Autoblog

Yes, Again: Nissan rumored to be reviving 240SX, bringing it to the U.S.

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Japan, Nissan, Rumormill

Nissan Foria Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan's plans to revive the 240SX (Silvia in JDM parlance) has almost become a running joke, right up there with the fake moon landing and Tom Cruise's heterosexuality. But still, this old chestnut carries forth, with a new report from Insideline's editor in Japan who says the coupe's revival is due to hit the market sometime in 2011 or 2012.

Details, per usual, are both scarce and obvious. The next-generation Silvia will supposedly be built atop Nissan's popular FM platform (370Z, Infiniti G, etc.), come in a 2+2 seating configuration and tip the scales around 2,800 pounds. Naturally, as the S15's successor, it will be a front-engine, rear-drive setup, and is rumored to be packing a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four putting out around 200 horsepower. A naturally aspirated variant will also be available to keep the cost of entry low, but the turbo'd model is obviously the pick of the litter and should deliver a 0-60 time of between six and seven seconds.

IL's man in Japan points to the Nissan Foria concept (shown above) as the stylistic inspiration, but notes that the coupe would only be "loosely based" on the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show concept. Judging by Nissan's recent design endeavors, we doubt the Foria -- or as previously rumored, the Urge concept -- will be a heavy influence on this supposed Silvia revival.

Although we're all for more budget-oriented FR sports cars, the popularity of the Toyota FT-86 is sure to be a factor in Nissan's decision to bring the 240SX back to life. That, coupled with the unknown demand for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (Hyundai doesn't break out Genesis Sedan from Coupe sales in its monthly reports) makes the proposition of a new 2+2 from Nissan even more hazy. So until we hear something solid from Ghosn and Company, we'll resume our normal respiration routine.

Gallery: Nissan Fiora Concept

[Source: Insideline]

Yes, Again: Nissan rumored to be reviving 240SX, bringing it to the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumormill: Nissan's MX-5 competitor is coming, only it's not

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Nissan, Rumormill

Nissan URGE Concept - Click above for high-res image galleries

AutoExpress - the automotive equivalent of the Weekly World News - is reporting through its usual unnamed sources that Nissan plans (again) to revive the 200SX/240SX with an all-new, rear-wheel drive model aimed at the Mazda MX-5. Styled through a combination of the Urge concept that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007 and the 370Z, the new model will supposedly be powered by a 1.6-liter four, propelling the coupe/roadster to 60 mph in around 6.5 seconds. The only problem: it's been dead for over two years.

According to our own sources at Nissan - both in the U.S. and Japan - the Urge concept was canned after the automaker decided the project was too niche to be released. When we spoke with then-head of Nissan Global communications, Simon Sproule, at last year's LA Auto Show, he told us that the coupe was on indefinite hiatus and the automaker couldn't make a business case for the new model in the near- or long-term. Nissan's design guru, Shiro Nakamura told us essentially the same thing during a meeting in Pebble Beach last August, and as early as December - at the launch of the new 370Z - Nissan's U.S. design chief made it clear that the Urge was dead.

AE contends that "the car has been held back because of the global financial slump," but the Urge's demise took place well before that. So unless AE has something more substantive than a rendering and a fictional on-sale date (2011), we're deeming this rampant speculation until we hear something official from Nissan.

Gallery: Nissan URGE Concept

[Source: AutoExpress]

Rumormill: Nissan's MX-5 competitor is coming, only it's not originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 May 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

More developments on Nissan's compact, RWD coupe

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Nissan

According to company insiders with whom we've spoken, Nissan has been working on its own compact, rear-wheel-drive vehicle for over three years, and the announcement from Toyota and Subaru about their own RWD coupe has caused Nissan to ramp-up development.

Details on the new vehicle are still scarce, but BestCar is reporting that Nissan is planning to utilize a shortened version of the Z's FM platform powered by either a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter or possibly a 1.6- or 1.8-liter turbocharged four. According to the Japanese pub, the successor to the S15 Silvia will be approximately 4,350 mm long, 1,750 mm wide and share the same wheelbase as the Z. Like the Subaru/Toyota vehicle, Nissan is attempting to keep the curb weight low, along with the price.

While the NA 2.0-liter is one possible form of motivation, Nissan is supposedly working on a new, direct-injection four-cylinder that could make use of Nissan's Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) system. Partnered with a small, efficient turbo, power could range from 140 to 215 hp, returning the fuel-economy of a smaller NA mill.

The Subaru/Toyota coupe is expected to debut in 2011, but Nissan wants to beat its competitor's offering to market, so expect the return of the Silvia to bow in late 2010.

[Source: BestCar via 7tune.com]

More developments on Nissan's compact, RWD coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments