This is of course, not at all bad, as once in a while car manufacturers must attune the design of their cars to the general public, and what better way to satisfy them than to create an inoffensive car, which will suit everyone's liking.  However, this becomes a problem when the manufacturer decides to dish out something unique or extraordinary.  Nissan has tried and succeeded in launching eye-watering, heart-warming sports cars and coupes.  Their long list of successful cars include the Porsche-eating Datsun 240Z, which now has attained cult status; the spiritual Z successor, the 300ZX Turbo which can give Ferraris a run for their money; and of course, the famous Japanese-market Skyline GTR which has competed in several Japanese touring car championships as well as the 24 hours of Le Mans.  These cars have contributed a lot to the design and manufacturer of more sedate sedans by providing the information needed to create wonderfully-handling and responsive cars.  

Nonetheless, Nissan and its sister sports arm, Nismo have failed to produce enthusiastic cars, which could once again set the standards in the sports car world.  The 1 million-dollar, carbon fiber Nissan R390 for example though can go 200 mph and offer a great handling experience cannot match the passion associated with other similarly market cars such as the Ferrari F50, McLaren F1 or even the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR.  Motoring journalists ridiculed it, branding the R390 as merely the 'most expensive Nissan', nothing more, no talk about the engineering, nor the superiority of design.  On the production side, several of Nissan's so-called 'pocket-rocket' cars found themselves stockpiled at their yards, unsold.

In the United States alone, Nissan lost three of its wonderful sports-inclined cars in a period of less than four years.  The first to go was the 300ZX line-up.  People thought that this Z was overly expensive and well, not practical for everyday use.  Nissan couldn't do anything to save their precious Z.  Next, to go was the 200SE-R.  A Sentra in a 2-door coupe body, the 200SE-R had four-wheel disc brakes and a 140-bhp 2.0-liter inline-4 engine.  On the middle end, the 240SX bade goodbye.  The 240SX, enthusiasts said, had wonderfully entertaining chassis, but the 2.4-liter inline-4 engine lacked the power for a true sports coupe.  

In the Philippines as well, where Nissan Motors Philippines enjoyed recent success with the launch of the Cefiro found their 200SX (a turbo-charged version of the 240SX), was left behind its rival the Mitsubishi Eclipse, despite trouncing it in every aspect of the driving experience.  The culprit once again: lackluster styling.