quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Mazda is about to bet the farm on another new oddball engine design. A valved two stroke.

Scrambling to meet corporate fuel economy requirements that will be almost impossible to achieve...

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

Refueling at the airport, right next to my hangar:

120 double E fuel?

Update, not looking good for Nissan, too bad, if only they could bring back a super cheap 4x4 (like a hardbody). Don't think they have enough time though.
Moody's cuts Nissan rating to junk status, keeps negative outlook
By Reuters
February 20, 202510:25 PM MSTUpdated 6 hours ago

TOKYO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Moody's Ratings said on Friday it has downgraded its rating of Nissan Motor's (7201.T), credit by one notch to junk status, citing a weak and worsening outlook for the Japanese automaker's credit profile.
The credit-rating firm cut Nissan's senior unsecured rating to Ba1 from Baa3 and maintained its negative outlook.
In a report, senior analyst Dean Enjo cited "risks associated with the implementation of its new restructuring plan, the renewal of its aging product range and global trade policies".
Nissan has been working on a turnaround programme under which it plans to cut its workforce by 9,000 people and global manufacturing capacity by 20% as it struggles with worse-than-expected performance in key markets the U.S. and China.
Moody's said it expected the free cash flow of Nissan's car business, which has turned negative in the current fiscal year, to remain in the red throughout the fiscal year starting from April.

The automaker's cash flow recovery was at risk from the current global trade environment with potential U.S. import tariffs on its sizeable production base in Mexico, Moody's said.It added that Nissan's automotive business had substantial cash holdings that would provide sufficient liquidity for its negative free cash flow and debt maturities over the next 12 months.
Last month, S&P Global Ratings cut the automaker's credit outlook to negative and affirmed its BB+ rating.

Last week, Nissan ended talks with Honda Motor (7267.T), for a possible merger, pitching it deeper into uncertainty. It said at that time it would provide an update on the turnaround programme within a month.

https://www.reuters.com/busine...-outlook-2025-02-21/

https://www.ft.com/content/537...60-8b38-fa0d86cef63a

Japan to court Tesla on Nissan investment

Former prime minister and ex-Tesla board member plan to approach Elon Musk to support struggling carmaker

A high-level Japanese group that includes a former prime minister has drawn up plans for Elon Musk’s Tesla to invest in the struggling carmaker Nissan, following the collapse of its merger talks with rival Honda.

The new proposal, led by former Tesla board member Hiro Mizuno, is being supported by ex-premier Yoshihide Suga and his former aide Hiroto Izumi, according to three people with direct knowledge of the move. Several board members at Nissan are aware of the initiative.

The group is hopeful Tesla will become a strategic investor since they believe the world’s largest pure electric-vehicle maker is keen to acquire Nissan’s plants in the US, according to the people. The factories would help it boost domestic manufacturing in response to Donald Trump’s tariff threats.



The plan to approach Tesla comes after Nissan walked away from Honda’s $58bn merger proposal, spurring fears that Japan’s third-largest carmaker could fall into potentially hostile foreign hands, with Taiwanese iPhone assembler Foxconn, activists and private equity groups circling.

cont...

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Mazda is about to bet the farm on another new oddball engine design. A valved two stroke.

Did the compression ignition (like that of a diesel) gasoline engine not work out? They were working on one. It also could switch to normal spark ignition on demand. Weird.

Theoretically it's possible to make a valved 2-stroke by turning the camshafts at full engine RPM instead of half. Theoretically being the operative word. Such an engine, if produced, might not even have camshafts, but something like Fiat's Multiair. If successful it would make gobs of horsepower.

Two stroke diesel valved engines have been around a while.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...C3%A4-Sulzer_RTA96-C

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Such an engine, if produced, might not even have camshafts, but something like Fiat's Multiair. If successful it would make gobs of horsepower.

And make some loud irritating or, if you're into it, excellent sounding engines...

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Two stroke diesel valved engines have been around a while.

quote:

The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C is a two-stroke turbocharged low-speed diesel engine designed by the Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä. It is designed for large container ships that run on heavy fuel oil. Its largest 14-cylinder version is 13.5 meters high, 26.59 meters long, weighs over 2,300 tonnes, and produces 80.08 megawatts. The engine is the largest reciprocating engine in the world.

Might be a little impractical for an automobile. But I'll bet it has hellacious torque.

