Nissan’s planned 240SX/Silvia successor has been cancelled, according to a report published Thursday. The 2011 Silvia project was said to be inspired by the Foria and Urge concepts, and we published an exclusive illustration last year of the car. Meanwhile, there’s bad news for Nissan’s Infiniti division, too. The GT-R-based sedan planned for the brand (see illustration) has been put on hold, with little near-term hope for revival.
According to the U.K.’s Autocar, the decision was made in response to the Renault-Nissan’s $1.27 billion loss incurred during the second half of 2008, details of which were announced today.
CEO Carlos Ghosn has reportedly indicated the company must focus all of its resources on small and medium-sized cars, including an electric Prius rival, expected to arrive in showrooms next year. As recently noted, Nissan has also applied for loans from America’s Department of Energy for U.S.-based EV and battery development.
The 240SX sports car was to be sold in hybrid and gasoline variants. It was intended as a low-cost alternative to the 370Z. There is apparently no hope for a revival of the program. Meanwhile, the GT-R Sedan could be saved, but at this point, development has been suspended indefinitely.



02/12, 3:36 PM
posted by:
edgeguy
That makes alot of sense. Put the overpriced low volume GT-R sedan on hold and scratch the potentially high-volume practical, and affordable 240SX. Way to go Nissan.
02/12, 3:42 PM
posted by:
jonmiles
^lol seriously!
02/12, 3:53 PM
posted by:
bigjimid
^ ^ Right. +1 for Nissan
02/12, 3:55 PM
posted by:
Borat
It’s economy…….
Few years back Nissan lost it’s caboose with coupes and hatches that weren’t selling in US. Few year ago we also had a mild recession compare to current, so maybe corporate marketers put 2 and 2 together and came up with hold and cut.
02/12, 3:56 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
What? A Japanese company is applying for government assisted loans? Hmmm.
I think the a new 240 would for most shoppers overlap with an Altima Coupe, and given Hyundai’s pricing on the Gen-Coupe Nissan would be hard pressed to compete in any “high-volume” sense like Edgeguy referenced.
02/12, 4:00 PM
posted by:
DB9
As predicted;-) All the pieces of the puzzle are now starting to come together – what of the GT-R proper and 370Z? Lets not forget that beautiful example of a CVT SPORT SEDAN – MAXIMA; hold on the fun… the maelstrom… It’s all coming together…profitably;-) Nissan is just the tip of the iceberg and only one of many industries – Go Baby go:-) Stay tuned…
DB9
02/12, 4:03 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Looks like some people will be buying the Genesis coupe after all.
Shame that, really. I was looking forward to seeing the 240SX reborn.
02/12, 4:08 PM
posted by:
Z06ified
Applied for loans from the U.S. government? WTF is that? It’s a Japanese company! Shouldn’t the Japanese government give Nissan loans? As a U.S. taxpayer, I sure as hell don’t want to be subsidizing a Japanese company. This country is going down the crapper, and fast.
02/12, 4:14 PM
posted by:
LQQK TwiCe
240SX > GTR Sedan
who is actually looking forward to the sedan when people is not really buying the coupe?
Atima coupe even though its nice it reminds me of a g35 especially if you add the spoiler
So the 240SX would have been an all new look.
Altima coupe FWD or a used 2006 G35 coupe RWD I rather have the latter
02/12, 4:14 PM
posted by:
zfenderguy
I think that there was to be provisions that stipulated the money be spent in the US on North American infrastructure. It would go to upgrades to the Smyrna plant to facillitate electric car production, and to the electric car supplier base, presumably in the US. That’s the way I understand it at least.
And I would have kept development of the 240SX replacement going, with plans to axe the slow selling and wayward SE-R.
02/12, 4:15 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
240SX/Silvia successor would have been a grate rival, for the Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe. For a the price range of $22,000 and RWD. I think Nissan just may miss out in a potential market.
02/12, 4:18 PM
posted by:
oldraven
VAPOURWARE!!!!!
Come on, I had to say it.
