Spy Shots: Nissan's affordable RWD sports car
Last week we told you about Nissan's plan to revise the 350Z and add a new, smaller RWD sports coupe to its lineup. All of a sudden, pics of that smaller sports coupe have appeared today on the interweb. Winding Road has a few clear shots of an oddly shaped 350Z-based mule tagging along behind a Porsche Boxster. The car looks a lot like a 350Z, but is much shorter overall and has spy photographers speculating it will be the Z-car's baby bro'. Whether a new Z-car, new 240SX or whatever, it's just a mule for now. The Urge Concept is said to be the inspiration for the shape of the new small sports coupe, so hopefully future prototypes will be wearing a body we can recognize as influenced by that concept. There's no word on a powerplant for this new coupe, but we've already voted for a turbocharged version of the SE-R Spec-V QR25DE motor, just in case Nissan is listening. Hopefully it will be rear-drive, as well, but that goes without saying on a car like this. Click the Read link or the pic to view a few larger photos of this odd mule.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
freckles 3:31PM (6/12/2007)
just build it!!
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shifthead 4:00PM (6/12/2007)
Looks like the reports of the 09 Hyundai (Tiburon) rwd is gonna have some competition
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Bandit62 4:06PM (6/12/2007)
The list of cars/prospects to look forward to in the next few years is getting long. Only now are manufacturers realizing that not everyone is interested in a 4000# torque monster.
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stefan 4:08PM (6/12/2007)
A new silvia and please no QR25DE i rather have the JDM SR20DET.
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epp_b 4:21PM (6/12/2007)
Naw, Nissan should make a QR25DET! :) That would absolutely *fly* !
gwballin 4:09PM (6/12/2007)
I had a hard enough time trying to fit in the (presumably) larger 350z, so this thing will likely not be my ride of choice. Don't get me wrong however, this would still probably fit into my "I will not buy it but I'm glad to see it on the streets" category.
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Guenther 7:49PM (6/12/2007)
are you serious?? I have seen some big people (6'4,220; 6'2,300) fit the Z just fine.
Reason I would favor the V-spec 2.5 is BECAUSE ITS CHEAP.
Picture looks doctored because the CAR is doctored to be a MULE for a smaller platform derivative.
The point is not to compete against a car that cost twice as much, but rather to measure your own performance against a good measuring stick- benchmarking.
Dude 4:18PM (6/12/2007)
I thought the Z was Nissan's affordable RWD sports car. ;-P
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felipe 4:47PM (6/12/2007)
wtf.... to have a car in the segment they are just cutting 4-6" out and sticking the car back together?
this looks like a 350z with Downs syndrome.
REDO a nice 240z you dopey nissan ninnies!
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felipe 4:52PM (6/12/2007)
damn it damn it damn it
i never see the word 'mule'. sorry.
ps
hate the urge too
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glitched 5:07PM (6/12/2007)
"but we've already voted for a turbocharged version of the SE-R Spec-V QR25DE motor"
UM, We have?
no no no, if you read the comments from the previous post, "we" - as in the readers - voted for any other besides the spec v motor - nissan has a couple engines already in use that would make much better choices than the spec V motor, that even already have the proper orientation for crying out loud!
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Todd 5:19PM (6/12/2007)
Just to clarify: The car was following the Porsche 987 COUPE, commonly called a Cayman, not a Boxster.
And, if it is built to compete with the Cayman, it ought to be an outstanding car.
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Dave K. 5:24PM (6/12/2007)
compete with the cayman? the 350Z doesn't compete with the cayman.
The picture looks doctored.. like a previous poster said - 350z with six inches lopped off the middle..
stefan 5:22PM (6/12/2007)
#10
And that engine is the SR20VET
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Fabulo 6:04PM (6/12/2007)
Nissan has a VQ25. 2.5 V6, high revving, light, me like.
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Bill 6:05PM (6/12/2007)
This car looks pretty interesting, they have to change the roofline before it makes it to production though. I never liked the 350Z because its side profile looked dopey but this is far far worse.
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Cognoscente 6:58PM (6/12/2007)
Whatever it is, Nissan should build it. The market needs to get away from the abundance of SUVs and CUVs (cute utility vehicles) and give a little more attention to the performance enthusiasts.
http://www.autoconcourse.com
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Andy 7:07PM (6/12/2007)
Other blog sites have been making much of a Nissan/Porsche battle. I wouldn't put a Nissan with a Porsche. A fair comparison would be a Ford Mustang or Mazda RX-8. Would anyone with Porsche money choose a small Z over a Cayman? I think not. A smaller Nissan coupe for around $23,000 could catch my eye.
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spdracerut 7:37PM (6/12/2007)
Nissan uses Porshes as PERFORMENCE targets, nothing more. 350Z is to boxster as Z06 is to 911 turbo :) Have to make sacrifices somewhere to keep the costs down, just not in the performance department.
I doubt the pics are photoshoped. Car companies often use modified chassis of existing cars to test new powertrains. Much like the pics of the G35 coupe chassis that was used to test the upcoming GTR powertrain.
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spdracerut 7:37PM (6/12/2007)
Also, not likely you'll see any SR20 ever again. The design is too old and can't meet modern emission standards.
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