The current Nissan 370Z made its debut for the 2009 model year. It's the definition of long in the tooth. Sounds like that's about to change.

On Thursday, AutoBlog reported dealer sources who saw the car at dealer meeting said work is underway at Nissan on the next-generation Z car, and it will reportedly be powered by a turbocharged V-6 and feature a retro design.

The car shown at a dealer meeting apparently has an overall shape similar to the current Z, but its new design cherry picks from the legendary sports car's past. The front is said to feature round headlights and a square grille that both recall the original 240Z, while the rear features taillights inspired by the Z32 300ZX, which would make them horizontal.

Inside, the current Z can only be described as either simple or dated. Perhaps both. The next-generation car will reportedly bring the icon into the modern era with a design similar to that of the latest Altima and Sentra. We can only hope this is not entirely true as neither of those are sports cars.

Power output is said to increase to around 400 horsepower thanks to a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 cribbed from the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 400 Red Sport. While Infiniti hooks that engine to a 7-speed automatic transmission AutoBlog's sources said a manual transmission will be on the menu for those who #GiveAShift.

Nissan might have given everyone a preview of this powertrain in a current 370Z with a 2020 SEMA show concept.

A new NISMO version with close to 500 horsepower is likely in the cards at some point, though it's unclear if Nissan will simply crank up the boost or use electrification to create more power.

AutoBlog said the next-generation Z's debut could still be a year or two out, but what might be a powertrain mule was spotted turning laps at the Nürburgring in October.

The man known as "Mr. GT-R," Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist for the GT-R and NISMO, told Motor Authority in 2019 the future of the GT-R and the Z would be shaped by customers. Sounds like customers said they want the Z to return to its roots in terms of looks and deliver more power.