Andy_Palmer wrote: Will we do another RWD S16? – well……… watch this space; but you can be sure that if we did, it would be innovative and exciting, which I believe to be the spirit of Nissan.

Of course it would be an exciting car, were talking about a Nissan! Just please don't downsize the Z! PLEASE!

Mr. Palmer if yall did make a new S chassis I would almost bet that you wouldn't even have to advertise it, the word would just spread on its own. Before you know it the entire world would be making lines outside their local dealers to get their order in. *sigh* it would be such a beautiful day...

Andy_Palmer wrote: PS – I apologise for using links to photo’s – my forum skills are infantile!

They will get better.

Thanks again for taking the time to communicate with us here on NICO. We are a bunch of dedicated enthusiasts and we greatly appreciate your time!

-Mark

Dear mr palmer

I just sold my first honda for my first 240, and i will say by showing enough care and respect to pop up on here u made a customer for life!

Andy_Palmer wrote:Dear Greg and all. I don't normally participate in on-line forums, but I felt in this debate, I should. Thank-you all for taking the time and effort to express your views on Nissan's and Infiniti's product strategy. I am listening.

That in itself means a ton to us. As I mentioned earlier, speaking solely for myself, I've been a long-time Nissan enthusiast and steadfast supporter, even through the "low points". I've read Mr. Ghosn's book "Shift" as well as his autobiography; Mr. K's books, and John Rae's book on the history of the company. I've met and spent time with several of the Product Planners and other staffers. We have several Nissan employees on staff here at NICOclub, and we value their insight (and respect their loyalty and discretion with regards to "insider" activities). I've witnessed the company's nearly wholesale exit from motorsports and subsequent re-entry... I've seen the advertising and marketing efforts fall on their face and then rebound with a vengeance. I cringed when Nissan represented at the SEMA show with a bunch of "rental reps" (with no product knowledge), then Nissan came back strong the next year, and I was thoroughly disappointed when Nissan withdrew from the SEMA show completely (while other marques increased their presence and visibility). I was an outspoken critic of the seemingly-lopsided Renault-Nissan alliance back in '99, and was pleased to see that my fears were (for the most part) unfounded.

<deep breath>

Andy_Palmer wrote:Since you have been direct and plain speaking, I shall try to reciprocate.

That's what we do here - We don't know any other way to communicate. Realistically, that's the beauty of being independent. Several forums and communities are beholden (by virtue of financial or other support) to the automaker. We're one of the few remaining independently-owned car forums, and one of the largest: http://www.redline360.com/garage/forum- ... tive-forum I like to think that has something to do with being "direct and plain-speaking." I hope it's not off-putting - We always mean well.

Andy_Palmer wrote:The arguments you make for a new RWD small sports car are very similar to the positions taken by many in our company as we debate future products. Some of the facts and figures you use are accurate, some are not and some are down to a subjective discussion. Greg - I'm happy to set up a call with our product planning and research team so they can explain how we see the market and the various new segment opportunities.

I'd absolutely love that, especially if I could share what we learn with the community (there's that "utilization of social media" thing again!) The Product Planners I've met and dealt with in the past have struck me as remarkable and dynamic folks - And on a side note, kudos for landing Mr. de Nysschen. That was a home run.

Andy_Palmer wrote:You say that the decision to cancel a new small sports car was taken within the last year. In fact, several ideas around new sports models were either cancelled or postponed four years ago due to the sudden and dramatic impact from the 2008/2009 global financial crisis.

I may have misunderstood. I was referencing your statement to the Australian press where you mentioned that the ‘Mini Z’ project was cancelled "around 18 months ago".

“We went away from 86 and went down the road of Juke as a conscious decision. Gen Y and definitely Gen Z are less interested in that kind of execution of sportscars. We think Juke Nismo – which we introduced at Le Mans – is a much more profound way of going to market.”

Andy_Palmer wrote:I don't regret for one minute protecting vehicles like Juke (a massive global hit), the new Altima, LEAF and Sentra during a period when two car companies went into bankruptcy and everyone else was managing cash flow day-by-day.

Nor should you - and kudos to Nissan for staying "above the fray" when domestic automakers went begging for undeserved taxpayer bailout funds.

The new Altima is a phenomenal car - I spent quite a bit of time in a pearl white 2013 Altima 3.5 SL during the Sentra reveal in Dallas (thank you again for sending me to cover the event) and I found it to be very nearly perfect for its class. I'm eagerly awaiting the hybrid version in 2014! The Leaf, in my opinion, is underrated - in more ways than one. It's larger, faster, more luxurious, and better-assembled than people think. I've already said my piece on the new Sentra. I was present in 2006 to drive a preproduction version of the B16, and I was pleased to see Nissan take the next-generation Sentra up-market when I drove the 2013 LE and SR models. Having a tiered product line for sedans (Maxima > Altima > Sentra > Versa) makes a ton of sense, as shoppers can "settle" for the lesser model in the lineup without feeling they've compromised at all. The Sentra should have no problem clobbering Corolla, Civic, and Sonata - and may even steal some sales from domestic small sedans (where the buyer gets much less car for the money).

Remember, we're just one slice of the demographic - but we're the loudest and most influential slice.

