New Datsun Emerges, but no more red rising sun

Mike

Published on 03-21-2012 05:14 AM Number of Views: 3506

Nissan is bringing back Datsun three decades after shelving the brand that helped build its U.S. business. This time, Nissan hopes the name synonymous with affordable and reliable small cars will power its growth in emerging markets, in India, Indonesia, and Russia. Maybe this will help them realize how much of a nostalgic market they have in the USA? Maybe not...

What are your thoughts about this idea?

Link to more articles below, post more if you've got 'em....

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/...#ixzz1pkinJxgZ

http://paultan.org/2012/03/21/new-da...ed-rising-sun/

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2012...ed/#more-18933

http://paultan.org/2012/03/21/breaki...-is-confirmed/

13 Comments

5thhorsemann - 03-21-2012
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I was listening to a talk radio show on the way in to the shop this AM, the guts of the report was that Datsun is to go after the "entry level inexpensive sports/ compact market". The long term plan is to expand the world market of the Datsun brand, but "Sadly, the restrictive regulatory enviornment of the North American market will prohibit the sale of the cars Datsun plans to produce." They went on to discuss the crash testing regs of the USA.

MotoManMike - 03-21-2012
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Unless they come out with the prototype 240z that was in magazines a year or two ago, orange and black, i'm not interested at all. Seems like a waste of a good name. Datsuns were raced heavily for R&D. This is why our old Z's will eat cars alive on the S turns. I think bringing back the name on a small compact gas sipping poor performing car is a spit in the face of the name. The 370z wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Datsun, have some respect

cygnusx1 - 03-21-2012
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I tend to agree with MotoManMike, but keep in mind that it would be entirely plausible for these new "budget" cars to have performance which exceeds the original Z cars'... not that I care one way or the other.

Kurbycar32 - 03-21-2012
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The new Datsuns will be crappy commuter boxes for third world countries, Im not interested in the vehicles. What does interest me is that we may potentially be able to get things like brand new seat belts and emblems that are Datsun branded.

Edit: None of the images of the new logo showed up when i wrote the above, the new logos suck

MotoManMike - 03-21-2012
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It is very plausable and totally agree, these old Z cars are raw mechanical greatness, thats what i love about them so much.

TomoHawk - 03-22-2012
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Does this mean we will have a new parts supply for the S30 again?

j/k

5thhorsemann - 03-22-2012
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If they start making the S30 again, I'll buy one and have it shipped into the USA, listening Datsun..............

s130rider - 03-31-2012
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If they bring back the name they are just going to murder it just like they did with the Z, the 350 and 370 are a joke. Most likely the new Datsuns will be electric or hybrids.

TomoHawk - 03-31-2012
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How do you build an electric or hybrid car for $3000?

s14280zx - 07-26-2012
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Attachment 55116I drew a version of a new z that I would like to see Datsun/ Nissan make something close to. I have it posted here in Photo/art forum. It is kind of a cross between an S15 chassis, and an origional z, hatchback and lengthened to fit an rb- 28dett straight 6 under the hood, and rwd, with the classic looks of the round scooped out headlights. I would call it a 280zs.

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