Nissan Car Talk

Keeping prices affordable while satisfying the need for speed has never mixed better than the glory days of sports cars from Japanese manufacturers like the Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan. Turbocharging was the name of the game to give consumers great rides like the Supra, the RX-7, and the 300ZX.

Mazda and Toyota are not very keen on making turbocharged speed monsters at the moment but Nissan is considering to resurrect the turbo Z mean machines.

Engineers and designers from Nissan are toying with the idea of using turbocharged powerplants in their next gen vehicles. Leading garages from Europe like that of the VW and BMW, and Ford in North America which have been making waves with their turbocharged vehicles have made Nissan think about the issue.

Nissan’s turbocharged units in the market today are primarily using diesel engines and are relatively focused on their low volume segment like the GT-R. Their series of VQ with 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engines have variants that are turbocharged.

Continue reading »

The fully-enhanced Nismo 370Z starts with the price tag of $39,130 and comes with carpeted floor and trunk mats as well as kick plates. Two years ago, a limited number of the same model was introduced. However, expect that this modified version will make every tuner-Z enthusiast’s dream come true.

The new Nismo 370Z is packed with a 350HP (261kW) for power output, tuned suspension, and Ray’s lightweight alloy wheels at 19inches each.

The Japanese car company Autech helped develop the new Nismo 370Z model in the United States, with the S-Tune model as reference. The fully equipped model is a 6-speed manual transmission that comes with the SynchroRev Match function.

The car is offered in one completely equipped model (no options) with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and the SynchroRev Match function, which controls the speed of the engine automatically for a smooth throttle.

This feature improves overall performance as it successfully reduces the normal shock of the clutch, giving the car a smoother performance. The SynchroRev Match can be deactivated manually, anytime.

Continue reading »

The commitment to produce electric vehicles is there but none of the car manufacturers have delivered an EV which can be used by car owners on a daily basis and on a volume great enough for wide use.

Nissan promised that they can come up with their first electric vehicle by 2010 and will initially service fleets for commercial use. Recently, the Japanese car maker reveals that they aim to mass produce EVs with zero emission by 2012.

During the shareholders meeting this month, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn declared the company will unveil its first EV by 2 August. The EV will go on limited sale in their Japanese and U.S. market by April of 2010. Mass production of this EV due for released to the global market will be by 2012.

The EV for mass production will make use of the Nissan plants in Smyrna, Tennessee and an undisclosed factory in Japan. The Smyrna plant can produce about 100,000 units on a yearly basis.

Continue reading »

Japanese car maker Nissan is set to release their first all electric car by 2010. The design and styling of the car is still on the drawing boards but the chief designer of the company was quoted saying that the Nissan EV cannot be missed on the road.

The bold statement aims to hold water to distinguish the first all electric car from Nissan from the hybrid cars roaming the roads today. According to Nissan insiders, the EV will be veering away from the wedge design followed by the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius.

It will be striking as promised. The first noticeable thing of the EV will be the absence of the grille. There is no need for one. The size of the engine will also be a lot smaller so the hood can be expected to be diving down the line of sight for better aerodynamics of the vehcle. Of course, there will also be a plug for recharging the Nissan NuVu to remind everyone that it is not just like any other vehicle on the road.

Continue reading »

Japanese car maker Nissan will launch a business unit in the United States to meet the demand for customization and individualization of their line of vehicles.

Dubbed as Krom (pronounced like “chrome “) will be under the Nissan’s Specialty Vehicles Group that aims to pour in thousands of dollars in accessories to produce variations of the different models in their fleet.

Krom will be focused in helping car owners expressed themselves through added car features and accessories focused on trim packages. The existing Nismo line will cater to the demand for performance packages.

A high end model of the Nissan Cube serves as the kick off for the Krom brand set to excite the market this May. Nissan sales executives foresee 10% of the sale of Cube coming from the Cube Krom version.

Designers of Nissan are also considering playing the designs of the Sentra and Altima to have Krom versions.

Continue reading »

Nissan Motor Co., and Chrysler LLC have postponed their plans of sharing a small car that is constructed at North America and a full-sized pick-up until they can finally cut down costs.

In their statement, Chrysler will sell a model of Nissan’s compressed Versa sedan as a part of their third vehicle-sharing venture and will continue as planned.

The postponement of the companies’s plans was made because of the declining economic situation, and that includes the dollar-yen exchange ratings. And due to this, Nissan and Chrysler are still working on the other two projects and is making sure that the financial needs for both car companies will be met before the two projects step up into the next level. This information is released by Nissan North America Inc.

Continue reading »

The Nissan NuVu (or ‘new view’) lives up to its name by offering consumers a fresh, new way of experiencing the luxury of electric cars. Sure, the bubbly car may not be suited for cross-country driving or highway cruising, but the NuVu sure makes for a great ride for going around city streets and zipping through urban environments. Measuring only 118 inches long, the NuVu is small enough to squeeze into tight parking spots but still big enough to seat three passengers in an asymmetrical interior arrangement.

If you look at the electric car’s exterior profile, you would think that the NuVu is a front drive platform. But what it actually has is a drive motor located on the back which powers the rear wheels. The automaking company is still a bit tight-lipped about the exact specifications of the NuVu, but word has it that the drivetrain is a fully functional mobile test bed of the new technology that Nissan plans using in the production of the electric vehicle slated for launching in 2010. What consumers can expect, however, is that the NuVu will be able to run at the top speed of around 75 mph and has a 77-mile range. The NuVu will use a lithium-ion battery pack that is capable of 140 watt hours per kilogram.

Continue reading »

Nissan is now planning to cut down 20,000 jobs, or 8.5 percent or its global manpower to be able to cope with what the car manufacturing company foresees to be its first annual loss for a period of nine years. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn admitted that like other global car industries, Nissan is no exception to experience the economic turmoil.

Nissan is planning to seek government’s financial aid, aside from cutting down jobs and delaying establishments of new factories and model launches.

The car company is anticipating a 265 billion yen or $2.9 billion net loss this fiscal year up to the month of March. This would be CEO Ghosn’s first loss since he took charge of the operations of Nissan in the year 1991. Aside from Nissan, other massive Japanese corporate companies are cutting down jobs and foreseeing yearly losses. These companies include Toshiba, Sony and Toyota.

Continue reading »

Developed by the Specialty Vehicles Group of Nissan North America (NNA), the new 2009 Nisssan Cube Krom comes back with a sportier look that improves the unique styling of former cube models.

Available in four options—Cube 1.8, Cube 1.8 S, Cube 1.8 SL, and Cube 1.8 Krom. The 2009 Cube Krom will be launched in May along with 40 accessories, but if you’re not yet decided what to put in your Cube model, a factory-customized Cube Krom is packed with a great array of exterior and interior addictions.

Just like the rest of the Cube models, the customized Cube Krom carries a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 122 horsepower. The exterior features a wide variety of stylish creation—three-bar chrome grille, two-bar bumper placement, incorporated front and back dashboards, side sills, modified rear spoiler, and specialized 16-inch aluminum wheels.

Continue reading »

Great news for fans of the seven-seat Nissan Qashqai+2! Prices for this one were just dropped by Nissan due to the financial crisis, and UK buyers can now snatch it up for under sixteen thousand pounds!

Continue reading »