Andy_Palmer wrote:By the way, you should really drive vehicles like the new Pathfinder and Sentra before dismissing our entire product plan in one sentence.

As nissangirl74 (Nissan's Business Manager, co-owner, and my wife) mentioned before, we do just that. I drove the '13 Sentra and found it impressive (although I think the decision to limit the 6MT to the base model is a mistake). We have a great relationship and a standing order with our local dealer - They call us as soon as the first of any model arrives, and we typically do a full evaluation within the next several days.

With that said, I'm always available to cover product launch events, and I think the team at Zocalo Group will confirm that we get a TON of engagement via our social media outlets across the web (Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Google+)... we offer a lot of bang for the buck. Whereas print magazines have a long lead-in before they can run a feature, we often have our impressions and media circulating within 24-48 hours of the event (and no magazine can touch the breadth of our reach!)

Andy_Palmer wrote:Second, lets deal with the assertion that Nissan has lost its 'shift_excitement'. One of the joys of being an enthusiast and student of our industry are the endless debates over product planning, motorsport and marketing. We have them all the time. In terms of products, I believe we are one of only two mass-market brands that have two sports cars in our line-up. Although you don't seem enthusiastic about our investments in a new range of Nismo products, the energy and enthusiasm for Nismo inside Nissan is motivating the product planning and engineering teams to create the largest range of performance-oriented products in Nissan history. The Juke Nismo is just the start...

I think, to speak plainly, we're gun-shy. Whereas models like the Spec-V were significantly more aggressive than the base Sentra, our fear is that the "Nismo" editions might be "all hat and no horse". As long as the Nismo upgrades mean more than just trim, badging, and appearance items, I think they'll be well-received. You'll have to pardon us for being cautious with our optimism - after all, the Nismo Frontier gave us different shocks, skid plates and different wheels/tires.

As for the Juke, the Nismo edition will offer 9 more horsepower, somewhat stiffer suspension, and some appearance upgrades... That's not going to justify mass enthusiasm or engender feelings of "exclusivity" for the buyer. FULLY understanding that the car has to remain practical, perhaps the upcoming Nismo RS edition would have been more "worthy" of the Nismo badge. Please don't take that as a criticism, but for those of us who have been enthusiasts since the late-80's, the Nismo badge means more than "gingerbread".

Andy_Palmer wrote:Third, motorsport. Nissan has a long and rich history. Over the past few years, we have been focused on racing the GT-R in the Japanese Super GT series. More recently, for example at this years 24 hours of Le Mans, we partnered with Duncan and Ben to support the Nissan Delta Wing project. Many in our industry rejected the Delta Wing, The fans at Le Mans and last weekend in Road Atlanta seemed to feel very differently. And there is much more to come as we expand our presence in LMP2 and GT racing. Never assume that motorsport is a given investment in a car company, as you will see from the number of automakers that continually enter and exit racing series.

You'll get no argument from me here. I raved about Nissan's re-entry into the motorsports arena earlier this year:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/nissan ... eries.html
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/nissan ... eason.html
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/nissan ... lenge.html
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/the-ni ... ports.html

The DeltaWing project is just plain inspirational - That's an endeavor that really made those of us in the Nissan camp swell with pride, if only because it was so groundbreaking and a "poke in the eye" to the racing establishment. Kudos to all involved.

Andy_Palmer wrote:Finally, lets come back to the so-called 'S16' project. We can debate the demographics and market conditions but in the end, the decision to invest in any new product program will always be a combination of art and science. Sometimes the numbers and timing stack-up, sometimes they don't. What I can hopefully reassure you today is that 1. Nissan is a company that works hard every day to balance business needs with a passion for products, 2. We agree that there is an opportunity to create a new kind of sports car for our future line-up and, 3. We are continually working on bring those ideas to life...so watch this space!

I'll take that as a "politically-correct" acknowledgement of an unmet need in the current lineup. We're well aware that our posting and collective grumbling doesn't drive corporate decision-making, but we hope it's at least something the company considers... and, by virtue of your professional response, and taking valuable time to even address the question, I'm optimistic and satisfied that we have indeed been heard.

Andy_Palmer wrote:Thanks for your loyalty to Nissan and for being enthusiastic about our future. Happy to continue the debate.

While my loyalty to the company runs deep, my loyalty and commitment to Nissan enthusiasts worldwide is first and foremost - my driving passion. I hope I've warranted your time, and I hope our discussion here hasn't been misconstrued as oppositional. We'll always be professional, while maintaining our objectivity and independence. Anything less would compromise our credibility - plus, if we always blindly applauded every internal decision, we'd be boring!

One final request: If the company does indeed move in that direction, we'd absolutely love to be the first to make the announcement.

Again, a sincere and genuine THANK YOU for taking some time for us - this is indeed a big event for the enthusiast community.

For the members who have posted herein, thank you for remaining professional and honest - I'm honored and ecstatic to be at the helm of this ship for the past 11 years, and NONE of this happens without you guys. Your involvement energizes me and gives me a reason to stay up 'til 2 a.m. making sure this place is as good as it can be. Our members are THE BEST.

Let's keep this discussion going - Your input is as important as ever.

