If you had the money to get a supercar in the '80s, you probably went to Ferrari, Lamborghini or even Porsche. But Nissan, perhaps influenced by the Japanese bubble economy, wanted to be on that list, too.
At the 1985 Frankfurt Auto Show, Nissan pulled the cloak off the MID4 concept: a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive supercar.
The MID4 showcased a number of innovations, namely the newly designed VG30DE V6 engine, HICAS four-wheel steering, and a prototype all-wheel-drive system that was the predecessor of the ATTESA system later found in the R32-chassis GT-R.
No official horsepower numbers were offered, but based on the production VG30DEs found in the Z31- and Z32-chassis 300ZX, they might have been somewhere in the ballpark of 200-250.
A second-generation model, known as the MID4-II, would take the stage at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, this time sporting a twin-turbocharged VG30DETT engine that raised the output to around 330 horsepower.
Perhaps most interesting about the MID4-II, though, was its uncanny resemblance to the Honda NSX.
Do you think the MID4 and MID4-II would have put Nissan on the map as a supercar maker—and potentially allowed the brand to beat Honda to the punch? Or is it better that this ambitious supercar was deemed too expensive to produce?
Like what you're reading? We rely on your financial support. For as little as $3, you can support Grassroots Motorsports by becoming a Patron today.
There's a model kit of this. It looks like it would've been a cool car if they produced it.
I was looking at ebay for the model kit and ran across this 1/64 scale car, and it triggered a memory. I had one of these, and didn't even know what it was! I can't remember if it was this color, but I definitely remember the MID-4 text on the side of it. Wish I knew what happened to it.
I see a whole lot of 240sx in the front end and a whole lot of early z31 in the back end.
part z car, part ferrari. I dig it.
I see first gen mr2 in the front aswell.
I was expecting MID4 to mean four cylinders, with this being a competitor to the MR2 and Fiero. Was not expecting a VG30DE powered all wheel drive car. It does sound interesting, and looks great, but I'm not sure how much of an improvement it would have been over the 300ZX (and Skyline) that we did get.
Also - who thought a supercar should be painted tan? The red is a lot better.
I see a lot of Fiero in that.
I see some S13 in the front fenders. Interesting. Good looking car though. Wonder how it would have sold along the Skyline?
It's hard to imagine one of the bigger manufacturers like Nissan having this car, the Skyline, the Z's, and the Silvia / 240SX all on sale at the same time. I think the Skyline makes more sense as there's more parts that would cross over to these other models.
I see a lot of 90's Esprit with bits of Skyline and Silvia in the mix, especialy in the interior. That's kind of a fun thought, actually; an Esprit but built by Nissan instead of Lotus, with a 330hp twin-turbo Nissan engine instead of the Lotus 907, and then all-wheel drive similar to that of the Skyline. Seems like a great car to own and a good way to lose money on every unit sold.
"Nissan" and "almost built" have a familiar ring to it.
I shudder at the thought of working on a VG30DETT packaged in the middle of a car.
Displaying 1-10 of 22 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
