...arrived at our showroom for a special preview event today. Take a look if your interested!

 

Due September 2010

 

The coupe point is actually a good one.

 

Not too long ago, there were a great many 'cheap' proper coupes in the market, most from the Japs. 200SX, Celica, Prelude, MX-6 to name but a few.

 

Now there are none, bar those which are 2 door versions of saloons or the one from Hyundai. There really is no choice for those wanting a proper sports coupe for around £20k.

 

I really hope that Toyota does launch a £20k proper sports car; it should kick start the market again. The best of the bunch, IMHO, was the original 1989 200SX. A great car, but one that has disappeared alarmingly quickly for such a good car.

 

As for the 370Z and the 350Z before it, I suppose Nissan learnt their lesson and no-one can deny how successful the 350 was. You see them everywhere, which like it not, means that Nissan has made some money from them. The Z32 was far superior for the period, but sold in very few numbers (in the UK), due to very high price (£36k in 1990!) and very poor marketing and advertising.

For example, a similar model to the Qashaqi is sold in the states. It's called the 'Rogue'.

 

I know; it was used by Claire in the television series Heroes.

 

In fact Nissan sponsored Heroes and featured many Nissans, including a 350Z roadster driven by the character Tracey.

 

Very good move.

The coupe point is actually a good one.

 

Not too long ago, there were a great many 'cheap' proper coupes in the market, most from the Japs. 200SX, Celica, Prelude, MX-6 to name but a few.

 

Now there are none, bar those which are 2 door versions of saloons or the one from Hyundai. There really is no choice for those wanting a proper sports coupe for around £20k.

 

I really hope that Toyota does launch a £20k proper sports car; it should kick start the market again. The best of the bunch, IMHO, was the original 1989 200SX. A great car, but one that has disappeared alarmingly quickly for such a good car.

 

As for the 370Z and the 350Z before it, I suppose Nissan learnt their lesson and no-one can deny how successful the 350 was. You see them everywhere, which like it not, means that Nissan has made some money from them. The Z32 was far superior for the period, but sold in very few numbers (in the UK), due to very high price (£36k in 1990!) and very poor marketing and advertising.

 

 

Looks like hyundai have dropped the coupe, i was looking on their website for a price and I cant see it listed anywhere!

I suppose part of the problem is that the UK market is tiny, so much paperwork for the more interesting cars that its just not worth bringing them here. Look what killed the 300zx, generally the expense of making a handful suitable for eurpe, both LHD and RHD and then bringing them here and then trying to sell them into a market where people know nissan for things like the micra, note, pixo that kind of rubbish. So then if people do want a nice looking car, they wouldnt think of nissan...

Pugeot have been very brave with the RCZ, its a fantastic looking thing (although a bit dear if im honest! I know they start at 20k but the 200bhp one is £25.5k... now a base model TT is only £26.5k - i know which I would spend that money on)

 

I do feel that if Nissan were to bring a "cheap" coupe of that sort of class here then it would be as expensive as the more premium brands. Problem that they have as well is that the 370z tends to cover all bases. Its slap bang in the middle of the TT range. It starts at around 29k ish which is top TT coupe money, moving into TTS range (although they start from 34 or so) Of course the 370z only has one engine choice which does limit the range quite a bit. I think this is where they go wrong. Using one model that sits in the middle it doesnt really satisfy either end of the market. So it would have to be 18-20k cheap but could they bring an altima coupe here for that?

 

The Z32s short sellings were not due to importation issues. It was down to pricing and the market sector.

 

Also in reference to bringing something like a new model to the UK wouldn't just be for the UK, it would be for Europe. Not to mention that the Altima Coupe is also sold in Japan, so there would be very little work to do to the vehicle and the overall process of crash testing and model reports would be relatively insignificant to the cost of something like an Altima coupe which would be around the £20k mark.

 

The 370 doesn't really cover all bases. It's RWD for a start and it's also quite expensive in comparison to something like an Altima

 

Altima Coupe sells for about $22k, which is about £18k. I'd imagine it would sell over here for around £20k. Which in today's value isn't bad.

 

The 370Z is a niche car though and I think only offering one engine variant makes it more exclusive. It is a premium model. It's not as if there are engine options for the R35. I know this is a different vehicle, but they are both premium sports coupes targeting different markets.

