Nissan is cutting the price of the 2014 370Z by as much as $3,000.

If it were a few months later Nissan might have wanted to hand out Santa suits to its sales folks, but even being the middle of a scorching hot summer, the maker is gearing up to deliver some bit presents to fans of its Z-car, price cuts that run to more than $3,000 depending upon the specific model.

It’s the latest in a series of price reductions by Japan’s second-largest automaker covering a wide range of its U.S. product lineup, from the Leaf battery-electric vehicle to some of the newest offerings in the Infiniti brand. And industry analysts suggest the strategy is working, Nissan sales getting a big boost in recent months.

The latest pricing announcement covers the 2014 Nissan Z-car line-up, which includes the 2014 versions of the 370Z, the 370Z Nismo and the 370Z Roadster. Prices will dip by as much as $3,130 on the standard coupe version – the base six-speed manual set at $29,990 – while the price of the top-line Touring edition drops $2,550, to $35,270.

Unfortunately, for Nismo and 370Z Roadster fans, while Nissan planners aren’t quite playing Grinch, prices on those models will be unchanged for 2014, the topless two-door going for $41,470 – plus $790 for delivery – with the high-performance Nismo edition coming in at $43,020.

The goal of the price cut on the 370Z Coupe is to “increase its competitiveness in the growing sports car marketplace,” suggests the Nissan announcement.

Some observers are speculating that Nissan is simply trying to breathe some new life into a sports car that will be entering its sixth year with only a modest updating, hoping to keep sales going until a new Z-car – internally known as the Z35 – debuts within the next year.

(Nissan capitalizes on weak yen to post profits. Click Here to read more.)

But the decision to cut prices on the 370Z is by no means unique at Nissan. Earlier this year, the maker trimmed prices on seven of its core models, including the Altima, which was initially lagging Nissan’s sales expectations after last year’s launch. The move has helped deliver a surge in demand, the Altima now third in the U.S. midsize sedan segment and gaining ground on the market leader, the Toyota Camry.

(Click Here to read about Nissan struggling to keep up with demand for Leaf.)

Another big price cut delivered an even bigger boost for the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle that suffered an unexpected slump in sales for most of 2012. That move followed the launch of production of both the electric vehicle and its lithium-ion battery pack at new facilities in Smyrna, Tenn. The Leaf is now handily outselling its General Motors rival, the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.