Nissan Altima Coupe (Update: Confirmed)

[YSSMAN]

I personally think the car looks great. If they can sell me a "cheap" version of the coupe with the 2.5L I4 and a six-speed manual, I'd be very happy. Here is to a true SE-R model in the near-future!

 

[Jim Prower]

And just over one month later: it’s official.

Too bad the butt’s nowhere near as good as the front – it looks kinda confused.

a FAR more emphasized version of a styling feature on the R34 GT-R, looks like. (Check the rear decklid of your GT4 version sometime) Also a bit of Bangle influence, from taillight shape, and a bit of "Bangle Butt" going on.

 

[Sage]

I personally think the car looks great. If they can sell me a "cheap" version of the coupe with the 2.5L I4 and a six-speed manual, I'd be very happy. Here is to a true SE-R model in the near-future!

Speaking of that… (Shame that it reminds me of the Ion Red Line.)

 

[YSSMAN]

...yeah, I just created a thread for the Sentra...

 

[///M-Spec]

I'm not feeling that rear end. The front and interior of the car looks great.


M

 

[harrytuttle]

And just over one month later: it’s official.

Too bad the butt’s nowhere near as good as the front – it looks kinda confused.[/URL]

"Curves for the sake of curves" - it's what happens when someone copies another design without really understanding the logic behind the original. It was iffy for BMW, and it's abysmal here. Granted, the rest of the car may be okay, but that random curve looks flat out stupid.

 

[niky]

I'd find the rear end nicer, actually, if that accent line continued all the way down to the bumper... but otherwise, it looks great... even with the accent line.

 

[Keef]

Well, son of a beach. It looks half decent. But I still hate it. And you're right Sage--that rear window is spectacularly annoying. That window alone makes the car look like a 2 door Sentra. Or bluntly, ugly. Is it just me, or do I hate these Renissans?

 

[harrytuttle]

Now that I've seen it some more, it seems to be following the trend of coupified sedans: Pontiac G6, Mercedes CL/CLK, Honda Accord, Toyota Solara. All seem to be popular, why shouldn't Nissan have a part of that? Funny enough, I think they're all ugly (maybe not the CLK, but it's not exactly beautiful).

 

[TopHat]

I think they are all ugly except for the Accord and the Nissan. Otherwise your right. The only gripe with the nissan is that thing coming from the rear glass.

 

[Keef]

Well, I must have skipped that part of the article that said the thing was FWD. I did not no that. So it isn't intended as a sports car at all then. And it'll threten 350 sales very little, if at all.

 

[TopHat]

Its a fairly powerful FWD car, with about 260 hp right?

 

[RobcioPL]

Its a fairly powerful FWD car, with about 260 hp right?

270hp/258trq

 

[harrytuttle]

I think they are all ugly except for the Accord and the Nissan. Otherwise your right. The only gripe with the nissan is that thing coming from the rear glass.

At the very least, they're frumpy: bland front end, and a huge rear end. They're like eggs with wheels.

 

[Bram Turismo]

The front looks like a cheap mix between a 350Z and a Prius

The rear however, looks better 👍

 

[Tornado]

I'll give it two years. Nissan certianly is going to have a fun time moving these if they cost a penny over $27,000.

 

[TopHat]

Why? The Accord has been going for a while.

 

[Tornado]

That's all well and good, and more power to Honda for being able to survive in such an impossible market. But Honda doesn't have this starting at around 27k:

It would be like Chevrolet selling a RWD Monte Carlo for less than a FWD Monte Carlo, and expecting the FWD car to sell at all.
And before the "rear seats" argument starts,

which starts at 34k for 293 BHP and RWD.

 

[///M-Spec]

And before the "rear seats" argument starts,

which starts at 34k for 293 BHP and RWD.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Yeah, but the G35 rear seats are only slightly more useful than the ones in a 911. I'm only 5'11" and I had no room to 'sit behind myself' in the G. My head also touched the rear glass window. Someone 5'5" or 5'4" may be able to squeeze back there, but as far as I'm concerned they are children and very petite woman seats.


M

 

[Tornado]

Yeah, but the G35 rear seats are only slightly more useful than the ones in a 911. I'm only 5'11" and I had no room to 'sit behind myself' in the G. My head also touched the rear glass window. Someone 5'5" or 5'4" may be able to squeeze back there, but as far as I'm concerned they are children and very petite woman seats.


M

And I've seen nothing to the contrary that suggests this Altima Coupe will be any different.

 

[///M-Spec]

And I've seen nothing to the contrary that suggests this Altima Coupe will be any different.

Just thousands cheaper.

A loaded Altima sedan barely creeeps into the $32s and you have to check every option to get there.

A loaded G35 Coupe has you writing the number '4' at the beginging of the Amount line. Of course, you get a lot more car for the G. But the average G coupe is in the $36-38 range. I know because I almost bought one.

I think an 8k spread is enough distance between the two cars, so long as Nissan can price the car with only a small premium over the sedan.

The Accord is, however, is a tough act to beat. Nissan had better put some real money into the interior materials and general refinement if it wants to play with Honda.


M

 

[niky]

Let's not forget that the Altima actually sells pretty well for a Nissan. A Coupe version, if priced right, should provide some decent competition for the Accord Coupe.

 

[YSSMAN]

Considering the positive reviews of the all-new D-platform Altima, it shouldn't be too hard for Nissan to play catch up with Honda. That said, torque steer is going to need to be quelled, and it will be interesting to see how the weight problems are addressed. I really hope they do an SE-R version of the coupe, but we will see.

Either way, Honda has a new Accord on the horizon. Apparently there is a Coupe Concept due to debut at NAIAS in early 2007.

 

[V1P3R]

I just saw the commercial for it and at first I was thinking ok.. so they just stuck a badge on a 350z/g35 great but then I saw these pics and now I'm thinkin ok... so they made something just as butt ugly to compete with the butt ugly Solara... great.

 

[TopHat]

I've seen quite a few of them, look good in person...

 

[Sakiale]

Yes.. when I first saw the pictures, I thought 'what an ugly piece of ****', but they look quite good in person, and the Nissan ads make them look pretty sexy. I still don't like the grille though, and it is a bit oddly proportioned in places.
Automobile says that while it looks like a RWD sports coupe, it really doesn't drive like one...

 

[Wolfe]

Automobile says that while it looks like a RWD sports coupe, it really doesn't drive like one...

<'80s Journalists>You can't even tell that the power is going through the front wheels at all! </'80s Journalists>