting, plus a NISMO tachometer.

Nissan started the Project 370Z campaign at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, now a year later, the car is finished and on display for show-goers.

That’s not a fitting lifestyle for a project car, so Nissan is inviting any Nissan Z owners to take it on at the track. Nissan will take on challengers at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in mid-march.

The crowdsourced Z is far from ordinary, featuring more than 500 hp thanks to a twin-turbo GReddy kit. It also sports a GReddy Turbo Ti-C Exhaust and rolls on VOLK TE37SL custom-finished wheels.

Nissan even provided a video of the Project 370z, check it out below.

While not a full-blown tuner itself, Miami-based wheel specialist Vossen, known to the masses mainly for its concave-design rims, gets all sorts of cars in its hands to be fitted with its alloy goods. When that happens and the vehicle in question is special enough, it also takes some artsy photos to share with the world.

That's the case with this purple-accent Nissan 370Z Coupe riding on the brand's 20-inch VVSCV4 wheels finished in a bespoke two-tone color theme that matches the rest of the car.

Now, while Vossen doesn't provide any other details on the Nissan model, we believe it's fitted with the 370 Vestito aero kit from Japanese tuner Amuse, which consists of a front bumper, side steps, rear bumper, rear wing and front fender trims.

We've seen online prices for the aforementioned package (sans the vented hood) starting from about $3,700, excluding painting, mounting and delivery fees, while the 20-inch rims from Vossen can be had from roughly around $2,400 for a set of four.

This particular tune also included a customized interior and a high end audio system setup.

The Good The 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo's performance upgrades transform the sports coupe into a street-legal race car. The firm suspension offers great road feel and the wide, sticky tires give plenty of grip when cornering. SynchroRev Match makes every shift a perfectly timed one.

The Bad Almost no cabin tech is available at this trim level. The rear camera is a nearly $800 option. The firm ride can be punishing over rough roads and for longer trips.

The Bottom Line The 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is a fantastic pure sports car, but it makes a number of comfort and tech compromises in the name of speed.

Inching through rush-hour traffic in the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is a bit like buttering your bread with a broadsword; sure, you'd look way awesome doing it, but there are probably better uses for the blade.

A more hard-core version of the Nissan 370Z, the Nismo Z throws away all pretense of being versatile, subtle, or comfortable in an effort to make the Z34 chassis as quick as possible. It wants to be street-legal race car.

Like a broadsword, the Z is simple. You'll find none of the Nissan GT-R's technological gadgetry here. It is also brutal, lacking the Subaru BRZ's lightweight ultraprecision. With its powerful V-6, rear-drive architecture, and big, meaty tires, the Nismo Z is Japanese muscle.

Nismo performance upgrades

When you choose the $43,020, performance-oriented 2014 370Z Nismo over the standard Z, which is $13,030 less expensive, it should go without saying that you're getting a lot of go-faster gubbins marked with Nismo logos for your money.

Upgrades start in the engine bay, with the Nismo-tuned engine, which lives under a Nismo signature red engine cover and exhales through a Nismo-tuned exhaust with polished Nismo dual-exhaust tips. This retuned version of the Z's 3.7-liter V-6 now outputs 350 horsepower, 276 pound-feet of torque. Compared with the non-Nismo Z , that's 18 more ponies and 6 more pound-feet of twist. Interestingly, the fuel economy estimates are the same: 21 combined, 18 city, and 26 highway mpg.

Peek beneath the Zed's bulging front fenders and rear haunches, and you'll spot the Nismo-tuned sport suspension. The chassis is firmed up with a three-point Nismo strut tower brace in the engine bay and the whole ride sits atop a set of 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels with a Nismo design. The wheels' sizes are staggered -- 9.5 inches wide up front and 10.5 inches wide in the rear -- and are shod with 245/40YR19 and 285/35YR19 Bridgestone Potenza S001 high-performance tires at the front and rear, respectively. That's a lot of sticky rubber. If I'm not mistaken, that's the widest OEM wheel-and-tire combo available on the Z.