02/12, 4:21 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
My head’s really starting to spin here. Are the Koreans- Hyundai/Kia specifically- going to be the ones who emerge the least unscathed from this black hole? Well, at least when it comes to the Asian side of things. I can’t recall having heard of any model cancellations or delays. Unless they’re hiding behind it could there be a changing of the guard when all the smoke clears?
02/12, 4:26 PM
posted by:
acura_el2000
lol Nissan realized it couldn’t compete with the Genesis coupe
02/12, 4:28 PM
posted by:
krautninja
IMO if Niassan was smart they would scrap the Altima Coupe and bring the 240… As Mayer said the Altima and 240 would have a huge over lap one would kill the others sales, but with the release of the Gen Coupe from hyundai the power play would be to provide a real alternative to it in the form of the RWD 240.
02/12, 4:36 PM
posted by:
Madcapp
Big mistake cancelling the 240. They could have cleaned up in a market segnent that’s festering in FWD garbage.
02/12, 4:54 PM
posted by:
CADDY-V
YES!!!! nissan is making alot a great moves in the past few months and this is just one more. Way to go!!!!
02/12, 5:05 PM
posted by:
GMmalvado
“Curses! Foiled again by the evil E. Conomy…”
02/12, 6:38 PM
posted by:
gabedm
NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Get off your knees nissan! Your blowing the game!
Could be the most pathetic automotive move since Pontiac green lit the Aztec. Looks like this 18-24′er who had anticipated selling a testicle to be first iin line to buy one will have to buy a genesis coupe.
02/12, 6:39 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
The 240SX was not a good idea to begin with, the market would be slicing the pie too thin with those models! Look, as little as 2 years ago the entire low cost midsize coupe market consisted of the Solara, Accord Coupe and Mustang. It’s ridiculous. It’s not a market with tons of growth, so Nissan did a good move.
What was the 240 going to be? A midsize RWD 2+2 (Like the FWD Altima coupe) or a smaller Z? The Z is about as small as it gets now, so it was stuck either overlaping one of the two in nowhere land. The GTR Sedan was whatever anyway, kind of nice to have seen though.
02/12, 7:15 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
I REALLY hope this isn’t true, but I am not holding my breath. Few things would make me this upset but holy crap I am angry! The 240SX replacement is CANCELLED but the GT-R sedan is ON HOLD??? Give me a break! Nissan has NOTHING to appeal to a buyer who wants a sporty car for less than $35,000 that also has more than two seats and a small trunk– to say nothing of the car’s performance heritage! The Altima Coupe and Maxima (I’m sorry) do not count when I would otherwise go to the older used car market to find what I am looking for. I was looking forward to shopping this car when it came out to replace my Prelude (ANOTHER great sports coupe –save its FWD engine –that has disappeared)
Nissan would have sold plenty of these cars for $22k+. They’ve known for years that there has been demand for it! Ghosn has really dropped the ball with this and it will show on their balance sheets, given enough months.
I have nothing more to add to this post other than vicious and crude expletives directed at Nissan’s upper management and posting that is not my style.
What a letdown. The saving grace was yesterday’s announcement of the Genesis Coupe R-Spec for $23k. It’s not a 240SX successor from NIssan, but the formula is pretty darn close…
02/12, 7:24 PM
posted by:
valenburg
^^^^agreed. the Altima I think, was the wrong car for the coupe job. it was like the 2door accord and the prelude. A coupe with an engine that powerful on FWD is pretty ridiculous even the 3.5S 4 door altima was pretty nuts. I say can the coupe altima and onward with the 240.
02/12, 7:54 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
It’s never been worth it to me but I think I’ll write a letter to Nissan USA and Nissan Japan regarding this.
02/12, 8:15 PM
posted by:
smrtypants44
What you guys are forgetting is that while the C-class is MBs volume seller, a good chunk of their profits (20-25%) comes from the S class due to the large markup on it. So all in all I would bet that the GTR sedan would make a whole lot more money for Nissan than the proposed 240sx
02/12, 8:30 PM
posted by:
valenburg
most people who buy mercedes buy it because, it’s a mercedes. Im pretty sure the people who buy the gt-r or would purchase the sedan won’t buy it because it’s a gt-r.
