Archive for Nissan

Between 30% to 50% of the world’s platinum output is used in automobile catalytic converters, and automobile-based usage are set to become even higher of fuel cell cars become more popular in the future, as platinum catalysts are also used in fuel cells.

Platinum is called a precious metal for a reason. Some keywords found in the definition of a precious metal include rare, and high in economic value. Thus it would make sense for an automaker to try to reduce the usage of such precious metals in their vehicles.

Nissan has developed a new ultra-low precious metal catalyst that will debut on the new Nissan Cube, set to be launched this week on the 19th of November 2008. They claim it uses half the amount of precious metals (rhodium and platinum) compared with regular catalysts – 1.3 grams versus 0.65 grams.

In regular catalysts, the high exhaust gas temperatures cause the precious metals to cluster together, thus reducing exposed metal surface. To counter this, catalysts typically contain more precious metals. Nissan’s catalyst adds a “wall” which prevents the clustering of the precious metals.

While we wait patiently for the even faster GT-R V-Spec to roll out of Nissan’s garages, they’ve gone ahead and performed a few minor updates on the “baseline” GT-R. New for the 2009 model year is an extra 5 PS from the engine, bringing the peak power up to 485 PS. It is however more economical, rated at 8.5km/l instead of the previous 8.2km/l. You can also go further per tank of fuel as the fuel tank size has been increased from 71 liters to 73.8 liters. The white paint is now a new shade called Storm White. Other minor changes include the Brembo brake calipers in front losing their Brembo logo and replaced with Nissan wordings, and the removal of the front license plate holder base.

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Nissan has partnered up with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to develop a new neutron imaging system which can be used to precisely visualize oil flow in an engine operating at high speed, allowing the car manufacturer to study the behaviour of lubricant in an engine and pin-point precisely where frictional losses are happening so that fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced. This is a project under the Nissan Green Program 2010.

The system uses neutron radiography and high-speed imaging to look at the oil flow through the engine block to each component, oil splash from the crankshaft and oil delivery to the final drive gear.

Siam Nissan Automobile launched the new Nissan Frontier Navara Calibre in Thailand yesterday in both King Cab (639,000 Thai baht) and Double Cab (715,000 Thai baht) bodies only with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Calibre is a 4X2 truck but features 4X4 styling upgrades such as a more muscular wheel arch, a raised ride height, tubular side steps, and a new rear bumper.

Under its hood is a version of the 2.5 liter YD25DDTi turbodiesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger that has been detuned compared to the High Power version, producing 144 PS at 4,000rpm and 356Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

The Nissan Navara was launched today and is now available for sale at all Nissan dealers. The Navara does not replace the Frontier but is positioned as a new offering above the Frontier, priced at RM103,721.90 for the sole 2.5 liter automatic model in Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak prices are both RM104,800.00. Nissan has been offering both models in alot of countries now, with the old Frontier renamed as the D22 or the NP300 but sold in limited quantities.

Look after the jump to find out more about the new Nissan Navara.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Navara with 174 PS launched in Malaysia!

These are the first uncovered and undisguised official photos of the new Nissan 370Z, and it looks like Nissan has gone all retro on this new installment in the Z car series, probably trying to emulate the success of American car companies in producing modern versions of their musclecar classics.

On the interior, Japanese sports car lovers who typically love to adorn their car with a triplet of Defi gauges will find that Nissan has already done this for you, though they’re probably not from Defi. If you wish to add your own Defi gauges you’ll have to use A-pillar mounts as the area above the center dash is already taken.

Like its name indicates, though we are not 100% sure as no official spec sheets have been released, the new 370Z is most likely going to feature the new 3.7 liter V6 VQ37 engine, producing roughly 330 horsepower. This means even more road tax to pay for the first Malaysians who snap this one up.

Look for two more shots after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan 370Z photos: Z car goes retro?

UPDATE: Nissan Navara with 174 PS launched in Malaysia! – follow the link for full information on prices, specifications and photos!

The most powerful pick-up truck in Malaysia is coming soon – the Nissan Navara! Edaran Tan Chong Motor has launched a teaser microsite for the upcoming Nissan Navara, and they call it one big mother trucker!

Specs on the microsite confirms that we will not be getting any detuned or lame version of the Navara’s 2.5 liter engine, we will be getting the powerful common rail intercooled direct injected version with a Variable Nozzle Turbo (VGT) producing a powerful 174 PS at 4,000rpm and 403Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

Unlike the Frontier which came with a 5-speed manual only, the new Nissan Navara will come with a 5-speed automatic transmission with an easy rotary switch for shifting between 2WD and 4WD modes. 2H and 4H modes can be shifted on the fly at speeds of under 100km/h. You will likely have to stop to switch into the low-ratio 4L mode, but the rotary switch makes it easier than a shift lever.

This is probably also the first pick-up truck in Malaysia equipped with Xenon HID headlamps, which ETCM carefully states on the site is fully JPJ-compliant. The vehicle also has dual SRS airbags for the front passenger and driver. A version with leather seats will also be available, while in-car audio is served by a 2-DIN audio system with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters.

The specs of the Navara indicates a rather premium positioning – leather seats, the powerful engine and the xenon headlamps are proof of that. The microsite does not indicate a price and I’m not sure whether a cheaper version with less specs but retaining the powerful engine (or a manual version) will be available either, so we will just have to wait and see whether an indicated launch date appears anywhere on the internet.

That ad tussle between BMW and Audi in South Africa back in 2006 is nothing compared to this latest feud, this time between Porsche and Nissan. What Porsche is doing right now is basically accusing the makers of the Nissan GT-R of cheating with the infamous 7 minutes 29 seconds lap time around the Nurburgring earlier this year.

