2016 Alpha platform Camaro

RicerX

A couple years ago when the GT-R started going crazy in price from its original $75k-ish price point, I had a hair-brained idea that Nissan could insert a Skyline model in between the Z and GT-R and aim it at the M3 crowd (which is now populated by Cadillac with the V cars, Lexus with the RC-F, and BMW M3/M4).

While I'm the type of guy that can forego HP as a marketing tool and accept HP as part of a total package for a car (i.e. 400hp doesn't matter much if it's going to the front wheels ... just like 3800lbs in a GT-R doesn't tell the whole story about the car's capabilities), the Z has to produce around 500hp to get bumped up into the playground of the pony cars. It doesn't mean the current car is underpowered (I don't feel that it is) or that 400hp in the current platform wouldn't make for a sick car at $35k. It is making the Z successful in the market, which means the horsepower attribute for the car has to resonate to prospective buyers that aren't already part of the Z's cult following.

500hp gets casual sports car buyers' attention. 300hp doesn't. It used to, but the game has changed. (I hate saying that as a Z guy, but it's the truth - I never felt the Z needed 500hp to be a good car.) It boils down to this - Nissan is a business. Businesses must produce profits. The next Z must be more profitable than this one, and that means Nissan has to go where the market is.

That market is NOT the BRZ crowd - the car simply isn't selling anymore and there is no other competition in the segment. Nissan is left with a choice of testing that market in hopes that perhaps the few prospective BRZ buyers that are out there are waiting to see if Honda and/or Nissan will jump in with a car of there own, or they can cater to a segment that is selling cars hand-over-fist.

They could go to both segments - a new platform with different powertrain options. (This makes the most sense to me, but does Nissan have the balls to take a chance and do this?) This solves the "Y U NO CHEAP RWD" and "Y U NO HP" problems all at once (provided they get the latter done right). It's what the pony cars are doing as well. There's more to this strategy than catering to the two markets, however - it's about capturing repeat buyers. You offer a less expensive model to bring them in, and hopefully when that purchase is paid off, said buyer is in a better financial position to upgrade to the better model. The Mustang and Camaro are perfectly positioned for this - a low $20k entry model with various trims that go all the way to $70k. Nissan doesn't have this with its sports car lineup - instead, they're hoping you buy a Juke and upgrade to an Altima.

Anyway - diatribe over. I'm almost tired of waiting to see what happens next with Nissan after the flop that is the 2016 Maxima.

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