Mason Dixon

Quote: Renault-Nissan is planning on building a car for under $3000. The price could be as low as $2500, which is 40% less than the least expensive sub-compact car available today. The Chief Executive of the company, Carlos Ghosn, made this announcement at a plant-opening on April 4. An Indian carmaker, Tata Motors, plans to launch a $2500 car next year. This race for the really ceap car could have a major impact on the industry as a whole. espite being priced under $3000, these car will be designed to be comfortable and safe. They will also be engineered for the ground up ? stripped-down version of outdated designs won't cut it. Tata's model is a four door vehicles with a 33-horsepower engine, and a top speed of around 80 miles per hour. The automaker claims it will even pass a crash test. Whatever the lowest sticker price turns out to be, the discounting trend will hit cars across the board, from minis to SUVs. pinch. By 2012, the market for vehicles priced under $10,000 is likely to reach 18 million cars, or a fifth of world auto sales, according to Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. That's up from 12 million today.

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http://www.sectalk.com/images/graphi...ds/alabama.gif

2000 4Runner SR5 4x4 Sport

AndYota

I feel a new version of the Yugo.. also, can you imagine one of those up against the all to prevalent H2 in an accident? Maybe in Europe, but in the US, it looks like a death trap.

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Driveway occupants:
1994 4Runner SR5 V6, 186,000 and going strong.
2007 WRX Wagon, the baby.
1988 Grand Wagoneer, the new patient.
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harpen123

make something for that much with 4wd and a solid front axle and a frame. no radio no electronics and i might buy one. but i think i like mine even though it was ten times as much. I think those cars are like disposable. probably hit a shopping cart and total one. oh and 33 hp what a screamer my 22r looks like now.

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2002 4runner sport edition, 3.4 liter, OME rear coils, OME shocks, front tundra coils, ARB front bumper, custom rear bumper, and a milemarker 10,500lb winch, 265/75r16 BFG A/T's

1985 P/u basically stock. old motor is out! new stuff swapped over and motor soon to go in. Trail gear 5in has been shipped next, 5.29's, doubler and a buncha other goodies.

"If at first u don't succeed , ur probably going about 10 miles per hour too slow." (Only in my 85)

"Didn't barbie drive a jeep?"

UncleBob

It could never be as bad as a Yugo.

If Nissan can bring a car like that to US Market, with AC, for under $5K, I think it will sell.

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Daily: 1990 2nd Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6
Toy: 1988 1st Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6

CJM

I can see it selling to commuters, but with 33hp who are they kidding, give it maybe 70 and maybe were talking..doesnt a VW beetle have more?

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96' T100 SR5 4x4, ISR mod, Custom ABS snorkel, KC 57's Hella optilux el cheapo backup lights. Cobra 19III CB, Firestick 4ft antenna, Bilstein shocks.

Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

Funrunner

I'd drive one of those around town, but never on the freeway... too many big trucks and crazy people.

Yota Tony

2slo motor has 100 and something IIRC. Diesel is about the same but with more torque. I don't think they ever got a 1.8 Turbo.

All these super small cars these days scare me. The Smart car for example.

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Anthony

93 ZJ - Stockish (HP D60 Front, 14 Bolt Rear, 231/D300 Crawl Box...awaiting 40" tires)

Ballistic Crap Missile
ILikeMud.net
Mallcrawlin.com
SOTRA

Scottiac

I think it might be a great niche for those of us who want our gas-snarfing SUV's, but can't afford a commuter car on top.

If a manufacturer with a decent quality rep (like Nissan) came out with one, I bet they'd be pretty hot.

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Scott
'97 4runner LTD. SC, URD, Tundra/OME (SS #7), TJM-15 bumper, BruceTS rear bumper, trail carnage skid plates, stubbs sliders, cobra 18wxstii cb, 99 headlights, upgraded headlight wiring, maglite mod, aux fuse boxes, Airaid MIT, Hayden tranny cooler, deckplate, parts for entirely too many mods lying around...

