[bonzelite]

what i mean is that the popularity of the GT-R will spread beyond enthusiasts. i do NOT mean to say that the appeal will die down among enthusiasts or anyone else for that matter- just that it wont be a cult-like appreciation, nearly everyone will be able to appreciate it.
i guess this comes down to an argument of what a 'lot' is. this also involves a belief of what the cost of the GT-R will be. i believe it will be able to be had for <$60k. imo a 'lot' of people can afford a $60k car. obviously not a lot in comparison to the general populous, but enough so that you could see a GT-R quite often. think: how often do you see 7 series, Lexus LS, S class, Vette, etc? these are all 'expensive' cars, that 'few' can afford, but depending on where you live you may see quite a number of them. I disagree that the demographic will exclude many buyers. This isn't the evo where Mitsu messed up by making the Lancer first and killed most of the appeal the evo might have to the average owner (who's into looks, features, etc.) The GT-R looks like it will play the part in all aspects. It's likely to be AWD TT. It'll as practical as anything in its segment. Considering also that it'll play the role all around, I dont see how they'll have a problem selling them. Porsche owners look at it as a nice DD to accompany their higher end 911s. Z owners look at it as something to trade up to. Instead of excluding everyone, I think they're doing the reverse. This is also evidenced by Nakamura's comments, which reflect exactly what I've just said.

As far as the car dying off due to poor sales, I don't see that happening either, so long as Nissan is honest with their sales goals. I don't really see them selling 5k/mo of these (USDM), no matter how well executed it is. BUT 1-2k/mo in the US sounds doable if they do a good enough job with it. If you look at Supra sales, that's about where they trailed off to. The real reason why they stopped selling the Supra is the same reason why they don't sell it today: they dont want to. The Z, Vette, 911 have done something that few of their competitors have been able to do: proven that sports cars can sell. Part of the problem with the earlier cars was that
1. the demographic was dminishing as most were wanting SUVs
2. the appreciation for a tuning friendly, potent car wasnt what it is today
3. the supra and rx7, although outstanding and close, did not quite have the name of the GT-R/Z/911/vette.
4. the value/$ on those cars was low. The 350z is, inflation adjusted, HALF the price of the 300zx, for what's arguably a better "sports car".
5. there was a lot of competition- m3, supra, 300zx, vette, rx7, 3000gt, and more all filled the same segment.

but today:

1. the demographic for sports cars is stronger
2. nismo is selling. people can appreciate performance-oriented products and are willing to spend money on it more so now than ever before. this applies at all levels as well, from the cobalt to the 911 turbo.
3. you get the GT-R badge...
4. ....for the price of the outgoing 300zx....
5. ...in a marketplace with fewer competitors where nissan has the most practical car.

absolutely the global release of a GTR will enable the average johnny-come-lately-with-money to buy one. so it will include a broader base. that is Nissan's entire goal. but in my opinion it will, nonetheless, retain it's cult standing as an icon of prestige and exclusivity. Porsche is available worldwide. but relatively few people own one.

insofar as the pricing, it will not be affordable to most people eventhough it will be thousands less than a Porsche, with as much performance potential or more. indeed, it will be within reach of more people than a Porsche, but that is not to say it will be affordable or seen as practical. whether it is priced out of either consumer scale --the Z-type of buyer or the Porsche-type of buyer-- has yet to be seen. but has happened before. and that is what i pointed out.

i am full aware that Nissan's marketing people are acutely aware of the likelihood that they may have a great car that appeals to no demographic. i would hope and expect that they consider that. will the GTR be a car "priced for nobody?" who knows. we only know what 80% of the car will look like at this point. everything else is for people like you and i, GTR fans, to sit and wonder about. :cheers:

 

[bonzelite]

and i will say it again:

the RX-7 was axed from the USDM exactly because it was priced for nobody. it was too expensive for Z-car type of buyers, and too "cheap" for Porsche-level type of consumers. so it had almost no audience, despite the fact that is was perhaps the best RX-7 made. so only very few people bought it. despite that, the JDM continued to sell the RX-7 for years thereafter.

 

[Ronin Z]

We, as devoted car enthusiasts, will speculate about the GT-R up until the very day it reaches showroom floors. Then about 30 seconds after that, the speculation will begin anew about what changes will be incorporated into next year's model.

In any event, many future GT-R buyers will have heard absolutely nothing about the car until they see the first one pass them by on the highway and say "What kind of car is that?" Or take their Altima in for service and see one of these beasts hunkered down on the showroom floor.

Sometimes, we tend to forget that we are a rarefied group. We set standards and expectations that the general buying public simply does not have. There are countless factors that decide if a car sells or not. For us, a car's heritage and family lineage are important considerations. To the average Joe the GT-R will have neither. The car will start with a clean slate.

They will look at the salesman incredulously when he tells them that the GT-R is faster than a Porsche, Corvette, Viper, or whatever.

We will all have to wait and see how the public takes to this one. No matter how awesome the car is, in North American markets it will be a tough battle as bewildered slobs stare at the sticker, turn to their buddy, scratch their beer belly and say...

"You see this Cletus? They want 65K... for a Nissan!"

Best Regards,
Ronin Z

 

[bonzelite]

In any event, many future GT-R buyers will have heard absolutely nothing about the car until they see the first one pass them by on the highway and say "What kind of car is that?" Or take their Altima in for service and see one of these beasts hunkered down on the showroom floor.

Sometimes, we tend to forget that we are a rarefied group. We set standards and expectations that the general buying public simply does not have. There are countless factors that decide if a car sells or not. For us, a car's heritage and family lineage are important considerations. To the average Joe the GT-R will have neither. The car will start with a clean slate.


We will all have to wait and see how the public takes to this one. No matter how awesome the car is, in North American markets it will be a tough battle as bewildered slobs stare at the sticker, turn to their buddy, scratch their beer belly and say...

"You see this Cletus? They want 65K... for a Nissan!"

Best Regards,
Ronin Z

:werd: