...what would you recommend that NISMO (Nissan Motor Sports International) do to address the needs of Maxima owner/enthusiasts?

You have a unique opportunity to be heard on Saturday, January 20, 2001 as one of our supporters will be meeting with NISMO product planning and marketing. Please be thoughtful and professional in your responses as this may be the only chance we have to make that very important first impression.

Thanks,

Barry

 

I would like Nissan to design and manufacture performance parts for their cars much like Toyota's TRD dept, Ford's SVO dept., etc. and then warranty them. Even if they didn't mfr. the parts themselves, they could endorse a 3rd party product and offer them for sale via it's dealers and warranty them like any 'genuine' part.

The competition would help lower prices for us and also make every Nissan dealership an aftermarket parts shop. Look at the success that Courtesy Nissan in Richardson Texas has met with supplying performance parts to Maxima owners. This kind of mfr.-level support would also boost demand for Nissan vehicles.

Aftermarket support for Maximas is thin because demand is perceived to be thin. But this works both ways in a chicken-and-egg type of scenario. If prices for Maxima aftermarket stuff was the same as it is for say, Mustangs, many people would forgo that 'real sports car' if they could buy the same performance for the same money in a package that offered better reliability, lower insurance rates and seating for four! Remember the '89 marketing campaigne featuring the 'Four Door Sports Car'? It was really true!

This is all just off the top of my head. If you'd like me to clarify anything, please say so!

Jim

 

Great input!!! I think you've hit the nail on the head. Thanks, Barry

 

I heard the NISMO tranny's kick *** and shifts at ludicrous speeds without snapping your neck =)
I also agree with jim on how nismo should work with nissan so we have a OEM type of warrenty
without NISMO in the states places like stillen will continue to be @$$holes and sell us expensive parts

 

I'm glad to be able to voice my opinion to someone who could actually do something to make a difference. I feel very strongly about this and think that Nissan has great potential to become a real player in the aftermarket business.

Supply and demand play a major role in this industry. For young race enthusiats, it makes sense these days to buy a Honda. Honda has massive aftermarket support which makes mods for it's cars very cheap and widely available. this widens Honda's customer base and continually justifies research and dev't on the part of aftermarket mfrs. Again we see the chicken and egg scenario come into play.

Nissan has the same, if not greater potential for aftermarket success since it offers a wider range of vehicle platforms than Honda does. The only thing is that it would take massive action on the part of NISMO and Nissan Corp. to make it happen. Infiniti could also get in on the action since they stand to benefit also.

Jim

 

Its about profit for NISMO, its a buisness.

They really need to look at the import performance scene. Its HOT, and will just get hotter. If thet can market this affort as good as they market their cars in the US it will be profitable. The new Z car, Sentra, Altima and Maxima are all getting uprated power. This will attract even more enthusist to the brand. Most of these enthusist will "mod" their cars. Factory support for modifications should increase sales. They will need cosmetic mod parts as well as performance. It will work. I'd buy factory backed NISMO parts over Stillen or JWT any day!

 

Does NISMO have a website? I would be glad to offer my opinions via a feedback section if available.

Jim

 

Tell them I’d pay three times as much for an intake, y-pipe, etc. that the factory would warranty. That ought to get their attention.

 

Ive thought about this many a time. Now looking at it from nissans perspective-
1. How much would it cost to get Nismo Throughout all of the US Dealerships.
2. How much would profits go up?
3.Which cars would have parts available.
4. Is there a market for Nismo Prepped Cars and Trucks from the Factory.

Personally i look back to the 80's and see that Nissan was a dominating Name in Racing. I think that Nissan would need to do the same again to help promote their Nismo Division. Once it is promoted people will begin to see that Nissan is back in the US with a vengance. This would lead to a name familiarity with Nissan, Nismo, and Performance. Once this is realized Nismo would be in full force. Leading into the Red ink. One other thing i think would be great to see would be a Nismo Prepped Maxima or anyother performance vehicle that would be sold.

