Rumor Mill : Return of the 240SX?

Rumor Mill : Return of the 240SX?

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With the success of the Toyabaru twins in the BRZ and FR-S, many manufacturers are clamoring to join the fray in what appears to be a soon to be highly crowded compact segment. However one manufacturer with a history of performance in this segment is distinctly missing, but Nissan may be close to rejoining the fray.

Rumors have persisted for a long time that Nissan would bring back the 240SX, only to be rebuked by Nissan’s persistence to push the Juke platform. But recent comments to Drive magazine from Nissan lead designer Shiro Nakamura hinted at the possibility of a lightweight rear wheel drive coupe on the horizon.

Source - Drive Magazine
Source – Drive Magazine

However on what platform would this FR-S/BRZ fighter be provided on? According to Nakamura, it might not be the 370Z platform as many in the automotive world have surmised. The lead designer shared these thoughts in late 2012 with Drive magazine ;

“I much prefer smaller sports cars,” Nakamura said. “With 370Z, we still don’t know if the next-generation will have a smaller or larger engine.”

When pressed for details on Nissan’s development of said sports coupe, Nakamura was evasive at best ;

“I cannot say,” Nakamura said, “A light, sport coupe is a nice concept, I like it.” he would continue after reinforcing the fact that he was a huge fan of the lightweight rear wheel drive platform.

Nissan definitely has heavyweights in it’s corner with the Skyline GT-R and 370Z models pushing the performance envelope, but for a company that has generated decades of sporty rear wheel drive coupes to not have one seems criminal.

Source - Drive Magazine
Source – Drive Magazine

And what engine would Nissan use? it seems as though the MR engine is a popular target for the rumor mill, however in a NA form with Mercedez Benz badging, could it really keep up with the FR-S, BRZ models? Or could we see a turbocharged 4 cylinder application bring back the glory days of the SR20DET powered S-chassis’ of yesteryear?

If there’s any clue to the temperature of the “market” and the willingness of Chevy and other domestic manufacturers to join the lightweight rear wheel drive coupe race, we could see a “S16” make a triumphant return.

While we don’t know what possible platform or motor Nissan could utilize ( hopefully not anything related to the Juke ) and where it leaves Nissan’s quest to return to it’s compact sports car roots, there’s no doubt that the success of the Toyota/Subaru compacts is not going unnoticed. And that has every Nissan fan here in the States happy and hopeful, including us.

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