Online Conversion came up with 80.08 MW as over 107 million HP. That sounds implausible.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

Didn't figure you for a baby blue caddy, but it works! Nice looking, did you install a charger at the Hanger and the House?

quote:

The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C is a two-stroke turbocharged low-speed diesel engine designed by the Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä. It is designed for large container ships that run on heavy fuel oil. Its largest 14-cylinder version is 13.5 meters high, 26.59 meters long, weighs over 2,300 tonnes, and produces 80.08 megawatts. The engine is the largest reciprocating engine in the world.

These things are massive, the videos out there show the size of the pistons, crank, etc cool stuff, and it won't fit in a hardside pickup.

They should build a 280Z again, bet you they'd sell a ton.

Like an actual 280Z with modern updates, like they did with the Mini Cooper




Would be HUGE and could save them

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Two stroke diesel valved engines have been around a while.

quote:

The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C is a two-stroke turbocharged low-speed diesel engine designed by the Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä. It is designed for large container ships that run on heavy fuel oil. Its largest 14-cylinder version is 13.5 meters high, 26.59 meters long, weighs over 2,300 tonnes, and produces 80.08 megawatts. The engine is the largest reciprocating engine in the world.

Might be a little impractical for an automobile. But I'll bet it has hellacious torque.

Online Conversion came up with 80.08 MW as over 107 million HP. That sounds implausible.

I worked on slow speed two stroke diesel engines for years...uniflow scavenging though...not valved. Still, monstrous and impressive!

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
They should build a 280Z again, bet you they'd sell a ton.

Like an actual 280Z with modern updates, like they did with the Mini Cooper

{snip}


Would be HUGE and could save them

I would say the current Z is a modern day take and actually not bad but like most cars now days - too expensive.

I agree the that bringing back the body style would be a plus, like what was done on the Charger/Challenger with Dodge.

I had a'73 240Z back in the day and truly regret not having it today, what a ride!

Isn’t that the 370z? Now I think it’s just the “Z”.

My sister-in-law still has a 1974 260Z. For US/CA emissions it made 139 hp, but even that was better than American V8s twice the size of the time. My brother ditched the dreadful carburetors and emissions crap and put Webers on it, now it scoots.

I'm a longtime Nissan fan, but I'll throw a bit of doodoo at Nissan for the latest Z launch... they boned it badly.

Production delays stalled the product for long enough all that the hype ahead of it faded before cars could actually reach the streets. I've seen two of the new Z at my local dealer, and ZERO on the roads.

I'd love to have a new Z (or one from almost any of the previous generations), but the long delays and the high price make it a no-go in the House of Vthoky.

They have to come up with something that is not available in the market at this time. Like a no frills ride, no power windows, power locks, adaptive stuff that is super cheap.
Chrysler/ Plymouth survived in 1978 by dumping Plymouth and offering the first US front wheel drive in mass quantities, then of course, the minivan.
Being a foreign manufacturer, I wonder how difficult it will be for Mr. Musk to deal with their ways of doing business.
What ever they do, it will have to please the "now" generation, not us old timers.

quote:

I had a'73 240Z back in the day and truly regret not having it today, what a ride!

I dated a girl who had one... Wow, what a ride!

When I was in high school, my Dad had a 280Z which I was forbidden from driving. I did drive it once when my parents went away on some kind of church marriage retreat, I remember the steering was super tight rack and pinion and the thing felt like a rocket when I took it to a local highway and opened it up. What a beautiful and fun car!

I still have not told him I snuck a joyride in his 280Z

I owned a 1971 510, a 1973 240Z, a 1974 260Z 2+2, and later bought a used 1975 2+2 for a stepson. Also a 1986 Maxima 5 speed which still did not use any oil at 175,000 miles. Stepson #2 got a new 1988 4x4 nissan truck when he turned 16. Which was very good on muddy fire trails when deer hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
They should build a 280Z again, bet you they'd sell a ton.

Like an actual 280Z with modern updates, like they did with the Mini Cooper

{snip}


Would be HUGE and could save them

I would say the current Z is a modern day take and actually not bad but like most cars now days - too expensive.

I agree the that bringing back the body style would be a plus, like what was done on the Charger/Challenger with Dodge.

I had a'73 240Z back in the day and truly regret not having it today, what a ride!

Had a 280Z and loved it. Pulled like a train, went around corners like it was on rails. Had absolutely no interest in the zx, too much crud. Even more so the next model. Haven’t kept track since, but doubt I’d have any interest in whatever the current offering is even if the company didn’t have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. If I could find a good clean 280z though, that would be a different story. Sadly, I think the vast majority have either been wrecked or rusted away. Sigh…