Something cool that happened to me awhile back. I was contemplating the sale of my S14 because I wanted some extra cash in the bank. I had 4 cars at the time and I wasn't driving it, nor had I been for quite awhile. So I drove her into the garage to evaluate the items that needed replacement in order to boost the resale value. My middle boy, Dylan (5), has been tinkering on the 240 with me since he could walk. He's now fully up to speed, as well as a 5 yr old can be, on basic tools and "shining the light" for his Dad. We put her up on jack stands, opened the hood and began inspecting. The list of things I wanted to fix just kept on growing, not so much of out any requirement for resale, but because a gear head can't crawl all over his car without mentally noting any and all defects. At some point, I mentioned painting her before I could really get any money out of the deal. Apparently Dylan wasn't aware I was thinking about selling.

So I'm under the rear end, "needs all new bushings", I'm muttering to myself, when I hear Dylan off in the corner of the garage sobbing. So I crawl out from under the car to see what happened. He's over by my mishmash of tools, sitting on my old "travel" tool box. So I asked him what was wrong and was he hurt, he replied to me, "I don't want you to sell the 240" and broke down completely. He was upset, as upset as a child would be if he witnessed you put down the family dog. I was struck mute, which doesn't happen to me often. So I didn't say anything, I just held him for a minute. A moment that will remain etched in my mind for all eternity. All the money in the world can't buy memories like that. I still have that S14 and I will until he turns 16 and it becomes his.

That's what Nissan is all about.

WD, that actually made me tear up a bit. That's a great story. Thank you for sharing it. That made my morning.

float_6969 wrote:WD, that actually made me tear up a bit. That's a great story. Thank you for sharing it. That made my morning.

Yea same here. Thanks for sharing man.

WDRacing wrote: He was upset, as upset as a child would be if he witnessed you put down the family dog. I was struck mute, which doesn't happen to me often. So I didn't say anything, I just held him for a minute. A moment that will remain etched in my mind for all eternity. All the money in the world can't buy memories like that. I still have that S14 and I will until he turns 16 and it becomes his.

The part when you put it into prespective, so that we know exactly how your son was crying is very powerful.

Check this out- I know its a FWD turbo car, but this excerpt is pretty relevant to the conversation.

Ford says that 45% of early ST buyers are 16 to 35 years old and are newcomers, excited by the notion of a zippy compact. Slightly more, 50%, are 35 to 55. Ford believes many owned the old Focus SVT models, or wished they had, and don't want to miss a similar chance now...

...Yes, for Focus ST's starting price you could get a nicely appointed, midsize family car. Very practical. Very boring.

But if you don't need much space, and want instead to nourish your automotive soul, Focus ST could have a bull's-eye on your back.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/col ... y/1658807/

Thats a pretty broad demographic and it seems Ford, VW, Subaru/Toyo and Hyundai all believe there is a market for an exciting vehicle (ST, GTI, FRS/BRZ, Veloster & Genesis). The first two may be based on mass production cars, and the Toyobaru twins have a joint venture, but the latter is independent and stands out in its class. Its also from a company who never used to build anything that even resembeled an exciting vehicle, and yet they have been having some amazing growth and success the past few years in all market segments with their edgy styling and entertaining chassis & powertrains. Folks can't keep their hands off their products! An entry level, affordably priced, performance oriented (RWD) vehicle from the company is a no-brainer.

Do you guys know the story about the Z? About how it came to be and how it almost didn't happen? Mr. K was sent to the US to do market research in the 60s. When he was doing his research, his target demographic were the enthusiasts. The people who loved to drive. He was actually quite fascinated with GM and their muscle cars. (His beloved yellow Z that you see in lots of the posters with him is actually painted with GM paint. It color matches to the late 60s Camaros). Anyway, the bottom line was that he loved performance. The US had plenty of options for daily drivers: boxes with wheels that took you from point A to point B. He said that "Nissan...needed to build something stunning, something original that would make foreign manufacturers sit up and take notice of us." The top executives at Nissan resisted strongly. Their biggest fear was failure so they wanted to play it safe and build cars that were more conservative and similar to the other cars that were already here. However, Mr. K stood up to the executives and insisted that the Z was what people wanted and if Nissan wanted to be a key player in the global market, they HAD to do something in order to make them unique. They already had their foot in the door with the Roadster and the 510, but they needed something spectacular. (Those models were not nearly as popular and sought after when they were new as they are now.)

The Z was simple but VERY driver friendly. It had fully independent suspension, struts in the front and rear, disc brakes in the front, (drums in the rear), and an LSD. The inline 6, the L24, produced 150 hp. This was a far cry from ANYTHING Datsun had produced at the time and the American people LOVED IT. Nissan estimated production numbers of 1,600 cars per month to the US. Demand soared. If they could have built them fast enough, they could have sold 4,000 cars per month. The success of the Z is what actually halted the production of the Roadster. They shut it down so they could convert the assembly lines to build more Zs.

Much of the Zs success was due to the fact that Nissan used many parts of the 510 on the Z. This cut production costs. The cost of a brand new Z was only $3,526 in comparison to the the Vette which was $5,200. The Jags, Porsches, and Mercedes were all more expensive as well. Finally, there was a sports car available to the blue collar working man. As the years went by, changes were made. Safety issues and emission standards all had to be met (oh God, those horrid, horrid bumpers on the late model S30s) in order for the cars to be sold here. We also got some more goodies: more hp, A/C, power options, etc.

