Datsuns Return; Future Face-Off With Toyota's Scion

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Z32
if datsun does return, they should really consider the nissan sport compact concept, urge concept and foria concept, which is so much like the original csp11 silvia. perhaps a "gazelle" revival, but def not on the fm platform, maybe a derivative thats cheaper to build. nissan already has the 350z so no need for "240z" replacement either

How come when I said "a car like the 240sx," people started talking about the 240z? I still think it would be an awesome idea...
 
Rogue Ssv
... I was talking about the 350Z.
Anyway... yeah 'Dat soon?' could be Nissan's Scion rival, with the Urge, Cube, and Versa. And Sport Concept (the hatchback)?
But leave the Sentra to Nissan.

The 350Z is really heavy, way heavier than it should be.

I love the idea of Urge, Cube, Versa, and Sport under the Datsun name though, would mean at least one sub $20k RWD coupe on the market again.
 
Omnis
How come when I said "a car like the 240sx," people started talking about the 240z? I still think it would be an awesome idea...

Because the 240Z was a much, much, much better car. :lol:
 
When Nissan was developing the current 350Z, car magazines reported that Nissan was shooting for more affordable and lighter "Z" car. I was the under the impression that next Z was going to be something closer to the equivalent of Japanese 240SX(Turbo). Imagine my surprise when the new car was a "350" Z.

I'm all for a 2.4, or even smaller & lighter sports car. How about even going back to the original form to the little FR convertible and undercut Miata's MSRP? And since Datsun probably won't be able to use the "Z" name, maybe they should utilize the "Fairlady" name........... Boy that sounds strage for a car name in English. :D
 
I agree that Datsun could come back to the US market, all that they need is a lineup of entry level cars like the Cube mentioned earlier.
 
I figured it would be pronounced: Dah-tsoon, but what do I know?

If it means a lightweight, 150-200hp rear-wheel drive Nissan-built car is coming back into the market, the car will have a smashing sucess in the US.

a6m5
P.S. This has nothing to do with the "L" "R" pronounciation, but hardest English words for me(other than Camaro) to actually speak in English were vanilla and chocolate. It was so hard ordering icecleams for first couple of years in the States. :lol:
When I took Japanese for two semesters in college, sensei had an awful time pronouncing the name "Stewart". That name sounded different every time I heard it from her lips, which was surprising to me, since she had a very good command of English pronounciation and grammar. But it made sence, because there's no easy way to render those sounds into Japanese phonetics.
 
well if they make a "mini Z" or "240sx" it better not have Z in the name, itll ruin their marketing...

ps: go mavs!
 
First car I ever drove on my own after passing my test was a Datsun Cherry 100A:

B31409.jpg


Will the new Datsuns have vinyl seats and door skins made of paper?

More seriously, was the Fairlady (which we didn't get over here) badged as a Nissan or a Datsun?
 
Nissan needs a cheaper Z car; the 350Z starts at around $35,000-$41,000. Rediculously expensive. When I think of Datsun, I think about the 280Z and the pickups.
 
FastEddie12
More seriously, was the Fairlady (which we didn't get over here) badged as a Nissan or a Datsun?
You are talking about that little convertible, right? Considering how old it is, it must've still been Datsun name.
 
US didn't get the original convertable Datsun Fairlady? We did (one of my dads friends has some racing version for sale right now), but the 240Z wasn't badged Fairlady here like it was in Japan.
 
...The "Fairlady" we had in the States was titled as the 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, etc. They were all sold under the Datsun name, and the only Z cars that were not were of the 300 and 350 flavor.
 
YSSMAN
...The "Fairlady" we had in the States was titled as the 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, etc. They were all sold under the Datsun name, and the only Z cars that were not were of the 300 and 350 flavor.

So the US never got one of these Fairladys?

 
Thats a "nope" as far as I know. Datsun models in the US were pretty limited, I belive the majority being 240-280Zs, 510s, etc.
 
I'm sure the US got the convertible you've pictured there - I've seen pictures of them being raced in California in the 60s.

So if all Nissans were Datsuns, when and why did they switch to the Nissan name? Have they always used the Nissan brand in Japan?

I'm just trying to figure where Nissan starts and Datsun stops, in brand terms if nothing else.

Branding cheap sports models as Datsun Zs would be a smart move! I think they could overcome the negative vibe from the 100As etc quite easily if they did that...
 
We must've gotten the original Fairladys. I've seen them several times. I saw two of them side by side at the parking lot of my local McDonalds once. 👍



FastEddie12
So if all Nissans were Datsuns, when and why did they switch to the Nissan name? Have they always used the Nissan brand in Japan?
As far as I know, Datsun name was used in Japan also. D, A, T were the initials of the three co-founders of the company, with "sun" from the Japanese flag being added to the name to form: D A T SUN. I think that's why "Dat" & "sun" were pronounced separately in Japan.
 