Porsche purchased a Nissan GT-R and tried it out on the Nurburgring driven by one of Porsche’s chassis development engineers who they claim is an expert with the Nurburgring. According to Porsche, they only managed to get a lap time of 7 minutes and 54 seconds. On the same day, Porsche says the 911 Turbo managed 7 minutes and 38 seconds while the 911 GT2 managed 7 minutes and 34 seconds.

“This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car. For us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres such as a semi-slick race-style tyre and not standard road tyres. The Nissan is a good car. I don’t want to make anything bad with my words. It’s a very consistent car. But this car is about 20 kilos heavier than the Turbo. For us it has been clearly the result. This technical puzzle now fits together. With the other (Nissan’s) numbers we had problems understanding it,” said Porsche’s product chief for the 911, August Achleitner.

Nissan has come out to defend itself, in a cheeky manner too! They say the tyres used during the Nissan GT-R’s 7 minute and 29 seconds lap driven by former F1 driver Toshio Suzuki are the standard Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST CTT tyres that come with the car. In fact, the company still has the very same tyres used on the run and will be happy to exhibit the tyres along with the lap footage shot by the Japanese magazine Best Motoring.

But it’s worthwhile to note that in certain regions the car also comes with Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tyres, which so happens to be the tyres fitted on the GT-R that Porsche bought. Based on this, can we conclude that the Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST CTT are better tyres than the Bridgestone Potenza RE070R?

The Japanese automaker added that it was pointless for Nissan to conduct tests using non-standard equipment as the GT-R was designed from the start to be a supercar that could be driven anywhere, anytime and by anyone so it is much more relevant and meaningful to test the car using standard production specification. In fact, the lap car was carrying an additional 50kg of equipment that was used for lap data logging and could have gone even faster without that equipment.

Nissan said Porsche’s inability to match their lap times could be because of improper run-in procedures and cheekily, “lack of driver skill”.

“We are aware that several auto makers have purchased the GT-R for their own testing and evaluation. Like all GT-R customers, we recommend that any auto maker buying a GT-R should follow the recommended run-in procedures, service schedules and maintenance to ensure the maximum performance from their car. In addition, we offer performance driving courses for prospective and current GT-R owners to help them get the best performance from their car. We would welcome the opportunity to help any auto manufacturer with understanding the full capabilities of the GT-R,” they said, probably while trying hard to suppress a snigger.

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The Perodua Kelisa has been the cheapest automatic car in the UK for quite some time now but according to Nissan, the upcoming Nissan Pixo is likely to take away that title, with an expected price tag of under £6,500 (RM40,000). Other cheap automatic small cars include the Kia Picanto which is priced over £7,500.

The Nissan Pixo is a badge engineered Suzuki Alto and comes standard with safety features such as ISOFIX points for child seats, dual front SRS airbags and ABS brakes on every model variant including the baseline “Visia” trim level. The high-spec “Acenta” model will feature side airbags as well as other creature comforts such as power front windows, a split-folding rear bench and foglamps.

You cant really load much with it so don’t expect it to be able to take a family and luggage for balik kampung trips as its capacity is only 129 liters with the rear bench up and in use. The Pixo measures 3565 mm long, 1470 mm tall and 1600 mm wide with a 2360mm wheelbase. It weighs about 855kg.

Suzuki’s 1.0 liter inline-3 engine sits in the engine bay emitting only 103g/km of CO2 on average with a fuel economy of 4.6 liters per 100km on the combined cycle for the version with the manual transmission. It produces 65 PS at 6,000rpm, and 90Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. It is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed auto.

Look after the jump for more photos of the Pixo.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Pixo: UK’s cheapest automatic car?

You could say that Nissan’s workhorses are equally as iconic to the company as their 4WD sports cars. The C22 Vanette is still very popular for businesses and is still begin produced in Malaysia. Though most contractors still love the Hilux more, the basic Nissan Frontier is popular choice as a workhorse and remember how many small businessmen used the Nissan AD Resort as their workhorse and family vehicle at the same time? Such is the versatility of stationwagons but somehow the Malaysian car-buying public has forgotten about this bodystyle.

The old Nissan 1400 single cab pick-up truck also served its buyers well and up until recently it was still sold in South Africa, which gives it a total lifespan of 37 years. It can now finally retire with the unveiling of the new Proton Arena-style Nissan NP200 utility vehicle based on the Dacia Logan pick-up. The front rides on MacPherson struts while the rear has a H-type torsion beam.

It has a modern engine that’s vastly different from the 1400’s old carburetted 1.4 liter engine. Instead, a 85 horsepower 8 valve 1.6 liter engine is used, with 128Nm produced at 3,000rpm. This is quite weak for a 1.6 liter but Nissan has shortened the first three gears of its 5-speed manual to give the NP200 better acceleration and more pulling power away from a stop when fully loaded up to its maximum payload of 800kg.

It tailgate supports up to 300kg of load, and the load-bed has 16 anchorage points comprising of 4 bed surround fasteners, 2 safety hoop hooks and 6 rings on the bed floor. Load area is 1,200 liters while the load length is 1.8 meters.

The interior features a 300 liter storage compartment behind the two seats. It has a power steering and an optional radio. In South Africa no air conditioning is available but there is a heater and a 4-speed fan. No ABS or airbags either but future high spec version for other markets may feature all these creature comforts and safety equipment.

Look for more photos of the NP200 after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan NP200 ute based on Dacia Logan pick-up