[Roadsters] re-launch of Datsun

[Gordon Glasgow]

Interesting. They appear to be following the Toyota structure: 

Lexus = Infiniti 
Toyota = Nissan 
Scion = Datsun 

If they're smart, they'll include something that is performance-oriented and affordable in the line, in the spirit of the 1st-gen Sentra SE-R. 

It seems like Nissan has lost its way or abandoned the concept of affordable sportiness. My wife test-drove a Versa and almost laughed out loud at how totally gutless it was. And you can't get a stick in the Maxima at all anymore. I'd like to get back into autocrossing a bit, but they don't make a damn thing that might be competitive except the Z, and I can't afford one. 


Gordon Glasgow 
Renton, WA 
www.gordon-glasgow.org 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dana Scribner" <dscrib2 at hotmail.com> 
To: "datsun roadsters" <datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net>, "drone" <drone at drone-club.com> 
Sent: Friday, March 2, 2012 9:01:34 AM 
Subject: [Roadsters] re-launch of Datsun 

FYI TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Nissan Motor Co. (7201.TO) is considering adding a 
third brand to its Nissan and Infiniti badges by reviving its iconic Datsun 
brand, a person familiar with the matter said Friday. The Japanese car maker 
is actively "studying" the re-launch of Datsun, which it retired as a 
sub-brand in 1983, as it looks to target the fastest-growing emerging markets 
over the next five years with a range of low cost vehicles, the person said. 
Details of the new marketing effort remain sketchy and it is unclear which 
markets are in line for a resuscitated Datsun, a brand first introduced in 
1932 and perhaps best known among former loyalists in the U.S. and U.K. 
markets. Nissan would not confirm or deny such plans. A company spokesman, 
Mitsuru Yonekawa, declined to comment on future product strategy. The No. 2 
Japanese auto maker by sales volume is preparing to re-launch the brand by 
2014 and sell up to 300,000 Datsun-badged vehicles a year, each priced around 
Y500,000 ($6,173), according to a report in the Friday morning edition of the 
Nikkei. Reintroducing Datsun could better position Nissan for an aggressive 
move into the ultra low-cost car segment globally without tarnishing the image 
of its middle market Nissan and upscale Infiniti vehicles. The Japanese car 
maker announced last June that it wants to grab an 8% global market share by 
the end of March 2017 as part of a six-year business plan, up from 5.8% in the 
fiscal year ended March 2011. Nissan is counting on much of that growth to 
come from China, India and other emerging economies with low per capita GDP. 
-By Chester Dawson, The Wall Street Journal, and Yoshio Takahashi, Dow Jones 
Newswires; 813-6269-2791; yoshio.takahashi at dowjones.com 
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