Right now what i would like to see would be warrantied parts, whether Nissan makes these parts or gets a 3rd party involved is up to them. I would also like to see competitive pricing vs Stillen and other companies.

 

I've got the NISMO site bookmarked on another browser but haven't visited it in a couple years... perhaps they have a feedback mechanism there.

This opportunity is to work through one of our supporters who has a audience with NISMO. I'll touch base with them and see if they are open to direct input through their site. I've e-mailed them the URL for this forum so they would have our input for the Saturday meeting.

Thanks,

Barry

 

Everything that JJW95SC said!

 

http://www.nismo.co.jp/

 

Try to keep up!! (j/k).

Seriously, make parts that are readily available in Japan, available here (or at least be able to ship from Japan). I'll pay the extra $$$. Saves me from having to build parts.

Don

 

That site must be in Japanese since it comes up as mostly gibberish in my browser.

Jim

 

I agree with the others that I would pay extra for NISMO products if it also back by a warranty. Look at all the success and profits that MUGEN and TRD have. I would wish that NISMO can reach a level here like MUGEN and TRD. Both MUGEN and TRD prices are higher, however, you also get high quality; plus that warranty. Unlike Stillen(Stealin), NISMO higher prices actually means higher quality. At the very least, I hope that NISMO can make their products readily available to be purchase. If I have to order the products directly from Japan, I'll do it. Of course, I would like to see NISMO concentrate more on building Maxima parts. There are more products out there for 300ZX and 240SX; Maxima owners are kind of forgotten. Come on NISMO, please make our wishes come true! I know there are many people that would like to mod their Maximas, but the problem is that there are just hardly any products and support for us. If we can get backing from NISMO like how Honda is back by MUGEN and Toyota from TRD, I believe you'll see many more people that will mod their Maximas. Honestly, I have some doubts that NISMO can go that far for us like MUGEN and TRD. I just hope that NISMO can prove me wrong. And this one time, I would be happy to be wrong.

 

have any of you actually thought of this:
if it's guaranteed to make huge profit by certificating NisMo parts in US, wouldn't they already do it???

i mean, it's all about business, if they think it's very profitable, they would do it already. if they don't, there must be reasons that they don't.
your enthusiasm is great, but having nissan board has to be responsible to their shareholders financially, they can't make a hot-headed decision to meet your enthusiasm.

so, not saying you are right or wrong, not saying they should or shouldn't. just trying to let you see it from both sides.

 

think about it in their shoes.
nissan sells about 100k maxima per year, out of those, only a very very very small portion are owned by enthusiasts like you on this bbs, compare to other market, it's a drop in a bucket.
the totoal expected sales for a new mod, could be only few hundred pieces, that's very limted from marketing point of view.

 

Agreed. This could also have an impact on the number of extended warrantees sold. As of right now, I don't plan to buy an extended warrantee with my next car. As we've seen, the dealer gives you a hard time about honoring the warrantee if you have modified the car.

If I knew that I could get performance parts right from the dealer and not void my standard factory or extended warranties, I would not hesitate as much. I think you'd also find that people would modify their cars sooner, rather than waiting until after 36k miles, since the mods wouldn't void the factory warranty.

Jim

 

I agree with that fully. However, there are many other enthusiasts out there that are not members of this board. Many people have bought the Max, because they happen to like the performance part of it. Otherwise they could've gotten a Buick. But, also a lot of people don't even know that they make parts for them to make them perform better. I've spoken with people who used to own Maxima's that never realized the potential that the car has. They didn't know that they make superchargers for it, or that you can cure its handling flaws. Not many people are willing to spend time researching parts like we do. I beleive that if NISMO were to manufacture parts and distribute them through dealerships, they would open up a new market and inform other hidden enthusiasts of aftermarket performance. All while making Nissan some money.

 

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