Nissan may be doing better in the stock market, but they sure have it wrong
when it comes to the new Z.
They probably don't care and may not even know of the existence of
people/enthusiasts like us. They may find it hard to believe that a mostly
anglo-american crowd that comprises these clubs dedicated to old
Datsun/Nissan cars can have any brand loyalty. Hell, I do like Nissan and
they make a quality product, because my 2000 Frontier truck is a great car!
But I digress, because the main purpose of this is to reiterate what many of
you fellow list members have already stated: Nissan missed the mark with Z,
even after all the hullaballoo concerning this reincarnation. They KNEW that
this redesign was crucial to get right and they messed it up. Nissan has
always seemed to be aware of their heritage and their longevity, what they
failed to see with this generation of the American market is that the Z in
all its forms IS this American generation--at least for people who like
Japanese cars!
It's been a presence for almost 30 years. . .and that racing history!!!
Point blank: they failed to score on the retro design craze by messing up
the Z design completely beyond repair and also missing the chance to produce
a new Datsun 2000 in y2K to compete w/ the Miata (wouldn't that have been
super cool?), they didn't replay the Z's mass appeal by targeting a lower
price range, and they didn't produce a simple, elegant and powerful sports
car that would make people scratch their heads saying, "I wonder how they
did that, why didn't we do that?"
Nissan has no innovation and no balls--when it comes to 2 seater peformance
cars. Maybe it is the French influence after all.
Tony Genovese
San Diego, CA
67.5 1600 w/Solex U20
1973 240Z
2000 Frontier Desert Runner
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