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Nissan Won't Make a Toyota GT86 Rival

Nissan has ditched the idea of making a Toyota GT86 rival for the foreseeable future.
Nissan IDx Nismo Concept 1 photo
Photo: Nissan
The Japanese carmaker first generated rumors related to such a car when it unveiled the twin IDx concepts at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. At the time, Nissan showed two vehicles, both with rear-wheel-drive, one of which had been tuned by the specialists at Nismo.

The appearance of the two concepts sparked interest in enthusiasts that still crave for affordable rear-wheel-drive sport coupes, but it looks like the brand will not give in to this niche.

Shiro Nakamura, Nissan’s chief creative officer and senior vice president, has explained in an interview with Auto Express why the Japanese company will not build a production version of the IDx.

As in the case of other concept cars, developing a platform to suit a light, small, and affordable sports car with rear-wheel drive has significant costs, and these rarely get paid off in sales.

The potential image benefit of launching an affordable rear-wheel drive sports car does not justify the launch of a Toyota GT86 competitor, as Nissan already has a range of sports cars and sporty models, some of which are tuned by Nismo, the brand’s motorsport division.

Some voices noted that the Renault-Nissan Alliance recently unveiled a production rear-wheel drive sports car under the Alpine name, but Nissan’s vice president explains that said platform is not suitable for an eventual model for the Japanese brand. Mr. Nakamura states that Nissan “is not a mid-engined car company,” and does not have the same heritage as Alpine.

While the affordable rear-wheel-drive car from Nissan might remain a dream for a while, Shiro Nakamura says that the GT-R and the Z sports car will be kept in the range “forever.”

The choice of not building an affordable sports car is correct from an economic point of view, as the sales numbers achieved by these models are rarely impressive, and the company must spend significant amounts to develop and market the resulting vehicles.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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