This model also features unique Nismo aerodynamic upgrades, including a front fascia with an integrated chin spoiler, a rear fascia with an integrated underbody diffuser, side skirts, and a rear double-wing spoiler; all of which were finished in a contrasting Gun Metallic gray paint on our example, rather than being color-matched to the rest of the body's Pearl White paint.

The most obvious aerodynamic change is the addition of this large, double-wing spoiler.

Inside the cabin, there's red and black fabric trim on the Z's eight-way (for the driver) and four-way (passenger) manually adjustable sport seats with deep leg and torso bolsters. You also get an Alcantara leather steering wheel with a red stripe marking top center, red contrast stitching scattered about the interior, and leather trim on the e-brake handle and the six-speed transmission's shift ****.

That six-speed manual gearbox is the only option available for the Nismo Z -- as it should be -- which features the Z's SynchroRev Match blip and hold on downshifts and upshifts. Don't worry, we'll speak more on that in a bit.

The rear-wheel drivetrain is also augmented with the rear-axle viscous limited-slip differential from the standard 370Z's Sport package, as well as that package's upgraded sport brakes, high-rigidity brake hoses, and R35 Special II brake fluid.

Sparse cabin tech

The Nismo Z shares a number of the standard Z's cabin tech pros, cons, and options. For example, even after eight model years and a midcycle refresh, the Z's floating instrument cluster still uses that stupid fuel level and temperature combo gauge with the amber LED segments that can be impossible to read at a glance in direct sunlight.

I found the LED fuel gauge difficult to read at a glance. Why hasn't Nissan replaced this yet?!

That gauge has been a sore spot for me since the Z's debut in 2008, but the standard cabin tech isn't all bad. For example, Nissan's Intelligent Key keyless entry and push-button start are standard on this trim level, as are auto on/off Bi-Xenon headlamps.

A Bose audio package is available, and was equipped on our example (a $1,350 option), upgrading and replacing a standard four-speaker system with an eight-speaker rig that features dual subwoofers. I'm sure that I wouldn't even want to sample the four-speaker system after spending a week in the Z's noisy cabin. Either pony up for the Bose system or learn to enjoy the sound of the engine, the wind, and, loudest of all, road noise.

Along with the louder output, the Bose system's six-disc in-dash changer replaces the single-disc unit, while a SiriusXM satellite radio tuner and rudimentary Bluetooth hands-free calling join the standard AM/FM radio and 3.5mm analog auxiliary input. There is no USB input, iPod connectivity, or Bluetooth audio streaming to be found at this trim level, in any of the Nismo Z's available option packages, or listed on Nissan's Web site, so if you want to listen to music on your smartphone, you'll have to do without the ability to control your device using the receiver or steering wheel.

Illuminated doorsill kick plates are a nice, if superfluous, touch on our test car at $200. Carpeted trunk and floor mats add $95 and $125, respectively, to the bottom line, the latter bearing embroidered Nismo logos.

Finally, for $790, the Nismo Z gains a much-needed rearview monitor, which displays via a tiny LCD integrated into the rearview mirror, along with a HomeLink Universal Transceiver and a digital compass. A rear camera is an indispensable addition to a vehicle like the Z, where rear visibility is close to nil and the Nismo spoiler fills most of the gun-slit rear glass.

The optional rear camera greatly increases visibility, but the $790 price tag is just too much.

Aside from that camera, there is no available safety tech -- no blind-spot monitoring, no cross-traffic alerts, no collision warning. The Nismo also lacks the standard Z's 7-inch, hard-drive navigation system option, which is where you'd usually get the USB and Bluetooth audio connectivity that was so sorely missed during our testing.

SynchroRev Match revisited

I'm a remarkably smooth shifter without it, but the rev-matching gearbox helped me to make perfectly blended and quick shifts at speed.