Nissan Has Plans to Double Sports Car Range in Coming Years

Nissan’s Andy Palmer recently announced on the sidelines of the Detroit motor show that the Japanese manufacturer was on track to double its sports car range in the next few years, up from two to four models. The plan is to have new versions to replace the current GT-R and 370Z, as well as a couple of additional cars, previewed by the two IDx and Bladeglider concepts.

Palmer was quoted as saying:

“The IDx will be at one end of the spectrum and the Bladeglider at the other, and in the middle we will have a lower-end sports car and a new GT-R. With the GT-R, we will do a renewal each year and there will be a new one. It will retain the mechanical look of the current car, but with more of the cues from the latest Nissan design. It will still be very aggressive."

In regards to the successor to the 370Z, he said that its powertrain had already been lined up and that it would employ smaller displacement and turbocharging. “There will be normal and Nismo versions” too, he said. The Bladeglider would be a full-electric vehicle, while the production IDx’s possible powertrain choices have already been detailed.

The move on Nissan’s part was reportedly prompted by the strong response they got from the two concepts and the desire from within the company to “find a way of re-engaging with youth who are not interested (in driving and getting their license) at all. I don't want to make these cars attractive to me but to them," according to Palmer.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Just-Auto

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Nissan Boss Says "We Will Build" Sport Sedan Concept

Well folks, if you liked the Nissan Sport Sedan Concept that's on display at the Detroit motor show, we have good news, and we'll get straight to the point by sharing the words of company Executive Vice President, Andy Palmer, who had this to say about the four-door study:

"We will build this car and it won't be that different from the concept car. When we bring a concept car like this we are obviously testing the reaction. Obviously you want to deliver the best that you can," said Palmer.

"We're interestingly on the cusp of a very interesting shift with the so called Gen Z, the 17-year-olds of today. By the time some of those potential concepts come to market, they will be the customers, and they think differently from the previous generation," he added.

Now, we won't blame you for being skeptical as we're often mislead by carmakers when it comes to concept and production cars, but let us remind you that Nissan is the same company that dared with the Juke and even more so with the GT-R-powered Juke R, so we're not going to be judgmental, at least not just yet.

Fred Diaz, Senior Vice President of Nissan, said that sport sedans are deeply ingrained in Nissan's heritage and that prospective buyers will appreciate the concept's aggressive design.

"When you look at how gorgeous that vehicle is, the lines, the styling of that vehicle inside and out, the interior and exterior, I think it's definitely a halo and a huge kudos for our brand and our brand image and our relevance in the marketplace," said Diaz.

Unless Nissan surprises us with a different model, the concept should transform into the next Maxima.

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Nissan’s IDx Concepts Visit Detroit, at Least One of Them May Be Built in 2016

The retro-styled Nissan IDx concepts that were originally unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last year have taken a trip to Detroit for the 2014 NAIAS and it looks like we’ll be hearing about them in the future.

That’s because at least one of the twin concepts will go into production by 2016, according to Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer.

“I don’t say that we won’t do both, but we will definitely do one of them. Obviously there’s a debate internally whether you go for the lifestyle one and leave the Nismo one in a slightly different place,” Palmer was quoted as saying by CarAdvice at the Detroit Auto Show.

While Nissan sees the lifestyle IDx Freeflow powered by a “1.2-to-1.5L gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT)”, the wider, sportier IDx Nismo is envisioned with a powertrain consisting of a “high-performance, eco-friendly 1.6L direct-injection turbocharged engine together with a sporty CVT with 6-speed manual shift mode and synchronized rev control.”

Palmer didn’t confirm the displacement of the engine for the production IDx, but said it will be a relatively small engine, as the car is very light. The rear-wheel-drive production IDx would obviously target the Toyota GT86, but Palmer said Nissan plans to do that differently.

“I think our intention is to be different from the Toyota 86. We’re really looking at sports cars from different angles,” he said. As for the styling of the production car, the executive said it will follow closely that of the concepts.

So what do you think? Which of the IDx concepts should Nissan build?

By Dan Mihalascu

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