One More Lightweight Coupe Rumor: Guess Who?

  • Thread starter YSSMAN
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I thought Nissan always said they couldn't make the FM small/light enough for it to be feasible in the segment. What would they build it on?
 
As much as I want Nissan to call this the Silvia, they are probably gonna end up naming it with engine displacement followed by letter.
 
Why not be a little adventurous and hit about 230hp with a 2.4-2.5L, making a little more torque along the way?
 
Toronado
I thought Nissan always said they couldn't make the FM small/light enough for it to be feasible in the segment. What would they build it on?
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I seem to recall that same thing from a few years back, but I'd imagine that for the next Z, they'd be doing some kind of modular chassis that can work in a wide variety of sizes. That being said, its Nissan, and Toyota being their archrival, they'll likely try to come up with something sooner than later.

Either way, I hope they'll do it. Call it a 160SX, drop the 1.6T from the Juke under the hood and attach it to a six-speed manual, beat the Sicaru with something called "torque."



So, Nissan and GM sound like they're interested. How long until Ford and Honda decide to play along? What about the new MX-5? God, could you imagine the lineup?


* Toyota GT-86 (et. al): 200 BHP, 2.0L H4 - $25K
* Chevrolet Monza/Holden Torana: 197 BHP, 2.5L I4 - $20K
* Nissan 160SX: 188 BHP, 1.6T I4, $23K
* Ford Capri 1600GT: 180 BHP, 1.6T I4, $20K
* Honda S1600: 180 BHP, 1.6L I4, $25K
* Mazda MX-5: 170 BHP, 1.6L I4, $23K

There are problems, however. I don't see Honda playing along until everyone does, and the likelihood of that happening is quite low. If Honda does, they'll be the last to do it, and act like they've been planning this all along. But, considering that they'll be spending all this time and money developing the NSX for 2015, I just don't see it happening.

Ford probably wouldn't do it either. Between the Fiesta and Focus ST, and the incredible performance/price ratio of the V6 Mustang, they'd have no reason to. There just isn't enough room in the lineup, even though it'd likely be the best-looking option out there. Well, if they style it like the older ones, anyway...

The probability of a Monza/Torana I'd say is the highest out of all the possibilities here. Holden's been begging for a sub-Commodore for years, they've finally gotten the Alpha chassis, and I know GM will be looking to spread out it's use in order to lower costs. Although GM could get crazy and stick in the 1.4T from the Sonic/Barina, using the 2.5L from everything would be cheaper, and give them the power figures they'd want.


It all comes down to whether or not these Sciarus sell or not. With strong first year sales, everyone will rush to the scene with something new.
 
GM already has the Code13R, so they have the platform to build it on. Ford and Honda don't have anything suitable at the moment, and it would cost them a lot. Given their respective finances, Ford might do it (if it felt it was worthwhile), but Honda wouldn't. Mazda is already planning to downscale the MX-5 to a 1.4 Turbo. I suppose they could manufacture a fixed-hardtop version of the NC once the ND is out at a lower price, with a 200 hp 2.0.
 
R1600Turbo
Just because it's competing against it doesn't mean it has to have the same size engine.
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I know that, but like in the '90s when Japanese sports cars wars and most of the cars had 3L turbo V6
 
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I'd love to see the return of the Silvia, and hope maybe show other manufactures to bring back there 90's sports cars. Examples Honda Integra/Prelude, Mitsubishi FTO/GTO Toyota Supra/MR2 Mazda RX8 successor, and they better not ruin them by turning them into hybrids or electric cars. Like Honda with the new NSX returning powered by electric motors, that will just ruin it because the original NSX had one of the best sounding engines ever (3.2 V6 Type R) and I would just hate to see it happen to other better performing cars in the coming future..
 
Okay real talk.

Just because something has electric motors does not mean its an Econobox.

I'm getting tired of people looking at hybrids as inferior performance machines when engineers obviously see them differently.

Reviving the NSX and plopping a hybrid in there is brilliant marketing. Sounds don't sell cars.
 
Can I request a list of hybrids that are "superior" performance machines? Has to be in production, not vaporware.
 
Thing about hybrids is not that they are inferior compared to conventional petrol powerplants, but that for the NSX, it doesn't fit. Why call it an NSX if it's AWD, hybrid, or looks completely different from the old? When Nissan revived the GTR, it had styling cues from past generations, a six-cylinder engine, and AWD, just like all other Skylines had before it. (Yes, I realize the GTR isn't a Skyline)

This new car thing sounds very interesting, I would definitely take a look at this car.
 
Like it or not, Honda has decided that it's fit for an NSX to have a hybrid. It's 2012 not 1990.

Besides if you have a huge hand in a growing hybrid market, why not spread the fruits of those labors to your model line up?

And once again, sounds of a car is not really a selling point in these vehicles. I'd rather be more concerned with performance numbers than decibels.
 
Eric.
Can I request a list of hybrids that are "superior" performance machines? Has to be in production, not vaporware.
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It's a new technology, especially for performance cars.

The KERS system operates similarly to a hybrid assisted gas combustion engine.

Every technological development ever has had a period where it's new and unproven.
 
The NSX still has a petrol V6 engine. So it'll still sound like a petrol V6. Shocker.

It's pretty damn ignorant assuming that all future hybrid performance cars will be crap essentially because the Prius exists, which is about as far from a performance car as you can get.

Zenith013
Every technological development ever has had a period where it's new and unproven.
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This.
 
sumbrownkid
And once again, sounds of a car is not really a selling point in these vehicles. I'd rather be more concerned with performance numbers than decibels.
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I still disagree. But to each their own, sound plays a huge part in my decision of a car purchase.
 
Now that I think about it, I'm still puzzled as to why Nissan never brought over the S15 generation. I think the engine was the only thing that prevented it's legalization stateside. And Nissan offered completely different motors between JDM and USDM markets for the previous gen Silvia's.
 

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