UncleBob

The early, early VW's started with 25hp. It's not so much in the HP as it is the HP:weight, and the gearing. 33hp is enough to get to highway speeds if the car weighs under 2000lbs. I think my last 2.5 Jeep had around that, or felt like it anyways.

I too, am scared of small disposable cars. But, it would be interesting if brought to market. What's scarier, a $3000 disposable vehicle, or needing to take out a 2nd Mortgage to buy a new Toyota?

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Daily: 1990 2nd Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6
Toy: 1988 1st Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6

rdharper

An early buyer of Nissan (1969) because of the interest in competition, I lost interest in 1990 because I realised my 1988 Nissan Pathfinder (which I still have), did not have the quality of Toyota or Honda.

They should have been a great car company. Somewhere along the line... they went to the dark side. They continue to play to their early rep.

A smart French guy as CEO ain't gonna fix it.

But the idea of a bulletproof cheap car is very smart. Somebody is going to do it right... at some point.

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Richard

"Science by consensus... is not Science." Richard Harper -1988

'94 Toyota 4Runner V6 3L 158K miles 14mpg
'85 Toyota 22rec 4WD SR5 LB PU 208K miles 18mpg
'08 Honda Ridgeline RT 2.6K miles 16mpg
'06 Honda Rincon ATV 410miles/65hrs 22 mpg

chimmike

I had an 01 sentra before my Z. Small nissans don't appeal to me much lately, they've copied the Z style and front end design far too much on all the other cars, cheapening the image.

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'03 350z Turbocharged (totalled :( )
'04 Honda Accord LX V6 (first bone stock car I've owned in a while)
94 4runner SR5 4x4, 31x10.5's, SAS, Warn M8000 winch, Allpro bumper, Summit (K&N FIPK in different wrapping) CAI, flowmaster muff, 5.29's FOR SALE!
'07 Harley-Davidson XL1200c, rush slip-ons

Kevin286

early beetles had 34hp while post 67 had a whopping 53hp.

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'94 4runner. 3.0, 5 speed. Downey HD Coils, Edelbrock IAS all around, K&N drop in. 31x10.5 BFG. Aisin manuel Hubs, Diff Breather, Removeable doors, ARB Bullbar/Winch combo, OME Torsion Bars.
'83 Toy hilux. .040 over EB 261 DT headers, 35" BFG M/T on MT 15x8. Custom bed. Dual battery setup. Miller Locker rear, 5.29's, 8000m w/masterpull syn. 2" drive train lift 61.5 Deaver rear leafes, rear toy mazda hybrid front, square tube DS, OBA. bla bla bla

UncleBob

Earlier.

And the 53hp 1500cc (1493cc) was phased out after 1967, when VW introduced the 57hp 1600cc (1584cc), which, in 1971, was bumped up to a whopping 60hp by adding a Dual Port head design.

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Daily: 1990 2nd Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6
Toy: 1988 1st Gen 4-Runner SR5 V6

Injohneer

I bet you could get it up to about 40 HP with some NOS and a couple big stickers.

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Trail/Build Rig: 1981 Toyota Pickup 4x4, flatbed
Tow Rig: 2001 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 4x4, X-cab Long Bed. Will be my tow rig, when I get a trailer.
RIP: 1995 4Runner.

ToyoRunner94

how could a car possibly run on 33hp? dont a lot of tractors these days have about 30hp?

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2000 Black Toyota 4Runner SR5 Sport 4WD, 5 spd, stock

914runner

These cars would be even better if they made them with a diesel.

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1997 Toyota 4Runner, 3.4L (5VZ-FE), 5-Speed (R150F), 4WD, 4.10's, 33's
1998 Toyota 4Runner, 3.4L (5VZ-FE), 5-Speed (R150F), 4WD, 4.10's, 33's
1991 Toyota 4Runner 4 Door, 3.4l (5VZ-FE), 5-Speed (R150F), 4WD, 32's, 4.10's

hmmwv15

I think my buddy's go-kart has 24 hp. lol wow it's just like a more expensive street legal go-kart....

