Nissan Mid-engine Roadster

[Holyterror]

Yeah, I thought that would get your attention. Is this a subject that interests you? Then read on...

Mid-engine Roadsters

Let's look at the mid-engine roadsters out there (in the U.S.) right now: The Toyota MR2 Spyder, the Porsche Boxster, and the Honda S2000. I supposed you could add the Acura NSX to that list, if a Targa counts as a roadster. The MR2's price is pretty reasonable, and with its superb handling, is a pretty good value. Ugly as sin in my opinion, but good performance for the money. It does leave some room for improvement, and tuning is one of those areas. The Boxster, while cheap for a Porsche, is no bargain. You buy it for Porsche-softness, and for status. The Altima literature I got in the mail proved that Nissan was more than happy to tout better 0-60 times than the "budget" Porsche. And it doesn't quite have the aftermarket support of a Honda Civic, either. Then there's the S2000. A lot of people seem to agree that it's overpriced to start with. Add to that the fact that the motor has been stretched about as far as it will go (no fun for wrenchers like me), and is still not a stellar performer, and you have an overall mediocre buy. Plus it's a Honda, and that is a negative for some people - okay, maybe just me. And if we let the NSX in on this... sure it's fast, but its price puts it in a different class. And the 2004 model is going to a V8, hoping to compete with supercars of all breeds. That pretty much dismisses it from this comparison.

Front-engine Roadsters

And what about the other roadsters, with their power plants up front? There's our friend the Mazda Miata, the BMW Z3, and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. Not too hard to find the problems here either. Mazda gives us a car with the RX-7's handling but none of its power. BMW gives us a car that is outhandled by the Miata, yet costs $10k more. And Porsche really jacks the prices into the stratosphere with the 911. Of course, there are others out there such as the M Roadster, etc. But you get the point.

The Nissan Roadster

There are a few decent roadsters out there, the mid-engine ones being the best performance-wise. And it seems that Toyota gives us the best value. A Japanese company giving us the most well-balanced car for a good price... should we be surprised? Now there are plenty of us who like roadsters, plenty of us who own roadsters, and - I suspect - plenty of us who would own a roadster if we could get one with the Nissan name on it. Nissan makes good cars, really incredible cars on occasion, especially of late here in the States. Unfortunately, we can't get our hands on a Silvia Varietta, and Nissan probably isn't interested in redesigning and retooling to make one in left-hand-drive format. What's left for us, then? The 350Z is supposed to be released in late 2003, but is that enough? I've always felt that the Z cars were more at home in coupe and targa form. If the 350Z convertible were replaced with a targa, we would still have our beloved Z with nature's own air conditioning, probably less cost, less weight, better aerodynamics, and more chassis rigidity. That leaves room for a totally different car to take the job of roadster. But what kind of kind would this be? How would it be made? And why would Nissan waste money developing it?

The XVL Platform and VQ/QR Motors

Nissan is already geared-up and making tons of XVL chassises, VQ35DE V6s, and QR25DE I4s. Producing another vehicle using these components would cost far less than developing a car completely from scratch. If the car produced were popular, the profit potential would be huge. The fact is Nissan could achieve just that, by developing a mid-engine roadster with the XVL and VQ/QR combination. Sports cars in general are experiencing a reawakening in America. And the ever-popular roadster is still alive and kicking as well. The Nissan roadster could easily take a chunk of both markets by offering the proven performance of the VQ/QR motors at the low price that only Nissan can promise, thanks to the high volume of components produced. Aftermarket support already exists for these motors, and is growing day by day. And the best part is, we, the consumers, are the ones who truly benefit. Think of how awesome this car would be! Boasting from 180-280 horsepower, a proven platform, a convertible top, and all the benefits that come from the mid-engine format. Remember the 50/50 weight balance we were promised in the 350Z? And remember how it gave way to a 52/48? All that "pre-loading the front wheels" stuff is denial at best, total b.s. at worst. The mid-engine roadster would obviously have more weight in the back, but it would be on the drive wheels. And handling would be far superior thanks to its inherently low polar moment of inertia (weight is distributed close to the car's center of gravity). Is your mouth watering yet?

How You Might Have A Chance To Drive One

If you think you would like to buy (or at least test drive) such an automobile, there is one thing you can do. Start a petition to Nissan to develop a mid-engine roadster. Let's get together on this and draw up an "official" petition for this car. If enough consumers speak out, Nissan (or Renault) will listen. This is a rational and logical way for Nissan to produce a really great automobile and make a few bucks doing it. So, don't hesitate to speak up...

WHO WANTS ONE???

[VH45DETTwithNOS]

Yeah some dudes got a Silvia Varietta, and is rubbing it in frinking nice, I still remeber looking a S13 Silvia Convertable(5 speed, and SR20DET powered), only $5,500, but I only had $2000 so I got the 240Z instend. shitter really then I would problely stuck with the I4 instend going for the I6 then V8, oh well life's always seems good..............


but your point taken, yeah we all need a Nissan roadster.............