New trade figures have offered further evidence
of Japan’s continuing export-driven recovery.

Exports in April jumped 40.4% from a year earlier to 5.9
trillion yen ($65bn; $45bn), marking the fifth straight monthly
year-on-year increase.

Exports were boosted by global demand for Japanese cars and
semiconductors.

And exports to other parts of Asia, which account for more than
half of Japan’s total exports, rose 45.3% from a year earlier.

"Exports remain very firm even after very strong growth in
January to March," said Azusa Kato, an economist at BNP Paribas in
Tokyo.

"The pace of export growth will slow in April to June, but we
expect exports to continue to expand."

‘Heartening’

Shipments to the EU were up by 19.8% from a year earlier,
slowing from a 26.7% gain in March but again marking a fifth straight
month of year-on-year increases.

Shipments to the US were up 34.5%, helped by strong demand for
Japanese cars.

Overall, car exports more than doubled from a year ago to
775.2bn yen, and semiconductor deliveries were up 35.5% at 366.7bn yen.

"The figures underlined a steady recovery in the global
economy," said Hiroshi Watanabe, economist at Daiwa Institute of
Research.

"It is heartening to see Japanese car exports sharply up in
every key region."

Last week, figures showed that Japan’s economy had grown by
1.2% between January and March from the previous quarter, the Cabinet
Office said.

Emerging Asian markets such as China have been driving Japan’s
economy and allowing what the International Monetary Fund has called a
"tentative" recovery from recession.

However considering that last year the export numbers were down by up to 80% then a 40% increase over last year’s figures still means they are way lower than in 2007/2008.

For example if they exported 100 in April 2008 then in April 2009 the numbers were around 30. 40% up on 30 lifts it to 42. That’s still almost 60% down on 2008.

I have been watching the increasing fallout over Toyota’s huge recall with interest and I must admit a certain amount of satisfaction and pleasure. They aren’t my favourite manufacturer I will come out and state that now. For lots of reasons but mainly their incredible arrogance, shoddy treatment of suppliers who I have spoken to, downright lies about fuel economy of the new Prius and coverups over the years of recalls that should have happened. Somebody who worked for a robotic supplier to Toyota summed it up perfectly for me just yesterday, "
This about sums them up - air fresheners not needed in their toilets - ’cause it doesn’t stink there."

The satisfaction comes from the fact that I wrote on this blog about the increasing number of recalls in 2007 and the deterioration in quality back then. Some poor missguided soul slagged me off, saying I didn’t know what I was talking about as he had owned a Soarer and never had any problems with the ABS unit which was partly the subject of that blog. Wow that really qualified him to talk on the subject. He didn’t even understand how a hydraulic system worked… He further went onto say he couldn’t believe that such a large company would behave in such a way or do such things…Talk about naive eh? Wish I had a $ for everytime I have heard that. Doesn’t seem to matter how many GFCs caused by huge banks and insurance companys or coverups by corporations that we go through some people still seem to think that large companys aren’t just interested in the bottom line.

Here’s the link to that blog entry http://www.japanautoauctions.com/blog/?p=7

Today I read that back in 2006 the top US Toyota executive warned them about growing problems in quality but Japan didn’t listen…sounds familiar.

March 3 (Bloomberg) — Toyota Motor Corp.’s top U.S.
executive warned his bosses in Japan in 2006 that the quality of
the company’s vehicles was slipping and that regulators were
stepping up scrutiny.

A slide presentation by Jim Press, then Toyota North
America’s president, urged changes that would have given the
Americans more information to deal directly with safety
complaints, according to copies posted yesterday as part of a
Senate hearing on sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles.

The disclosure that Press was asking for better
communication on safety issues from Toyota headquarters as early
as 2006 bolstered the Senate panel’s complaints that the
company’s response to complaints was insufficient. Chris Tinto,
a vice president in Toyota’s Washington office, made a similar
request less than two years after Press.

“It doesn’t seem like this message was heard in Japan,”
said Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat and
chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
“A year and a half later, Chris Tinto, Toyota’s top safety
official in Washington, tried to warn his superiors in Japan
that quality problems were growing and, in his words, ‘we have a
less defensible product.’”

The Senate commerce committee was the third congressional
panel to review the handling by Toyota and the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recalls, involving
about 8 million vehicles worldwide.

“There is a new dynamic in the U.S.,” Tinto wrote in the
note for the 2008 presentation. “As you face NHTSA, we ask TMC
to trust our judgment when we need your urgent help in getting
issues resolved. We need faster information flow and more
technical support when hot issues arise.”

LaHood’s Testimony

“Public safety took a back seat” to Toyota profits,
Rockefeller said.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T)
fell for the sixth straight day on Friday as the world’s top
automaker’s problems intensified over a recall of millions of vehicles
due to faulty accelerator pedals and floor mats.

Toyota shares fell 2.1 percent to 3,485 yen in morning trade in Tokyo. They have lost 15 percent in the last five days.

"Toyota’s stock might fall further until the impact on earnings and
profits from the recall becomes clear," said Hiroaki Kuramochi, chief
equity marketing officer at Tokai Tokyo Securities.

U.S. Congressional investigators are seeking e-mails and other
documents from Toyota and U.S. safety regulators about the automaker’s
recall.

It would be the first congressional review of its kind since the
same committee investigated defective Firestone tires linked to deadly
Ford Motor Co (F.N) rollovers in 2001.

On Thursday, Toyota said it would extend its safety recall of its most popular cars to Europe and China.

The scale of the fix for the Toyota accelerator pedals has
emboldened rivals and could land the Japanese carmaker with hundreds of
millions of dollars in extra costs per month.

The winner - congratulations to Honda for having the most reliable 4×4 on the road, as measured by an independent source.

If
you’re planning on choosing a roadgoing car based on racetrack results,
maybe you’d better think again. With the world’s greatest off-road
race, the Dakar Rally,
currently powering its way through Chile, it’s interesting to note that
the leaders of the event (BMW and Volkswagen) are among the least
reliable 4×4 vehicles on the road, where it really counts. Newly
released and highly credible information from the U.K. has revealed the
most and least reliable pre-owned 4×4 and SUV cars on the market (see
the top 10 lists here). Honda’s CR-V won the crown of the most reliable
4×4 by a fair margin while Audi’s A6 Allroad is the most unreliable 4×4
on the road, with Volkswagen’s Touareg and BMW’s X5 placing second and
third most unreliable. That’s right folks, despite performing
spectacularly in race events such as the Dakar, the VW Touareg is the
second most unreliable 4×4 on the market, according to Warranty Direct.

Warranty Direct’s study used its unique Reliability Index,
which takes into account how often vehicles break down, average repair
cost and time spent in the garage to calculate its overall reliability.
The lower the Reliability Index number, the more reliable the car.

Audi’s A6 Allroad fared worst, with more than
half recording a fault in a typical year. A third of those problems
reported were suspension-related.

At the other end of the scale, Honda’s CR-V
was revealed as the off-roader least likely to let you down, followed
by the Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota’s RAV4. Mitsubishi and Kia make
it a clean sweep for Far Eastern manufacturers in the top five.

The Volkswagen Touareg, despite winning the
2009 running of the famously tough Dakar at the hands of South African
Giniel de Villiers, didn’t transfer its success to Warranty Direct’s
study, with a quarter of faults down to electrical gremlins.

The highest-placed European car is the newer
incarnation of perennial 4×4 favourite, Land Rover’s Freelander, which
has traditionally fared badly in Warranty Direct’s studies.

Warranty Direct’s Duncan McClure Fisher said:
“It’s promising to see improvement from Land Rover’s flagship model,
but it’s telling that the bottom 10 is dominated by European cars, and
the top of the list populated largely by Japanese vehicles, which still
hold sway overall. The biggest surprise must surely be the poor
performance of the XC90. It’s not what you’d expect from a manufacturer
with Volvo’s reputation, but I’m signing cheques every day on XC90
repairs.”

With an average repair cost of GBP 595.58, the
Mitsubishi Shogun (00-07) is the most expensive to fix but thankfully
has a low incidence rate, with just under 8% per year suffering a
glitch.

Meanwhile, a third of Nissan’s X-Trail
problems are down to cooling and heating issues while almost 60% of
enforced garage visits for Volvo XC-70 owners are due to suspension
breakages.

