Nissan GTR future is under the threat

[Monteverdi]

Is Nissan Stupid Enough To Kill The GT-R?


The Nissan GT-R has been the last word in Japanese performance cars for ages. The latest generation car, the R35, is a world-beater.
This is a car that just does things it shouldn't be able to. It's faster than cars that cost three times as much and weigh more. Simply put, it's a marvel.
But today, rumors have started swirling that the next generation GT-R is yet to be approved by CEO Carlos Ghosn and may not enter production. This is a bad thing.
But is Nissan stupid enough to kill off the GT-R? I sure hope not.
The car has earned a loyal and devoted following across the globe. And in a lineup that is dominated by exceedingly boring cars, other than the Z, the GT-R shows that Nissan can build a truly amazing, world-beating product. It makes you forget that the Murano Cross Cabriolet exists.
What do you think? Will Nissan end up approving a GT-R or are they going to let Godzilla ride off into the sunset?


AND:



Next-Generation Nissan GT-R Might Not Happen

Just the Facts:

• The next-generation Nissan GT-R (R36) may not be officially approved at Nissan.
• A source tells Inside Line that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has not yet given the go-ahead to design and engineer the car.
• Nissan officially has no comment on the subject.

SANTA MONICA, California — A source close to the project tells Inside Line that the next Nissan GT-R has not yet been approved for production. Company CEO Carlos Ghosn, we're told, has not given the go-ahead to design and engineer the car. And he may never give it the green light.
In other words, it's possible that the Nissan GT-R in its modern form is a one-hit wonder.
Five years ago, the GT-R created a global phenomenon due to its combination of extreme performance, high technology and low price. Since then, Nissan's engineers have been slowly refining the R35 with subtle changes to its styling, suspension and engine output.
But all that time we assumed an all-new, fully redesigned model was in the works, possibly for the 2014 model year. There has even been speculation that the next-generation GT-R would get a hybrid drivetrain to keep it on the good side of the efficiency scale.
Now, it's increasingly looking like that's not going to happen. At first, rumors began to circulate that the next GT-R (R36) was delayed to the 2018 model year and it would receive another face-lift in 2013 to try to keep the car fresh for longer. Then we dug a little deeper and found out that development of the R36 hasn't even started yet.
Inside Line called Nissan for an official comment on the topic and received this brief e-mail reply from a company spokesman. "I cannot comment on that speculation and cannot comment on future product plans for the GT-R."
Although Ghosn was a champion for the GT-R project back in 2009, his new pet project, the all-electric Nissan Leaf is on the other side of the automotive spectrum. Ghosn approved the original GT-R only after being assured that it would make money for the company even at low volumes. Since its introduction, GT-R sales in the United States have added up to just 5,914 units and they have slowed recently to just 583 this year.
Add into the equation that the R35's chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno recently retired and it's easy to see why the next GT-R in in jeopardy.
Inside Line says: Come on, Carlos. Let them build it!

http://www.insideline.com/nissan/gt-r/next-generation-nissan-gt-r-might-not-happen.html

 

[Levi68]

Carlos is a moron. He has been promissing the comeback of Renault Alpine but till now the last Concept has not been green-lighted yet. He brought up the Gordini version of Renault, but they are not performance oriented cars, just decales and badges.

 

[martinbo]

Carlos Ghosn is a moron? Do some research before you fill our forums with utter nonsense. Shameful.

 

[Levi68]

He is a good business man but he is not a car enthusiast, even if "he" made the GT-R. Of course the worst of all is Sergio Marchionne and Honda in general.

 

[Kowalski]

He's definitely not a moron. He turned Nissan around from being a money pit into a money maker.

 

[Levi68]

He's definitely not a moron. He turned Nissan around from being a money pit into a money maker.

Nissan yes, but not Renault.

 

[330CIZHP]

I can understand why Nissan wants to axe the GTR. They have aggressively spent a lot of money updating the car every year in the last three years to put down better numbers while increasing the price, yet as apparent from the sales figures they went steadily downwards. Nissan also has been steadfast in claiming they lose money on every Nissan GTR sale.

It is at a very odd stage at $100,000 - $110,000 where it is neither considered cheap nor it is an exotic car. The price is not far off from a Porsche 911 GT3 so rather than cancelling the car, I would say it is better to either go all-out exotic or go back to the Z06 price point.

