Nissan hints to a new RWD sportscar?

Sorry MX-5. You're in a holding pattern....

Isnt the iDX closer to the Silvia CSP311? Scratch that. Someone had a rethink and wanted to upmarket the car. Maybe saving the 510/1600 Bluebird for Datsun.
1024px-1965_Nissan_Silvia_01.jpg
 
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I think its more of mixture of old models, Bluebird/Skyline/Silvia. Bits of old from here and there , but frankly talk of those concepts should be put away since most likely the production model may end up very different.

They didn't really scream out as well thought out to me, the both where a bit qwerky.
 
The way Nissan is currently operating, I doubt we'll see anything come of this, and if we do it'll be 2025 before we do so. Someone needs to light a fire under them and get things, everything, moving faster. There's another un-named project coming that was shown last year to the public and won't even hit production until 2019. Needless to say I was a little upset when I found out.
 
Translation:

Amidst fears that people under 40 would find their vehicles interesting, Nissan has decided to cancel their interesting pre-production cars and maintain their current lineup of cars you likely forgot existed.
 
Justin
Translation:

Amidst fears that people under 40 would find their vehicles interesting, Nissan has decided to cancel their interesting pre-production cars and maintain their current lineup of cars you likely forgot existed.
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Pretty much. Since I work for Nissan, on one hand I see all the effort being put forth right now to get the new Titan out, the new Maxima is coming along nicely, and the Altima refresh is on the way. Then in the next few years you have a Sentra refresh, new Versa sedan, new Frontier, new Z car, new GT-R, new Armada. Lots of effort being put out right now.

And on the other hand, I totally agree with all the negative comments being posted. I just hope someone gets their head out of their behind and gives us at least something similar to the IDx (with or without retro styling).
 
Seems to be the pattern of the Japanese car Industry, in the 90s they all went crazy and building a Reputation for good exciting cars then using that reputation to then remove them all entirely and focus on cars that are focused entirely to make money, I think in the long run this has the potential to backfire.
 
mustafur
Seems to be the pattern of the Japanese car Industry, in the 90s they all went crazy and building a Reputation for good exciting cars then using that reputation to then remove them all entirely and focus on cars that are focused entirely to make money, I think in the long run this has the potential to backfire.
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Agreed...75% of Japanese cars are horrifically boring. (on the flipside 60% of American cars are horrifically boring).
 
Doubt the Idx would sell enough to merit it's creation but a bummer really. They should really build the eau rouge though, with a name like that what could possibly go wrong.
 
sems4arsenal
Doubt the Idx would sell enough to merit it's creation but a bummer really. They should really build the eau rouge though, with a name like that what could possibly go wrong.
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Look at how many 86/BRZ were ordered/sold around the globe. Plus, Drift cars, race cars, club cars. The iDX would certainly have been flavor of the month.
 
05XR8
Look at how many 86/BRZ were ordered/sold around the globe. Plus, Drift cars, race cars, club cars. The iDX would certainly have been flavor of the month.
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Through three different sales channels, with a mountain of hype, hope, AE86 fanboy expectations (and that counts, because teens from the AE86's heyday are now midlife crisis'ers) and pent-up market demand...

And with no clear competitor, the 86 now sells so poorly that its future would seem shaky if not for Toyota's deep pockets.

A production iDX would be facing a revitalized MX5 (the 86 didn't), a mid-model facelift 86, and customers who've never heard of the 'dime. I believe it would do well, but possibly not well enough to justify creating a new sub-Z platform that would share little with Infiniti.

The iDX would only make business sense if it was bigger... based on an Infiniti couple to fight the IS and 4-series.

Sadly.
 
The Z car already competes with the 4-Series, and I think if the IDx was any larger than the MX-5 or GT86 it might not sell as well. In any case, if Nissan could develop the next Z chassis to work for both cars I think that would help with the development costs.
 
That's the kicker. Though the Z competes with the upper end of the 4... there's space for a turbo-four under it... something like a new Silvia.

Below that, at the 2-series level, is where an iDX-based Infiniti would go. Which I don't think is a good business case... so you get a Z-based Silvia, instead, which I think would sell pretty well... maybe 1,300-1,350 kg curb weight range, with some effort going towards making it narrower, lower and lighter than the Z.

Hell, they could even name a turbo-four baby Z the 240Z. Imagine the sales riot that would cause... :lol:

sems4arsenal
The Toybaru twins needed to sell alot more to get more makers in sharing the cake.
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Number of factors, I think. The styling is one. It's not ugly. It's not even average. It's simply... not soul-stirring. It's a handsome look that's inoffensive and proper, but not poster-worthy. Mazda survived a long time on that, but the MX-5's market share has always been small.

Another factor is the lack of performance, and the perception of it. I know, I know... 200 hp is more than enough. I have the exact same opinion. But after driving the "170 hp is enough" MX-5, and "200 hp is enough" midsizers and hatchbacks, the 86's strange lack of midrange torque... even compared to other 180-200 hp naturally aspirated four-cylinders, is telling.

Not that performance usually affects sales, but the lukewarm reception to the car's speed has certainly hurt its ability to catch customers outside the "handling uber alles" set.
 