BMW will finally deliver the electric car
everyone knew was coming at the NAIAS in January. The BMW ActiveE
Concept is essentially an electric BMW 1 Series Coupe built using the
knowledge gained from year-long MINI E fleet trials, and the resultant
vehicle is bristling with ideas and well worth a look. The 125 kW motor
is located in the rear axle, the lithium ion batteries recharge in
three hours, offer a range of 160 km (100 miles) and an interesting
variation on regenerative braking can add as much as 20% to the range.
With an electronically limited top speed of …

BMW claims the ActiveE will hit 100 km/h in
less than 9 seconds (0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds), with the 60 km/h mark
being reached in less than 4.5 seconds and the maximum speed is
electronically limited at around 145 km/h (90 mph).

Electrical vehicle components are usually much
more space efficient than internal combustion-engined vehicles, as
there is no massive engine and drive train to take up all the central
space. Though the ActiveE doesn’t use in-wheel motors, it has avoided
an internal space-claiming drive train by incorporating its 125 kW
electric motor into the rear axle where the differential normally
resides.

Accordingly, the batteries are neatly tucked
away where a combustion engine, the conventional propshaft and fuel
tank would normally be located. The largest portion of the battery pack
in the BMW Concept ActiveE is located where and fuel tank would be in
the lower section of the vehicle. In addition, a portion of the battery
pack is located where the combustion engine would normally reside.
Using lightweight components and the lithium-ion battery cells, vehicle
curb weight is limited to about 1800 kg / 3900 lbs, and the positioning
of the battery pack shifts the vehicle’s center of gravity downwards.

Also, the battery cell layout within the vehicle preserves the near 50-50 weight distribution characteristic of BMW vehicles.

The ActiveE uses a new, advanced lithium-ion
battery pack developed jointly with SB LiMotive just for the ActiveE.
The battery management system helps achieve a 160 km range largely
independently of external climatic conditions. Additionally, the
charging period required for the lithium-ion batteries on the European
power grid, is just 3 hours at a wall box with a current of 50 ampere
at 230/240 volts. In North America, using a high-current (32 ampere
continuous) residential wall box, the charge time is about 4.5 hours.

The new synchronous electric motor produces
125 kW (170 bhp), but it’s the exceptionally broad torque of 250 Nm/184
lb-ft available over an unusually broad load range that makes it
particularly effective. Maximum torque is available from a standstill
as is typical for electric motors, but unlike asynchronous electric
motors, the new power unit provides a high level of torque at higher
engine speeds and with increased load, the torque only decreases
gradually. The torque curve at higher engine speeds is therefore not
dissimilar to that of an internal combustion engines.

In the purely electric powered BMW, the driver
may control deceleration as well as acceleration through the movement
of the accelerator pedal. As soon as the driver’s foot is removed from
the accelerator, the electric motor performs the function of a
generator, converting the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electric power
and storing it in the battery pack. Intensive use of this so-called
energy recuperation process by the motor increases the range by up to
20%.

At the same time, a brake torque is created
which results in effective deceleration of the vehicle. This response
enables a very comfortable driving style, especially at medium and
constantly varying speeds. In urban traffic, some 75 percent of all
deceleration maneuvers are initiated without the need for the brake
pedal. During Brake Energy Regeneration function, the vehicle’s brake
lights are illuminated.

This brake effect acts on the rear wheels
only. When the driver requires a higher level of deceleration, stepping
on the brake pedal engages the conventional hydraulic braking system.
If an emergency braking maneuver is required during braking, the
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system applies selective braking and
motor management measures to ensure that safe braking is always
guaranteed.

The brake system is fitted with an electric
vacuum pump which is activated on demand. Along with the Electric Power
Steering (EPS) familiar from the production models of the BMW 1 Series,
these features contribute to an increase in the overall efficiency of
the vehicle.

The lithium-ion battery pack specially
developed for this vehicle supplies energy to the motor and all other
functions. The high-voltage battery units offer a particularly high
storage capacity and durability. For the first time, storage cells are
used which were developed especially for use in automobiles by the BMW
Group in collaboration with the co-operation partner SB LiMotive.
Powerful battery cells are key when it comes to designing production
vehicles with electric drive. Through the collaboration of the BMW
Group with a joint venture of the companies Bosch and Samsung SDI [SB
LiMotive], leading expertise in the area of battery technology and
electro-mobility has been brought together. The aim is to use the best
available technology in the area of energy storage as part of the
development of the Megacity Vehicle.

The lithium-ion batteries of the BMW Concept
ActiveE have their own liquid cooling system and intelligent battery
management system, which are key elements in increasing both the
storage capacity and the durability of the battery cells. These systems
also ensure that the long range can be maintained largely independent
of external climatic conditions. The high storage capacity is the
decisive factor in achieving as long a range as possible. The storage
system developed for the BMW Concept ActiveE enables a real-world range
of about 160 km/100 miles on a single charge, depending on conditions
(FTP72 cycle range is calculated to be 240 km/150 miles in simulation).

The lithium-ion battery pack of the ActiveE
can be recharged using a range of power sources. In addition to using a
high amperage wall box – a supply system installed in the user’s home
optimized to reduce charging times– it is also possible to use
conventional power outlets or publicly accessible charging stations
made available in co-operation with energy suppliers.

In conjunction with the powerful battery
technology, the concept of a purely electrically powered vehicle
presents additional opportunities for the integration of innovative
comfort features. For the BMW Concept ActiveE, a special heating and
air conditioning system was developed which is supplied with energy
from the high-voltage battery via the vehicle power network. The fact
that the heating system and air conditioning compressor are
electrically powered means that the desired temperature can be provided
inside the vehicle even when it is stationary. The driver can heat or
cool the interior before a trip using the auxiliary heating or air
conditioning system – an option which is available when the vehicle is
connected to a charging station and the battery is fully charged. This
ensures that the range is not reduced by the comfort function, but in
fact increased. The reason for this is that the energy required for
heating or cooling the vehicle within existing connection to the power
supply does not need to be drawn from the battery during travel.

The air conditioning systems developed for the
BMW Concept ActiveE can also be activated via mobile phone. This option
also includes a timer function so the driver can ensure that the
vehicle is conveniently pre-cooled or pre-heated before getting into it
in the morning.

In addition to the intelligent remote
controlled operation of the auxiliary heating and air conditioning, BMW
ConnectedDrive offers additional services specially developed for the
BMW Concept ActiveE. The main focus here is on the user-friendly and
practically oriented relay of precise information on the condition of
the vehicle. No matter how far he is from the vehicle, the driver can
obtain details of the charge status of the lithium-ion battery and the
range of travel this permits. The remote control functions also provide
support in searching for a nearby public charging station.

The configuration of the remote control
functions is specifically oriented to use scenarios arising in everyday
traffic. For example, the driver can go shopping or eat at a restaurant
while the vehicle is supplied with electrical current at a charging
station. Within a very short time the driver can obtain information on
the current charge status of the batteries by mobile phone. The driver
can also determine how much charging time is required for the batteries
to achieve sufficient energy capacity for the trip home, thus allowing
other activities to be planned.

As a next step, the BMW Concept ActiveE will
now be used in a trial fleet of electric vehicles. These vehicles are
likewise intended for everyday use by private and select fleet
customers as part of a large-scale field test. The insights gathered in
the process will be fed into the development of an electrically powered
serial production vehicle which the BMW Group will put on the market
under a sub-brand of BMW in the first half of the next decade.

A large percentage of the cars on the road, up
to half in some countries, are owned and maintained by fleet management
groups rather than individuals. In recent times we’ve seen a number of
fleet management companies begin producing statistics on the
reliability of their often massive fleets to better inform the public
on the reliability of current vehicles. Now U.K. publication Fleet News
has conducted research across a number of the major British fleets to
produce a reliability survey across more than a million late model
vehicles to reveal that the Honda Civic is the UK’s most reliable car
and the Ford Transit the most reliable van. Honda snagged three of the
top four most reliable cars but got beaten as the most reliable
manufacturer.

The research, making it the largest vehicle
reliability survey ever conducted in the country, quizzed companies
involved in the contract hire and leasing sector and asked them to rate
each vehicle they have on their fleet.

In total, the reliability survey covered 840,000 cars and 183,000 light commercial vehicles.

Tables of the top 10 most reliable cars and
top five most reliable vans are listed below, as are tables for the
most reliable car and van manufacturers.

