-McClarenDesign's-
Super Best Friends Super Aguri Super Review of the Car of the Week
“The cover is totally audacious, absolutely intolerable and completely irreverent. Who prints such nonsense?” -Nikki Lauda
Week 6: 1990 Nissan Primera 2.0Te / Infiniti G20
I doubt that you'll notice, but look around anyway. The next time you're purchasing groceries, clothing, electronics and yes, even automobiles; have a look around. Amongst the varying degrees of detergents, breakfast consumables, designer jeans and economical hatchbacks, lies the root of the problem. Again, yes, there are varying degrees of each, but the fact that you haven't noticed shows exactly why it's such a problem. Had I not mentioned it, however, you'd have never noticed and would continue to contribute to the problem on a daily basis.
One of these things is
just like the other.
We've become a planet of reckless consumers, quick to snatch up on
"the latest trend", regardless of how ridiculous it is. For my generation, this began with an alteration to the original formula of a fizzy drink. Trounced by the competition, Coca-Cola decided they'd had enough and set about introducing a new formula that was
"better" and
"would change everything." Blind taste tests proved the company right; it was better, and chosen by more tasters than either the competition, or the original formula. Job done, right?
Wrong. Despite the millions invested to alert the public at large, the public backlash was great enough for the company to return to an admittedly worse formula after only 77 days of agony. Imagine creating the cure for cancer, only for children to mock you because they enjoy their chemotherapy. After years of marketing research trying to determine where they went wrong, the only thing everyone could agree on was that Coke had seriously misjudged loyalty to the original product. By making such a big fuss about the change, they'd struck the match that would eventually become a firestorm. Had they kept quiet and simply changed the formula without telling anyone, it likely would've worked.
It isn't just Coke, either. Countless companies have offered products that did everything they were intended to do, but because of the poor marketing and research beforehand, wound up in the graveyard along with Coke II. From
bicycles produced by Smith & Wesson, to
cologne from Harley Davidson, many have found ways of making a good thing seem bad. For instance, would you eat a microwaved
meal from a toothpaste producer? Neither would I.
According to Polyphony Digital (via Translator-san):
Translator-san
The Primera, unveiled in 1990, represented the start of a new era of front-wheel drive cars for Nissan. Designed to mimic European sports sedans, the Primera featured a taut suspension, but some felt that the ride quality was just too stiff for Japanese tastes. Nissan stuck to its guns; after all, the company had studied the handling and ride characteristics of European cars during its involvement with Volkswagen, when it was building the VW Santana in Japan. Also, the Primera was developed under Nissan's 901 project, whose goal was to create the best handling cars in the world by 1990 (the R32 Skyline was also developed under this plan).
The Primera was an attractive car, though hardly distinctive. The car measured 14.4 ft long and 5.5 ft wide, easily accommodating five occupants and their luggage. Providing the power was a 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter DOHC direct-injection inline-4 that produced 147 HP. The latter featured excellent torque and throttle response, making it a favorite for sporty drivers. Both powerplants came mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or 4-speed automatic.
Because of its taut suspension, the Primera was a delight on twisty roads, and although ride quality was somewhat harsh, the car demonstrated excellent high-speed stability. The Primera became a favorite for driving enthusiasts, and earned the moniker, "a car more European than a European car."
Which brings us where we are today, sampling two cars made by the same company, but not if you ask either. Perhaps, coming from Nissan, we shouldn't be surprised. If you've ever dug under the hood of a twin-turbo 300ZX, you know that the maker's tagline should be
"well... it's not that simple." Founded in 1911, Kaishinsha Motorcar Works produced its first car in 1914, the DAT, named as an acronym for three partner's surnames. Four years later they'd become Kaishinsha Motorcar Company, then DAT Jidosha & Company Limited just seven years after that. A year and a merger with Jitsuyō Jidōsha Seizō Kabushiki-Gaisha later, they were then known as Datto Jidosha Seizo Kabushiki-Gaisha, or DAT Automobile Manufacturing Company, Limited. So while I might get some criticism for the lengths of my reviews, the Japanese were only allowed to shorten the manufacturer's name, to Lila, from only 1923 to 1925.