02/12, 8:36 PM
posted by:
Borat
I saw GT-R on the road and I can’t say that it is a looker. Yes it is fast and cheap for its’ performance level, but it is really not an easy car to look at. Perhaps its me, but I would get a ‘Vette and pocket the change or get ZR-1, although I would really would not know what to do with all the massive power and torque (I don’t race).
02/12, 9:04 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
I love the looks of the older and new GT-R. It’s very distinctive and reminiscent of the looks of older GT-R’s. It wouldn’t make sense for that car to have Pininfarina looks. A GT-R has always been about blockiness and angles. A Corvette, on the other hand, has always been about curves and flowing lines since the early 1950’s model.
02/12, 9:18 PM
posted by:
CottonPanties
That’s too bad a new 240SX would be sweet.
02/12, 9:19 PM
posted by:
A4
WTF??? the 240SX should really be on a fast track.
02/12, 9:32 PM
posted by:
Lionwithoutpride
I hate the GT-R and wish it had failed miserably. That said, I have no clue why so many are down on the looks of the GT-R. To me, the GT-R is gorgeous precisely because they aren’t selling you looks. Aside from some parts that can’t handle the launch control, that car is pure utilitarian mana from Heaven! Many who bash the looks of the GT-R are probably the same ones who bashed the new Mazda 3 because “it looks like it’s smiling-it’s so happy!” So many posters laughed because they said the Mazda didn’t need that much air intake, so the grill was for looks only. So many posters laugh about manufacturers adding design elements that make cars look powerful, but have no role in motivating the car’s speed or handling. So why, then, is the GT-R not the height of beauty? Everything on that car has a purpose. Didn’t anyone else read the articles about how the car’s design was dictated by engineering needs and not aesthetics? That’s something we’re missing in this world. Why doesn’t our government work? Probably because they’re more concerned with how we look than what is good policy.
Again, I hate Nissan because I am such a cheerleader of the American car companies, but, my God, few of us even deserve what Nissan has accomplished (probably cheating at the N-ring aside). The GT-R is pure achievement and a monument to what makes man great. Ferrari, Porsche, etc.-imagine how much more performance they could wring out of their cars with less of an eye towards aesthetics.
The Dodge Viper is another car that has fairly successfully resisted creature comforts that don’t contribute to its goal of being a monster. If you want a vehicle that places aesthetics as its top goal then go buy yourself a Morgan (if you have the spare coin), but manufacturers like Ferrari are supposed to be performance oriented. They still perform fantastically, but they aren’t what they could be and that’s a shame. Try and tell me you don’t laugh at the 16 year old kid who puts decals on his car to make it faster. Then ask yourself why it’s so impressive that Porsche puts so much luxury in a sports car and finds itself trailing a cheaper car at “the ring” (even when the GT-R is raced completely stock by a Porsche driver).
. . . Of course, I read too much Rand, huh?
02/12, 10:48 PM
posted by:
Mutant@DCX
wow, they lost 1.3 billion in the 1/4 without the UAWs help?
where are they spending their money?
Infinity needs a pusher, the 240 prolly could be thrown out.
02/13, 12:01 AM
posted by:
02VortecAVALANCHE
bye bye 240 hello SS CAMERO
02/13, 4:05 AM
posted by:
Stinky007
This is a sad day!
I was expecting this or the Toyota-Subaru coupe to be my 20k euro car. Now I’ll have to settle for euro-trash FWD fat overweight “hot-hatches”.
02/13, 8:13 AM
posted by:
ricky_b
I give Ghosn a lot of credit for putting off programs at a time like this. Companies need to stabilize before blowing wads of cash on something 3-5yrs down the pike in an economy like this. Comparing to Camaro – the only reason GM is able to go forward with the Camaro is that it was well into its development cycle; still would like to see one of those new bad boys in person. As for Nissan, I think they’ll be one of the first to pull out of this mess when the economy turns around because I think Ghosn truly understands the global auto market and knows how to properly steer that company.
