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10-23-2006, 07:27 AM | #1 |
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Altima Coupe = Possible 240 successor!
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/23/w...-altima-coupe/
This, get's me kind of excited. Ok, I'll stop fronting. I'm giddy like a school boy! A RWD, 2.5 liter Altima! YES! Discuss... Vince Burlapp of Hollywood Extra fame has come across a series of grainy photos that supposedly reveal the existence of a Nissan Altima coupe. The styling is entirely too reminiscent of the Infiniti G35, with thick C-pillars, tightly drawn headlamps and a beltline that's a dead ringer for the upmarket two-door. It doesn't take a keen eye to see that the pics are being taken during a photo shoot of some kind, so we'd assume it's being prepped for a debut in the near future (L.A. maybe?). However, you know what happens when people assume, right? An Altima coupe would make a great competitor with the Toyota Solara and Honda Accord. Even better -- make it rear-wheel drive and it'll be the spiritual successor to the 240SX. Judging by the unfinished look of the Altima, it's safe to say that we're more than a little skeptical. As always, time will tell.
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10-23-2006, 07:56 AM | #3 |
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I can't see it being RWD....but damn it looks alot like the current G35 Coupe. This is not a bad thing, as that style is very nice and the new G35 Coupe coming out next year will be even better.
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10-23-2006, 08:14 AM | #5 | |
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10-23-2006, 08:14 AM | #6 | |
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I think it can be. Think about the Urge concept from last years NAIAS. It was based off a shortened 350z. So onviously Nissan has been thinking about a smaller RWD car. But then again, if it is just a Altima coupe and it's to compete with the Accord and Solara, then it probably will be a FWD. That will be weak.
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10-23-2006, 08:42 AM | #8 | |
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10-23-2006, 08:47 AM | #10 |
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Oh well what?
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10-23-2006, 09:05 AM | #11 |
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+1 oh well what?
what bothers me is he didn't seem to realize it was rwd are we positive this new coupe is rwd, not fwd (which would make 50x more sense for anything with an altima name on it...) 260hp, FR, g35 looks and low $20ks would be cutting into the 350z market. |
10-23-2006, 09:21 AM | #12 |
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I agree that fact that their calling it an Altima makes the chances of it being RWD slim.
The link he posted from the Mustang forum didn't seem to mention that it would be FWD or RWD...
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10-23-2006, 09:31 AM | #13 |
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Wishful thinking. Nothing in the Autoblog article gives any reason for assuming it'd be rwd either. Just because the body looks like g35 styling isn't enough evidence that the car (historically a fwd) will suddenly become rwd. I agree with aznpoopy, any rwd attempt would cut into 350z market.
I think this ends up just being the new fwd Altima. It looks decent, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for it magically becoming RWD |
10-23-2006, 09:38 AM | #14 | |
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10-23-2006, 11:19 AM | #15 |
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Hmm, if it's rwd, which I feel there's a strong case for, it means I'll actually be able to decide between this and a Mazda Kabura for FR fun.
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10-23-2006, 01:14 PM | #17 |
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There is definitely a market for a small 2wd FR platform... But perhaps not as much as the 4dr rwd market (fueled by govt/fleet purchases).
I think the economics of econobox+fr it make it unrealistic. I think the cost advantages of going with transverse/FF are too great for most mfg's to even consider doing an econo-FR. I think they have the opinion that to do a FR "right" it needs to be a $30k to $40k car (350, rx8, s2000, etc). On another note, I like the styling of the altima concept! It'll be interesting to see what it turns out to be. |
10-23-2006, 01:21 PM | #18 |
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^
Why Nissan doesn't build one and whore it and the Z out to drivers in Formula D is beyond me. If they made a $25k RWD car and hyped it up through drifting, they'd sell a shit ton of'em.
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10-23-2006, 02:29 PM | #19 |
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if this was RWD it wouldnt canibalize 350z sales. 350z only has 2 seats, this has 4. the next logical step up would be the g35, and thats most likely going to be 10k+ up in price if not more.
having an altima coupe makes it so that more people come in to the dealership. IMO its great for nissan to develop this car. then maybe well start seeing Sentra Spec V in coupe form and someday another S chassis vehicle or at least a successor
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10-23-2006, 02:30 PM | #20 | |
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10-23-2006, 02:42 PM | #21 |
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Unless Nissan bumps the 350Z up to the 35k range (killing the base model variants) and prices this in the low, low 20's, I can't see a second RWD coupe in the lineup.