Stephen Briers, editor of Fleet News said:
“This survey is the largest of its kind in the country and is based on
feedback from those who really know about the reliability of vehicles –
people who run hundreds of thousands of vehicles over many hundreds of
thousands of miles.”

The survey saw Honda score highly, with the
Civic in top spot followed by the Jazz in third and Accord in fourth
place. BMW was second and fifth with the 3 Series and 5 Series
respectively, while Mini placed eighth.

Overall, BMW was named as the most reliable
car manufacturer – although it finished tied for top spot with Honda
more contract hire and leasing companies voted BMW as top.

The Ford Transit was named most reliable van,
with its Transit Connect sister model third, while Ford took the
overall reliability title.

Most reliable car

Honda Civic
BMW 3 Series
Honda Jazz
Honda Accord
BMW 5 Series
Audi A4
Mercedes Benz C-Class
Mini
Toyota Avensis
Volkswagen Golf

Most reliable car manufacturer

BMW
Honda
Audi
Toyota
Volkswagen
Mercedes-Benz
Ford
Mazda
Nissan
Skoda

Most reliable van

Ford Transit
Vauxhall Astravan
Ford Transit Connect
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Volkswagen Transporter

Most reliable van manufacturer

Ford
Mercedes-Benz
Volkswagen
Vauxhall
Peugeot

TOKYO —October 22nd

Toyota Motor Corp will
recall more than 82,220 Vitz compact cars in Japan due to a faulty
window switch, the transport ministry said Wednesday.

The defective window switch could short out due to excessive
lubrication, possibly causing it to catch fire, said ministry official
Kazumi Furukawa.

The ministry has recorded 32 malfunction cases, including one fire, due
to faulty window switches in the Vitz since 2007. No one was injured in
the fire.

The recall in Japan will begin Thursday, 22nd October, Furukawa said. When a car
maker wants to recall vehicles in Japan, it must inform the transport
ministry of the plan.

Toyota’s Vitz subcompact, which is marketed overseas as the Yaris, is one of Japan’s top-selling cars.

The world’s No. 1 automaker announced last month it would recall some
3.8 million vehicles in the United States—Toyota’s biggest recall
there—after four people were killed in August in a high-speed crash
suspected of being caused by a floor mat jamming an accelerator.

The Audi e-tron electric Quattro with 4,500 Nm of torque
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/gallery/12836_160909103830.jpg

One of the highlights of IAA 2009 was undoubtedly Audi’s electric Quattro, and the development ecosystem the company is establishing. Dubbed the e-tron, it has four motors producing in total a 230 kW (313 hp) and a stunning 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, enabling it to accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The car’s lithium-ion battery is stored directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity, and holds 42.4 kilowatt hours, enabling a range of 250 km.

The performance figures are by no means the only evidence of the consistent and holistic strategy. The design makes it clear that the e-tron belongs in the major leagues of sports cars, and the package takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity and axle load distribution.

The e-tron is able to freely distribute the powerful torque of its four electric motors to the wheels as required. This so-called torque vectoring allows for dazzling dynamics and an undreamed-of level of agility and precision when cornering.

Audi has taken a new and in some cases revolutionary approach to many of the technical modules. A heat pump is used to efficiently warm up and heat the interior. The drive system, the power electronics and the battery are controlled by an innovative thermal management system that is a crucial component for achieving the car’s range without compromising its high level of interior comfort. Networking the vehicle electronics with the surroundings, which is referred to as car-to-x communication, opens new dimensions for the optimization of efficiency, safety and convenience.

Mercedes announces three Concept BlueZERO electric vehicles

Mercedes-Benz
reckons it won’t be just one technology that paves the way to
sustainable mobility. After showing the 200 km range all-electric
BlueZERO E‑CELL at the NAIAS in January, the German giant is to create
a family of modularly-constructed, liquid-cooled Lithium-ion electric
cars by adding two more derivatives of the close-to-production vehicle
in Frankfurt next week. The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS extends the range to
600 km using a turbocharged petrol engine as a range extender
generator, while the BlueZERO F-CELL is fuel-cell-powered with a range
of about 400 km.

The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS is part of a family
of modularly constructed electric cars, which will enable Mercedes-Benz
to meet all customer requirements for sustainable mobility in the
future. In this variant of the concept vehicle, the electric motor of
the purely battery-powered BlueZERO E-CELL is combined with an
additional three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. Putting out 50
kW, the compact combustion engine is installed in the area of the rear
axle and can charge the battery while the car is being driven.

The CO2 bonus for the battery-electric driving
mode reduces the vehicle’s emissions to only 32 grams of CO2 per
kilometre. The range extender enables the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS to drive
for up to 600 km, of which up to 100 km can be driven in electric mode
with zero local emissions. The long combined range makes the BlueZERO
E-CELL PLUS fully suitable for everyday use and assures that the
customer will reach his or her destination even with a depleted
battery. After all, the car can be refuelled quickly and easily at any
normal filling station.

Battery with superior lithium-ion technology

During rapid charging with a charging capacity
of 20 kW, the high-performance, 18 kWh lithium-ion battery of the
BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can store enough power within around 30 minutes
for a 50 kilometre cruising range. The complete electric range of 100
kilometres requires a charging time of somewhat more than an hour.
Charging time with a standard charge cycle at a conventional household
outlet with 3,3 kW is approximately 6 hours. Special on-board
electronics support the intelligent charging stations and billing
systems used by electric fueling stations. Advantages of lithium-ion
batteries compared to other battery technologies include their compact
dimensions, high output and energy density, high charge efficiency and
long service life.

Concept BlueZERO - the triad of electric mobility

Mercedes-Benz is showing the way to
environmentally compatible electric mobility with the near-series
Concept BlueZERO. The vehicle’s intelligent modular concept enables a
single vehicle architecture to be used to create three models with
different drive system configurations.

The third drive version is the fuel cell
powered BlueZERO F-CELL, with a range of about 400 km on electric power
and therefore also without any local emissions.
All three BlueZERO models feature front-wheel drive, which is typical
for this class of car. The drive components have been modularly
organised by the Mercedes engineers and can be combined as needed.
These include state-of-the-art liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries with
up to 35 kWh capacity, and a compact electric motor with a maximum
output of 100 kW (sustained output: 70 kW). The maximum torque of 320
Nm is available from the electric motor’s first revolution, and it
surpasses the value attained by today’s V6 petrol engines at 2,500 rpm.
Like its two sister models, the BlueZERO E-CELL and the BlueZERO
F-CELL, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in
less than eleven seconds. To ensure optimum range and energy
efficiency, the top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h.

"The Concept BlueZERO offers a triple
demonstration of the technical maturity of alternative drive systems
from Mercedes-Benz. Electric vehicles with battery electric or fuel
cell drive systems will not truly be on an equal footing with today’s
combustion engine drive systems until the customers are confident that
there is a sufficient infrastructure of electricity and hydrogen
refueling stations,” says Prof. Herbert Kohler, Head of E-Drive and
Future Mobility and also Chief Environmental Officer at Daimler.

Modular architecture for flexibility and efficiency

The three BlueZERO variants were developed on
the basis of the unique sandwich-floor architecture known from the
A-Class and B-Class. The advantage of the enhanced design is that the
key drive components are installed in the vehicle’s underbody in such a
way that they take up little space, ensure a good centre of gravity,
and are maximally protected. The BlueZERO models therefore differ
considerably from conventionally designed electric cars, which have
heavy and voluminous storage batteries installed in the boot, for
example, or in the area of the backseat. All three BlueZERO variants
share key technological components and have identical designs and
vehicle dimensions. Even though they have compact exterior dimensions,
the 4.22-meter-long BlueZERO models have a spacious and versatile
interior and cargo space. The vehicles’ five full-size seats,
approximately 450 kilograms of payload, and more than 500 litres of
cargo capacity make them suitable family cars.

“Our modular system permits different drive
configurations for each customer requirement,” says Dr. Thomas Weber,
the Daimler Board of Management Member responsible for Group Research
and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “The improved sandwich floor
platform serves as the perfect basis for a diverse range of vehicles
with electric drives. We are currently developing an additional
platform for future compact models that have drive systems using
optimized internal combustion engines. The smart linking of both
architectures will allow us to expand our product range in an extremely
flexible and efficient manner. Beginning in 2009, we will manufacture
the first small batch of Mercedes fuel cell cars. In 2010, they will be
followed by a small batch of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that run solely on
electric power supplied by a battery. Thanks to these measures, we are
excellently positioned for the future.”