02/13, 8:29 AM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
Nissan is making a lot of great moves towards goingout of business and it should make everyone happy to know that Nissan is just another victim of the American Revolution. Nobody wants cheap, unreliable tin cans from Sushiland.
Buy Amercian. Buy GM
02/13, 10:00 AM
posted by:
CarbonGSR
NMOFGM, you do realize that GM is closer to going out of business then the large import manufactures. Right?
02/13, 10:08 AM
posted by:
Stinky007
“Nobody wants cheap, unreliable tin cans from Sushiland. ”
Of course, “everyone” prefers cheap, unreliable cars from Yankland!
02/13, 11:04 AM
posted by:
zfenderguy
Just ignore him/her/it. One of these days the message to STFU/DIAF will be heeded.
02/13, 11:13 AM
posted by:
Other Man
Who’s saying the 240SX successor would’ve been “high volume” Good selling perhaps, but not all that high of a volume for what would amount to pretty much a hardtop MX-5/Solstice Coupe competitor, and you don’t see lots of those driving around.
The GT-R though was perhaps a missed opportunity. It had the potential to be easily the fastest sedan around the Ring, and probably by a fair margin.
Oh well, the CTS-V rocks anyhow.
02/13, 3:03 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
A RWD Silvia/240SX successor would have had to be built on one of Nissan’s existing RWD platforms to make business sense.. and considering the only ones they currently have already underpin the pricey Skyline/G37 and Z, they probably wouldn’t have been able to bring the cost down enough to be price competitive. If anything, a new $25,000 240SX for the US would only cannibalize Altima coupe and G37 coupe sales, and probably not add enough additional volume to justify production.
02/13, 5:18 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
I find it amusing that so many people take note that the 240SX would cut into Altima Coupe sales. Well, yes and no. Look at Lexus: they sell an ES300 (or whatever it is called these days) in the same price bracket as a base model IS sedan. Conflict of interest? Maybe, but one is a hovercraft sponge that I abhor while the other is a sporty executive sedan that I and “driver” types like.
Similarly, while the Altima Coupe provides the seating and trunk layout that I do want in a coupe, it simply ISN’T what I will even consider buying because it is a FWD car.
You could have easily had the 240SX coexist with the soft and humdrum Altima Coupe— or outright replace it by offering several variations of the line from a luxury featured model to a barebones factory club racer.
The patience of fans for Nissan’s on-again-off-again “revival” of the 240SX has been wearing thin for years. This was a figurative and literal slap to the face. I know that I am far from alone in this feeling.
02/13, 5:48 PM
posted by:
zfenderguy
Wish they could come out with a nice light, bare bones RWD 2 door with minmal frills and a highly tunable engine/chassis. Those are the kind of cars that gain cult like following. Make the styling evoke the mid-90s 240SX/Silvia and R34 Skyline. Just a sleek, classy look IMO. I think that rather large and emphatic enthusiast base has slipped through Nissan’s fingers.
02/14, 11:43 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
the 240 was going to be the car to replace my 05 civic in about 4 years guess it will be either a genisis or a lancer ralliart
02/15, 11:38 AM
posted by:
AFSOCSARGE
I Think This Is A Mistake The Tuner And Drifter World Would Have Brought This Like Crazy ! This FWD Deal Is Just Insane To Me. It Looks Like The Late 70’s Early 80’s Again. You Loose 1-2 MPG With RWD Though You Will Gain That Same Amount If You Drop 1-200 LBS Of Weight With Cylinder Cut Off, Direct Injection And Light Weight Composite That Loss Can Be Made Up .
-Sarge
02/16, 1:57 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
NO 240SX!!!!! NOooooo! FIrst Toyota Axes their Subaru joint project and now this? Definitely due to the state of the economy I’m sure. But this is really sad news because I’m getting tired of all the FWD crap that continues to come out….
02/16, 8:01 PM
posted by:
Htay9500
No more RWD = no more fun.