A FWD coupe to battle the Solara and Accord coupe is too logical; Nissan isn't radical enough to break form. Mazda, however, is sufficiently "different" that it could go around creating wierd cars that don't slot properly, like the Miata, the RX-8, and hopefully soon the Kabura. I'd take the Kabura anyways because it'd likely be lighter (think Miata - convertible deadweight + stiffer chassis) |
10-23-2006, 03:03 PM | #22 | |
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10-23-2006, 03:39 PM | #23 |
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I highly doubt it would be RWD. when people caught pic of the Scion Tc, much like the grainy one in the link, most people assumed it would be rwd since its body style looked so much like a z, until it came out in reality and was a dinky little fwd toy.
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10-23-2006, 06:40 PM | #25 |
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there's no fucking way we're gonna get a $15k RWD car
fwd is too economical for a major car company to pass up on that shit, and only a small part of the market actually demands RWD as a prerequisite for a car purchase most of the people that care about that will either go used or higher priced new Nissan's biggest gap is a Sentra SE-R replacement to battle the likes of the Scion Tc, Civic Si, sporty Focus variant, or Mazdaspeed 3. It will not spend extra money to make its competitor in that segment RWD. There is currently no market for a RWD sports car in the 20k and below range, unless you want to count a v6 mustang as a RWD sports car (which it's not). Just because some people here care about drifting does not mean *enough* people care about it to make it motivation for Nissan to produce our magical 240sx replacement. In fact, the common person doesn't even know drifting requires RWD; i've met more "Civic drifters" than I thought could exist. If you must have RWD, your choices are: - save up/get a second job to afford a Corvette, M3, 350Z - man up and get a used car and put in the work - win the lotto, import a TVR - marry rich, buy a Ferrari otherwise, it's an EVO or STi for you |
10-23-2006, 08:14 PM | #27 |
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Please excuse my ignorance, but how did the the Silvia and 300zx co-exist without cutting into each other's sales in Japan? The two both sold well and were priced about the same as what people would propose nowadays in relation to each other.
I hope that makes sense. |
10-23-2006, 08:50 PM | #29 |
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How do you know they sold well? I thought the 300ZX was not popular in Japan because the S-chassis performed nearly as well out of the box, and the Skyline GT-R had far more potential. Someone will have to post sales figures on that one.
In any case, here's what kills it: 1. We all agree that this mythical "RWD, VQ-powered, 260ish-HP Altima Coupe" must come in way below 30k, probably below 25k, maybe even more given the existance of a 27k base model 350Z that has 287hp. 2. The lowest, stripped out V6-equipped Altima sedan comes in at 23k. A coupe will sell in lower volumes than the sedan version, and is unlikely to come in at or below that price tag, meaning it'll be $24-25k. Were this car to be RWD, Nissan would have a $25k, RWD coupe (Altima) and a $27k, RWD coupe (350Z). I concede that the Altima would be a 2+2 and the 350Z is a 2 seater, but find me another car manufacturer that has successfully sold two nearly identical cars in this manner? 3. Again, Toyota has the Solara coupe and Honda has the Accord coupe. They are FWD. These are, essentially, 2-dr sedans, and in this market, people do not care about RWD or FWD (they'd probably be turned off by RWD). What Camry or Accord buyer is looking for RWD? Maybe their kids, but the kids ain't signing the checks. Nissan has no motivation for making their competitor in this segment RWD. 4. The name. Altima. Altima's always been FWD. If Nissan wasn't even clever enough to make the GT-R an Infiniti, instead choosing to stick to "tradition" (read: mistake), they aren't gonna change the Altima. This is a weaker point, but still relevant. If this lower priced FM-platform car were to be RWD, it would have "sx" or "z" in it, or something close to that. 5. Nissan's lineup hole is, again the Sentra SE-R, which should come in right around $21k. Their "sports car" lineup would be a bit tight if they had a $20-$22 Sentra SE-R, a $25k RWD Altima coupe, and a $27k 350Z. Make the Altima coupe FWD, and it's no longer in the "sporty" part of the lineup, instead slotting into the Solara, Accord Coupe, G6 fighter category. I actually like the Fiora, as it would make a nice "neo-510". Give it RX-8 style suicide doors, a 3.0L VQ with 225HP or a pumped up QR, and you'd have a new segment: 20k, 4dr, 4-seat, RWD sports sedan. Problem? Nissan isn't Mazda or Subaru. They're not that innovative. |
10-23-2006, 09:05 PM | #30 | |
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exitspeed - Nissan will make a RWD car under the 350Z....but for now it will be JDM only (think about the Foria concept). OptionZero - Good points.
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