Raiding the Parts Bin: Nissan Hot Hatch

[RicerX]

For the everyman who wants a car that can do it all - carry things, be fun, be quick, look cool, maintain a shred of being economical (economicality? economaly? economicomical? practicality.), the car gods have bestowed upon us the almighty HOT HATCH.


Pictured: Google Image's first result for the search term "Hot Hatch".

This little market in America has never really soared, with the following vehicles mainly ruling the roost for hot hatches in America:


Volkswagen GTI


Corksport's Project Mazdaspeed 3, because it was a really cool google image result in the top row that wasn't 90000000 x 40000000 pixels.

Lately, however, we have seen an influx of hot hatches into the American market, and they're selling fairly well. The demand for a car that can be fun yet reasonable in terms of practicality is growing with the ever-changing economy.


Ford Focus ST


Fiat 500 Abarth

Rumors are swelling over the idea of getting this little gem from Honda here in America, complete with a 276hp VTEC motor:

Source: Jalopnik

And Ford confirmed today that we will see the Ford Focus RS in the United States.

Nissan, here's where it gets tricky.

THIS -



DOESN'T COUNT.

But this could:



You guys are wondering where the Nissan parts bin comes in here. HARK! For I have a fomula for using the existing Sentra platform (or the Juke's? ehh...).

Powertrain
Direct Injected, 2.0 turbocharged 4 cylinder (a variation of the Juke's MR16DDT powerplant).
6 speed manual transaxle, paired with a helical limited slip differential (straight from the Juke NISMO RS).
(To make this tempting to the pencil pushers at Nissan) - an optional AWD, CVT option (straight from the Juke NISMO).

Suspension/wheels/brakes
Shocks/struts configuration Straight from the Juke NISMO.
Brakes from the Z.
Wheels/tires from the Juke (Z wheels/tires would be far too aggressive for the platform)

Interior
Optional Recaro seats (straight from the Juke NISMO RS/370Z NISMO). Hell, put four of them in there. WICKED.
Juke or Z gauge cluster. Preferably Z because, who are we kidding? Center tach rules.

So... I'm getting lazy, but you guys have gotten the idea at this point.

Would it work? Would you buy it? Would it compete?

[numbnuts240]

in roughly 1 - 1 1/2 months time, i will be shopping for a new vehicle. the car at the top of that list, at the moment, is the focus st. to hell what everyone keeps saying about the fiesta st being more fun/better driver/whatever. it's too damned small. i sat in one and felt cramped inside. i've seen them on the road and they are too narrow and tiny. i want something that i can actually use the rear cargo space for.

gti is out, because volkswagen. speed3 is out because there is no new one. wrx isn't offered in hatch, nor do i want awd, or working on a boxer. i have a soft spot for the nismo juke, but the performance is lacking, as far as i'm concerned.

all that being said, the nismo pulsar pics cause me to sport a chubby. i think it looks great, and if the performance were on par with the current top contenders, i think nissan would have a big seller on their hands. if it were available now, it'd be a top contender with the focus for myself. but, alas, it isn't so. why? because nissan.

[lne937s]

You guys are wondering where the Nissan parts bin comes in here. HARK! For I have a fomula for using the existing Sentra platform (or the Juke's? ehh...).

Powertrain
Direct Injected, 2.0 turbocharged 4 cylinder (a variation of the Juke's MR16DDT powerplant).
6 speed manual transaxle, paired with a helical limited slip differential (straight from the Juke NISMO RS).
(To make this tempting to the pencil pushers at Nissan) - an optional AWD, CVT option (straight from the Juke NISMO).

Suspension/wheels/brakes
Shocks/struts configuration Straight from the Juke NISMO.
Brakes from the Z.
Wheels/tires from the Juke (Z wheels/tires would be far too aggressive for the platform)

Interior
Optional Recaro seats (straight from the Juke NISMO RS/370Z NISMO). Hell, put four of them in there. WICKED.
Juke or Z gauge cluster. Preferably Z because, who are we kidding? Center tach rules.

So... I'm getting lazy, but you guys have gotten the idea at this point.

Would it work? Would you buy it? Would it compete?

