If you like the idea of a front-engined, rear drive sports coupe that gives you decent performance without sucking back too much gas, you may be happy to hear that Nissan is considering resuscitating the 200SX, globally known as the Silvia. Emphasis on "considering." Junichi Endo, Nissan's senior vice president of global marketing, puts the chances at 50/50 saying that it all comes down to "marketability." They haven't decided if car buyers can swallow the "performance hybrid" concept in a vehicle whose name conjured up thoughts of turbochargers in times past. Well, except for those that were based on the front-drive Sentra from '95 to '98. Those don't conjure up anything.
If the consumer-survey coin comes up heads and they decide to make it they won't have to shoulder the entire "hybrids can be fast and sexy" education burden alone. Honda has already announced production of their sports hybrid, the two-seater CR-Z and that other little Japanese manufacturer, what's their name...oh yes, Toyota, is said to be working collaboratively with Subaru to produce a performance hybrid via the hot FT-HS coupe concept.
These are merely Nissan's near-term ideas though. It's longer-term goals are still highly focused on a good portion of their line-up becoming electric. In an article on the Australian Drive.com, Endo is further quoted as saying, "In the very short term, probably a hybrid front-engine, rear-wheel drive [sports car] ... would be a good candidate. In the mid term an electric vehicle is a strong candidate we are looking at." To which we can only blithely reply, "Bring it on."
If the consumer-survey coin comes up heads and they decide to make it they won't have to shoulder the entire "hybrids can be fast and sexy" education burden alone. Honda has already announced production of their sports hybrid, the two-seater CR-Z and that other little Japanese manufacturer, what's their name...oh yes, Toyota, is said to be working collaboratively with Subaru to produce a performance hybrid via the hot FT-HS coupe concept.
These are merely Nissan's near-term ideas though. It's longer-term goals are still highly focused on a good portion of their line-up becoming electric. In an article on the Australian Drive.com, Endo is further quoted as saying, "In the very short term, probably a hybrid front-engine, rear-wheel drive [sports car] ... would be a good candidate. In the mid term an electric vehicle is a strong candidate we are looking at." To which we can only blithely reply, "Bring it on."
[Source: Drive]
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