Fun to drive

Mercedes-Benz aims to continue to combine
environmental awareness and driving fun. One way in which the
Mercedes-Benz designers have emphasised this aspiration is by
introducing paint finishes in three new ALU-BEAM colours. Each of the
three variants makes its individual mark: Confident ALU-BEAM Copper was
chosen for the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS. The BlueZERO E-CELL is painted a
fresh ALU-BEAM yellow; the BlueZERO F-CELL appears in ALU-BEAM green.

Mercedes-Benz feels it won’t be just one
technology that paves the way to sustainable mobility in the future,
however. Instead the company is responding with solutions that are
every bit as varied as the demands. The individual technologies are
being used in specific applications where they can provide the greatest
advantage with respect to optimal consumption and emission values.
Mercedes-Benz views the development of electric cars with battery and
fuel cell drives for local zero-emission driving as a means of
supplementing the extremely clean and economical BlueEFFICIENCY and
hybrid vehicles already available today. However, the unrestricted and
convenient operation of electric cars still faces a series of
challenges, including high system costs, insufficient infrastructure
and short cruising ranges.

Advanced diesel and petrol engines will remain
the driving force for automobiles for a long time to come - not only
for individual mobility in passenger cars (especially over long
distances), but, more importantly, for freight transport in trucks.
Despite all the progress that Mercedes-Benz has once again so
emphatically documented with the Concept BlueZERO, electric cars will
not be replacing vehicles with combustion engines any time soon. The
electrification of modern, high-tech engines will, however, play an
increasingly important role in the drive system mix of the future.

The concept RCZ Hybrid4 has 147 kW yet delivers 70 mpg.

These
are the first images of Peugeot’s RCZ sports car due to debut at the
Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September. First unveiled as a concept two
years ago, the production model’s unique shape houses some remarkable
technology. F’rinstance, an active rear spoiler, a Twin-Scroll
turbocharger, direct petrol injection, variable valve lift and variable
valve timing, Hill Assist to facilitate maneuvers on steep gradients,
an intelligent traction control system (ASR), electronic brake force
distribution (EBFD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). There’s also a
concept RCZ Hybrid4 which uses a 120 kW 2.0-liter HDi FAP diesel engine
at the front and a 27 kW electric motor at the rear to deliver 70 mpg.

Three engines will initially find a place
under the aluminum bonnet of the RCZ – all complying with the Euro 5
emissions standard.

A new 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine has
been developed for the RCZ, producing maximum power of 147 kW at 5800
rpm and maximum torque of 255 Nm at 1700 rpm (or 275 with overboost).

The RCZ benefits from dynamic acceleration –
80 to 120 kph in 6.5 seconds in fifth gear, and 0 to 100 kph in 7.6
seconds – while fuel consumption does not exceed 7.1 liters/100 km in
the combined cycle (less than 165 g/km of CO2).

This 4-cylinder engine combines all of the
most recent technology to create a world first: a Twin-Scroll
turbocharger for performance and instant response at very low engine
speeds, direct petrol injection, and variable valve lift coupled with
variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust camshafts (VTi
technology), for reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The RCZ will also be available with Peugeot’s
HDi FAP technology via a 2.0-liter engine developing maximum power of
120 kW at 3750 rpm and generous maximum torque of 340 Nm at 2000 rpm.

To obtain this level of performance it has a
new generation ECCS (Extreme Conventional Combustion System) combustion
chamber, a variable-geometry low-inertia turbocharger, a high-pressure
pump allowing a pressure of 2000 bar in the common rail and solenoid
injectors with eight apertures.


This engine offers wide scope for driving
enjoyment, despite limiting fuel consumption to just 5.4 liters/100 km
in the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.

A second petrol engine is available in the
form of a 1.6-liter turbocharged direct-injection unit that achieves
240 Nm from 1400 rpm and 115 kW at 5800 rpm.

It offers fuel consumption of 6.9 liters/100
km and 159 g/km of CO2 with a manual gearbox.
The RCZ benefits fundamentally from a highly efficient suspension
set-up developed from the existing 308 range (McPherson type front
suspension and rear torsion beam).

In addition, the car’s ride height and center
of gravity have been lowered by 20 mm and 40 mm respectively, while the
RCZ is wider (+ 30 mm) with wider front and rear tracks (+ 54 mm and +
72 mm).

The suspension and dampers have been adapted
accordingly and, with the addition of wider tires on 18 or 19-inch
wheels, the end result is road-holding of the very highest order.

On models featuring the 147 kW engine, the
front axle incorporates a special lower anti-roll bar to make the car
even more responsive and agile.

Braking, meanwhile, is powerful and durable
and is assured by ventilated discs with a diameter of 302 mm and a
thickness of 26 mm. The 147 kW model receives discs of 340×30mm.

All models are equipped with rear brake discs with a diameter of 290×12 mm.

To facilitate maneuvers on steep gradients,
all versions of the RCZ come with Hill Assist. This function is coupled
as standard with ESP which, except on versions with an automatic
gearbox, includes an intelligent traction control system (ASR), dynamic
stability control (DSC), electronic brake force distribution (EBFD) and
emergency brake assist (EBA).

The DSC, ASR and EBA functions can be
disconnected simultaneously (ESP Off) so that experienced and demanding
drivers can fully exploit the car’s capabilities.

An active rear spoiler also contributes to the
already impressive aerodynamic efficiency of the RCZ’s slippery shape –
it can be deployed in two positions according to the speed of the car,
to ensure an ideal balance between road holding and fuel consumption.

Deeply contoured bucket seats, a sports-themed
dash and a jewel-look analog clock make for an inviting cabin.
The RCZ also offers versatility, with the boot offering a capacity of
384 litres with additional storage spaces under the floor – this can be
increased by folding the rear seat backs down, giving a maximum boot
volume of 760 liters.
There are also two occasional seats, fully sculpted and perfectly
usable, especially since the design of the roof with its double bubble
offers extra headroom to these occasional rear passengers.

The RCZ will be assembled at the Magna Steyr
plant in Graz, Austria – a production center that specializes in
exclusive vehicles.

The RCZ concept Hybrid4

Peugeot will also take the opportunity to
unveil the RCZ concept Hybrid4 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, based on
the power train seen in the 3008 HYbrid4 which will go on sale in
Europe in mid-2011: a 2.0-liter HDi FAP diesel engine of 120 kW at the
front and an electric motor of 27 kW maximum at the rear.

Remarkably, if this sports coupe was available
today, the RCZ HYbrid4 concept car would be one of the most fuel
efficient car available. It offers a level of fuel consumption and CO2
emissions previously unheard of in the world of sports cars: 3.7
liters/100 km and 95 g/km of CO2, proof that sportiness can also be
environmentally responsible.

Power and torque figures suit the sporty
pretensions of the RCZ Hybrid4, with a combined potential power of 147
kW and maximum torque of 300 Nm at the front and 200 Nm at the rear.

Peugeot’s 6-speed electronically controlled
manual gearbox, already used throughout the Peugeot range, is combined
with the internal combustion engine due to its automatic operation mode
and ability to optimize fuel consumption.

The chassis is even more effective as it
benefits from the multi-link rear suspension which makes up the rear
module of the Hybrid4 technology.

The 2.0-liter HDi FAP engine under the
aggressive front bonnet powers the front wheels and the electric motor
in the rear powers the rear wheels to create a four-wheel drive system.

PSA Group’s Hybrid4 vehicles are powered by an
internal combustion engine (diesel) and an electric motor, which can
operate independently or together.

The internal combustion engine operates mostly on main roads and motorway journeys.

The electric motor takes over from the
internal combustion engine during its less efficient phases, in
particular when moving off or when driving at low speed or again on
deceleration (energy recovery).

General Motors made a lot of noise Aug. 11 with the announcement of a 230-mile-per-gallon city fuel-economy rating for its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. Not to be outdone, Nissan (NSANY) said its Leaf electric car gets an equivalent of 367 MPG.

This one-upsmanship by the two automakers probably just confused any
would-be buyers of these cars, which will both hit the market later
next year. It also raises serious questions for the government and car
companies: How will federal regulators rate the efficiency of the
newest-tech cars, and how will the automakers use that data to market
them? Neither number is likely to match up the real fuel-economy
performance for either car, since Volt buyers will all drive it
differently and Leaf drivers won’t even use gasoline.

