Nissan planning a pair of sports car debuts for Tokyo show

By John LeBlanc No doubt kick started by the success of Toyota’s Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ sports cars, rival Japanese automaker Nissan will debut a pair of sports car concepts at next month’s biennial Tokyo auto show. Like other Japanese automakers in the 1990s, Nissan use to offer a fleet of sporty cars, from the NX 2000 to the 240 SX to the 300 ZX. But after two decades of economic recession in Japan, and aging Baby Boomer buyers moving to SUVs and crossovers, Nissan has only its 370 Z and low-volume GT-R to offer. But that may change soon. According to a report in WhatCar, Nissan will debut two sports car concepts in Tokyo. The first is a true concept, not likely to ever see production. But apparently the second show car is a near-precaution rival to the rear-wheel-drive, Scion/Subaru entry-level sports cars. In regards to how it will look, the new Nissan sports car will be “inspired by a car from the company's past” — but not the brand’s iconic Zed car. The Nissan Esflow, from the 2011 Tokyo show (seen above), may give us some clues. Whether the new Nissan will be front-, rear- or all-wheel drive has not been confirmed. As well, the 197 horsepower turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder gas engine form the Nissan Juke Nismo has been speculated as a potential powerplant. Based on typical product development cycles, don’t expect to see a production version of the new Nissan entry-level sports car arrive any earlier than 2015. What do think about another small sports car entering the market? Do you think there are enough buyers for another two-seater? Or is Nissan too late to the party? Source: WhatCar

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