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It seems as if the Nissan 200SX sports coupe could return as an affordable battery electric sport coupe. It would offer fresh competition for the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, and Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Nissan Senior Vice President of Global Product Planning, Ivan Espinosa was ruminating over younger buyers lack of enthusiasm for cars. “I think car manufacturers – in general – have forgotten about the passion for cars,” Espinosa said to Top Gear. When asked whether Nissan would field a new hot hatch, he said, ““I’m not sure about a hot hatch, but maybe a smaller electric sportscar you could think of. Something smaller, a bit more affordable. Definitely.”
The plan would reinstate what the company has always had: a three-tier sports car lineup, some that was decimated by the reign of Carlos Ghosn. “We’ve always had the GT-R, we’ve always had Z, and we’ve always had an entry,” he said.
“This is my product planner dream – to keep these three elements as our sportscar offering. A top-of-the-line GT-R with its Nismo variant, a Z with its Nismo variant, and an entry-level car with its Nismo variant as well. This could be a kind of ideal sportscar offering.”
The Nissan 200SX debuted in the U.S. market in 1977 to fight the Toyota Celica. Known overseas at the Silvia, the car filled the slot abandoned by the 240Z as it went upmarket as the 280ZX. It reached its peak in 1984. That’s when the redesigned 200SX appeared with rear-wheel drive, a 300ZX-derived rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and a 120-horsepower four-cylinder engine. For 1987, it gained a 160-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 borrowed from the 300ZX. By the time the 200SX appeared for 1995, it was plastered to a front-wheel-drive coupe, which thrilled exactly no one.
Hopefully, a new Nissan 200SX BEV will restore its lustre, but as of yet, there’s no confirmation beyond Espinosa’s comments.
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