To see how unhinged MPG becomes as electricity takes a bigger role
under the hood, look at the Chevy Volt. The Volt will always drive
using its electric motor and will only employ a small gasoline engine
to recharge the vehicle’s 400-pound, 16-kilowatt battery. In the city,
where the car uses its braking system in stop-and-go traffic to
recharge the battery, the Volt will almost never need the gasoline
engine. Because the Volt can go 40 miles before needing a charge, the
60% of drivers who cover less than 30 miles a day may never use the
gasoline engine. "For some people, the fuel economy could be infinite,"
says James N. Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, a Detroit-area
consulting firm.

City vs. Highway Mileage

Still, the Volt may use some gasoline in city driving, so the
government’s methodology gives it a 230 MPG city rating. But out on the
highway, a Volt driver may use less braking and may floor the
accelerator. And when they run the air conditioner, the battery drains
even faster, requiring even more gas-engine recharging. GM insiders say
the Volt could get less than 50 MPG under those conditions. At the
moment, it looks like the Volt will be assigned a combined city/highway
rating of 124 MPG, though the feds haven’t certified any of these
ratings yet. But how will carmakers get that across in advertising,
while alerting shoppers that some of them will do far worse, and some
much better?

"This car is different," says Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Volt. "In the future, is MPG really the best measure? That’s the question."

It’s a question that hasn’t really been visited in more than 50
years. Mileage ratings date back to when gasoline companies, namely
Standard Oil Co. of New York and Mobil, began holding a cross-country
car race called the Socony Mobil Economy Run. The winner’s performance
was measured in miles per gallon. Carmakers who fared well used to brag
about their MPG results. That has been the standard
performance-efficiency measure for cars ever since, Hall says.

But now the industry is being forced to ponder new possibilities for
measuring a car’s energy use, environmental impact, and cost of travel.

In Europe, some countries measure carbon dioxide output per
kilometer driven, but that doesn’t tell the consumer anything about the
cost of driving the car. GM suggests measuring cost per mile, which
could be used for any kind of car, be it powered by battery, hydrogen
fuel cell, ethanol, natural gas, diesel, or gasoline. The Volt costs
about 2¢ per mile, Posawatz says. A typical compact car would cost 12¢
per mile when gasoline sells for $3 a gallon.

But that measurement raises thorny issues as well. California
residents pay more for electricity than people in most other states. So
their cost will be different. Even gasoline prices vary by locale, Hall
points out, so it will never be an easy number to use. "The problem is
there is no national number for the cost of electricity or gasoline,"
he says.

Measuring Up

You could measure energy used per mile. But then you would have to
convert electricity used into an equivalent in gallons of gasoline or
vice versa, Hall says. And you need to educate consumers on what those
new numbers mean. It’s a big communication problem for carmakers and
the feds.

There will be other marketing issues for carmakers, too. For
example, BMW’s Mini E takes four to six hours to charge if the owner
has a 220-volt charging system, but it needs 24 hours on a 110-volt
system. And as for range, the Leaf can go 100 miles on a charge in the
city, Nissan says, but it will go far less on the highway and if the
driver has a lead foot and likes an air-conditioned cabin.

The government already measures a mileage equivalent for electric
cars, the number that regulators may assign for the purposes of
calculating compliance with Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE,
rules. That’s how Nissan came to brag about its 367 MPG number for the
Leaf. (Every carmaker must hit a fleet average of 23.1 MPG for the
trucks they sell and 27.5 MPG for cars. The standards go up starting in
2011.) Sales of the Volt and Leaf will help the CAFE performance for GM
and Nissan fleets.

The Leaf’s pumped-up MPG figures mean something if you work for the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which measures CAFE, or
if you’re a government compliance manager at a car company. But for
consumers looking to compare performance across different vehicles, and
among various technologies, the numbers won’t mean a whole lot. The
challenge for Washington and the carmakers: Find a measurement that
does.

OKYO (July 22)–Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., a long-time leader in the development and application of CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) technology, and its affiliate transmission supplier JATCO Ltd. today announced the joint development of a new generation of compact and lightweight CVTs.

Next-generation CVT

The next-generation CVT design features an innovative structure combining conventional CVT belt operation with an auxiliary gearbox and a significantly increased gear ratio range. The new CVT is scheduled to appear in compact Nissan vehicles worldwide in the near future.

Major features of the new CVT are:
World’s highest transmission ratio for quicker starts and acceleration
The new structure raises the available transmission ratio from current 6.0:1 to 7.3:1, more than 20 percent higher than other CVTs, for enhanced responsiveness on starting and acceleration. The 7.3:1 ratio is higher than the average conventional 7-speed automatic transmissions used on high-displacement engine-equipped vehicles, making it among the world’s highest ratios for production vehicle use*.
Compact and lightweight
This revolutionary CVT configuration combines a belt-operated CVT with an auxiliary transmission, shortening its overall length by 10 percent and reducing weight by 13 percent compared to conventional CVTs in its class.
Superb drivability
The next-generation CVT features the Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), which improves performance by automatically selecting the best ratio for startup, acceleration and uphill or downhill driving.
"Nissan believes the CVT has very good potential as a leading technology for raising the fuel efficiency of internal-combustion engine systems," said Shuichi Nishimura, corporate vice president, Nissan Powertrain Engineering Division. "Nissan first began applying CVT technology in 1991 and has been continuously evolving CVTs, engine-cooperative management and other systems, and expanding their use in Nissan vehicles. The need to improve fuel economy, with the resulting reductions in CO2 emissions motivated us to step up our efforts in the joint development with JATCO of this next-generation CVT."

JATCO, the world’s leading CVT manufacturer, is the only company that offers a full range of CVTs for applications from mini-vehicles up to 3.5-liter V6-equipped cars. The company produces 43 percent of CVTs made globally.

"The revolutionary structure of the next-generation CVT, with its auxiliary transmission, not only raises the transmission ratio, reduces weight and adds fuel efficiency, its compact design also expands its applicability to a broader range of vehicles," said Yo Usuba, vice president, JATCO. "We believe it is an excellent choice for automakers seeking to raise the fuel efficiency of their smaller cars."

Based on the mid-term environmental program "Nissan Green Program 2010," Nissan and JATCO have achieved sales of 1 million CVT-equipped vehicles, as well as introducing 7-speed automatic transmissions to improve fuel efficiency. The companies will continue to introduce effective technologies and products into the market in pursuit of a sustainable mobility society.

* Excluding DCTs and manual transmissions.

ROLLE, Switzerland (July 20, 2009) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, today announced together with the governments of the United Kingdom and Portugal their plans to build two plants for the production of its advanced lithium-ion batteries in Europe. In doing so, the Renault-Nissan Alliance marks the first significant step towards producing batteries for its Zero Emission Mobility Program in Europe.

The two governments have offered to extend financial assistance and other support to ensure that Nissan locates the proposed plants within their respective countries. This recognizes the significant contribution that the plants are likely to make to the long term health of both the national and regional economies by being central to the growth of the automotive and associated industries, boosting jobs and the skills sector and pioneering the manufacture and sale of zero emission vehicles in Europe.

After finalizing details and concluding discussions with Her Majesty’s Government, the UK site will be located in Sunderland where Nissan already has an existing manufacturing facility. The UK site will be the Nissan European Mother Site for Battery production and the centerpiece of the newly established Low Carbon Economic Area in the North East of England.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
"Nissan’s investment in a new battery plant and its hope to start producing electric vehicles here in Sunderland is great news for the local economy, creating up to 350 direct jobs and creating and safeguarding hundreds more in the associated supply chain.

"This investment is also hugely significant as we embark on Building Britain’s Future, our plan for recovery and beyond powered by low carbon, high technology industries, products and services.

"Sunderland could now be a strong contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens."

For the full story please check the following link: Nissan battery

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the release of the all-new Skyline Crossover, which goes on sale today at Nissan dealers nationwide.

The new Nissan Skyline Crossover represents a fusion of luxury coupe and luxury SUV, a union beautifully expressed in its dynamic design, sophisticated performance and unmatched driving pleasure. Along with its flowing silhouette and modern interior, the Skyline Crossover offers an optimal balance of smooth handling, supple ride comfort and responsive acceleration provided by its powerful 3.7-liter VQ37VHR engine and 7-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. It also features a number of advanced technologies and safety systems, highlighted by an Around View Monitor with Parking Guide and Lane Departure Prevention system.

