Lawn Dart

iTrader: (4)

These unaffordable turbochargers didn't kill the '90s Japanese sports car, the SUV craze did. America's economy was peaking and Nissan took the extremely afforable 240sx out of the American market due to declining sales. A few years later, GM stopped production of the Camaro and Firebird due to declining sales. None of these cars were turbocharged or expensive. The MR2, 300zx, and 3000GT, and Supra were all offered in a very affordable normally aspirated form and were pulled from the American markets due to declining sales. Just about every car manufacturer, even ones that you wouldn't expect, like Cadillac, Honda, and Porsche have SUV's now.

The reason that Nissan does not offer a turbo option is somewhat due to emmissions and mostly due to insurance companies. In the '80s the 300zx, Supra, and RX-7 were offered in non-turbo variants only in America. Why? They thought that the lower insurance premiums on the non-turbo vehicles would attract more buyers.

Nissan has created a niche with the 350z. A normally aspirated car with enough power to put a smile on your face. If you can afford more power, you simply step up to the GT-R.