I think the way the new Golf/GTI has been racking up COTY awards in the US and the substantial increase in sales (although still less than the Jetta) show there is a potential market for these types of vehicles. If you compare it to the ATS as a potential inspiration for a competing vehicle, the Golf has a larger (and better made) interior, faster acceleration (2.5 ATS to 1.8T Golf, 2.0T ATS to GTI, 3.6 ATS to Golf R), better handling numbers, better fuel economy, lower price, etc. As the engineering and production costs of the platform are spread across a massive amount of vehicles, it lets you profitably sell a much better car for less money. And sales are way up for the Golf, while Cadillac announced another 100 layoffs http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/1 ... r-january/
(still better than the SS http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/1 ... ce=twitter)

So I think there is a strong argument for a European-style hatch with a hot hatch version for the US. Ford just announced a new Focus RS is coming to the states.

For parts bin, I would look to the Common Module architecture, which is what the Qashqai, Rogue and European Pulsar are built on (Sentra and Juke are on different platforms). The Qashqai has been racking up COTY awards in Europe the way the Golf has been here, for example http://www.carwow.co.uk/car-reviews/nissan/qashqai. Given the strength of this flexible platform, if given the right engine and tuning, it should make for a decent C-segment hot hatch-- similar to the way the MBQ has. A NISMO Qashqai is already in the works, so the parts from engine to suspension would be available. The AWD system is also a little more robust than the Juke's to allow for more power, if they added it on. Based on reports out of Europe, it looks like a Pulsar NISMO RS is on the way with 275hp and a new potential Nurburgring record.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/pul ... atch-party


This will also be what the next-generation Megane will be built on, so there are some potential shared parts there as well...


It is kind of funny how many of us spent years lusting for JDM Nissans we couldn't have, but I honestly think the more desirable Nissan cars we can't have are now coming out of Europe (as well as the Civic Si hatch). If they built a NISMO Pulsar RS here, I could see some parts sharing with the next Sentra and current Rogue (which is selling well, but could use a more powerful engine option). With enough economies of scale to spread out the parts cost and the engineering basically done, the argument for a hot-hatch keeps getting stronger.

[float_6969]

But we'll never see it because Nissan is filled with fat heads. Why does America always get the short end of the stick. Are we, as a whole, just really that dumb that the majority of the population can't appreciate a great car? The last car I can think of that we got, that nobody else did, was when Subara released the WRX STI w/a 2.5 turbo, and nobody else got it.

[metalmagician]

I'd buy that as soon as it hit the floor

[Jesda]

MS3, ST, GTI... even stodgy GM makes a Sonic Turbo hatchback that's a blast to drive. Where are you Nissan?

The plans and pieces are right here in this thread, waiting to be cobbled together by talented engineers.

[Bubba1]

Would it work? Would you buy it? Would it compete?

Would it work? Yes if Nissan offered a man-pedal for the US market, plus de-uglify it a bit, both of which seem unlikely.

Would I buy it? No. Why? There are better sportier alternatives with better reliability out there that come with manual transmissions. I'd buy a zoom-zoom3 or Subie for that segment before a CVT equipped small Nissan with "Nismo" stickers slapped on.

Would it compete? Good question. I think gullible automotive appliance buyers might like them, but probably not us enthusiasts. And that seems to be the heart of the problem for us Nissan enthusiasts. Nissan's been increasingly focused on the more plentiful appliance buyers, while all-but abandoning the fun seekers.

[AZhitman]

The hot-hatch market is RIPE for another entry. But, as Joel said, if Nissan is gonna play in that rarefied air, they'd better bring their A-game. Because Ford, Mazda and VW aren't screwing around.

VW invented the hot hatch with the GTI, and they know their stuff. The MazdaSpeed 3 and Focus RS are neck-and-neck, badass sonsabidges.

It's such a perfect formula: Sporty, tossable, aggressive - but with room for 2 kids, a load of groceries, or a mountain bike.

Nissan, don't F this up. You shat the bed with the affordable RWD manual trans sports car, now is your chance to kick the competition in the teeth.

We're waiting - and watching.

[krazy skwerelette]

I would sell a kidney for a good nissan/nismo hot hatch...

[AZhitman]

The plans and pieces are right here in this thread, waiting to be cobbled together by talented engineers.

SHOTS FIRED.