I know; it was used by Claire in the television series Heroes.

 

In fact Nissan sponsored Heroes and featured many Nissans, including a 350Z roadster driven by the character Tracey.

 

Very good move.

 

Agreed, product placement can give car marques/models personality and charisma where they wouldn't necessarily have achieved it. Look what product placement did for Ford when they sponsored 'The Sweeney' and 'Z-cars'. Gave the whole marque a cult following that Vauxhall and BL could only dream of.

 

Looks like hyundai have dropped the coupe, i was looking on their website for a price and I cant see it listed anywhere!

 

The Coupe/Tuburon was dropped about 12months ago now.

370z... its not really a premium car... LOL Its very nice but Id go german any day if was going to spend 30k+. Its japenese, its meant to be cheap! One engine choice just screams lazyness to me. At least with the 300zx they offered na and turbo models. The 350z suffered from the same thing. Below average interior trim and design, the 300zx is as bad for it.

 

Shame about the hyundai coupe, was a good looking car. Heres to hoping they'll replace it!

 

I know the 370z doesnt cover all bases, but its neither one nor the other in my mind, its neither cheap so everyone can have one, nor special enough to be exclusive IMHO. Its in the waste ground of being a bit expensive, and a bit cheap - obviously this is governed by its engineering.

 

Its not the cost of importing a car, its the cost of setting the dealerships up to cope with new cars, dealing with the advertising and generally getting the market ready for another car. THat would cost a fortune and for potentially very few sales its just not worth the bother. Think of Nissan Europe having to stock all the parts for the altima for the last 10 years, hell its bad enough trying to get bits for what was their top of the range car! Poor sales killed the 300zx, mainly because it was a 35k nissan (are you mad!) but also it will have been a cop out. Its not been that sucessful, its not worth supporting it for all these years - hence why it lived on in japan until 2000!

Edited July 9, 201015 yr by Quavey

sorry but going back to that vid, i want the nissan with the revolving chassis and robot!!!

It's a premium car for Nissan though!!! Japanese isn't always meant to be cheap. You've always had to pay good money for a quality Japanese sports car, just like any other manufacturer. Malaysia/Korea is where the 'cheap' Asian cars are from, and you really notice it too! If you want cheap Japanese, you go to the low end of the market for Daihatsu and Suzuki.

 

300zx at the time had quality interior and trim. Z33 wasn't bad and the Z34 has nice interior and quality of trim.

 

TBH, I've driven German coupes, whilst they are good, they are not amazing. I was never all that impressed with the first Audi TT. BMWs never excited me. The E36 was good, but nothing special, the E46, again good, but nothing special. I find a lot of German cars overhyped. VWs are overhyped (yes, I know I have one. I love it, but VWs as a whole I find are overhyped). They are solid and reliable and reasonably well built, all much of a muchness. Same is said for Japanese cars.

 

Marketing costs money for ANY car they bring over...that's the same the world over. The fact is, the Altima coupe is production ready for the UK. It would never be a HUGE shifter, but would be a good seller in its market sector. High end cars are there to almost heighten awareness from the brand. Companies never really make much money on them. If it weren't for the likes of high end premium vehicles in the marque, it would attract about as much interest as Proton, Kia or Hyundai. Something like the Altima coupe, that would be a reasonable and affordable seller would strengthen awareness of the brand from the medium value sector. People that don't really know much about the Z and R range of cars only know the company for producing what they mainly sell now. Nothing really in between.

 

I already said that poor sales were attributed to the price of the vehicle.

 

The Altima coupe is a compact FD coupe. Component prices are cheap. It's already set up in 2 continents. Europe is a HUGE market. I know all these things have to be take into consideration, but this is an Astra-coupe type of car, nothing more, nothing less.

Edited July 9, 201015 yr by FunkySi

Meh I suppose they must have their reasons. It is a shame, i would love to see more interesting cars on the road. I do often think there isnt really anything i actually want thats new! Give me a cerbera any day!:D

Meh I suppose they must have their reasons. It is a shame, i would love to see more interesting cars on the road. I do often think there isnt really anything i actually want thats new! Give me a cerbera any day!:D

 

The Cerbera is one of my fav of all time.