@niky why does the MX-5 become much more successful though? is it the pricing also? or has it stuck around so much it has it's huge following.
 
But an iDX would be about Golf/Scirocco sized. Plus as an upright 3box sedan, its two flavors of Nismo and the yellow auto would be ripe for young drivers. The back seat would pretty much be 86/Mustang sized anyway.

Edit: I like that mention of the 2-series. That would be a good comparison.
 
sems4arsenal
@niky why does the MX-5 become much more successful though? is it the pricing also? or has it stuck around so much it has it's huge following.
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Actually, if I recall right, the 86 basically outsold the MX-5 by a lot over the past year or two.

-

But yes, it's been around a long time, so there's a huge following... which keeps it alive. And it's a perfect balance of "lifestyle car" and "driver's toy"... other affordable roadsters don't seem to do so hot.

I think, paradoxically, if the MX-5 were to get a badge-engineered twin with a bigger motor, more leather and a much bigger price tag (badge it as a BMW, an Alfa, whatever), that would sell better than the base MX-5.

-

@05XR8 - The 86 was already the "smaller" sports car... testing the lower limit of the market in terms of size and power. Given its modest sales, anything smaller might do a lot worse.

Or, given the lack of competition, much better... but signs still ain't good.
 
niky
That's the kicker. Though the Z competes with the upper end of the 4... there's space for a turbo-four under it... something like a new Silvia.
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I would be surprised it we don't see a turbo four under the hood of the new Z, even if it's just a base model.
niky
Below that, at the 2-series level, is where an iDX-based Infiniti would go. Which I don't think is a good business case... so you get a Z-based Silvia, instead, which I think would sell pretty well... maybe 1,300-1,350 kg curb weight range, with some effort going towards making it narrower, lower and lighter than the Z.
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I think making it an Infiniti would make it even less successful.

niky
Actually, if I recall right, the 86 basically outsold the MX-5 by a lot over the past year or two.
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Probably because the NC was getting a bit old.

If I was in charge, here's how I would do the IDx: (on shortened new Z platform)

Base IDx ($20-23k)
  • 1.6L Turbo ~170hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • No LSD
  • Standard cloth seats
  • Standard no-frills body

IDx Nismo ($23-25k)
  • 1.6L Turbo ~200hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • Limited Slip
  • Cloth or Leather seats
  • Standard no-frills body w/Nismo accents

IDx Nismo RS ($25-28k)
  • 1.8L Turbo ~240hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • Limited Slip
  • Cloth or Leather Recaro seats
  • Aggressive Nismo body aero (similar to concept)
 
R1600Turbo
I think making it an Infiniti would make it even less successful.
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Share it with Nissan for volume. You have a 2-series contender on one side, a Genesis 2.0T level car on the other.

R1600Turbo
Probably because the NC was getting a bit old.
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While true, FR-S launch sales in the US were better than the NC's launch year, and FR-S/BR-Z combined sales over the past three years have consistently been (nearly) twice what the NC sold that year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5#Production_numbers_and_details
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10766

R1600Turbo
If I was in charge, here's how I would do the IDx: (on shortened new Z platform)

Base IDx ($20-23k)
  • 1.6L Turbo ~170hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • No LSD
  • Standard cloth seats
  • Standard no-frills body

IDx Nismo ($23-25k)
  • 1.6L Turbo ~200hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • Limited Slip
  • Cloth or Leather seats
  • Standard no-frills body w/Nismo accents

IDx Nismo RS ($25-28k)
  • 1.8L Turbo ~240hp
  • 6-Speed Manual (standard)
  • 6-Speed DCT (optional)
  • Limited Slip
  • Cloth or Leather Recaro seats
  • Aggressive Nismo body aero (similar to concept)
Click to expand...

I like it. Drop the 1.8, though, and simply go straight to the 2.0 to 2.5 liter range. :D
 
niky
I like it. Drop the 1.8, though, and simply go straight to the 2.0 to 2.5 liter range. :D
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Well the 1.8 will already be used in the Sentra Nismo, so parts sharing is cheaper than building a whole new 2.0L motor. With the downsizing trend going on, I don't expect Nissan to use the 2.5 in it's cars for much longer. In fact they may ditch it altogether, which doesn't hurt my feelings as I have never liked the QR25.
 
It was junk when they first threw it in the Sentra, but it is very charming in how it expressed its junkiness. The one in the SE-R my coworker bought a few months ago reminds me a lot of the Quad 4 Beretta I occasionally got to drive in high school. It certainly enjoys revving in terms of power delivery, but the more you rev it the more you think it will rattle itself out of the engine bay.
 
Tornado
It was junk when they first threw it in the Sentra, but it is very charming in how it expressed its junkiness. The one in the SE-R my coworker bought a few months ago reminds me a lot of the Quad 4 Beretta I occasionally got to drive in high school. It certainly enjoys revving in terms of power delivery, but the more you rev it the more you think it will rattle itself out of the engine bay.
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A buddy of mine had one with headers and the whole lot. It was a noisey thing if I remember right. But it seems like an excellent people-mover engine in the new Altima. The rental cars I've driven have plenty of torque, much better than K24 Honda Accords.
 

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