Right now, Nissan executives want a lot of things. A possible deal with Ford or Stellantis would be nice. The new Leaf being a smash hit would help. And its dozen or so new models being huge successes would be wonderful. But the company’s CEO also wants a new sports car. He’s still thinking about one the company teased us with more than 10 years ago, and he thinks that bringing something like it to market would help attract new and young customers to the brand.
Japanese car site Kuruma News spoke with new Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa. He is the executive looking to right Nissan’s ship and ensure the success and the future of the automaker.
“I want to revive the Silvia,” he told the site, while speaking about the rebirth of the Japanese automaker. The Silvia, which was sold here for a few generations as the 200SX and 240SX, is an iconic coupe in Japan. It was sold until 2002, when the model was dropped, and there are rumors it could come back.
“The S15, especially with its high-output 2.0-liter turbo engine, is one of my favorite cars in Nissan’s history. To me, it’s one of the best lightweight sports cars we’ve made,” Espinosa said. But he also said that “considering today’s regulations and crash safety performance, it is extremely difficult to create a car with such a lightweight chassis. Nevertheless, this is one of the car names I would very much like to revive.”
Instead, Espinosa spoke fondly about the IDx concept, and about the business value of that car. The IDx was a coupe concept inspired not by the Silvia, but by the classic Datsun 510. That was one of the models that put the automaker on the map here, and a new version could help capitalize on nostalgia for the brand.
At the time, it was not brought forward because it would have competed with the 370Z. But now Espinosa seems to think it could be a better fit. “It’s just an idea in my head, but I hope one day it will come to fruition,” he said.
While Nissan is cutting costs, shutting facilities, and looking to pare down and remove excesses, Espinosa says that financial targets aren’t everything. Instead, he told the site, the automaker needs “happy customers.” Happy customers buy cars, and unhappy customers go somewhere else. Creating happy customers is sort of the “if you build it” of business, as a number of automakers have learned or failed at over the decades.
This isn’t the first time Espinosa has spoken about his desire for more halo cars. He has already floated the idea of “four or five cars at the top of our portfolio.” He intends for cars that “show what the heartbeat of Nissan is. Espinosa has talked about the return of the GT-R, a Nissan Z successor, and even the flagship versions of the Patrol/Armada SUV. The CEO hasn’t confirmed anything, but in general a CEO gets what they want, or they get shown the door. So we’re optimistic for a new generation of cool Nissans that help move the next generation of small crossovers.
Source: Kuruma (h/t Motor 1)
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