Innovative Design - The Fusion of Coupe and SUV
The exterior of the Skyline Crossover evokes the image of solidity and lightness. Its long front nose, with hood bulge extending from the grille to the front door mirrors, combines with the coupe-like arched cabin to provide classic front-engine/rear-wheel drive proportions. The elegantly curved waistline flows from the front of the vehicle through the dramatic rear fenders and dynamic rear design. Other exterior features include xenon headlights and Active AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System), high-mounted LED stop lamps, bright LED rear combination taillights, heated door mirrors and flat-blade windshield wipers.

The Skyline Crossover is available in a choice of seven exterior paint colors, including a new Sparkling Rose Silver - created for customers seeking a high level of richness and exclusivity.

Inside, the modern, high-quality interior’s embracing design offers smooth soft-to-the-touch materials and real wood trim with a gradational surface effect. Comfort and utility are enhanced by long, raised armrests and a high-utility center console. The interior also offers an automatic folding rear seat (the seatback can be raised automatically and also folded from a button in the luggage space), a retractable coat hanger located on the back of the driver’s seat (standard on Type P models), and a new Welcome Lighting system - the first for Nissan vehicles. When the driver with an Intelligent Key approaches the Skyline Crossover, lamps in the door mirrors illuminate the ground below and interior lighting activates for more convenient entry at night or in dark parking garages.

Also available are a Bose® audio system (standard on all models) and a HDD CARWINGS navigation system with built-in terrestrial digital TV receiver. The system’s mapping can be updated by downloading from a computer or mobile communications device. As the latest in vehicle navigation system design, it offers enhanced entertainment features including iPod connections and digital TV receiver.

Two interior "environments" are offered. The Brown interior expresses luxury, with the use of crafted curly maple wood and other fine materials. The Black interior provides a sporty elegance with a unique aluminum trim finish.

Balanced Driving Performance
The new Skyline Crossover achieves an exceptional balance of acceleration, handling and comfort through the use of a number of advanced systems and technologies, starting with its 243kW (330PS) 3.7-liter VQ37VHR V6 engine, the most powerful in its class. Generating 90% of maximum torque between 2,400 and 7,000 rpm, the engine power is light, smooth and easy to handle right up to the 7,500 rpm redline.

The 3.7L engine utilizes the Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL) system to simultaneously achieve quick acceleration response, high power, high torque, improved fuel efficiency and SU-LEV certification, emitting 75% fewer emissions than the levels mandated by Japan’s 2005 exhaust emission regulations.

The new powerplant is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. Seamless, continuous acceleration and improved fuel efficiency and quietness during high-speed driving are realized due to the wider gear ratio coverage range. In addition, a neutral idle control*, which lowers excessive fuel consumption while idling, is newly employed.

Along with the responsive drivetrain, the Skyline Crossover features a highly rigid body and advanced suspension design. The transmission of road vibrations to the passenger compartment is minimized by a reinforced body with the highest level of torsional rigidity in its segment. Smooth maneuverability and improved stability is achieved by double-wishbone suspension in the front and multi-link suspension in the rear, while dual-flow path shock absorbers are employed to optimally balance stable handling and high-quality ride comfort.

Braking is provided by an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic force Distribution (EBD) and Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA).

Advanced Safety and Security Systems
The Skyline Crossover features a range of advanced technologies designed to promote safe, pleasurable driving, including Around View Monitor (AVM), LDP/LDW (Lane Departure Prevention/Lane Departure Warning systems), FCW (Forward Collision Warning), Intelligent Cruise Control (Full-Speed Range) and a Safety Drive Guide.

The Around View Monitor system (standard on 370GT Type P/370GT FOUR Type P) includes a new Parking Guide function, which assists the driver when parking by providing a "birds-eye view" of the vehicle to help the driver see the vehicle, parking lines and obstacles. The Parking Guide can tell the driver where to begin backing in and steering with a birds-eye view and audio cues.

In addition, the Front/Rear Wide View Function allows 180-degree visibility in the both front and the rear providing a sense of safety in blind intersections. The Front Wide View Function Linked to the Car Navigation System automatically shows the front wide view when the car is stationary (at the map point entered on the navigation system).

The Skyline Crossover’s LDP (Lane Departure Prevention) system builds on LDW (Lane Departure Warning) system that warns the driver to pay attention to driving with a visual display and audible buzzer in case of unintended lane departure. LDP, a factory installed option, assists the driver in returning the vehicle in the direction of center of the travel lane by generating part of necessary yaw moment and controlling the brake pressure of each individual wheel.

FCW (Forward Collision Warning) warns the driver with a visual display and audible buzzer if the vehicle approaches too close to the vehicle ahead when driving at speeds of over 15 kilometers per hour, while the new Intelligent Cruise Control (with full-speed range following capability) functions across the full-speed range. Both FCW and Intelligent Cruise Control are factory-installed options.

The Safety Drive Guide system provides real-time vehicle information (speed and accelerator/brake conditions) around elementary schools. In school zones, the system warns the driver by display and voice guidance, if needed, to remind the driver of safe driving.

Additional Safety and Environment Technologies
The new Skyline Crossover is also equipped with a number of advanced safety and environmental technologies, including Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Emergency Brake Operated Pre-crash Front Seat Belts (offered in a set with Intelligent Brake Assist as a factory installed option), low-friction seatbelts, three-point seat belts with Emergency Locking Retractors (ELRs) for rear seats, and high-strength Zone Body construction.

Also offered are SRS air bag systems for the driver and front passenger, SRS side air bag systems for the driver and front passenger, SRS curtain air bag systems and front-seat Active Head Restraints.

The Skyline Crossover includes a fuel economy indication function. SU-LEV certification is achieved for all models by emitting 75% fewer exhaust emissions than Japan’s 2005 exhaust emission standards and a recyclability rate of more than 95% by weight (as calculated according to the guideline adopted by Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. in 1998 concerning the definition and calculation method of the recyclability rate of new cars).

Clean interior environment features were developed from the three perspectives of clean air, human skin friendly and sanitary/cleanliness. There is a reduction of interior volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Sales target: 200 units/month
Price range: 4,200,000 yen to 4,998,000 yen, including consumption tax
Sales launch events: July 18 (Sat.) - 20 (Mon.), 25(Sat.) - 26 (Sun.), 2009

I’ll be honest I hadn’t but then I don’t spend a lot of time surfing the net for news about electric cars. And it seems of course that the main media outlets can’t be bothered either. So a little known Canadian electric car maker, Zenn, is about to become a global player thanks to the technology of EEStor, a Texas based tech firm that have developed a revolutionary super capacitor.

Look out Toyota, Honda and all other hybrid jokers, this Electrical Energy Storage Unit, EESU for short, so outperforms any chemical battery on the market today it takes your breath away. It is the Holy Grail of energy storage without the use of any toxic materials. Unaffected by temperature extremes, almost 0 storage trickle loss this EESU not only has applications for automobiles but any industry where energy storage is required.

EEStor’s patents reveal objectives that are nothing short of ‘replacing the electro-chemical battery’ in almost every application and ultimately eradicating the internal combustion engine.  A proposed 300 pound 52 KWH EESU would have a projected charging time of 3-6 minutes.  It could power a mid-size sedan for several hundred miles at highway speeds.

Pie in the sky? Not according to some big and respected names: As a testament to the viability of this venture in energy storage, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers - a leading venture capital company who were early investors in Google™®, Amazon.com® and Palm® also made an investment in EEStor.   It should also be noted that Nobel laureate Al Gore, a fan of the ZENN, has recently joined Kleiner Perkins as a partner.

There is an enormous amount of interest regarding this technology, especially given that Lockheed Martin has secured an exclusive technology agreement to use EEStor’s EESU in military and homeland security applications and Morton L. Topfer, a former Vice Chairman of Dell Computer Corporation has joined EEStor’s Board of Directors.  Fortune Small Business Magazine has identified EEStor and Zenn as one of “The Disruptors” to watch in the coming year. 

Zenn are already retailing electric cars throughout Canada and the US using conventional battery technology and hope to have an EESU based vehicle for sale by the end of 2009. So far EEStor are on target to deliver the proposed unit and have hit all development targets set by Zenn or exceeded them so far.