I told you all of that to make this point. Sometimes the actions of one man can be the turning force in a company that allows it to become something special and phenomenal. Because of the determination, perseverance, and leadership of Mr. K, Nissan is a global competitor. What would have happened if he had said, "Just build an econo box, someone will buy it because it is efficient". Would Nissan be relevant? Would there be events held all over the world celebrating the iconic classics and his birthday (he turned 103 this year, BTW)? Would people sacrifice their hard-earned money and vacation time to travel across states and time zones to admire other people's Datsuns, watch them race, and spend time with other enthusiasts who share that same passion? Would they buy an old Datsun, sight unseen, just for the honor of having one (or more) of them in their garage and the chance to drive one? Would this site exist? Would our members have formed life long friendships, marriages, families, if it weren't for the existence and success of this brand? The answer is NO. The reason you are reading this is because one man refused to settle for second-best.

Does Nissan need a new Z that is neutered to a 4cyl? No, they don't. Leave the Z alone. Let it maintain it's iconic status. Do they need a new 240sx? No, they don't. Their time has come and gone and we, as consumers need to get past that. An S16 would be great, but why not try something brand new that includes the features we want: a sleek RWD manual trans coupe that's easily modified for more HP and performance (not the Juke). Nissan, you've made it happen before, you can do it again.

However, what we absolutely DO need, first and foremost, is another Mr. K. Someone who is willing to listen to those of us in the enthusiast community who have a true passion for our cars, for those of us who don't want automated cars to drive for us, for those of us who always yearn for a back road that will let us open up the throttle and let our horses scream and turbos whine, the fuel bill be damned. Someone who is willing to design us a car that will make us smile, give her a name, and refuse to ever sell because she will always be part of the family.

Could not have said it better myself.

nissangirl74 wrote: Does Nissan need a new Z that is neutered to a 4cyl? No, they don't. Leave the Z alone. Let it maintain it's iconic status. Do they need a new 240sx? No, they don't. Their time has come and gone and we, as consumers need to get past that. An S16 would be great, but why not try something brand new that includes the features we want: a sleek RWD manual trans coupe that's easily modified for more HP and performance (not the Juke). Nissan, you've made it happen before, you can do it again.

We do need SOMETHING sleek, rwd, cheap, fun, and easy to work on. That being said, I don't think bringing back the 240sx nameplate would be such a bad idea (Its not a 100% surefire awesome idea, but not a bad one). If done right, seeing the 240sx badge pop up on a new car will re-ignite the flame in a lot of enthusiasts. At the same time, if its something that has nothing to do with the earlier chassis, then it might seem like a 240sx badge was just thrown on there.

Toyota did it right IMO. They wanted to bring back their AE86 Corolla, but knew that the new car would not resemble the old AE86 in many ways, but it still shared the same spirit. So they didn't call it an AE86 Corolla, they named it the GT86. Which is really smart because that old corolla is called the AE86 mainly by enthusiasts.

Very, very well said Bex.

I know a ton about the Z... One thing that I would like to add to the summary of what you wrote is that the Z was such a success that it forced British automakers to pretty much back out completely of the American market.

I'm one of the resident Z nuts here at NICO. I live and breathe the Z. A couple months ago my "Z" key on my keyboard got stuck.

I strongly agree with Bex when it comes to the Z. It should stay the way it is, it always needs to have a 6 cylinder engine wether it be inline or a "V" it has to have 6 cylinders NO EXCEPTIONS. The Z is an ICON, raw materials yern to become a part of a Nissan Z.

The Z must never die nor have a 4 cylinder (not even have a 4 cylinder as an option). It also must NEVER have a hybrid option or be FWD or AWD (It can't even have FWD or AWD as options). The Z must never be a mid engine car either. I'm a Nissan Z purist my Z is by no means stock but it has tasteful power mods I will get the Jspec bumper and Jspec tails when I get to that stage of the build..

Lets talk about the Silvia, There needs to be an S16. Why would you kill such a successful chassis? Nissan needs to make a light weight FR platform that responds well to upgrades. It needs to be called the S16 and here's why:

• 1. The Silvia's reputation.
  2. Since the Schassis has such a great rep it will sell itself off the lots.
  3. Nissan wouldn't need to do any advertising that they would have to pay for. Simply tell us here at NICO that yall are working on an S16 give us some special details and within a few days the entire world will know.

Mr. Palmer I'm sure by now yourself and all the other guys real high up in Nissan are chewing over a new Silvia. Think about this, in terms of the S16 competeing with the BRZ frs ect. The BRZ/FRS are both boxer engines AFAIK. I think that was a horrible choice for the power plant that Toyota and suby chose. Boxer engines suck to work on, everyone knows that they suck to work on. One of the biggest things people do to these light weight FR drivetrain cars is to upgrade things.

SO say you want to upgrade the turbo on the BRZ ok well it probably requires an engine pull ect. Say you get a tune for more boost on your BRZ but you need to get colder plugs ok well 8 hours later you can pull the plugs out another 8 hours you will have them back in.

Do you get where I am going with this?

