The G37 IS an upmarket Z. I love coupes, don't get me wrong... But unfortunately they always sell well for a couple years, then sales nose-dive. If they can't consistently make profit, kiss it goodbye. Car companies are not philanthropies contributing to the auto enthusiast world.

 

I'm not going to beat up NIssan for this decision as they have provided sporty coupes when Honda and Toyota have canned them all.

 

As much as I would love to see a new 240SX I can see perfectly why this is not a no-brainer for Nissan. They do have more sporty offerings than any of the Asian brands right now. The market for coupes is limited to begin with so they must be wise about what sort of coupe they make. They don't have anything in the pocket rocket segment except the SE-R so a new Sentra coupe would make sense.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if they made something along the lines of the Sport concept of a few years ago.

 

Well, lately, they've sure been acting like they are. How else do you explain the ongoing rush to ever-more HP/torque, sportier interiors, stiffer suspensions, and lower-profile tires? With rare exceptions (the Cadillac DTS being one of them), this seems to be the trend on most newer vehicles.

 

Well lately.

Sweeping generalizations with no value to the well-informed owners/enthusiasts here. Good to see we have fans of the wonderful DTS and Amanti here though, lol.

Not everybody here seeks a geezer-pleazer w/ 4 speed tranny on 70 series tires.

 

Except during the oil crisis of the 70's. . . I've never heard of cars becoming less and less powerful with worse handling. Suspension on cars today are ultra stiff compared to fifty years ago. . . I think it's just natural evolution. . . and also what people are willing to pay for. And tires. . . low profile tires look cool and aesthetics sell. If any of that stuff reduced profits today or in the future, I doubt they would continue to produce them. I'm sorry, I love cars, but my love for cars does not blind me to fundamental business basics. I think you're one of the best people around for reviewing cars, but surely this concept isn't beyond you?

 

I wouldn't call either car "wonderful". Both of them do ride well, but have other notable faults....especially the DTS. That isn't a "sweeping generalization."

Neither model has 70-series tires. (70s are not used on any mass-produced car anymore, in the American market, that I know of). The tallest I've seen on 2010-2011 cars are 55-60s, with 65-70s only on some SUVs.

A number of vehicles do, of course, still use 4-speed automatics......several entry-level models, and even the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS. Both the Lucerne and DTS, though, at least in their present forms, will likely be gone soon. I'll miss the rides on them..........but not much else.

One well-respected CL moderator, BTW, DOES like the DTS....and has said so here in public.

 

Power, as you note, dropped drastically during the early-mid 70's because of emissions controls and gas-mileage requirements, but, especially by the end of the decade, handling actually improved as some vehicles that formerly had recirculating-ball steering switched to the more-responsive rack-and-pinion type, and McPherson-struts began to be more-widely used. More were to follow, of course, in the subsequent decades.


It's not just a matter of suspension/tire stiffness. American roads, for a number of reasons, are in substantially worse and rougher condition then 50 years ago, in the 1950s and 60s. Those reasons, many of which are not automobile-related, are probably better-discussed in the CLUBHOUSE and DEBATE sections than here in CAR CHAT. That is why you often see substantial difference in chassis-specs between cars designed for the Euro and American-markets....roads are generally much smoother in Europe.



Yes, I know that rubber-band tires are currently fashionable. But I'm not necessarily one to go along with the crowd......never was, even as a teen-ager in high school, when I liked both muscle-cars AND luxury-cars. I strongly tend to think for myself.


Thanks. Thinking for myself was never beyond concept.

(And, as for reviews, though he and I sometimes disagree on a few vehicles such as the Acura RL, I consider some of what Mike (1SICKLEX) says, in his reviews, to be better than my own write-ups).


Now...back to small Nissan coupes.

 

Of course, not one has ever owned or purchased a DTS. We probably can find one member if we dig deep enough (hopefully alive and well, not that deep).

Regardless, welcome to modern automotive world of 2010 as it relates to these sweeping generalizations about the ongoing rush; "Or How else do you explain the ongoing rush to ever-more HP/torque, sportier interiors, stiffer suspensions, and lower-profile tires? With rare exceptions (the Cadillac DTS being one of them), this seems to be the trend on most newer vehicles."

Now that we've discussed a desire to return to geezer-pleasing attributes and outdated technology again and again and again and again (in an unrelated thread), back to the topic of Nissan coupes as presented by OP.

 

I made that clear in my last post.

 

Yes, surprisingly so and on topic for a change too (after 5 paragraphs of who knows what).

 

***sigh***
I can't believe they turned THAT into a Nissan Tiida (Versa)