"Well... it isn't that simple." In 1930, the Japanese government finally allowed average citizens to operate automobiles under 500cc without a license. In 1931, the Tabato Casting Company purchased DAT Jidosha & Company Limited, became Jidosha Seizo Company, and produced the Datson Model 10 the following year. The "son" was later changed to "sun" because the former held a negative connotation within Japanese society, and if it isn't completely obvious by now, foreshadowing. Once again, a year later, Jidosha Seizo Company was swallowed by the Ishikawajima car company, financed by Nihon Sangyo. Using the financier's first two syllables, Nissan was created.
Performance (as purchased): February 1, 2014, Dark Blue Pearl (Blue)
*'90 Nissan Primera 2.0Te
Displacement:
1,998
Max. Power: 148 HP @ 6,500 rpm
Max. Torque: 137.2 ft-lb @ 6,500 rpm
Drivetrain: FF
Length: 173.2 in., Height: 54.5 in., Width: 66.7 in., Weight: 1,170 kg
Tires: Comfort (Soft)
Performance Points: 368
Mileage: 163.4 mi
Having followed all of that, you'd be mistaken if you think that it gets any less complicated from there. When Kaishinsha Motorcar Works started in 1911, only 43 cars had been made
in Japan, and most of those were prototypes or knockoffs. By 1935, Nissan was purchasing what would become the Yokohama plant while making Austin Sevens under license. After the a few wars, Nissan merged with
the manufacturer formerly known as Prince (not Prince), and eventually dropped the Datsun name in 1981 because they finally,
finally wanted a single name. President Kawamata said
"Looking back, we wish we had started using Nissan on all of our cars..."
Really? You think?
From that automotive primordial ooze drips what we have here today, the 1990
Nissan Primera. Introduced as a replacement for the Bluebird in Japan, it was also designed to appeal to European drivers by being even more bland-looking than the Mercedes, BMWs and Audis of the time. As such, it's a fantastic car to drive, but most would never know it because of the way it markets itself. The styling doesn't say
"I'm fun to drive!", it says
"would like like a warm glass of milk before your nap?" Richard Hammond once said that
"it's a good car in a crap suit" and I'd have to agree. It does nearly everything you'd want it to, except the one thing that gets buyers, and that's simply appearing attractive. Despite generations of evolution from the Darwinian automotive culture of Japan, I have a hard time distinguishing between this and my father-in-law's
Lexus ES 250.
"One of these things looks just like the other..."
Performance (as purchased): February 3, 2014, Dark Gray Pearl Metallic (Gray)
*'90 Infiniti G20
Displacement:
1,998
Max. Power: 148 HP @ 6,500 rpm
Max. Torque: 137.2 ft-lb @ 6,500 rpm
Drivetrain: FF
Length: 173.2 in., Height: 54.5 in., Width: 66.7 in., Weight: 1,210 kg
Tires: Comfort (Soft)
Performance Points: 366
Mileage: 64.5 mi
The legend of Nissan Z cars is quite long, and best left for
another review. Suffice it to say that despite its success, Nissan kept the Fairlady moniker in Japan to distance itself in case Datsun folded. The theory was that if the Z-cars obtained the same reputation as
those under fire from Ralph Nader, then the Nissan name wouldn't be harmed by the subsequent public backlash. What they didn't calculate, much like the aforementioned Coca-Cola, was brand loyalty. Despite spending $550 million between 1983 and 1986, Datsun was still recognized far more than the Nissan label. For decades they'd shun any press report with Nissan and Datsun mentioned in the same sentence, only to spend millions of dollars later trying to convince you that "
The name is Nissan."
I've listened to a few economical boffins explain
the Plaza Accord, and how it eventually lead to the creation of Infiniti. While I don't claim to have understood a single word of it, it did seem to make more sense to me than shuttering Datsun in '86, yet secretly exploring the concept of Infiniti in '85. Producing cars in the same country that they're sold in certainly makes sense, even more so considering that Japan's finite resources typically require that the raw materials used to produce cars must be imported, rather than harvested locally, because there aren't anymore left. But wouldn't changing Datsun's name and using the existing network of customers and dealerships have been a better strategy? The way that GM usurped it's brilliant ideas known as
Geo and
Saturn, for example.
