Nissan talking trash about BRZ

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/nissan-vp-trash-talks-subaru-brz-has-midlife-crisis-of-1453017133

Some slovenly looking Nissan VP said: When asked about the rear-drive sports car market, Mr. Palmer rhetorically asked, "Do we have any competitors?" "...the Subaru [BRZ]? It was a car designed for a 50-year-old. It’s for a midlife crisis. That’s not what we do.”

Did he just ask if Nissan has any competitors in the RWD sports car market?

and posted in the comment section:

From the 2013 Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study (one of the industry's top syndicated studies): BRZ average buyer age: 41 350z average buyer age: 55 Share of BRZ buyers under 35: 41% Share of 370Z buyers under 35: 13% Share of BRZ buyers 50 or over: 33% Share of 370Z buyers 50 or over: 62%

The time for Nissan to panic about market share has well and truly passed

irish44j wrote: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/nissan-vp-trash-talks-subaru-brz-has-midlife-crisis-of-1453017133

Some slovenly looking Nissan VP said: When asked about the rear-drive sports car market, Mr. Palmer rhetorically asked, "Do we have any competitors?" "...the Subaru [BRZ]? It was a car designed for a 50-year-old. It’s for a midlife crisis. That’s not what we do.”

Are we clear for burn? Checking for nominal burn conditions.

and posted in the comment section:

BRZ average buyer age: 41 350z average buyer age: 55 Share of BRZ buyers under 35: 41% Share of 370Z buyers under 35: 13% Share of BRZ buyers 50 or over: 33% Share of 370Z buyers 50 or over: 62%

All conditions nominal for burn. Ignition in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Pretty much the only company he should be talking smack to on RWD sports cars is Toyota and then ONLY if you don't count Scion as a Toyota. Most of FRS/BRZ drivers I've seen have been gen Xer's or younger.

I never understood the hubris of companies talking rediculous smack like that. I know you can't really talk up a competitors product but at least say something like, "That's not bad but check this out..."

In reply to Knurled:

In addendum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDTU0Q_07Pk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I've always thought the way to go is to say "Yeah, the BRZ/FRS is a good car. We're going to take the good things about it into consideration and make it even better by giving it (more power, lower price, better tires, better looking, soft-touch dash or whatever)....."

If they're really going to produce an updated 240z like they were hinting, this would be the time to show it. Your same tabloid "journalism" site claims that the new cars Nissan shows at the Tokyo autoshow will not be z cars

I bet they just go the route infiniti went with the G37. Put a smaller engine in it, keep it otherwise pretty much the same, make it cheaper, and call it the G25.

Nissan has been so stupid in recent years, i can almost realistically see them taking the 370, dropping some little turbo 4-banger in it, and calling it a 240z or something and proclaiming it a BRZ-killer.

Fun fact: I saw two young parents at Meijer yesterday. Dad was loading groceries into the trunk, and Mom was loading their daughter into a booster seat. The car? A Frisbee.

Let me preface this by saying I have yet to drive a FRS/BRZ. I do wonder at some of the hype surrounding the this car. If the 370Z is ~4.5k more than a FRS, why are they considered for radically different markets? Consider them with comparable options and I have to think it's very close. Same thing with the former RX-8 which was considered to have more or less the same attributes as the FRS/BRZ. The base model was very close in price to the FRS/BRZ, but was a bit faster in a straight line, better brakes, more refined, handled a bit better, had worse fuel economy and reliability.

kazoospec wrote: Pretty much the only company he should be talking smack to on RWD sports cars is Toyota...

What about:
Honda
Mitsubishi
KIA
MOPAR (sorry, the Challenger weighs more than my 4Runner, not a sports car)
Volkswagen
Volvo

ShadowSix wrote:

kazoospec wrote: Pretty much the only company he should be talking smack to on RWD sports cars is Toyota...

What about: Honda Mitsubishi KIA MOPAR (sorry, the Challenger weighs more than my 4Runner, not a sports car) Volkswagen Volvo

Uhhh..... RWD?

