Nissan ponders another 200SX

[Pebb]

Source: AutoCar

Remember the Nissan Foria? This was the stylish, Italianate rear-drive concept coupe that Nissan produced for the 2005 Tokyo motor show.

With a curvaceous, long nose profile and a designer leather-trimmed cabin, plus rear suicide doors, the Foria got strong reviews at the show. It could, if made, become an upmarket successor to the 200SX - and the word in Japan is that it could be closer to production than many expected.

Inside Nissan, studies are still going on whether to produce the Foria, or something like it. Back at the 2005 Detroit show, Nissan also showed the Urge, a stripped-down, three-seat sports concept with an Xbox 360 in the boot, and again this was rear-drive.

Autocar understands there is still a gap in Nissan's new model programme after 2010 for a car to fit the Foria/Urge slot; a car that could also theoretically dovetail with the 350Z, in the mould of the much-loved and much-missed 200SX, doyen of Japan's late night drifting tribe. Nissan, however, is taking a blue sky approach to this project and has also investigated the possibility of producing a mid-engined car for this slot in the range.

For now, though, the Foria remains a strong candidate and was shown again this week when media toured Nissan's impressive new global design studio in Atsugi, Japan. Don't bet against it turning up at a showroom near you at the turn of the decade.

 

[Omnis]

Good news. If they make it cheap with a bomb-proof engine, it will sell well.


(oh, and for the love of god, hire someone who designs well!)

 

[Slick Rick]

Good news. If they make it cheap with a bomb-proof engine, it will sell well.

Yup their definitely good at building bomb-proof engines. My friends got an Almera with an SR20DE thats done 200,000 miles and runs well!!

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, I have my doubts, but I'd be happy to see it happen. The $1M question is how exactly Nissan plans to do it, and how exactly they would want to price it. Beyond that, what the hell is it going to compete against? Too slow for the Camaro/Mustang groups, not sporty enough for the Solstice/MX-5 buddies, so what then?

Maybe once Pontiac goes all-RWD like they have said, then the car may have some good competition...

 

[Omnis]

Yup their definitely good at building bomb-proof engines. My friends got an Almera with an SR20DE thats done 200,000 miles and runs well!!

Well, I have a Stanza that runs like 🤬. It'd be cool if Nissan developed a new I4 (SR-20, The Sequel) or just stuck the V35 under the hood. The only reason I doubt the V6 is because the Z uses it, and the GTR is doing the turbo 6

 

[Vonie]

This is definitely good news. Can't wait for more details, if it ever happens.

 

[Onikaze]

I can't wait for Japan to get the sweet engined, better built version.

While we get stuck with pickup truck engines in cheaply thrown together coupe bodies.

 

[Azuremen]

I assume you are referring to the KA in the S13 and S14 here in the US... which is actually a well built motor, just add turbo and zoom

Would be nice for something cheapish to come to the US with FR or MR layout from Nissan... RWD is becoming cool for everyone again thanks to Drifting (mixed bag there) so more options would be nice.

Just hope they don't screw it up like they did the B14 200SX/Sentra thingg they had here in the late 90's

 

[harrytuttle]

A real 200SX would be nice, considering how the Sentra has broken the "small, fun" part of "small, fun economy car", and the Versa is too much like the Yaris & Fit, and not enough like the Mini. Even in a sedan shape (~1994 SE-R), it's a great idea...just way too long in coming

 

[niky]

KA24? Truck engine? Bwhahaha... remember guys, the SR20DE is a van engine.

But, true, I'd rather they'd inserted an emissions-castrated SR20DE (at about 135-145 hp only) than the KA24DE in the old 240SXs... if only for the boost potential (despite the abilities of the KA under boost, the SR was designed for it.)... but for 95% of customers, just having the gruntier KA24 was a way of making the 240 a little quicker than if it had a non-turbo SR, and much cheaper than a turbo SR.

Oh, quit complaining and just swap the mo'fo...

What's wrong with the Foria's looks? Nissan could use a little retro-style.

 

[95GTIVR6]

::chants::

S16! S16! S16!