I'm gonna risk a double post here, just so everybody sees this. It should clarify any mysteries regarding the Datsun - Nissan name/brand change. All info from Japanese Wikipedia.

"DAT" is from the last name initials of Mr. Da, Mr. Aoyama & Mr. Takeuchi.

Datsun brand was established in 1932. After more (confusing)mergers, Nissan is formed in 1934. Even after then, Datsun name was used on compact cars and pickup trucks. I mentioned about the "Datsun" pickups being sold in Japan during the 90's. Wiki says that Nissan finally dropped the Datsun trucks in 2002, when it couldn't meet the new Japanese emissions.


FastEddie12: Wiki has Japanese domestic and export names mixed up, but from what I can tell, Fairlady's always been a Nissan in Japan.
 
First and foremost:
Cube.jpg

It even looks like a Datsun!
Also, I have another idea:
March_bk.jpg

But put the engine in the back! An R5 for everyone.
I know it's impractical, but Nissan has no other feasible way to make a rear wheel drive car. The FM platform is too heavy and expensive.
 
Nissan keeps saying that they are going to send the Cube to the US soon, as a quasi- Element and xB fighter. But were still looking at much later down the road, presumably for the next re-design of the Cube, of which last I herd isn't due untill 2010.

...I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Skip the Datsun B.S., and just give us some G.D. Renaults for God's sake!
 
a6m5
FastEddie12, but from what I can tell, Fairlady's always been a Nissan in Japan.

Well the Fairlady picture I posted is a picture of the Japanese model (check the plate) and it is badged Datsun.

 
You say Datsun in europe and you are probably going to be imagining these:




...the name 'Datsun' won't shift many units with those 'beauties' stuck in peoples minds.
 
VIPERGTSR01
Well the Fairlady picture I posted is a picture of the Japanese model (check the plate) and it is badged Datsun.
Thanks, Jay.

OK! I did more digging, and it seems that I did miss something earlier. They said that original Fairlady "Z", was a Nissan in Japan. Not the original Fairlady(without the "Z"), which still indeed were a Datsun(Sports) Fairlady. What I'm not sure at this point is, if the handful "Datsun" cars were sold thru the Nissan dealers, or if they had their own chain of dealerships.

Serial number badge from the original Fairlady(not the "Z") has both Datsun and Nissan on it:


I get the impression that they were Nissan Datsun Sports Fairlady, but I will do bit more research. It's bit of a pain to google Japanese websites with American keyboard though. :D

Edit:

TheCracker
...the name 'Datsun' won't shift many units with those 'beauties' stuck in peoples minds.
Call me crazy. Probably because I grew up looking at bunch of cars that looked like those, I think they are NICE! 👍
 
a6m5
I think they are NICE! 👍

So do I, but we (Australia) never got the cherry, although I have seen one on the road like that white one pictured.
 
YSSMAN
Nissan keeps saying that they are going to send the Cube to the US soon, as a quasi- Element and xB fighter. But were still looking at much later down the road, presumably for the next re-design of the Cube, of which last I herd isn't due untill 2010.

...I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Skip the Datsun B.S., and just give us some G.D. Renaults for God's sake!

Why do you want renaults, other than the clio hot hatches? :yuck:
 
You know, Infiniti has their G35. Nissan has the GT-R. Maybe Datsun should have this with a VQ V6.

Renault_Clio_V6.jpg
 
a6m5
Call me crazy. Probably because I grew up looking at bunch of cars that looked like those, I think they are NICE! 👍

You are one sick b*stard :sly:
 
Poverty
Why do you want renaults, other than the clio hot hatches? :yuck:

I can't guarantee that I'm going to buy one, but I think it would be nice to see another alternative cheap car come to the US. Renaults weren't that bad when they were here, but they had bailed out long before the '90s rolled around.

The Clio and the Megane look like nice cars, and Top Gear seems to fancy them as well. Added to that, the Scenic might be able to do battle with the Chevrolet HHR and Mazda 5, as the small crossover/wagon segment is booming in the US as well...

I can't say that I'm an expert on ANYTHING French, as we obviously don't have them in the US. But when Nissan keeps talking about bringing new products to the US, why not bring over a few Renaults and sell them through the Nissan dealers allready in place?

Companies like Renault, Citroen, Pugeot, etc all have pretty large followings in the US, and I'm certain that they could pawn off a couple of Clios, 207s, C6s, etc. You have to remember that you in the UK have had the French cars constantly, but the last of them dissappeared here a while ago. They are "different" cars, and given how obsessed Americans are with being different from one another, they may sell well.

Ohhh wait, then there is that whole thing about how the US hates France, and France hates the US. Hmmm. Maybe it won't work out...
 
YSSMAN
Ohhh wait, then there is that whole thing about how the US hates France, and France hates the US. Hmmm. Maybe it won't work out...

I can guarantee, with few exceptions, that Americans will hate French cars more than they hate the French. The novelty of owning something different diminishes when its found to be crap as well.
 
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