In the early 1990s, the top three in Japan went after Europe's elite in the United States and other opening markets across the globe. Honda introduced Acura, targeting its audience towards Mercedes-Benz buyers by offering Honda cars with sharper styling lines and penchant for terrible turn-in understeer. Toyota created Lexus as its luxury brand, but instead of aspiring to keep pace with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it actually beat them in
studies conducted by Car and Driver and
Automobile magazines, despite costing much less than either. If there were a polar opposite to Lexus, it'd be Nissan's efforts with Infiniti. While Acura garnered praise for its RSX, then known by the same Integra moniker as it's Honda sister, Infiniti was trying to woo desperate housewives into the G20.
One of these things doesn't belong...
In fact it was so bad that for the first year, Infiniti commercials
didn't actually feature the car. Instead of taking pride in their luxury and innovation, voice actors
waxed poetic about how Zen it felt to drive but not see one. The initial teaser begins with the sentence
"Since now, everything you know about performance motoring, is in the past." This is later followed by
"It's designed to give you breathing room, while taking your breathe away, all at the same time.", and
"The new performance car for a country called Europe." In America, they proudly proclaimed
"Born in Japan. Educated in Europe. Now available in America", and despite persistent cuts to the American education system, Americans still aren't buying it.
Jean-Pierre Diernaz, marketing director of Infiniti Europe, said at the time of Infiniti's European launch
“As well as raising awareness of Infiniti Europe, this campaign is about building brand familiarity so consumers understand what sets us apart from the competition. Performance motoring and graceful strength are at the heart of the brand, which is something we are keen to convey with this campaign.” What he accomplished, at least among advertising experts, was one of the best jokes produced by the Plaza Accord. Richard C. Zien, of
Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising Inc., said
"Despite the fact that it's a great car, very few people are secure enough to buy a $40,000 product that has become the subject of jokes." That's the crux of the problem that Nissan faces still to this day, offering the 370Z for nearly $10,000 more than its rivals, the Mustang GT and Hyundai Genesis, even though it offers fewer standard features. No rev-matching manual transmission is going to convince buyers that the extra cash is worth it.
Compared with its Primera counterpart, the Infiniti is a full 40 kg heavier, thanks to leather seats, heated mirrors, alloy wheels, posh-but-heavier stereo system, air conditioning and disc brakes all around. Even the engine is standard equipment, while on the Primera you'd have to check the appropriate boxes to even come close to this level of equipment. Although nicer to be in, the added weight does serve a penalty, embellished by the underpowered inline-4 under the hood. In order to compare the two, we've taken them both to the Tsukuba circuit and pushed them as far as they'd go.
Despite being front-wheel drive, the multi-link suspension does make up for the inherent disadvantages of the layout by keeping the car flat, especially important at Tsukuba. During its time, Infiniti touted the
suspension's resistance to leaning mid-corner as both a performance and safety feature. While that certainly is understandable, and especially given
our previous experiences on two wheels in the
Alpine A110, I still don't understand why this would be used as a tool to bait a woman that had intended on buying a BMW. While the Primera can't be accused of having the terrier-on-cocaine turn-in of the BMW, thanks again to the inherent flaws of front-wheel drive, how many soccer moms drive with that level of performance on a consistent basis? Canadian hockey moms, sure, but in America with its 25 mph school zones?
If there was one thing I did like, it was they way the car felt in and out of the turns. It wasn't as urgent as a sports car, nor as sloppy as a Cadillac, but a pleasant mix of the two. It made me want to do another lap, and I don't get that sensation in many other cars. This brings me right back to my point about renaming Datsun, as both cars could've easily sat beside each other in a side-by-side dealership like Chrysler uses to sell Jeeps. There's no need to dump $550 million, and if there were, you could spend that money actually making a Formula 1 car instead of just
putting a sticker on one and claiming it for your own.
After ten laps, the
Primera scored a best time of 1:10.559, a very respectable time given the power to work with, but again, that was hardly noticeable because of the way the car felt. Given the extra weight, we fully expected the Infiniti sister car to be a tad slower and less responsive. While the weight didn't help, the Infiniti did manage to keep it close. Only 0.635 slower over the fastest lap, a
1:11.184 was the G20's best time. Even though it was only 40 kg, the weight took away some of the eagerness in the suspension, and with it a lot of the fun. Bear in mind, compared to the Primera this is a luxury car designed for comfort over performance. The suspensions might be the same mechanically, but I'm absolutely positive that the G20 is just a touch softer. It's more harsh that the BMW alternative that the ladies were originally after, but then again all the money saved by purchasing this could be used buying shoes instead. From that perspective, perhaps the salesman has a point... but only if the buyer hadn't yet driven the BMW.
