Originally Posted by Winding Road Article

Just days after word came that Nissan is working on a small coupe, a mysterious prototype has been spotted in and around the automaker’s facilities at the Nürburgring in Germany.

While the body of the prototype above screams 350Z, look closely, and substantial alterations seem to support the notion that this is not a next-generation Zed car, but rather a new, smaller model, potentially with some cues lifted from its Urge concept of a couple years back.

Check out the awkward roofline, which looks like it has been chopped to accommodate a clipped wheelbase. Our spies at KGP report that there are riveted sections in the mule’s roof, which lend a degree of credence to this assertion. Click on the high-resolution gallery, and it looks as if the doors may have had some work done to them as well (note the vertical tape lines).

Given that engineers appear to be using a Porsche Cayman as a comparison benchmark, it’s either the case that this remains a new, smaller 350Z (the two models are Nissan’s closest natural competitors), or that the company is setting a seriously high bar for its budget performance car. We can only hope that their choice of a Boxster companion will mean that the new car will be rear-drive as well.

Word on the street is that they are going to be using a turboharged QR25DE (2.5L from the 2002+ Sentra's and Altima's), in a RWD platform. So this could possibly be the new 250SX. A few are even speculating it may use the venerable VQ25HR (2.5L V6 225hp).

IMHO, its about damn time Nissan does this. Too many years of front wheel drive, naturally aspirated sedans. An excellent choice on the QR?....5 solid years of failure with it, and they are still at it. I don't know, I believe the QR is a great engine for these reasons:

- huge stroke (tons of torque, perfect for spooling large turbos)
- open deck block (lots of cooling),
- light
- easy to work on.
- the new stock rods, CW crank, and cams are good for 7500rpm and 400whp on a stock engine...

Then again, it would be nice to see a new inline 6, or high revving 4.

Discuss.

Neat idea, but it looks like a PS to me. :P

Its a definate PS. You can clearly see on the door where it has been spliced and the roof line looks like crap.

CRX Forum

why are you guys commenting on the body?

More than likely that is just a mock up so they can drive the chassis with a windsheild and seats...

New 250sx, argh... I'm going to have to have lease payments to make... damm,

2009 anyone?

^^ If you look at the door, theres a jagged edge in the window line.. Rough test mule or not, they'd get that line right..

Clearly photoshopped.

*edit* here's a previous story from the same site about the small sports car...

Winding Road » Archive » Urge Overkill - Nissan Planning Affordable Sports Car?

There is zero similarity between the two cars, further leading me to call pshop on the black one.

Originally Posted by crxforum

Its a definate PS. You can clearly see on the door where it has been spliced and the roof line looks like crap.

CRX Forum

Really? You wouldn't want to bother looking at the actual article that I linked to, right? Its a 350 body cut down, to fit the platform. That isn't anywhere near what it is going to look like.

Originally Posted by Don Kael

Really? You wouldn't want to bother looking at the actual article that I linked to, right? Its a 350 body cut down, to fit the platform. That isn't anywhere near what it is going to look like.

I didnt even see the link until you pointed it out to me. It was kind of hidden in your quoting.

You can see though how I thought it was a photoshop though. Look at these points.



They all look like it was photoshopped due to the roughness of it all. Nothing seems to line up correctly as it should.

CRX Forum

It's not photshopped. That's me driving it. I was in Merryhill doing testing for them. A little kid started laughing at me because I was a big man in a little car. I'll wave for everyone next time someone takes pictures of me.

Originally Posted by Shred

It's not photshopped. That's me driving it. I was in Merryhill doing testing for them. A little kid started laughing at me because I was a big man in a little car. I'll wave for everyone next time someone takes pictures of me.

Maryhill. Merryhill is a golf course. Also that guy seems to have less man beard than you LOL.

CRX Forum

Originally Posted by crxforum

I didnt even see the link until you pointed it out to me. It was kind of hidden in your quoting.

You can see though how I thought it was a photoshop though. Look at these points.



They all look like it was photoshopped due to the roughness of it all. Nothing seems to line up correctly as it should.

CRX Forum

True, true. It's probably the weld lines/shitty paint from the 350 body being mated to the small frame. I certainly hope they aren't making a little 350 roadster...

looks like a POS pchop or not.

look at the other pictures in the link...there's no way those are all photoshopped...definitely looks like a cut-up Z33 shell on the test mule

Originally Posted by bullet

look at the other pictures in the link...there's no way those are all photoshopped...definitely looks like a can of smashed assholes...

you are right...

They must have photshopped my beard out. haha

I would love to see a affordable rwd car from Nissan. I'd be all over it. Or you could just buy a low km Skyline for pretty cheap.

a small, reasonable powered RWD nissan for a low cost is enough reason to trade in the mazda.

Originally Posted by BlueFamilia

a small, reasonable powered RWD nissan for a low cost is enough reason to trade in the mazda.

when the 240sx left the market in 1998 it was just under $31K loaded.

not exactly cheap compared to teh $16K or whatever in 1989 base model

thats the problem these days, in 1992 You could get a LX 5.0 mustang for around 13,500 brand new. You can't even find used 2000 mustangs with the v8 for around that price easily these days, none the less over $40,000 for a brand new one. Sporty cars have became too much of a specialty market. Shit about 20 years ago you could get almost anything in 2 door, including a fullsize caprice for fuck sakes.

this is true...the only thing you can get sporty now a days is a speedo LMAO...Nissan has honestly gone to shit with its vehicles, the Rogue, although a very nice attempt, has the dumbiest fucking shape, the options are retarded, the cost is retarded and on top of that...its just plain retarded...until the Sentra SE-R (which has been rumored to come out any minute now!) has YET to be seen and will probably be priced around the same as an altima 4 door base model...IMO...fuck nissan, they need to freshen things up with a sporty 2 door sentra like the 92 SER's...and would a cheapier Altima Coupe hurt? i think not...