REPORT: Nissan cancels RWD Silvia successor and GT-R sedan, Prius-fight planned
We knew this was coming, it was just a matter of getting confirmation. According to Autocar, Nissan has suspended plans to create a compact, rear-wheel-drive successor to the Silvia due to Nissan's financial difficulties and Carlos Ghosn's pledge to reduce costs.
The first indication that Nissan was working on a Silvia/240 replacement came in the form of the Foria concept that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. The Urge design study quickly followed and development of the RWD coupe continued over the following years. We talked to a Nissan exec back in August of 2008 and they were able to confirm that work was still underway, but wouldn't put an exact date on when it would be unveiled.
Another casualty of the financial crisis is the rumored and refuted GT-R-based sedan for Infiniti. Work on the Porsche Panamera fighter has been put on indefinite hold, but it hasn't been cancelled outright. Ghosn wants the automaker to focus its development efforts on producing small- and medium-sized cars, including a Toyota Prius competitor which could arrive as early as next year.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
why not the LS2LS7? 1:32PM (2/12/2009)
No new 240SX is more good news for Hyundai then.
I'm not sure the GT-R sedan was the right idea right now. But Infiniti probably needs some kind of high-end sports sedan (think M5).
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Franz 1:53PM (2/12/2009)
I commented on this just yesterday in the Genesis Coupe post. Nissan would be awfully late to the game if they're only just now thinking of a Silvia replacement. They dropped the ball way back in '89 when they decided to stick only the KA24 truck motor in the US bound S13 & S14. They then made a further mess of things when they refused to bring over an S15 variant with the turbo SR20... then they really effed up when they put variable valve timing on it and stuck the SR20VET in the damn X-Trail instead of a RWD sports car. What we should be seeing now is an updated S15 or new S16 instead of them fussing over a clean sheet design. They really blew it IMO. Turbo'd sport compacts were all the rage a few years ago... ever since Subaru first braved the waters and brought over the WRX.
And yeah, I agree that ultimately it might be a good idea to offer I high performance GT-R-esque Infiniti sedan, but now isn't the right time for it.
Concerned Citizen 4:15PM (2/12/2009)
You're right, and they've also taken a nosedive in the quality department.
naggs 6:26PM (2/12/2009)
the solstice "coupe" is a joke, the small rwd nissan is dead, no signs of anything from mazda...
the hyundai coupe owns that market for years to come
why not the LS2LS7? 8:28PM (2/12/2009)
I like the Solstice coupe. But as a 2-seater it no more competes with this car than a Z4 competes with a 1-series.
mr2 1:37PM (2/12/2009)
Any canceled plans for RWD cars, especially inexpensive ones, is a sad thing...
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Affalterbach 3:26PM (2/12/2009)
Actually, I've just realized it right now: the Z is more of a GT than a true lightweight sports car. So there is indeed, a place for a Silvia.
But then again, a Silvia would need a new platform to itself; the FM is too big, too heavy and the PM is all that plus too expensive.
Jake B 4:29PM (2/12/2009)
Cheap RWD 2+2's are where it's at! You stuff a couple buddies in that cramp back seat and drift around giving them the ride of their life! Even better with some throbbing subwoofers right behind their ears too. Ah, good times.
MikeofLA 1:40PM (2/12/2009)
wow, that is a stupid move. I mean, I understand canceling the GT-R Sedan, as that's low volume, but the Silvia replacement?! one of their most celebrated cars and a great idea right now when Toyota/Subaru and Hyundai are releasing cars in this segment and energizing the demand for it.
Nissan, You Suck.
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Affalterbach 1:57PM (2/12/2009)
There is no confirmation that the Toyota-Subaru coupe could make it through. There have been several reports of it being 'delayed' or 'shelved'.
Also, Nissan has more sportiness with the G37 (Skyline), Z, GT-R that having another sports car, in this economic climate, doesn't make any sense.
But still, I'll miss the Silvia.
BoxerFanatic 2:13PM (2/12/2009)
True.
Rumors are that the Subaru/Toyota car may be shelved, or may have been brought back onto the burner...
I hope the Genesis Coupe lights a fire under some of these companies, and makes them realize that some of us out here want RWD Sport Coupes!!!
Mobius_1 1:40PM (2/12/2009)
Bankers with everybody's money just breathed sighs of extreme disappointment at the loss of another way of spending their bonuses.
Anyways, I guess this is a wise move from Nissan and suits the economic situation, however, the lengthy product cycles may mean their Prius fighter gets born into a huge boom and everybody wants a GT-R sedan... What then?
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Mazda FTW! 1:43PM (2/12/2009)
They already offer so many "sports" cars - GT-R, 370Z, G, Altima Coupe. If none of those suit you, you probably should shop elsewhere. We need to stop asking every automaker to make every car. Then we loose interest and they are left standing at the dock with 50,000 unsold cars.
If anything, Nissan needs to find a sweet spot between the Altima Coupe and the Z. The Z is too expensive and the Altima Coupe is not all that. Give us a nice RWD, 300HP, $37,000 CAD vehicle and we are set.
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nissanfreak87 1:59PM (2/12/2009)
the Z starts at $29K, and the Silvia replacement would be in the Genesis coupe range, $20-$25K, I see a gap there, I don't think it's unreasonable to have expected it from Nissan.
Affalterbach 1:59PM (2/12/2009)
The Altima-coupe is rather a shoddy attempt at a sports car.
Plus what you want, is a Z. In America.
J Who 2:03PM (2/12/2009)
"If anything, Nissan needs to find a sweet spot between the Altima Coupe and the Z."
You just contradicted yourself. Where exactly did you think the Silvia successor would fit in?!?!?
We could do without all of the others, but I think killing off this RWD Silvia successor is a bad move on Nissan's part.
Mazda FTW! 2:11PM (2/12/2009)
J Who - I thought the SIlvia was supposed to be Altima Coupe priced?
nissanfreak87 2:14PM (2/12/2009)
RWD vs. FWD, it could replace the altima coupe for all I care
travisty 2:15PM (2/12/2009)
Last I checked, a sports car didn't offer comfortable seating for 5.
Franz 2:18PM (2/12/2009)
IMO, none of us should have even been given the chance to have this discussion. Like I said in my earlier post, I believe the blunder was made way back in '89. As a matter of fact, even if the S13 & S15 remained as is with the truck motor, when the Z32 met it's demise (along with all the trick, techy, top-tier Japanese sports cars at the time), that was when Nissan should have given us a performance oriented SR20DET powered rear driver at a slight premium over the regular 240, with a softer more luxury oriented version available as well (maybe with a V6 just like Hyundai is doing with the Genesis?). That should have continued to evolve, the Altima coupe should never have been built (let the Sentra SE-R be the cheap, sporty front driver) and the Maxima should have evolved into a true 4 Door Sports Car (maybe with the ATTESA AWD) leaving the Altima sedan to duke it out with the Accord & Camry. That way when they brought the Z back, it wouldn't have upset the natural order of things, there'd still have been plenty of room for the limited numbers GT-R and they'd have a solid lineup that catered to everybody.