If Nissan makes an S16 its going to be easier to work on which means it easier to upgrade that info alone already makes it more appealing than the BRZ/FRS.


Lets rewind to the year 1990 with the release of the Twin Turbo 300zx which broke the gentlemans agreement between japanese auto makers. Car enthusiasts were shocked at how awesome and well equiped the Z32's were, as a result the Z32's were selling quite well due to the car being down right awesome and the history/reputation of the previous Z's. A few years later Toyota released the new Supra it was higher priced but in return it had a little more power.

Now move the clock up to 2009. The GTR is back and coming to the American market. The world screamed! It is the most inexpensive supercar in the world. As far as I know it sold pretty well considering its extreme niche market. Now it sold well due to it being awesome (just like the Z32) and its reputation from previous skylines (JUST LIKE THE Z32). A few years go by and Toyota comes out with the LFA. Which was an EPIC fail if you ask me but were not going there thats not the point I'm trying to make.

Now move the clock to the present day. Toyota came out with the BRZ/FRS. They actually beat Nissan to the punch this time around. They introduced a light weight FR platform. Now the world waits for Nissan to introduce the competition.

The point being that Nissan has been ahead of the ball and pulled the trigger first for both examples. Which I would argue both of the examples I mentioned were better than the Toyota's follow up models in there different ways. (but again I'm trying to stay on topic). Now Nissan is in Toyota's shoes in a sense of being behind by a model.

Don't let us down Mr. Palmer were counting on you. Were expecting Nissan to pull an ACE out of there sleeve. The world is waiting.

Andy_Palmer wrote:Dear all
Thank you for your comments and I apologise for the time to reply – living in Japan gives me some time-zone disadvantages.
Please believe me when I say, that my team (and perhaps especially) myself are car nuts.

We love the GTR (a little expensive outright, but great value/ performance). The Z370 is still a terrific car, especially the NISMO version. And I personally love my own FX50.

My next plan is to bring a production car sports series (democratizing AMG) starting with the JUKE-NISMO.

.

Other NISMO cars will follow, all with great handling. We even have the JUKE-R on sale.


All these cars have the NISMO DNA exemplified by Deltawing...


Will we do another RWD S16? – well……… watch this space; but you can be sure that if we did, it would be innovative and exciting, which I believe to be the spirit of Nissan.

I’m now at Tochigi testing a RWD prototype (not a Sports Car) – I can tell you I think it’s the best car I’ve been associated in my 34yrs in this industry – I’m a lucky guy, that’s how I get to spend my weekends.

I hope you all have a good weekend too
Andy

PS – I apologise for using links to photo’s – my forum skills are infantile!

Nissan never made a 240zx, cross a S15 with a hatchback 240z, design a new dohc 2.4L I6, and make different packages so more people can afford one. 240zxs I'd sell 4 of my 6 Nissans to buy one( will not part with my '98 240sx, or '06 Xterra).

300ZXttZMAN wrote: I strongly agree with Bex when it comes to the Z. It should stay the way it is, it always needs to have a 6 cylinder engine wether it be inline or a "V" it has to have 6 cylinders NO EXCEPTIONS. The Z is an ICON, raw materials yern to become a part of a Nissan Z.

Agreed.

300ZXttZMAN wrote: Lets talk about the Silvia, There needs to be an S16. Why would you kill such a successful chassis? Nissan needs to make a light weight FR platform that responds well to upgrades. It needs to be called the S16 and here's why:

• 1. The Silvia's reputation.
  2. Since the Schassis has such a great rep it will sell itself off the lots.
  3. Nissan wouldn't need to do any advertising that they would have to pay for. Simply tell us here at NICO that yall are working on an S16 give us some special details and within a few days the entire world will know.

The s-chassis is already dead. Really the only thing they'd have in common with an "S16" is the spirit (RWD, cheap fun, easy to work on). The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of not calling it a 240sx. Maybe go the same route that Toyota did and simply call it S16.

300ZXttZMAN wrote: The BRZ/FRS are both boxer engines AFAIK. I think that was a horrible choice for the power plant that Toyota and suby chose. Boxer engines suck to work on, everyone knows that they suck to work on. One of the biggest things people do to these light weight FR drivetrain cars is to upgrade things.

SO say you want to upgrade the turbo on the BRZ ok well it probably requires an engine pull ect. Say you get a tune for more boost on your BRZ but you need to get colder plugs ok well 8 hours later you can pull the plugs out another 8 hours you will have them back in.

Putting the boxer in there wasn't a horrible choice. What cheap, somewhat fun RWD motor does Toyota have right now? Using subaru's resources and throwing the boxer in there was a smart move. PLUS, the boxer kept the car's center of gravity pretty low to the ground. Changing the plugs definitely does not take 8 hours. its only a little bit more annoying than changing the plugs on a V engine.

The GT86 platform is not turbocharged, and it doesn't need to be. The AE86 was not a power monster, it was a cheap RWD car that was surprisingly fun and that had a soul. That is exactly what the GT86 is.

