NISSAN'S MID-ENGINE SUPERCAR COULD'VE BEATEN THE NSX TO THE AFFORDABLE SUPERCAR
Back in the 1970s, Nissan was on a roll. Still trading under the Datsun name, the iconic 240Z was launched (luckily branded the 240Z in overseas markets, and not the Fair Lady as in Japan) and quickly made a name for itself. The long-nosed 240Z was beautifully styled, nimble, and had decent power for the era. But most importantly, the little Z was an affordable sports car: a core concept of the Japanese car world.
Nissan
Nissan Motor Corporation is a Japanese automaker founded in 1933 and the parent automaker of Infiniti and formerly Datsun. Nissan produces a wide variety of mass-market vehicles, including popular SUVs like the Rogue, sedans like the Sentra, and trucks like the Nissan Frontier, but is also responsible for iconic sports cars like the Nissan Z and GT-R. Since 1999, Nissan has been part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance (the name changed when Mitsubishi joined in 2016).
Nissan quickly followed the 240Z with a more powerful and modern-styled version. But as the 1980s got momentum, the company saw the opportunity for a more serious, yet still comparatively affordable, sports car. It was the era of major technological advancements, like turbocharging for family cars and four-wheel-drive, which saw the Japanese company putting all its efforts into a new, ambitious project to build a brand new sports car - one that would showcase its engineering prowess and wow the world. But, sadly, it never reached the dealership floor.
The Nissan Mid4 never made it into production, which means our opinion is purely speculation on what could've been. The company did progress its technical know-how gained from the project into the later Skyline GT-R, which became a classic in its own right.
Decades of Z's To Set The Stage
Quick Facts About the Nissan 240Z
- Sold as the Fairlady in Japan
- Production: 1969 to 1978
- Body style: three-door hatcback
- Engines used: 2.0-liter Inline-6 and 2.4-liter Inline-6
- A 1970 model was sold at auction in 2020 for $837,000
The Japanese love their small, affordable sports cars. Think of the current Toyota GR86, or the extremely popular Mazda Miata. They all had the same features: small, nimble and affordable, and a lot of fun to drive. Not too overtly complicated, though, as well. That was a key aspect. You wouldn't see a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. It was all naturally aspirated, with a high red-line. A light body, and short gears - and heaps of fun chasing up and down mountain roads.
Nissan wanted something to showcase its engineering prowess
Although the 240Z, which, along with the more powerful 280Z, followed the same recipe, Nissan in the early 1980s wanted something more powerful. More sporty. Something to showcase what they could do. The 240Z and later 280Z were popular and a success for the company. But they soon saw that there was a developing niche market for a more hardcore sports car. And that's how the new project for a mid-engine sports car - with loads of technology - was born.
The Step-Up: A New, Ambitious Project Is Started
Key facts to know
- Nissan showed its first MID4 concept car at the 1985 Frankfurt and Tokyo Auto Shows
- Honda's NSX entered production in 1989
- It was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter-V6
- The MID4 had a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
In essence, the idea was to create a more affordable alternative for similar European sports cars like the Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Jalpa, or the upcoming Ferrari 328 GTB. But even the Porsche 911 as well, and not to forget the burgeoning development of similar new sports cars by Toyota (Supra) and Mitsubishi (3000GT).
In early 1984, Nissan assembled a crack team of designers and engineers, led by Shinichiro Sakurai (the man behind the Skyline), and started work on what was soon dubbed in the local media Japan's most spectacular sports car. A sleek two-seater was designed with pop-up headlights and stunning flying buttresses a la Jaguar XJS. The door handles were placed vertically on the leading edge of the doors, and in front of the rear wheels were small air inlets.
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Crucial mid-engine layout for the Nissan
That was crucial, as the new sports car had a mid-engine layout. Nissan put a 3.0-liter V6 behind the passengers' backs, but in a rare move for the time, the power went permanently to all four wheels. The split was 33% front and 67% rear, and two exhaust pipes were placed in the middle of the rear bumper.
Called appropriately the MID4, for the mid-layout with all-wheel-drive, the concept had another technical trick up its sleeve: rear-wheel-steering. Today, top-end luxury cars like the BMW 7-series will feature rear-wheel-steering, but in 1984 this was completely novel. The wheels only moved one degree, either in the same direction or opposite to the front wheels, and would help turn-in at high speeds (angled in the same direction), or easier parking (turned in opposite directions). ABS brakes all round and independent suspension rounded off the concept's technological highlights.
Power Gains And Cost-Cutting Pains
The new project spawned several prototypes, with two being unveiled at the Frankfurt and Tokyo motor shows in 1985. The market's reaction was very positive, but Nissan hesitated. Everyone was stumped. Nissan had a winner here, and the Honda NSX was still only a project.
Gallardo's Grandfather: The Lamborghini Jalpa
15 years passed between the end of Jalpa production and the launch of the Gallardo.
The MID4's light body helped it immensely
The initial performance figures promised a stunning drive. The 3.0-liter-V6 produced 242 hp, which although not mind-blowingly hot, was good enough in the MID4's light body (around 2,700 pounds) to give it a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited) and a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of 5.5 seconds. Very comparable to what the current Jalpa and 328 GTB could offer with their V8s.
As mentioned earlier, Nissan was very hesitant to put the stunning MID4 into production, saying by the time it would be production-ready, it would've been outdated already. But the engineering teams didn't let go of the project. In 1987, a new version of the MID4 was shown at the Tokyo Auto Show. Again with the mid-engine layout, but now with a new design. Most importantly, the old V6 was replaced by a new 3.0-liter-V6 with two turbochargers. Power shot up to 325 hp, along with updated suspension and steering systems.
But, again, the market and bookkeepers dictated the outcome of the car's fate. Nissan realized that, with all the technology built into the MID4, the price would be too high for its target market. Also, the market slump of 1987 lessened the appetite for niche sports cars. The MID4 was stalled again. But over at Honda, the new NSX was readied for the production line.
Conclusion: Opportunity lost, Or Learning Curve?
It would be a fair statement to make that had the MID4 made it into production, it would've become Japan's first mass-produced, mid-engine sports car. And quite possibly also one of the most impressive sports cars of the 20th century, in the mold of the Porsche 959, filled to the brim with Nissan's technological prowess.
Instead, Honda stole the show when it introduced its stunning new NSX in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. The first true daily supercar. A classic to this day. The Nissan MID4 could've beaten the NSX for this title. But maybe the bookkeepers made the right decision at the time. The NSX was a flop, and the same would probably have happened with the MID4. It could have dragged Nissan down financially, but at least the technology it showcased lived on in cars like the GT-R, and the latest Z-cars.
2025-01-28T12:20:36Z