 

A Guy last summer in a yellow one with cream leather asked if i would be interested in swaping my zed.

We both went out in both cars and i said i couldnt due it because off all the £££ i have put into it.

 

He gave me his card and said if i change my mind lol!!

Totally agree. It's either really really expensive stuff, or stuff at the low end of the market....which is all dull and lifeless. Then there are all these dreary and repetitive cross over vehicles. BMW have one from every occasion and the X1 is probably the worst. Looks like a fat kid that's been punched in the face. Have you also seen the new BMW 5 series GT? Eeeeoooow! How ugly is that??!?!?!

The Cerbera is one of my fav of all time.

 

A Guy last summer in a yellow one with cream leather asked if i would be interested in swaping my zed.

We both went out in both cars and i said i couldnt due it because off all the £££ i have put into it.

 

He gave me his card and said if i change my mind lol!!

 

Oh tell me about it, I go weak at the knees at the sight of any TVR, saw a T350 and a sagaris together the other day PORN!

 

But the cerbera is my favorite, I go through phases but the proble at the moment is that they seem to be going up in value and I just couldnt ever justify the money on something that I know would cost me a fortune to live with and be so unreliable. Not when im saving for a house... always the house think of the house!

I think the last of the 'sexy' TVRs was the Cerbera. Not a fan of any of the newer stuff. Give me a Griffth or Cerbera any day of the week! :)

Love the cerbera what about the tuscan though?

I find the Tuscan ugly and bloated. IMO.

I love the way that in this thread about the nissan juke, we have discussed, tvr, audi, hyundai, most nissans and european car markets along with export and marketing policies... Awesome :D

Love the cerbera what about the tuscan though?

 

Almost bought one of them last christmas. Front end damaged. so headlighs and bonnet were all cracked and bits missing etc.

 

Me and my old man were going to go halfs and repair and spray with it being grp etc. It was going for a song and would off been a cheap and easy fix. and sell on for a really good profit

 

The colour was....... yes it was black :lol:

 

But my old man pulled out. reason being once it was finished i would of kept it. he knows how much i want a V8 :lol::lol::lol:

I find the Tuscan ugly and bloated. IMO.

 

I do like the tuscan but when i see it there is another car that crops in to my head >

 

 

 

 

 

Almost bought one of them last christmas. Front end damaged. so headlighs and bonnet were all cracked and bits missing etc.

 

Me and my old man were going to go halfs and repair and spray with it being grp etc. It was going for a song and would off been a cheap and easy fix. and sell on for a really good profit

 

The colour was....... yes it was black :lol:

 

But my old man pulled out. reason being once it was finished i would of kept it. he knows how much i want a V8 :lol::lol::lol:

 

Lol i would not have guessed any other colour :turned: agreed on the V8 though how about one for the Z? :D :D

Once again i agree with Si on the Juke. Juke looks Puke.

 

The states definately get the better selection of Jap cars. some Hondas look better over there too.

 

Peter

I do like the tuscan but when i see it there is another car that crops in to my head >

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lol i would not have guessed any other colour :turned: agreed on the V8 though how about one for the Z? :D :D

 

Thats just ruined the dream of the tuscan.. Dam thats annoying! I suppose we could rid the world of those hateful smart things - BURN IT BURN IT WITH FIRE!

On the note of the Tuscan (no pun intended), i always thought that looked damn ugly too.

some Hondas look better over there too.

 

 

Yup, whilst I quite like the current and past Accords have been pretty nice, the yanks got what we should have had IMO. Accura TL. This is a lovely looking medium sized saloon car. I've rented one of these too and they are really nice. Much more pert and attractive than the Accords.

 

Once again i agree with Si on the Juke. Juke looks Puke.

 

The states definately get the better selection of Jap cars. some Hondas look better over there too.

 

Peter

 

Amen to that

 

Thats just ruined the dream of the tuscan.. Dam thats annoying! I suppose we could rid the world of those hateful smart things - BURN IT BURN IT WITH FIRE!

 

lol, yep its just them lights that do it i think...but there is a resemblance none the less!!

 

wish i had a >> :tank: for each time i seen one, at least its little brother is not trying to be something its clearly not :lol: