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Merc
Merc Reader
8/17/12 9:22 a.m.

Too bad it's not going to be RWD, possibly AWD/FWD and based off of the Juke AWD drivetrain. This will make a lot of Drift/Rice fanboy's mad. Not so sure if this has been posted before but here you go. Thoughts

Freshalloy

Motortrend

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
8/17/12 9:24 a.m.

Really too bad it's not RWD I was hoping the Toyobarus would inspire similar competition but the other manufacturers (other than Mazda) just can't be assed to make a RWD car it seems.

If it's light, small and AWD it could be good to have something like a new GC Impreza I guess.

rotard
rotard Dork
8/17/12 9:24 a.m.

They need to make a 240z-type contender. Mid-size I6 engine, rwd, etc. I'd buy one.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker UltimaDork
8/17/12 9:26 a.m.
GameboyRMH wrote: Really too bad it's not RWD

Yeah. I stopped reading right at that point.

It isn't a BRZ fighter - it is just another FWD/AWD car. Might as well call it an A3 fighter.

yamaha
yamaha HalfDork
8/17/12 9:29 a.m.

too small of a market......and I doubt nissan would build anything that made sense these days....

alfadriver
alfadriver PowerDork
8/17/12 9:31 a.m.

Hasn't this been posted about before?

Merc
Merc Reader
8/17/12 9:48 a.m.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
GameboyRMH wrote: Really too bad it's not RWD
Yeah. I stopped reading right at that point. It isn't a BRZ fighter - it is just another FWD/AWD car. Might as well call it an A3 fighter.

I agree, I would view this more as a low budget Audi TT (if they can afford to make it low budget)

rotard said: They need to make a 240z-type contender. Mid-size I6 engine, rwd, etc. I'd buy on

I had suggested a while back that they bring back the Datsun name here as a company that made small performance oriented cars similar like how Mini was set up. All 2.5l I-4/V6 engines and under. The difference between Scion being actual good handling performance car models. Small RWD 510 2/4dr, RWD convertable Roadster, small FWD hatch, small FWD/AWD 5dr hatch and a small true off-road vehicle. That would easily compete against Mini Cooper/Countryman, BMW 1-series/Z4, FR-S/BRZ, VW GTI, Velostar, Wrangler, Range Rover and Mercedes G-series all in one shot. But who cares what I think right?

Merc
Merc Reader
8/17/12 9:50 a.m.
alfadriver wrote: Hasn't this been posted about before?

If it has than I am sorry, tried to look before I posted

carguy123
carguy123 PowerDork
8/17/12 9:55 a.m.

This just proves Nissan doesn't get it - at all.

ReverendDexter
ReverendDexter UltraDork
8/17/12 10:12 a.m.

I'm positively floored that there is anyone in the auto industry who would look at the Frisbeez, think "that's a good idea, we need to get us a piece of that", and then make a front wheel drive car.

I mean, that doesn't even qualify as incompetent.... that's anticompetent.

pres589
pres589 Dork
8/17/12 10:16 a.m.

Pointless.

Datsun310Guy
Datsun310Guy UltraDork
8/17/12 10:24 a.m.

Who really has a bunch or RWD 5-speed or 6-speed transmissions and R180 (or R200) rear differentials laying around the parts department collecting dust? Mazda? Subaru? Maybe NISSAN?

The title said "Nissan Working on Mini-Z to target FR-S/BRZ". Who else has the resources to bring us a REAL Mini Z?

Appleseed
Appleseed PowerDork
8/17/12 10:45 a.m.
Datsun310Guy wrote: Who else has the resources to bring us a REAL Mini Z?

Kyosho.

oldeskewltoy
oldeskewltoy HalfDork
8/17/12 12:25 p.m.

I'm still secretly banking on the little Chevy mini Camaro(R130 or some alpha-numeric code)

The last, and only Chevy I've owned was a 1971 Vega 1bbl, auto, with bias ply tires All the other rwd Chevys are just too big

alfadriver
alfadriver PowerDork
8/17/12 12:27 p.m.
Merc wrote:
alfadriver wrote: Hasn't this been posted about before?
If it has than I am sorry, tried to look before I posted

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/so-you-want-to-build-a-brzfrs-competitor/52110/page1/

A month ago, at that.

e_pie
e_pie HalfDork
8/17/12 12:31 p.m.

The Juke actually has a pretty cool engine, I wouldn't mind seeing it in something not E36 M3y.

alfadriver
alfadriver PowerDork
8/17/12 12:33 p.m.
carguy123 wrote: This just proves Nissan doesn't get it - at all.

Maybe they do. Knowing that a market for a car like this is so small that you could do better with a car that uses more off the shelf parts, particularly the engine/trans....

IMHO, so very few people honestly know what RWD brings to the table. They think they know, based on what others tell them. IMHO, for 99.5% of the buying public, RWD is a status thing, and has nothing to do with how they actually drive the car.

Even at an autocross, I'd harbor a guess that 80% of the people driving RWD cars are not really at a point that it matters yet. Tell the difference- sure- over driving a car is easy to tell. But being the absolute fastest, not all that many people actually use RWD as a benefit.

And yes, I would love it if Ford came out with a small RWD car, but being honest with myself, if my Miata was FWD, the only time I would really notice was on a snowy surface having fun.

carguy123
carguy123 PowerDork
8/17/12 12:48 p.m.
oldeskewltoy wrote: I'm still secretly banking on the little Chevy mini Camaro(R130 or some alpha-numeric code) The last, and only Chevy I've owned was a 1971 Vega 1bbl, auto, with bias ply tires All the other rwd Chevys are just too big

So how's that been working for you, the waiting & hoping process I mean. After all this time you still want a Cheby?

scardeal
scardeal Dork
8/17/12 12:49 p.m.

I noticed at the AROC autocross last Sunday. I felt like it mattered. Even if I was beaten by a dang Mini.

e_pie
e_pie HalfDork
8/17/12 12:52 p.m.

FWIW the Deltawing car used the engine from the Juke. It really is a good engine.

http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/1731/nissans-mr16ddt-16l-direct-injection-turbo-engine.aspx

Strizzo
Strizzo UberDork
8/17/12 12:59 p.m.

The only chance this thing stands is if it's is available in awe with a manual trans. Then hopefully that trickles over to the juke too.

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/17/12 1:08 p.m.

Apparently, 80% of BMW 1-series drivers don't realize their cars are RWD. And that's according to BMW, who wanted RWD to be a USP for the car.

irish44j
irish44j SuperDork
8/17/12 1:19 p.m.

regardless of drivetrain, if it looks anything at all like those drawings it is HIDEOUS. Nissan really needs to fire all of their designers, they make some ugly, ugly E36 M3 these days.

plus it will probably have a CVT.

Seems more like a Scion tc competitor...

alfadriver
alfadriver PowerDork
8/17/12 1:26 p.m.
e_pie wrote: FWIW the Deltawing car used the engine from the Juke. It really is a good engine. http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/1731/nissans-mr16ddt-16l-direct-injection-turbo-engine.aspx

FWIW, no, it didn't. I thought it did, too, until I read the Racecar Engineering article that told how the very unique engine was made by a firm in France. Based on the Juke engine, but it was all custom built.

NOHOME
NOHOME HalfDork
8/17/12 2:52 p.m.

NISSAN needs to look into their DNA and find the 240Z gene. For crying in a beer, they invented the 1970s version of the FRS and it was a big hit. Why is NISSAN so blind to doing it again? The 357Z and 350Z were close, except for the porcine Rosy O'Donnell dimensions and heft.

Other than the fact that they missed the boat and the Twins are gonna have grabbed all the momentum in the market for such a car.

FWD?On an existing platform? Not a chance, people will see right though this as a cut and paste design that is compromised out of the box. Besides nobody who wants a sports-car will buy FWD.

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