2010 Nissan 370Z Expects Slow, Slow Sales

After the launch, with all the required bells and whistles, the 2010 model year Nissan 370Z Roadster and the Nismo 370Z Coupe on the American market, Japanese manufacturer Nissan lowered sales forecasts for their new star model, as a result of the omni-present crisis.

Initial "wishful thinking" forecasts placed sales for the 370Z at 30,000 units, 30 percent of which in Europe alone. The stubbornness of the economic turmoil, which just won't go away, will not only make the Z unable to meet Nissan's expectations, but also forced the manufacturer to revise the forecast altogether.

"The economic conditions we are facing today hit this kind of car much harder than those in other segments," Thomas Ebeling, Nissan Europe product strategy and planning manager was quoted as saying by Autonews. The result? They no longer expect to sell 30,000 units, but hope for as much as 10,000.

The North American continent will still be the main market for the 370Z, with some 7,000 vehicles believed to be sold there. The rest will of course be attributed to Europe, a higher percentage than the one the 350Z was able to achieve.

With prices set at around 40,000 euros, Nissan plans on entering the 370Z as a direct competitor to the Audi TT, BMW Z4, Mercedes SLK and the Porsche Cayman. The main target though remains the Cayman.

"In terms of performance, on a dollar or euro-per-horsepower comparison, there's no question we're going after the Cayman," Ebeling said. "That was the benchmark all along." The price of the 370Z makes the Japanese car an "extremely competitive" vehicle, when compared with the German sports cars.