Why is Ford doing more than Nissan?

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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