For further information take a look at Zenn’s website: http://www.zenncars.com/

Mazda Motor Corporation has commenced sales of the
freshened Mazda Biante range for the Japanese market. Mazda’s updated,
mid-sized tall ‘high-roof’ minivan goes on sale today at all Mazda,
Mazda Autozam and Mazda Anfini dealerships throughout Japan.
Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (including sales tax) start from
2,131,500 yen for the 2.0-liter versions and 2,699,000 yen for the
2.3-liter versions.

Mazda Biante 20S (FWD model with i-stop)

The top-selling front-wheel drive (FWD) 20S model grade now offers fuel economy of 13.6 kilometers per liter^*1,
a seven percent improvement over the previous model, thanks to the
addition of i-stop, Mazda’s proprietary engine stop/start system. With
a quick engine restart of just 0.35 seconds, i-stop also suppresses
noise and vibration, making the stopping and restarting of the engine
barely noticeable and ensuring that drivers experience a natural
driving feel.

In addition to i-stop, the FWD 20S
model grade also comes with features to support eco-driving: a trip
computer with a fuel economy meter and an eco-lamp, which lights up
when the vehicle achieves the most efficient driving conditions. With
dynamic stability control (DSC) now standard equipment, the freshened
FWD Biante 20S provides both advanced environmental and safety
performance. Even with these extra features, the manufacturer’s
suggested retail price is as attractive as the previous version^*2.
Additionally, all 2.0-liter FWD Biante models qualify for Japan’s
eco-car incentive and tax reduction programs to promote sales of lower
emission vehicles. Under the tax reduction program, the automobile
acquisition tax and automobile weight tax are reduced by 50 percent for
the 20CS model grade and 75 percent for the FWD 20S grade.

New technology is great, I’m all for it - when it works, and we aren’t just being sold something because it’s new and trendy. Toyota would have us believe that their range of hybrid cars makes them incredibly green, clean and wonderful, saving us from a doomed CO2 furnace. Hmmm.. is that really the case.

I was reading a Japanese car mag last week that took the new Lexus GS350 and the new GS hybrid model for a back to back/side by side spin. They travelled 900kms in these two vehicles, a combination of city traffic and highway cruising. At the end they did the numbers and surprise surprise there was nothing between them in the fuel consumption. Both returned 9.1km/l. The extra 200kgs for the motor and battery of the hybrid undid any gain it might have had.

When you add in the extra CO2 footprint these hybrid cars have at the factory stage you are actually behind the standard engine model. Not to mention the rather sticky issue of what to do with the highly toxic Nickel Cadmium batteries in 10 years time when they have to be disposed of. Maybe Toyota is hoping all the used car exporters, whom they love to hate, will export the cars and batteries off to 3rd world countries so it will no longer be their problem…. 

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the sales launch of the
all-new Mazda Axela (known overseas as the new Mazda3) in the Japanese
market. Mazda’s mainstay model has been fully redesigned and updated
with a host of new features, including the ‘i-stop’ engine stop/start
system. Sales commence today at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Autozam
dealers nationwide. Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (including
sales tax) for the all-new Mazda Axela range from 1,660,000 to
2,678,000 yen. The target sales volume in the Japanese market is 2,000
units per month.

All-new Mazda Axela Sport 20S (with factory-installed options and i-stop)

Since
the Mazda Axela first debuted in October 2003 it has become a core
model in Mazda’s lineup, selling over two million units worldwide and
currently comprising over a third of its annual global sales. For the
second generation Axela, the development team was determined to once
again exceed customer expectations. As a result, the new model inherits
and evolves Mazda’s highly acclaimed sporty performance and exterior
styling. Additionally, it arrives with an outstanding interior with
greater quality and functionality, and offers advanced environmental
and safety features.

All 2.0-liter
front-wheel-drive (FWD) models are equipped with i-stop, Mazda’s unique
engine stop/start system, which uses combustion energy to restart the
engine in just 0.35 seconds, about half the time of most other
competing systems. The i-stop system also suppresses noise and
vibration as the engine shuts down and restarts, ensuring that drivers
experience a natural driving feel with no sense of discomfort. Prices
for models with i-stop start from an affordable 1,890,000 yen
(including sales tax).

The 2.0-liter FWD Axela with i-stop provides 15 percent better fuel economy than the previous model.^*1
The 1.5-liter Axela models are newly equipped with a continuously
variable transmission (CVT). This combination enables a sporty ride and
top class fuel economy^*2 of 18.4 kilometers per liter. All
models in the Axela range qualify as Super-Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles
(SU-LEV), achieving exhaust emissions that are at least 75 percent
lower than the levels required by the Japanese government’s 2005
exhaust emissions standard. Additionally, six of the nine model grades
qualify for Japan’s eco-car incentive program as well as tax reductions
of 50 or 75 percent under the government’s eco-car tax reduction
program.

Together with its superb environmental
performance, the new Mazda Axela also boasts more spirited driving
performance. Mazda’s engineers achieved notable weight reduction while
efficiently increasing the vehicle’s body rigidity, and reworked the
aerodynamics so that the new Axela provides enhanced handling and
straight-line stability at high speeds. Drivers can enjoy substantially
improved comfort and cabin quietness due to reduced road noise, engine
vibration and wind noise.

The updated exterior
design, which features a new version of Mazda’s hallmark five-point
grille, carries forward the original model’s sporty impression and
injects an added touch of dynamic and refined styling.

Click the link to read the full article from Mazda

The NISSAN GT-R, winner of the 2009 World Performance Car of the
Year, has improved its lap time at the renowned Nurburgring
Nordschleife circuit in Germany to 7min 26 seconds 70 on April 23.

NISSAN GT-R

This new time underlines Nissan engineering
team’s commitment to constantly challenge the GT-R’s performance.
Previous recorded lap times at the ‘Ring’ were:

• 7 minutes 27 seconds 56 on April 15, 2009
• 7 minutes 29 in April 2008
• 7 minutes 38 in September 2007

"This record demonstrates our commitment to the continuous evolution
of the Nissan GT-R," says Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer and
Chief Vehicle Specialist. "We would like to continue delivering the
passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its
performance every year."

The Nissan GT-R has won more than a dozen awards globally including
Car of the Year from CAR Magazine in the UK, and Car of the Year by
both Motor Trend and Autombile Magazine in the US.

Orders in Japan for Toyota’s new Prius hybrid have topped a booming
110,000, a major dealership chain said Saturday, in what is turning out
to be a rare bright spot in the gloomy auto market.

The third-generation Prius officially rolled out in Japan just two
weeks ago. But dealers are already flooded with orders, including some
placed weeks in advance, according to the dealership.

Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest automaker, said two weeks
ago that it received 80,000 advance orders, and has not updated that
number.

But the Toyota Tokyo Corolla dealer said Saturday that nationwide
orders at Toyota dealerships in Japan, including those of rivals, have
soared to 110,000. Dealers tally their customer orders differently from
the way manufacturers do.

But any way you slice it, the Prius is a hit. Toyota has set its
monthly sales target for Japan at 10,000 new Prius cars — a figure
that should make it the top-selling car in the country.

As the orders stack up, the company looks on track to meet or even
surpass its goal and take that crown — an astonishing accomplishment
for a hybrid, although the Prius is fighting competition from another
new hybrid, Honda Motor Co.’s Insight.

Hybrids are in demand partly because the Japanese government began
offering tax exemptions for the cars to encourage their sales earlier
this year.

Parliament gave consumers added incentive Friday when it approved a
cash-back rebate for trading in cars 13 years or older for greener cars.

Hybrids also promise savings on gas. In Japan, where frequent
stop-and-go traffic lowers the fuel efficiency of gas-engine cars but
actually raises it in hybrids, the Prius is promising nearly 90 miles
per gallon (38 kilometers per liter). In heavy traffic, hybrids rely on
their electric motors and thus burn no gas.

The overall Japanese auto market has been languishing for years,
with vehicle sales falling to their lowest level in more than three
decades last year. Demand has worsened since the U.S. financial crisis
sent this nation into a recession.

Toyota, which also makes Lexus luxury models and the Camry sedan, has said it is increasing Prius production to meet demand.