Snrub wrote: Let me preface this by saying I have yet to drive a FRS/BRZ. I do wonder at some of the hype surrounding the this car. If the 370Z is ~4.5k more than a FRS, why are they considered for radically different markets? Consider them with comparable options and I have to think it's very close. Same thing with the former RX-8 which was considered to have more or less the same attributes as the FRS/BRZ. The base model was very close in price to the FRS/BRZ, but was a bit faster in a straight line, better brakes, more refined, handled a bit better, had worse fuel economy and reliability.

This has been discussed before. My opinion is that it comes down to weight/size. There are other opinions.

I saw this smack-talking thing on FB and posted a link to it on my wall saying "How's that King of CVTs crown sitting, Nissan?"

Took the challenge to comparably equip them. Found something that surprised me. Really surprised me.

The 370Z comes standard with an Open Differential. If you want LSD, your only option is the $3k sport package which only gets you a viscous type. The FRS comes standard with a Torsen LSD. Advantage Toyobaru.

If you believe a proper RWD sports car needs LSD, that makes the dealer price difference between the two a bit over $8k. Or, 30% more to buy the Z car. Don't care about LSD, then it's only $5k more, or 20%.

Snrub wrote: Let me preface this by saying I have yet to drive a FRS/BRZ. I do wonder at some of the hype surrounding the this car. If the 370Z is ~4.5k more than a FRS, why are they considered for radically different markets? Consider them with comparable options and I have to think it's very close. Same thing with the former RX-8 which was considered to have more or less the same attributes as the FRS/BRZ. The base model was very close in price to the FRS/BRZ, but was a bit faster in a straight line, better brakes, more refined, handled a bit better, had worse fuel economy and reliability.

If you haven't driven it, then on what basis are you judging the handling, braking, and refinement?

Beer Baron wrote: Took the challenge to comparably equip them. Found something that surprised me. Really surprised me. The 370Z comes standard with an Open Differential. If you want LSD, your only option is the $3k sport package which only gets you a viscous type. The FRS comes *standard* with a Torsen LSD. Advantage Toyobaru. If you believe a proper RWD sports car needs LSD, that makes the dealer price difference between the two a bit over $8k. Or, 30% more to buy the Z car. Don't care about LSD, then it's only $5k more, or 20%.

how much to buy the car with the open diff and buy an LSD thru the parts department and install it?

Or a nice aftermarket unit.

novaderrik wrote: how much to buy the car with the open diff and buy an LSD thru the parts department and install it?

Quick google search says $1,500-$2,000 for just the internals. I imagine you're looking at several hundred more in labor.

So, figure at least $7k premium over a FR-S.

We can jump through a lot of hoops to try and de-legitimize the fact that people don't cross-shop BRZs and 370Zs and consider them to be different cars, but there is really no point. The vast majority of people do not consider them to be similar enough to cross-shop them. MAYBE it is the 20-30% (maybe 40+ with options?) price difference. Maybe it is that AND a pile of other subjective factors.

MAYBE when a hotter FRSBRZ version arrives that is closer in power and price point to a 370z (while still being different in numerous other ways), the comparison will become more natural and less forced.

is this maybe one of those questions where "used Z06" is the proper answer?

I worked for a guy that pulled similar 'marketing' tactics. When someone asked about a local competitor, he'd say "Oh, are they still on business? Huh..."

I always thought it was funny.

Meanwhile I'll just keep thrashing my 2011 Accord 2.4 liter 5-speed wishing I was driving a retro Nissan 510.

Ralph Gilles is not impressed.

novaderrik wrote: is this maybe one of those questions where "used Z06" is the proper answer?

I wouldn't even look at a 370Z compared to a C5 Z06 (Z06 is so far ahead in every category), but that's also getting into new vs. used.

Then again, I wouldn't look at a 370Z, period. I've driven both the FRS and BRZ and would strongly consider one to replace either my 2.5RS or Integra once the time came. Seems to be a great little commuter car with great performance/handling.

How does a person with that skill set (none) get the job he has?

The irony is that in my case at least, one of the things I dont like about the FRS is that it is a young guys car in my mind; its affordable to the age bracket and I am very aware of the consecions that had to be made to slot it in the niche.

The 370Z, Vette and Posrshe products all bring a higher level of refinement to the game, but come with the penalty of added weight and expense; both items that the old guy does not mind.

Now, just to put a brick in fat-boys mouth...If Nissan were not concerned about the Twins, why are they thinking of spending a bazzillion dollars to make a competitor?