 

[Wunderkind]

The problem with the R35 GT-R is that it is an expensive bit of kit that was sold too cheaply at the beginning. Nissan was making very little money from it but it raised Nissan's profile and performance cred tremendously. The high yen has further dent the business case. The next GT-R will probably have to be priced on par with a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S in order for Nissan to make good money from it. Prospective buyers will have to ask themselves, "for the same money, I'd rather be in a Porsche rather than a Nissan". I think the choice is simple.

 

[Monster]

The fundamentals of the current GTR is so good already, can Nissan get away with just restyling the exterior and interior of the next GTR and keep the mechanicals as they are?

 

[Levi68]

R32 1989-1994
R33 1995-1998
R34 1999-2002
R35 2007-Present


If you look the GT-R didn't have a long life cycle and it had a gap of 5 years between the present car and is predecessor. I think I understand the problem. First of all costs are a problem? Later problem is where the car should be priced at. 100 K is the price range that is not affordable but neither exotic. There are quite many cars in this price range, but they are luxury sedans, luxury convertibles or luxury SUVs. In this price range not many by sportscar, and the only one in this range is the 911. McLaren and AMG want to have a 911 rival, so as Honda and Maserati. The problem is what car should it be ? The cars should become "green", but no car maker wants to be the first one to offer it. Plans are their, but to launch the car is risky. The NSX II was not well recieved by potential buyers, first because RWD, and then because of hybrid. So the NSX II is now on haitus. Lexus has plans on a SC successor that is to be hybrid or an affordable version of the LFA. It looks like all arecar makers, including BMW, are waiting on what shall happen. Hybrid is the future but it is not that welcome. I think the current R35 will stop production and Nissan will wait, according to what others do, how and where to place the R36, whether it should be hybrid or not, Corvette C7 price, 911 price or R8 price. So we could again have a gap between R35 and R36, but I don't think it will not come. It is like as if the M3, 911 or Corvette had no successor.

 

[Monster]

R32 1989-1994
R33 1995-1998
R34 1999-2002
R35 2007-Present
If you look the GT-R didn't have a long life cycle and it had a gap of 5 years between the present car and is predecessor. I think I understand the problem.

Well the 'problem' is that all the previous generations are based on Nissan's ordinary bog standard sedan, the sedan has 5 year life cycle, so the GTR also has to follow. The R35 is the first ever purpose build, uniquely engineered GTR from Nissan, so this generation's life cycle is not restricted by any other cars.

 

[Monteverdi]

There still is left a lot of potential in the GTR's chasis, drivetrain etc.. They can easilly pull it of just by upgrading the car with every model year, like they have done so far. In that way GTR will be competive to AT LEAST 2014. Its a wonderfully constructed machine which hasnt unlocked its full potential yet. I dont know IF this whole story was overhyped by the car media. All they know is that the development of the next GTR hasnt started yet. Not that they wont do it.

 

[Kowalski]

I think they should make GTR an independent brand and while at it, make a four door sports saloon.

 

[330CIZHP]

It won't address the major issue Nissan is having with mass producing the car, which is to get sales on an upward trend.

I can bet Carlos had already approved the R&D budget for the aggressive updates every year for the last 3 years with the condition to kick start the sales through continuous appearances in press.

As the article says, the decline in sales is the primary reason aside from the chief engineer retiring that is putting it in doubt.

The fundamentals of the current GTR is so good already, can Nissan get away with just restyling the exterior and interior of the next GTR and keep the mechanicals as they are?

 

[K-A]

I'd assume that one of the reasons the car hasn't been so profitable for them, and probably an R&D glut is because of the every-year-extensive-enhancements. That costs a lot of money to practically facelift the car every year. They should have just put on all that stuff from the beginning and in the long run saved some money. The GTR is such a unique and revered car, I don't think they would have lost out on much without the incremental year by year updates, and it wouldn't have made everyone who bought the previous year feel like they got shortchanged.

 

[Centurion]

Nissan have chewed off their own tail trying to chase down Porsche and Ferrari. What they have achieved is amazing but hey also neglected profitability. If they were sensible they would have reworked the 350Z to be a mini GT-R and they would have sold loads of them, in thousands. The GTR should have been used as a halo car.

Toyota have built up their brand and achieved racing credibility using the LFA and they have followed up with the FT86 Which they can now sell in thousands which makes sense for a non-exotic manufacturer.

 

[Cashmere]

Having a bespoke platform like the current R35 obviously equates to lower profits.All they have to do is indulge in some kind of platform sharing for the next generation and they should be fine.