Nissan

Nissan GT-S Concept

By Mike Hanlon

July 1, 2006 British Nissan development engineers working in their spare time have transformed a 350Z into a highly tuned ‘Saturday Special’. Called the GT-S, the supercharged super coupe is a performance-focused version of Nissan’s acclaimed ‘Z-‘car’ and is designed to appeal to enthusiastic 350Z owners who simply want more. Its first public outing will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (7-9 July) as an official Nissan-sanctioned entry in the hill climb, a sign the company is giving the GT-S concept serious consideration. Using a Novidem supercharger, power has increased by more than 25 per cent from 300PS to 382PS, while torque rises from 353 Nm to a heady 425Nm. Performance gains include a one second cut in the benchmark 0-60mph time (5.8 seconds for the standard 350Z) with 2.5 seconds slashed from the 0-100mph time. Read More

Nissan GT-R to sell in North America

By Mike Hanlon

April 15, 2006 Nissan has announced the next generation of its iconic Japanese-only GT-R performance car will be available in North America as a Nissan model, consistent with its global branding. The GT-R, which previewed in concept form as the GT-R PROTO (see extensive image library here), has not previously been offered for sale in North America. The production GT-R will debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. It is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in Fall 2007, followed by the U.S. and Canada in Spring 2008. More details on the GT-R launch will be available at a later date but inside we have all the details of the GT-R PROTO first shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2001. Read More

Nissan design contest for vehicle interiors of 2015

By Mike Hanlon

March 31, 2006 There’s something about student design that sets it apart from the realities of the real world – it’s refreshing, and inspiring and a reminder that the human being is evolving and improving as education adapts to the new age. We’re always happy to run the best in student design, so feel free to contact us if you think you have something worthwhile. Here we present the winning entries in a design challenge set by Nissan as part of its global sponsorship activities . Read More

Nissan announces Distance Control Assist System

By Mike Hanlon

March 16, 2006 Nissan has announced details of a new Distance Control Assist System, an electronic system that helps drivers control the distance between themselves and the vehicle in front. The system is able to determine the distance to the car in front, as well as the relative speed of both cars, using a radar sensor in the front bumper. If the driver releases the accelerator pedal or is not pressing the accelerator pedal, the system automatically applies the brakes. If the system determines that braking is required, an indicator will appear on the instrument panel and a buzzer will sound simultaneously. The accelerator pedal then automatically moves upwards to assist the driver in switching to the brakes. The new system is especially useful in heavy traffic when frequent braking is required. Read More

Nissan Terranaut concept for explorers (with built-in computer console)

By Mike Hanlon

February 1, 2006 Nissan Europe will present a bold concept at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The Nissan Terranaut is a 4x4 vehicle which is intended for explorers and those customers with a spirit of adventure who want to travel to the extreme corners of the globe. The Terranaut was conceived to serve as a mobile working environment for scientists, geologists, archaeologists or other adventurers who travel to the most challenging environments on the planet either for their work – or pleasure. Its cabin is designed to accommodate three people – a driver, a passenger and, in the rear, where a scientist or specialist is well served with a computer console, as well as communication and analysis equipment to support them in their work. Read More

Nissan URGE: sports car for the video game generation

By Mike Hanlon

December 30, 2005 The “Echo Boomer” generation was born between roughly 1976 and 1996. The offspring of the “baby boomers”, the generation is a demographic echo of the post-war baby boom and will become the largest generation of young people since their famous trend-setting parents. Like their parents, they will have massive impact on entire segments of the economy as they age, and will become the next dominant generation. The “echo boomers” make up roughly a third of the US population, and numbers and mindset of this generation are currently being evaluated as they mature into full-blown consumers. It’s the first generation to have spent its entire life playing video games, and it is just about to take to the roads. By 2012, nearly all 87 million of them will be of driving age and they will be looking for much more from a car than simple transportation – entertainment, a social space, personalisation and flexibility. It seems fitting that one of the key sources of inspiration for the dramatic new Nissan URGE concept, a spare, technology-heavy, performance-oriented sports car design exercise, would be found online – in the results of an Internet survey of approximately 2,000 young car and gaming enthusiasts. Asked what they would ideally want in a car, the top responses were “performance” and “technology”. Read More

Nissan develops self-repairing paint

By Mike Hanlon

December 3, 2005 Nissan has developed the world’s first clear paint that repairs scratches on painted car surfaces, including scratches from car-washing machines, off-road driving and fingernails. “Scratch Guard Coat” contains a newly developed high elastic resin that helps prevent scratches from affecting the inner layers of a car’s painted surface. With “Scratch Guard Coat” a car’s scratched surface will return to its original state anywhere from one day to a week, depending on temperature and the depth of the scratch. Read More

