Nissan taking over Mitsubishi?

UNKNOWN_370

Well Nissan is holding back on making exciting cars.
Mitsubishi, no longer has an exciting car for 2017.

So does this meaning together Nissan and Mitsubishi are striving to make the most boring car in the universe?

Go Mitssan MiraSentra!!!

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Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

MacCool

They gotta make things that they can sell and get a reasonable ROI. I suspect that the only reason the Z34 is even still in the lineup is that there hasn't been any re-tooling, re-design, or R&D on that ancient platform in 8 years.

Nissan is a pretty successful car company. They might not be making what you and I want to buy, but their overall marketing effort to the rest of the world seems to be pretty effective. The vast bulk of their target market appears to prefer cars that aren't particularly exciting. Exciting cars tend to be "niche" vehicles with a limited market due to their expense and/or relative impracticality.


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UNKNOWN_370

It's 2 niche cars. And one of them, they're commanding a hefty chunk of change over it's worth. DCT's are no longer $30,000 transmissions. Those days have been over for at least half a decade.
I can't stress enough the Z has been an infiniti parts been sports car for over 13 years. It's not that complex of a build considering it's not built on its own proprietary platform like a corvette. It doesn't have a proprietary transmission like the GT-R.
There's no rocket science behind the Z outside of Synchro Rev Match for the manual and maaaaaybe vvel

__________________
Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

MacCool

Yep. The Z is a niche car. It's not a Nissan mainstay, it's nostalgia. The market for it is too limited to ever expect Nissan to show it much love. I suspect it, or some version of it, will be in the lineup for at least awhile, but I can understand why it's been on the market unchanged for 8 years.

DavidZ370

Mitsu and Nissan now have something in common, the EVO and the Z both have been mainly unchanged, only thing is Evos actually hold their value

Dirk McGurck

I think Toyota for a while and now Honda with the new Civic are the two most boring large manufacturers.

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2009 370Z Touring with Sport

MacCool

Right. So you have to ask yourself what role "exciting" cars play in a car company's success. The Toyota Supra used to be a real contender in the GT market, likewise the RX-7, and the NSX was a great car too. All three companies seem to have been doing quite well without them....I'm not sure anyone other than the enthusiasts that cater to that niche really even noticed their passing. In the scheme of things...who would mourn the passing of the Z, and would Nissan abandoning that niche be as smart for Nissan as it was for Toyota, Honda, and Mazda?

Many people on this forum complain about how long the 370Z has been on the plate. I see us as being fortunate that the car hasn't been killed off altogether.

UNKNOWN_370

I don't agree. Halo cars are all important for every car brand. Halo cars are the center of marketing strategy. Even non enthusiasts want to believe there car was bred from heritage.

Why did Honda make the NSX, why they brought back the Type R? People were LOSING INTEREST IN THE BRAND.
The bread and butter civic was the worst one in history and the market share was dwindling.

Why did Toyota make the toyobaru , the LFA and now the BMW-Toyota sports car for 2018, the RCF and brand new is350. Toyota in 4 years has cars they can spit off, though they mostly suck. Toyota as well saw a loss of interest in the brand even Lexus. So they made Halo cars to pull new people in and keep new buyers.

As Honda and Toyota bring these econo and premium halos, Nissan is feeling a small but growing backlash.

Just having a brand new halo car in a dealership has people driving in to look at it. Then the salesgirl says. The altima v6 has a 350z engine and a Z inspired suspension and we have one on special for $26,000. But you were ogling over that Z that was $39,000. Dealer gives it to you with an extra $750 cash back and the mark of the altima was actually $29,000
It's lunacy, that halo cars aren't worth anything. I used to sell cars for a short stint. They are the reason why people develop interest in there favorite brands.

Remember the corvette steering wheel and tail lights in the cobalt? They sold a bunch on that alone. They made an SS model and cobalts were everywhere. Just cuz of an SS MODEL and a corvette steering wheel. They sold a million shytty LS MODELS. Lol. People are easily influenced. Trump & Hillary are living proof of people's simplistic mentalities.

So halo cars are everything.

__________________
Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

MacCool

I disagree, but

But assuming your point, I'm not sure how much halo effect the ancient old 370Z confers on Nissan these days. The automotive press in particular couldn't be more indifferent (if not downright derisive) these days, and sales of this $35,000 car could most generously be described as "lackluster" after 8 years of the same old same old.

barncobob

8 years long time, Porsche gets 4-5 years before upgrading to something similar but different, nothing radical though while 370z is long overdue

UNKNOWN_370

As Barncobob stated. The Z is 8 years running. People see a 400hp, 3400lb-3550lb q60 and see anxious to see a 400hp, 3,000lb-3100lb , Z with a modernized interior and semi retro styling. They want at least 3 more cubic feet in the hatch and something that will further set it apart from the competition. They want there 450hp Nismo and their 250hp entry level Z that weighs less than 3000 lbs. Lower wider, slightly lengthen wheelbase for more trunk. Possibly a transaxle?

Given the expected weight of the Q. It should be achievable.

The current state of the Z is the problem... NOT the future.

__________________
Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

Larso1

Wow, seems like a lot of negativity about the 8yo design of the 370z. Look at the Porsche 911 mentioned..... same general styling since 1966, with maybe the biggest change (among many) being air-cooled to water cooled. Or how about the Giugiaro designed VW Golf/Rabbit/GTi. Same basic styling since 1974 but with lots of refinements over the years. The Miata didn't change much from 1989 until recently. And of course there are others, still selling lots of units. Personally I like the Z being a niche car and not seeing many on the road. It's a good looking car, people look twice at it, and it has plenty of performance for everyday driving. I'm very satisfied

UNKNOWN_370

https://youtu.be/0YHabVZljok

I ran across this review that reinforces what I was saying in terms of brands attracting customers by brandishing a niche segment to draw attention.

__________________
Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

MacCool

The link doesn't work. It only brings up a review of some kind of Chevrolet sedan. I watched it until the end. It didn't want to make me buy a Chevy.

And I still don't get your point. I understand the concept of "halo" car...I just don't see where the tired old 370Z relates to that adjective. If anything, I think the Z's effect is generally laughter and eye-rolling these days. Don't get me wrong .. it was cool for the first few years and I've liked my Z's a lot. I just don't think it does **** for Nissan's reputation anymore these days and is probably counterproductive. Now...the GT-R...that's different. Most people who know cars still speak of it in hushed tones.