Given the Primera's fun factor, the leap towards racing comes as no surprise. In 1998 the car won the British Touring Car Championship, but not before the next generation P11 was introduced in 1995. Nissan has had a rich racing heritage, reaching as far back as
1936 with the Sports NL 75 at the Tamagawa Speedway. Since that time, they've won a World Rally and Touring Car championships both at home and abroad, won at Le Mans and other lengthy endurance races, and even supplied engines to Indycars using the Infiniti name. Although Infiniti currently sponsors the reigning Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, it's likely due to their failures to win the Indy 500 that have kept them from making the final transition to Formula 1, unless Renault decides to purchase them outright. After glancing through Nissan's history, the idea of a rockstar CEO like Carlos Ghosen usurping Nissan and giving it yet another name doesn't entirely sound far-fetched.
Except Ghosen seems to understand how branding works, how marketing works, and that changing the name likely would lose customers instead of attracting them. After all, would you buy a Renault GT-R, or a Peugeot 370Z? Could you fathom buying anything that came with the name
"Pissault"?
In
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespear points at the ridiculousness of placing importance solely on a name alone. Even the great Carroll Shelby once replied
"If it's a good car, the name won't hurt it. If it's a bad car, the name won't help it." when asked whether or not the Cobra moniker would hurt the sales of his roadsters. As history shows, it didn't. And now, with over 100 years of experience creating and selling cars, you'd think that Nissan would have learned a lesson or two in that time. Except they haven't.
When Nissan announced that the R35 GT-R would not carry the Skyline name, thus breaking tradition and sending Skylineophiles into labeling disputes that carry on to this day, Infiniti dealers were told that it was their turn. The next halo car for Infiniti would bear the mark that dealers had been lusting after since R34s and the Playstation game system had given the forbidden fruit to the American masses. Just as quickly, on April 12th, 2006, rockstar CEO Carlos Ghosen
snatched it right back. The American Skyline became just another letter with numbers amongst the alphabet soup that is Infiniti's line up, but at least its suit was nicer than the G20's. Infiniti dealers haven't forgotten about that day. In what can only be seen as
instant karma coming to get them, Infiniti is
now seeking to distance itself from Nissan, asking to become an entity entirely it's own. Meanwhile, equally as karmatic, Nissan's announced
the return of the Datsun nameplate to new markets, as well as contemplating
the return of its iconic 510 sports car.
Born in Japan... many times over. Educated in Europe... sort of. Now available in America... before it becomes French. The name is Nissan... depending on who you ask.
*The views and opinions expressed in this review do not necessarily reflect those of the manufacturer, the publisher, GTPlanet.net or it's members, nor anyone with an IQ above 3. If you have a history of epilepsy or seizures, consult a doctor before use. Certain patterns may trigger seizures with no prior history. Underage sale is strictly prohibited. Before using see the instruction manual included with your system for more details. For previous reviews, please visit: McClarenDesign's Very Serious SLS AMG Reviews of the Car of the Week N Stuff. Void where prohibited. All videos were filmed before a live studio audience. Car setup monitored by Dark Lion Racing's GT6 Tunes and Tricks app on Android, as administered by Super Best Friends Super Aguri. Contains wheat and soy ingredients. No goats were harmed in the making of this review that we are aware of. This product may cause significant hair loss, headaches, and damage to the immune system. Best wishes to Michael Schumacher! To advertise, contact McClarenDesign@gmail.com.
-Super Previous Super Reviews-
Insightful... but bollocks: Introduction To Failure (or How I went from a Very Serious SLS AMG to Super Best Friends Super Aguri)
Week 1: '10 Peugeot RCZ
Week 2: '88 Volvo 240 GLT Estate
Week 3: '87 Buick Regal GNX
Week 4: '57 BMW 507 vs '55 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Week 5: '72 Alpine A110 1600s vs '72 Alpine A110 1600s (15th Anniversary Edition) vs '73 Alpine A110 1600s
)
