Motor Authority - blog Category: 200SX

As brilliant as the GT-R is, its premium price tag and limited availability means it will be out of reach for most sports car lovers for some time to come. Then there’s the new 370Z but it too can be a bit expensive for younger fans. Sadly, Nissan’s affordable sports car, the Silvia (200/240SX), no longer exists but that may soon be set to change as a replacement for the car is rumored to be in the works.

With rivals Honda and Toyota both planning their own respective compact sports cars in the form of the CR-Z hybrid and Toyota-Subaru joint sports coupe, Nissan is not prepared to stand idly by and will come out with its own... As brilliant as the GT-R is, its premium price tag and limited availability means it will be out of reach for most sports car lovers for some time to come. Then there’s the new 370Z but it too can be a bit expensive for younger fans. Sadly, Nissan’s affordable sports car, the Silvia (200/240SX), no longer exists but that may soon be set to change as a replacement for the car is rumored to be in the works. With rivals Honda and Toyota both planning their own respective compact sports cars in the form of the CR-Z hybrid and Toyota-Subaru joint sports coupe, Nissan is not prepared to stand idly by and will come out with its own version. According to AutoExpress, the new car will be available as a roadster and will feature styling inspired by 2006’s Urge concept car. Power is expected to come from a 1.6L four-cylinder petrol engine turbocharged to the tune of 200hp (147kW). This should see the car accelerate from 0-60mph in around six seconds and comfortably reach a top speed of 140mph. While Nissan is yet to officially confirm its development, nor offer any hints, inside sources claim the car’s release has been delayed due to the financial slump and should arrive on the market late in 2011 as a 2012 model. Read More

Despite the millions spent by Renault on its F1 team and its past success in the competition, translating these efforts to its production cars is largely a moot point because Renault’s lineup is seriously lacking in the sports car department. Renault currently uses the RenaultSport RS moniker for its performance models but there has been speculation in the recent past that there could be a revival of the legendary Alpine name.

Renault bosses have confirmed in the past that there are plans to bring back the Alpine name but a new report by Autocar claims those plans have been scrapped as the carmaker attempts to reduce its costs.

The... Despite the millions spent by Renault on its F1 team and its past success in the competition, translating these efforts to its production cars is largely a moot point because Renault’s lineup is seriously lacking in the sports car department. Renault currently uses the RenaultSport RS moniker for its performance models but there has been speculation in the recent past that there could be a revival of the legendary Alpine name. Renault bosses have confirmed in the past that there are plans to bring back the Alpine name but a new report by Autocar claims those plans have been scrapped as the carmaker attempts to reduce its costs. The information came from Renault COO Patrick Pelata who told reporters that the decision to scrap the Alpine plans was a direct “casualty” of the economic crisis. Pelata also revealed that Renault’s plans to move production of its next-generation Clio hatch to Chenai, India, had also been dropped. The original motivation behind the decision to rejuvenate the Alpine badge was the success Fiat was experiencing with its Abarth label. Like Abarth, Alpine was an independent manufacturer of racing and sport cars that eventually merged with a major carmaker, in this case Renault. Pictured above is the 2006 Alpine 210 RS concept car, a modern interpretation of the original Alpine race cars from the 1960 and ’70s. Read More