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I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

AH64ID

i have buddies with pedal bikes that cost twice that much :eek:

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-John
'05 Dodge 3500 SRW 4x4 SLT 5.9 Cummins QC LB NV5600 6 Spd, Pricol EGT and boost, 2" Level, Jake Brake, Muffler Delete, filtered, lubed and bypassed by Amsoil, Mag-Hytec Rear, Fast Coolers, Baldwin 7977, Smarty JR SW#1, Toyo 285's...
2003 SR5 4Runner, V6 4WD. 1" cornfed lift
Previous Toyota's '92 Red Truck NALA

Speed doesn't kill, its the sudden stop that hurts.

rdharper

That Nissan 510 (1969) I purchased new for $2400. Excellent vehicle. A much simpler vehicle than those we have available today. Even in todays dollars, it was inexpensive.

Never put a nickel into it other than oil and tires. Never broke. Gas mileage was great (of course who cared in 1969... gas was 25 cents per gallon}.

Carried the whole family (5 of us). Nissan had a hit. Then came the 240Z... also a great car. But after the '88 Pathfinder... never again. They blew it.

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Richard

"Science by consensus... is not Science." Richard Harper -1988

'94 Toyota 4Runner V6 3L 158K miles 14mpg
'85 Toyota 22rec 4WD SR5 LB PU 208K miles 18mpg
'08 Honda Ridgeline RT 2.6K miles 16mpg
'06 Honda Rincon ATV 410miles/65hrs 22 mpg

Rcross

A friend at work actually bought a Yugo brand new for around $2400 in the early 80's. According to him it was actually a good car and would wind up in excess of 100mph would just take awhile to get there. One of his favorite stories was passing 3 rednecks in a jacked up chevy doing better than 100mph and seeing the poor drivers friends heckling him for being passed by a Yugo

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Certified Jeep recovery specialist
We live in the land of the free, only because of the brave.

If you can't fix it with a hammer, what you have is an electrical problem.

If you want to find out what happens when you don't have control of your immigration, talk to an Indian.

Yota Tony

I was talking about the NEW Beetles, not the old ones.

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Anthony

93 ZJ - Stockish (HP D60 Front, 14 Bolt Rear, 231/D300 Crawl Box...awaiting 40" tires)

Ballistic Crap Missile
ILikeMud.net
Mallcrawlin.com
SOTRA

ewong

I owned a 1983 Nissan Stanza - NAP-Z engine...

No Nissan/Datsun for me!

gilby4runner

with a NISMO Racing sticker i am sure you could top- 55 HP

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2002 Sport- (Sporticus) OME 881 / 906 combo, Full Synthetics, 265/75/16 Geolander AT II's,
Brembo / Hawk combo,and a cool car seat for the future wheeler!

X-AWDriver

If gas goes to $5/gallon and stays there there will be less H2s on the roads to worry about.

If people can buy that car less than most scooters sell here for new it would sell quite well.

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'99 4Runner Highlander 4wd
E-locker,rear diff and deckplate mod * 265/75/16 Nitto TerraGrapplers * Yakima Load Warrior rack * clear corners/signals * Tacoma skidplate * Silverstar lamps/fogs
Alpine CDA-9831,Bazooka EL Series 250w amp,MTX 10" sub

rentedmule

geo metros with the 1.0 3cyl had 54hp and they had enough power (with a std tranny) to get around as long as you didn't have to haul a car load of people. I think they only weighed around 1500 lbs though. i used to make fun of my buddy who had one because my snowmobile had 55hp!

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'93 4runner, 3.0, 31x10.5's, OME900's.
'84 Xtracab, 22R, flareside, 6" lift, 33x12.5's

'03 Sonoma 2wd, supercharged 4.3L@9psi
'81 Turbo Trans Am, WS6, 301V8@9psi