Mr. Palmer, first off, welcome. I know I am late to this party, though. On the more important side, the car that my team uses for racing (the Pikes Peak Hill Climb 240sx) is something that is getting an amazing amounts of hits and comments literally worldwide. It is quirky... looks fairly badass but pink. All Nissan parts make it go fast, though, and the media as well as car enthusiasts eat it up. Is it because this thing isn't the typical ragged drift car? Maybe. But just imagine Nissan pushing a new affordable RWD sports car that could do anything from autocross to the PPIHC. Subaru tired it with the BRZ, but the engineering wasn't quite ready in time for the 2012 PPIHC race. I assume next year they will be there and make a very important presence that the entire world of car enthusiasts will eat up. Nissan, as of right now, will not. The only "affordable" car that Nissan makes that will be on Pikes Peak in 2013 as of now is Toshiki Yoshioka's S15... America never even had one of these. Just sayin'

I had the pleasure of spending some time this week with a former long-time employee of Nissan's Motorsports Division... He's seen the article, and offered a little insight:

"Nissan Corporate has no balls."

While I was inclined to disagree, and he was quick to give a lot of credit to the majority of NNA management, he explained that Japan still wields ultimate control over the product planning decision-making process. Remind anyone of 1970?

We further discussed this "balls" comment. I proposed that Hyundai / Kia might have a more functional approach - Hiring (and trusting) product planners who understand the US market, and Korea allows them to take risks and cater to the market they're involved in. I don't think anyone can knock the results - their successes have been impressive (again, reminds me of Nissan, circa 1970).

Remember when NNA took offense to the speeding ticket we got in the pre-production 370Z during the Z Tour? They even asked us to remove any mention of it from the article - In their view, it was "dishonorable." Let that soak in for a moment - You build a 332hp sports car that runs a quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 106mph, reached 100mph in less than 12 seconds, and handles like a track car... and are OFFENDED that someone goes out and drives it like a sports car? Grrrrrr.

By the way, I spent this past week at SEMA. While Subaru was notably absent for the first time in the 10 years I've attended SEMA, Nissan hasn't been there for the past 4 years. Guess what car was EVERYWHERE? Yep. BRZ / FR-S. Unless you were standing in Ford's enormous display, or you were in the trucks section, you literally couldn't turn around without seeing modified Toyobaru cars. I quit counting at FORTY. Turbo kits, superchargers, body kits, exhausts, intakes, ECU upgrades... This car has aftermarket support for MILES.

THIS is a great example of reaching the youth market: http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/10 ... te-contest

Becky spent quite a bit of time with a new Pathfinder and the new Sentra this week, and her reviews are on the way... but this isn't about the remainder of the product line - This is about the complete and utter void beneath the GT-R and 370Z.

On a side note, since the Juke keeps getting brought up - In four days of SEMA, I saw NO aftermarket support for the Juke, with the exception of some vent visors, roof racks and fog lights.

Don't get me wrong - I take NO joy in this, and I engage in this discussion with the utmost respect for the management of NNA and its workers. But, as an independent and objective fan / critic / enthusiast, I'll be nothing but honest. I've said my piece, you guys (and Mr. Palmer) know where I stand, and I desperately want to be excited again about the company we've built this enormous community around.

More soon - Thanks all!

Mr.Palmer, I agree that the GTR, 370Z, JUKE R, and the Nismo cars are all great cars, but they also are all well over $30000 to buy one, and I ,like atleast half the people in NICO, would not be able to afford any of those cars. I also like how with the altima, you offered a choice between a 3.5L v6 or a 2.5L i4, and I think it would be a good idea if you offered a similar choice for a new rwd Z/SX cross creation. The 6 cyl would be for the z series, and the sx series would have a i4. Then for both models offer turbo and na versions. This way more people can afford to buy one, and if they wanted more power, they would have more options to work with. I would also like to see a comeback of the inline six. Thanks for taking the time to read our forum and listen to our input, and give those executives that aren't listening a swift boot to the a**!

I have to agree with what everyone here is saying.

I am actually in the market right now for a new car. I fit perfectly into this discussion, because I'm coming from a Z, which was fun to drive and had great power, but lacked the space I need because a two seater really just isn't practical.

So far I've driven a Genesis 2.0 and loved it. The way it drove was exactly what I wanted, but the new ones have these hood vents that just look terrible in my opinion, and I couldn't find a new 2012 anywhere near me.

I've been wanting to drive the FR-S/BRZ but I would have to make a trip as the dealerships near me don't have one in stock, or when they do it's a reserved car. Plus, like someone mentioned above, I really want a motor that's simple to work on as a whole.

Where I'm at now, I'm really not in a rush to find anything. Realistically I may just save my money and get a s14 to drive around while I wait to see what else the market has in store. But I will say this, if nissan had on their lot a new s-chassis car, I'd be all over it turbo or not....especially if I had a lot of the same body styling's as the s15

Hi everyone,

Thank you once more for all the inputs. Needless to say, I read them, agree with some of them, disagree with others, and debate them with my Product Planners.

I did want to respond to the comments about Nissans bravery - not quite expressed in that manner, and the illusion that Nissan Japan makes all the decisions on new products. I want to assure you that neither of these points represent reality.

On the subject of NISMO and racing, I hope you will have all watched our exploits at Petite Le Mans - some link here will hopefully stimulate interest if you didn't:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jGoWnoEkkI

I would argue this is one of the greatest innovations in racing history and it couldn't have been done without Nissans passion for driving, innovation and excitement.....and bravery (name another car company who would have signed-off Deltawing and put its name bravely down the side?) But that's not all the story. One of the drivers, named Lucas Ordonez is a graduate of the Nissan GT Academy. The GT Academy: This is a special project that allows Gran Turismo players to fulfill the ultimate dream of becoming a professional racecar driver.

The first winner, Lucas Ordonez from Spain, took 2nd place in his debut season in the 2009 FIA GT4 series. In 2011, he stepped up to the Intercontinental LeMans Cup, winning the series championship and ranking 2nd in the LMP2 class at the world famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 2nd winner, Frenchman Jordan Tresson, won his class in the 2011 24 Hours of Spa, and has also took home a class championship in the Blancpain Endurance series. And last year’s winner, Jann Mardenborough of England, is following in the footsteps of Tresson, challenging for title in the Blancpain Endurance series this year with a Nissan GT-R / NISMO GT-R.

In 2011, the excitement of the GT Academy crossed the Atlantic to North America, where first-year winner Brian Heitkotter is taking on the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge this year in a Nissan 370 NISMO RC.

If your interested, here's another useful link
http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/academy/2012/

(I apologise for the lack of PR spin and polish here, but I post these as a Nissan enthusiast, rather than EVP of Nissan).

You will also know that we supplied Nine of the Top Ten teams with Nissan engines for Le Mans LMP2 cars and are next year participating in the Australian V8 series (with Altima). Each time, NISMO is at the centre of the action; they ultimately report to me.

Then of course, there's F1 - I hope you will all enjoy watching the Infiniti backed Red Bull team in Austin this weekend. It's possible for the team to take the constructors title there this weekend and for Sebastian, our Brand Ambassador, to increase his lead in the drivers championship - if he wins this, he will be the youngest driver in history to win 3 championships. He inspired us to build the Infiniti Vettel FX.

My point is that Nissan is not only making inspiring race-cars, we are also developing young driving talent to race them - from the Play-Station generation....brave?

So we love inspired cars and we start to bring their siblings to the road with the Juke NISMO - I understand some of you would have preferred it was with a new SX, but well as I said previously, watch this space.

On the input of Nissan North America Product Planners - I assure you their input is significant and vital in fixing and executing our Product Plan. I meet the head of NNA Product Planning every month and he and his team both input into all programs coming to North and South America and in some instances, lead the programs (meaning the Chief Product Planner, called CPS, is American). Until just recently, the global head of Product Planning, reporting to me was also American; recently replaced (he is now leading Product Planning at Renault) by young and aggressive Japanese guy, who I can assure you is an out and out pure car-guy and drives a GTR.

The results of late - well, the LEAF was pretty brave? The GTR MY13? The new Altima, keeping a V6? The Pathfinder moving to monocoque? The new Sentra with acres of space?...... oh and by the way, this week, we just won the RJC's Car of the Year with new NOTE (Versa). The team that does this is neither Japanese, American or English - it's global and in my personal opinion, is producing some of the best cars of the moment. I am proud of this team and I believe them to be the best in the industry right now. However, if any-one can be blamed with not being brave enough, then that criticism lies 100% with me.

I enjoy your input here - I read it, absorb it and consider it in my decision-making. I want you all to know that while we might not always meet your personal expectations, the team and I listen. The results you will debate and judge for yourself, but I thank you for your on-going support and dedication to the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

Hope to see some of you in Detroit Motorshow in January.

Andy Palmer
Executive Vice President
Nissan Motor Company Limited (Japan)
Global Corporate and Product Planning and Product Management
Global Marketing, Brand and Communications &
Infiniti Division

Thanks for the insight Mr. Palmer. We're listening as well, and we're "watching that space" with obvious enthusiasm.

Andy_Palmer wrote: I enjoy your input here - I read it, absorb it and consider it in my decision-making. I want you all to know that while we might not always meet your personal expectations, the team and I listen.


Andy Palmer
Executive Vice President
Nissan Motor Company Limited (Japan)
Global Corporate and Product Planning and Product Management
Global Marketing, Brand and Communications &
Infiniti Division

That is a huge compliment to all of us here at NICO!
Thank you so much for engaging in conversation with us.

I will be attending NAIAS in Jan. I'm working on a press badge so I can cover the show in an "official" manner on the first day. I'm very excited about the unveiling of the new Infiniti G series.

We just had a great live conversation about the new MY13 Pathfinder in our Pathfinder forum with one of the product planners. While some complain that the Pathy has lost some of it's "mojo" due to lower ground clearance and less off-road capability, I think most of us view it as a big step forward for what most of the demographic wants from a mid-size SUV.

We all love the new Altima.. that's a very strong contender for #1 in class and potentially the top selling car period.

The Sentra is certainly upsized and upscale (for the same low price), but I'm not sure it satisfies the "fun" aspect that most NICO members look for.

Count me among those who are unhappy with the lack of a sub $30k rwd sports car. I've had at least 7 Nissan vehicles in the past 10 years and wanted to remain loyal, but I just couldn't pass up the incredible package that Subaru and Toyota offered in the BRZ/FRS.. So I now have a BRZ in my garage. You've alluded a couple times to "watching this space".. I cannot wait to find out what you have up your sleeve!

