Why is Ford doing more than Nissan?

Red__Zed

Sure.

There certainly weren't options like the Honda S2000 or the Mazda RX8. I feel like Pontiac may have been selling something during that timeframe too...GTO? All this to say nothing of the cars that would realistically be cross-shopped, notably the EVO, STI, GTI, R32, and things like a slightly used 4th gen camaro.


Your expectation for consumer's purchasing decisions is demonstrably inaccurate.


I'd argue it was more competitive then. There's very little competition now.



It has nothing to do with biases and everything to do with the media cycle. There's nothing new to say about the 370Z anymore. Ooh, it has an oil-cooler (standard on the Honda Fit) and some LED lights. And the wheels look like they've been melted.

Rule one. Do not make the media's job hard. Do not release a boring vehicle.

The 350Z got great late-lifecycle reviews against the mustang because Nissan added power and changed the game. The 370Z gets worse reviews than it may deserve (or maybe gets a fair review, who knows) because the media wants a horse race and Nissan's behind.

Do you remember in the 90s when MT and C&D were pitting the RX7 against the viper? Do you remember when that same RX7 was wiping the floor with the much-hyped NSX? The media ate it up...the car could do no wrong.

The 5.0 is much the same now...not as extreme, but when was the last time a 30K car left license plate imprints in an M3s bumper? Nothing sells better than a story like that, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a car that looked better in print than a 3rd gen RX7.


But wait, why did it get killed off after just 3 years?


1978: 19,299
1979: 54,853
1980: 43,731
1981: 43,418
1982: 48,889
1983: 52,514
1984: 55,696
1985: 53,810
1986: 56,243
1987: 38,345
1988: 27,814
1989: 16,249
1990: 9,743
1991: 6,986
1992: 6,006
1993: 5062

it didn't sell. You'll note the dramatic lack of anything interesting out of Mazda for a while after.

Sure, the price was creeping and times were changing, but there's not been a car that fared better in print than the 3rd gen RX7.

The problem is, as always, fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders trumps all. Don't sell, get cut.


Yes, we all know you love the gen coupe.

I don't agree with your assessment of the Gen vs the V6 mustang though. I've autocrossed both, and the mustang is way faster. I seem to recall the V6 mustang putting over a second on the gencoupe during the lightning lap, despite spending a good chunk of time bouncing off the limiter....

nuTinmuch

Uh, this is undercutting the influence of price just a tad, don't you think?

The FC to FD price difference was massive. They essentially moved the entire car upmarket. How do you think the BRZ would do if after five years or so they changed the starting price to $35,000? Even if it was a handling miracle, the old fanbase would be removed from the market and they'd have to start entirely from scratch. Likewise, that same market was highly competitive in the early 90s.

I agree though -- if a car doesn't sell it won't continue to be produced. I also disagree with the idea that the Z's problem is that the media doesn't love it enough.

But I don't believe it wasn't hyped enough at launch, or that it was launched poorly (media wise), or anything like that. I think the timeframe of the launch was poor. They released a sports car into a market that was in recession.

I think it was that decision that doomed the car. Outside of enthusiasts (a shrinking market to begin with), who the hell is going to buy a sports car with no practicality whatsoever during such a shitty economic time? We're basically repeating the 1990s, except Nissan is the only real Japanese sports car name in town. The Z is going up in price, yet has nothing new to offer. the GT-R -- once a realistic supercar -- is now out of reach for most of us. At $70,000, I thought maybe one day I could possibly own one if everything went okay. At 100 grand? I might as well be thinking about a Ferrari. I'll never be able to afford that, nor could I ever justify that much on a car.

The only bonus? If we really are in the 90s again, it'll only be a few years before we get some great hot hatches and compacts (though it'll be the Americans carrying the banner this time).

You're right, though -- poor sales meant it wasn't getting a big refresh. But the car was sort of destined to flop from the moment it was released.

As it stands now, Nissan's smartest move would be to discontinue the Z for a few years and then bring it back as a 25k 240z. But hell, even then they sort of missed the bus, as I think all the manufacturers chasing Subaru/Toyota are going to be playing a useless game of catch up.

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nuTinmuch! -- Platinum Graphite 370Z -- Check out my Gallery thread here!