Nissan may have just unveiled the production edition of its new 400-hp Z sports car in August in New York, but now we’re hearing clips from the hallways of its R department.
And it’s nothing less than a mid-engine sports model, but given the low sales volumes of sports cars and the high cost of progression, the only way to make this allocation viable would be to use the existing generation of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. .
This is rarely the first time Nissan has struggled with the concept of a central-engine sports car. In 1985, the company presented its 3. 0-liter “MID4” all-wheel drive and mid-engine concept (pictured above) in the Frankfurt. Later, in 1987, it presented the MID4-II at the Tokyo Motor Show, with the aim of launching the car on the market in the late 80s, the first car to be supplied with Nissan’s ATTESA all-wheel drive and HICAS’ new four-wheel guidance system, either of which gave the impression on the Skyline GT-R in 1989 and other models. table.
Today, the logo is back with a concept of a central-engine car that has a lot to offer. As discussed above, in the case of Nissan, it may depend on the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which, if you think about it, is the only explanation of why this car is being considered. And that means it has to do with the acclaimed mid-engine platform of the Renault Alpine A110.
However, unlike Toyota and BMW that shared the same platform and the same 3. 0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine in the Supra and Z4, or Toyota and Subaru that used the same platform and 2. 4-liter boxer engine in the GR86 and BRZ, Nissan will have to imprint its own identity in this task by giving its sports car its own unique frame and interior design and, of course, its own bespoke propulsion system. In fact, one can expect the car to borrow a combination of design elements from the 36-year-old MID4 concept and the Alpine.
While the new Nissan would use Renault’s Alpine A110 platform, it would use this coupe’s 1. 8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, instead, Nissan would opt for the same 1. 5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that equips the Rogue, but with a revised version. edition of his much-loved e-Power formula (at least in Japan!).
First introduced in Japan in 2016 on the Nissan Note, the e-Power offers the same generation of one hundred percent electric motors as the LEAF to generate instant torque. However, unlike traditional hybrid systems, an onboard gasoline engine acts only as a generator to evaluate the batteries and does not drive the wheels.
As for the new turbo engine and e-Power mix, a source close to Nissan suggests that the new mid-engine sports car, which is yet to be named, will feature 4WD, with the e-Power formula at the front. With the 1. 5-liter turbo driving the rear wheels and the estimated force eclipsing 300 hp. This powertrain would be married to a CVT with paddle shifters and sitting on the chassis of the Alpine, the car will offer first-class handling. With this radically new sports car, given the pandemic, pricing and persistent semiconductor issues, it will be compatible with the brand’s lineup with the new Z and is expected to appear until 2024.