Any chance you'd consider giving NICO a chance to scoop that story when the time comes? Maybe a 24 hr head start?


Thanks again for taking the time for talk with us here on NICO. The simple knowledge that there are still "car guys" like yourself at the helm at Nissan is a big relief to all of us!!

I will also be at NAIAS but as usual, I don't think I'm going to bother looking at the Nissan and Infiniti displays unless I hear of something geared toward an audience beyond 40something women who work in Human Resources, listen to Coldplay, and drive crossovers.

It is, however, reassuring to know that some folks at Nissan are listening to and addressing the concerns and desires of young auto enthusiasts.

Andy_Palmer wrote:I am proud of this team and I believe them to be the best in the industry right now. However, if any-one can be blamed with not being brave enough, then that criticism lies 100% with me.

I don't know about that - Going on-camera to openly discuss the "issues" with the Leaf battery longevity was pretty damn ballsy in my opinion. I applaud that move wholeheartedly. For what it's worth, I'm a believer in the Leaf. I've been trying to work a deal on one with my local dealer, in fact.

Product Planners, are, by nature, somewhat "defensive" about their projects - and rightly so. It's no different than telling a new mother her baby has big ears. They put their heart and soul into these new models (as well as their professional reputation). We're learning more and more about the process and all the effort that goes into bringing a new platform to market.

The community has to be prepared to support and encourage "gutsy" product development calls. Based on some of the responses I read about the Extrem Concept and the new Pathfinder, I'm not confident that the enthusiast community is *quite* as eager to embrace change as they claim to be.

While I've said repeatedly that I'm happy to provide this resource for Nissan fans to speak freely, I'm also well aware that many feel a company can just regurgitate a long-defunct design and call it "new". Doesn't work that way. CAFE standards, FVMSS and DOT requirements, and other criteria preclude building anything that's a "throwback."

Andy_Palmer wrote:I enjoy your input here - I read it, absorb it and consider it in my decision-making. I want you all to know that while we might not always meet your personal expectations, the team and I listen. The results you will debate and judge for yourself, but I thank you for your on-going support and dedication to the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

As I said before, that means more to us than any new product announcement ever will. There are automakers who engage with the community (Mini and Cadillac come to mind) and there are those that don't... I'm optimistic about the next three years for Nissan.

We just completed another live chat with Product Planner Evan Fulton regarding the Pathfinder, and he did a great job. We also reviewed the '13 Pathy and found it to be impressive (see homepage). The '13 Sentra live chat was a success as well, so we're looking forward to the next ones. They're a great opportunity to engage the enthusiast community... your "early adopters" and brand cheerleaders, so to speak. Thanks for allowing them to spend some time with the community.

Thanks again for popping in on us, Mr. Palmer. It's always a pleasure to get some insight from an "inside" point of view. If you'll take a few minutes for us on occasion, I'll take personal responsibility for ensuring the feedback, criticism, accolades and suggestions from the community are well-thought out and considerate (and realistic). I hope that's a fair trade.

Please thank the Product Planning team again for working with us... we've made some good friends at Zocalo Group and enjoy working with them as well.

Boom goes the dynamite?

http://www.gtchannel.com/blog/new-240sx

Rumors? Or something substantiated?

Haven't read this thread in awhile, but now I'm getting excited to see what Nissan dishes out in the next fear years. I currently live in a big college town, and I see quite a few new Sentras, Altimas, and Jukes (not to mention a couple GT-Rs) scooting around. It's refreshing to see a brand I love so much to be so successful among some of my peers. If some sort of affordable FRS competition came out I would undoubtedly take a long look at it and possibly trade in my old S13.

I'll be graduating next month, and I just applied to Nissan this afternoon. Can't even describe how excited I would be if I had the opportunity to work with a possible S-chassis successor.

That link about a possible new S chassis looks more like a new G25 than anything...since i see there are new G series cars launching in January, that would be my better guess.

Supports my theory...

BigTDogg (MA) wrote:Boom goes the dynamite?

http://www.gtchannel.com/blog/new-240sx

Rumors? Or something substantiated?

Looks like borrowed parts. Grill from an Altima, headlights from an FX more or less. I don't really like the front end, but those rear haunches look great! Almost Audi A5ish.

WDRacing wrote:A sports car is supposed to look like sex on wheels, the Juke does not say anything close to sexy.

I agree. No one really drools over a 1979 Mustang.


But come up with a timeless shape, and people remember for a long, long time.

Or older

(Minus the stretched tires and funky stance)
older

and older still:

That rendering is too "upscale" to be in a < $25k sports car discussion.

However, if there's even a hint of truth to that, and some cut-rate site got wind of it before us, I'd be more aggravated than if it didn't happen at all.

AZhitman wrote:That rendering is too "upscale" to be in a < $25k sports car discussion.

However, if there's even a hint of truth to that, and some cut-rate site got wind of it before us, I'd be more aggravated than if it didn't happen at all.

^ This

More like a rendering of the next gen Infiniti G to me. I'm very curious to see what they do with the coupe.

s13kam wrote:Dear mr palmer

I just sold my first honda for my first 240, and i will say by showing enough care and respect to pop up on here u made a customer for life!

Welcome to NICO!!!