Hey all-
Got home from work today and had almost 50 roadster-list messages!
Obviously something has gotten things stirred up! I'm apparently going
against the grain on this forum but I actually really like the looks of the
new Z. I do agree with most of you that it could have a little more retro
flare. I feel that if they had kept a retro perspective with the headlights
and tailights, the whole attitude of the car would change.
Lets face it. Nissan is a business and made this car to turn a profit and
build brand loyalty. In doing so, they feel they needed to please a diverse
audience to create acceptable sales numbers. On one side they have the
loyal Z car lovers that live and breathe "Z"--on the other, they have the
rest of the world who needs definite motivation to buy into the new design.
Nissan is stradling the fence, not completely satisfying either side, but
hopefully convincing enough people in the middle to make it worthwhile for
Nissan. I actually hope they succeed as this could possibly open the door
to future retro projects (like a roadster! <g>)
Simply my opinion (among many)
Nathan
----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Sayer <marcsayer@home.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: Z Concept - OT
> STAN CHERNOFF wrote:
> >
> > A couple of points.
> >
> > First, the new Z car is not a "Concept" since it is close to the final
> > production version.
> >
> > Second, Nissan said that the price would be under $30K.
> >
> > These comments were made by the big "boss", Carlos G., in an interview
by
> > CNBC at the Detroit car show yesterday. There is a car that was
displayed
> > to the employees at Nissan headquarters yesterday.
> >
> > Stan
>
> Well Mr. G's double talk notwithstanding, they are still choosing to call
it a
> concept car, even on their own websites so one can hope...
>
> But I'm betting you're right Stan and this is going to be close to a
production
> car (unless they get the same kind of universally bad response they got
with the
> last Z concept, in which case they may delay release and try a new
design). For
> my money this thing is Ugly, really UGLY. And I do not see them actually
selling
> this car for under $30k, maybe a false "list" price but real sales, nah.
And
> even if they do, think of the costs for maintenance this car is going ring
up.
> 20" 35 series tires, those aren't going to sell for $100 a piece. I just
see
> this as more of the same bad marketing as the last 300 but without the
styling
> of that car. The thing that made the 240 a hit was it was a cheap sports
GT and
> it good all around compromise car. No mega tech or leading edge anything
on the
> 240, just a good combo of the same old stuff car makers had been doing for
> years.
>
> The current Silvia is much much better looking and has great performance.
It
> could be sold here for under $25k, probably under $20k! And it is a cool
car
> with style and performance. It is much closer to the Z than any of their
> concepts.
>
> Nissan says retro is dead, yeah right, someone should tell the rest of the
world
> that. What a bunch of lame, confused, fools.
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