Most of us allready know...

[Zahos]

Most of us allready know this, but here is an article someone had sent to me...

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. was making its last iconic Skyline GT-R "supercar" on Thursday and plans to consign its once-popular Silvia coupe to the scrap heap for good later this year as sales skid. Japan's number three automaker is turning to more economical models to replace the old brands, with sales of its recently revamped Fairlady Z sports car expected to rocket, said Nissan spokesman Gerry Spahn.

Although production of the current Skyline GT-R is over, it is not the end of the road for the two-door performance classic as Nissan is working on a next generation version. But the launch date could be years away as the company examines a number of concept designs, engineering platforms and profitability reports. "There has been no time scale, (but) I don't think it will be in 2003," said Spahn. In contrast, the Silvia, one of Japan's best known sports car marques, has definitely reached the end of its 27-year lifespan and production will cease by the end of the year. "Sales for the Silvia have dropped off significantly," said Spahn. A mere 6,257 Silvias were sold in the year to March, compared with 81,201 units sold in calendar 1989, at the height of its popularity.

Nissan, 44.4 percent owned by Renault SA of France, is reducing production costs by making different vehicles based on the same platform, whereas both the Skyline GT-R and Silvia were made on exclusive chassis. "Names may go but we will meet the demand with new cars," said Spahn. On June 30, Nissan launched a revamped version of the FairLady Z -- the first Japanese sports car when it was launched in 1969 -- hoping to achieve worldwide sales of 42,000 units in the first year. In contrast, combined sales of the Silvia and Skyline GT-R came to less than 10,000 units last fiscal year to March. Production of the last model of Fairlady Zs for the US market stopped in 1996 and for Japanese customers in August 2000. "The (new) Z-car is a pure sports car, high performance but affordable at three million yen (25,210 dollars). The Silvia was more of a sporty coupe and there is not a market for that," Spahn said. "We have not abandoned the sports car market, we are making better and more affordable cars," he insisted.

Analysts applauded the move as Nissan's traditional sports car line-up had been a losing combination for years. But they admitted car fanatics would be less than enthusiastic at the demise of such well-known brands. "It makes sense as they were not selling high volumes," said HSBC auto analyst Christopher Richter. "The ultimate aim of Nissan is to make money. "There will be disappointment among enthusiasts but the problem is that there are not enough of them around to justify production of that car (the Skyline GT-R)." Japan's auto market is dominated by entry-level mini and compact cars as customers grow reluctant to splash out on more luxurious vehicles amid a deep economic slump, analysts said. Mini and small cars control about 50 percent of the market while sports cars have a mere "single digit" share, Richter said.

Since its launch, also in 1969, the Skyline GT-R has built up a passionate cult following over the years, both at home and abroad, thanks to ndividually-shipped models -- Nissan has never sold it in overseas markets. Numerous websites are dedicated to the car. With its trademark twin set of round rear lights and between 276-400 brake horsepower under the bonnet, it can give far more expensive European supercars a run for their money from a standing start. "I think this is by far the best car on earth," wrote one fan on a Skyline website, referring to a 1999 Skyline GT-R R33, which accelerates from 0-60 miles per hour (96 kilometres per hour) in a breathtaking 5.2 seconds, and reaches 100 mph (160 kph) in 12.9 seconds. "It handles like a go-kart and is fast as hell," he said. Nissan has said it aims to introduce 12 new vehicle models this year.