Nissan to unveil the GT-R PROTO

By Mike Hanlon

October 19, 2005 At the 35th Tokyo Motor Show in 2001, Nissan unveiled the GT-R Concept, confirming that the GT-R legend would be continued into the 21st century. Then, at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show in 2003, Nissan announced the next-generation GT-R would be rolled out in 2007. Now with the launch of the production model just two years away, the development of the new GT-R has moved ahead again with the reveal of the GT-R PROTO. Read More

Nissan Tiida Sport Concept

By Mike Hanlon

October 3, 2005 The Nissan Tiida Sport Concept is the latest in a series of dynamic performance/youth concept vehicles including the Nissan Actic and Nissan AZEAL concepts produced by the company. The Tiida Sport Concept is a dynamic three-door hatchback with a dramatic four-seat interior. It offers the look and feel of a sports-tuned car, yet is conceived as an affordable, attainable vehicle for buyers entering the new car market for the first time. Read More

Nissan Pivo Concept Car

By Mike Hanlon

October 24, 2005 One of the stars of the 2005 Tokyo Show, the Nissan Pivo concept car is an electric car with unique revolving cabin, compact packaging, multiple drive-by-wire systems and excellent visibility. The Pivo concept car examines the potential of future electric vehicles. The Pivo's most distinctive feature is its cabin that revolves 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse. A compact body also makes the car exceptionally easy to maneuver. Excellent visibility is enhanced by Nissan’s Around View technology, which helps reduce dangerous blind spots. The navigation and audio systems are simple to operate while driving. These features are supported by Nissan’s innovative environment-friendly technologies such as the Compact Lithium-ion Battery. Read More

Nissan Wins Best in Design at Extreme Gravity Racer Series

By Mike Hanlon

August 20, 2005--Nissan Design America (NDA), known for designing cutting-edge vehicles, has used its automotive design expertise to win the Best in Design Category at the 5th Annual 2005 Extreme Gravity Racing Series held yesterday atop Jack's Peak Drive. Dubbed the Nissan Flying Torpedo, this sleek race machine competed with ten other automotive manufacturers for charity. Read More

Nissan unveils BaseCamp Airstream Trailer

By Mike Hanlon

July 15, 2005 Nissan Design America (NDA) celebrated 25 years in California this week by unveiling its latest design – a lightweight, aluminium-based trailer designed by Nissan in collaboration with specialist trailer manufacturer Airstream and called the BaseCamp. The Airstream BaseCamp is a micro-light tent-trailer hybrid that blends the convenience of RV travel with the versatility of car camping. The BaseCamp is the first of its kind offering a whole new level of versatility, durability and comfort for the adventurer. Read More

Nissan previews Gullwing SUV concept at 2005 Geneva Motor Show

By Mike Hanlon

February 3, 2005 The evolving shape of the automobile took an interesting turn today when Nissan revealed a preview of their 2005 Geneva Motor Show line-up, including the Zaroot SUV concept car. The Zaroot is Nissan's vision of how sporty SUVs could look in the future. It combines traditional SUV values and serious off-road ability with futuristic, sports oriented styling. Retaining the traditional design cues of an SUV, the Zaroot's appearance is squared-off, solid and tough looking. It implies strength and security, yet combines these familiar themes with something a little different - a pair of gullwing doors. Read More

Nissan Caravan Box In Box

By Gizmag Team

October 29, 2004 After mass production comes mass customisation and the Tokyo Motor Show shows the development of specialised, sliver-thin, vertical-market offerings is already well underway.

The Nissan Caravan Box In Box was created around a the concept of adding "merchandising capability to the traditional vehicle functions of mobility and transport."

The Caravan Box In Box is designed so that all of the display boxes it contains can easily be pulled out from either the back door or the sliding side door and opened for displaying goods. Read More

Radical Nissan Actic Concept

By Mike Hanlon

The Nissan Actic is a "content rich" design exercise created by Nissan Design America which made its debut at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Read More

Nissan previews new 350Z Roadster

By Mike Hanlon

Tuesday July 1, 2003: Legendary automobiles were once the sole domain of the European and American industries, but as the history of the Japanese automotive industry is now getting some longevity to it, we are seeing a legend reborn with the famous Z series being reintroduced in Australia. Read More