But it is still expecting a 550 billion yen ($5.7 billion) loss for
the fiscal year through March 2010, its second straight year in the
red, because of the global auto slump and the unfavorable exchange rate
in a strong yen.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that Insight ranked as the industry’s best-selling car among new vehicle registrations* in Japan for the month of April 2009, with sales of 10,481 units (source: Japan Automobile Dealers Association). It is the first time in history for a hybrid model to be the industry’s best selling vehicle in Japan for any monthly sales period.

Fit was the industry’s best-selling car among new vehicle registrations in Japan for calendar year 2008 and the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009. Fit was also the industry’s best-selling car for the month of March 2009, for the fourth consecutive month since December 2008, until it was displaced by Insight to become the industry’s second best-selling car in April 2009,with sales of 9,443 units. It is the first time Honda has occupied the industry’s top two best-selling car positions.

Since its introduction on February 6, 2009, the all-new Insight has been very well received by a wide range of customers due to its excellent environmental performance, easy-to-use packaging, light and comfortable driving and affordable pricing.

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering offering the company’s core technology for hybrid vehicles to struggling General Motors Corp. of the United States, it has been learned.

The possible move comes on the back of speculation that GM will soon file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

According to sources, Toyota is essentially ready to provide the technology if GM asks it to do so, even if the U.S. firm becomes subject to the Federal Bankruptcy Code.

The technology Toyota is considering providing to GM is patented technology for increasing fuel economy by controlling the movement of the engine and the motor. The technology is used in the Prius and some other Toyota vehicles. Fuel economy using Toyota technology far exceeds that achievable with technology developed by GM.

One reason seen behind GM’s current travails is that the company fell behind in the field of environment-friendly technologies, which, coupled with spiraling gasoline prices caused by high oil prices in the first half of 2008, resulted in a sharp fall in sales of large gas-guzzling vehicles.

Toyota is therefore considering offering indirect support for GM’s reconstruction by providing the company with its hybrid vehicle technology. Toyota, for its part, would benefit by having its hybrid technology effectively become the de facto world standard.

In addition, sources said Toyota sees potential in such a move for easing any potential recurrence of Japan-U.S. tensions in the auto industry as successive major U.S. carmakers plunge into financial crisis.

Another consideration in offering the technology to GM is said to be Toyota’s desire to prevent a further weakening of the North American market.

If GM’s reconstruction fails, huge numbers of jobs will be lost, which could lead to a further decline in the U.S. market where the sales of new cars has fallen to the 9 million level at an annualized rate.

U.S. vehicle parts manufacturers that supply parts to Toyota also supply parts to GM and other companies, meaning the problems affecting GM could have repercussions on Toyota, including on the firm’s manufacturing and sales operations in North America.

Toyota and GM have not formed a capital alliance, but do have cooperative relations. For example, they are partners in a joint venture for manufacturing small cars in the United States.

GM is said to have fallen behind in hybrid technology as it prioritized developing vehicles powered by fuel cells, which are seen by some as having the potential for creating the ultimate low-pollution cars.

Toyota is expected to post losses for two consecutive years, with its operating profit expected to be 850 billion yen in the red in the consolidated settlement of accounts in fiscal 2009.

While the Japanese market continues to struggle, rejuvenation of the North American market is seen as essential for Toyota, according to a senior executive of the company.

I was asked to order a new GTR for a client in December 2007, so I went down to my local Nissan dealer and plonked down a deposit, chose gunmetal premium edtition with a few other options.

Due end of March I was told but because of gearbox manufacturing problems in Germany this was delayed until end of April. Apparently a lot of the boxes are not meeting Nissan’s margin of error so until that is sorted expect long er waiting times. I was told 6 months when I picked mine up.

Couple of gripes with Nissan as far as customer service. The salesman thought I was coming down at 3pm, I thought they would come pick me up or drop the car off, i.e how do I get there if I have to drive the car away, catch a a taxi? Don’t think so. He called and I told him I was waiting, so he came over. Then how ’s the next joke. If you are paying about $90,000 for a car you think they would fill the tank for you, right? Wrong. As soon as I got in the car and started it the fuel warning light is on and the computer says I have 5kms range! WTF! Running on fumes to the nearest station. Also a cheap and nasty plastic cover for the manual etc. sort of thing you get with a Micra not a GTR! Gees Nissan lift your game cutting corners like that, you’d expect a nice leather edition with GTR embossed…

Japan’s Best Car supposedly has yet another scoop on the
Nissan Silvia revival, and while the image gracing the mag’s cover is
little more than a photoshopped pipedream, the information presented
within deserves note.

According to one of the publication’s
editors, a source at Nissan has suggested that the front-engine,
rear-wheel-drive coupe could benefit from the Nissan/Renault alliance
and fitted with a 2.0-liter engine lifted from the French automaker.
Speculation is that the 225 hp turbocharged four-pot powering the
Renault Megane Sport could be mounted up front, sending power to the
rear wheels on a modified Z platform. Not only would that keep
production costs low, but the motor could be shoved far back into the
firewall, making it a competent corner carver in the process.

Best Car expects the S16 Silvia to be priced between $18,000 and $21,000 if and when it goes on sale in 2010

 Our take on this is it’s the usual Best Car bollocks. They have previously said the new GTR would be out 3 years ago with a 4.5 V8, that the new NSX was imminent (5 years ago) also with a V8 - yeah Honda with a V8. ..

Yeah another sensational headline. Most of you will probably already know the new GTR is pretty big. 

Here’s a photo to help. Pretty wide across the hips isn’t she, up there with the Ferraris etc. she was aimed at to beat.

190cm wide. Problem is for most of the Japanese market that’s too wide. To buy a car here you have to have a carparking space by law. The majority of people in the major citys such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe live in apartment buildings with mechanical lift style carparks to save space. A lot of these have a max permissible width of 180cm. Some like mine have 185cm. If it’s 1mm over you can’t register the car and therefore can’t buy it.

There are a lot of guys here who have bought every GTR since the 32 in 1989. It’s almost religious. They have been waiting for the 35 for a few years now only to discover they won’t be able to buy the thing. I think these traditional owners are quite pissed off at Nissan. Surely they could have shaved 5cm off it? However I think with this GTR Nissan was not going after the local market but had it’s eyes firmly fixed on the USA, Europe and Australia and stuff the GTR true believers. Bit ironic when Nissan’s CM plug for the car is "the Legend is Real". Yeah real if you have a wide carpark. Auto Salon in Osaka is next month so I will have a chance to gauge the reaction of some of the major tuning shops and get their thoughts.

In the last two years the number of recalls on Toyota vehicles has risen dramatically. In the US the numbers were up ten fold over the previous year and in Japan the numbers were up 100 times, mostly because Toyota never had recalls. So what’s the problem? Is Toyota quality dropping in their quest to become the world’s dominant manufacturer, slashing supplier costs and raising retail prices, cashing in on their reputation to build up a huge pot of money to further their expansion plans? Yes that certainly has something to do with it but there is more to the story.

In 1990 Toyota declared a profit in Japan of about $500 Million on a huge sales volumn pushed along by the late 80s bubble economy. In 2000 they reported a profit of $1 Billion on less sales volumn. How do you do that? No big secret, make your cars for less and sell them for more. Lot of people in the car business in Japan still believe that the first Lexus LS400 or Celsior was the best ever made, the 20 series had cost cuts and the 30 series even more. A Toyota salesman told me that. A few extra gadgets but the build quality and construction were gone. If you can pick up a 1993  or 1994 first model then hang onto it and look after it.  

Suppliers to Toyota are being squeezed with every new model release. Friend of mine owns an electrical engineering firm that does a lot of work for a top level Japanese electronics giant. He used to do a bit of work for Toyota until they just became impossible to deal with. Essentially they wanted him to supply them at below his cost, to lose money to do work for them. He told them this, that this was not an equitable deal. Their arrogant response was that he should be proud to have the chance to do work for Toyota, it was an honour and if he had to lose money then so be it. Arh.. hello..Earth to Toyota, come in Toyota, what planet or what century are you living in? He gave them a big foreign F#$% YOU! And they are doing this to suppliers all over Japan who have loyally supplied them for 50 years or more. Any doubts on why quality is going out the door? I’ll save my blurb about the new range of Lexus for another time.

However this is all becoming fairly common knowledge in the mainstream, what is not perhaps is the power of Toyota over the years to suppress recalls. When you are as big as Toyota you make some very good contacts in the Japanese Transport Ministry. The Old Boy network that pervades Japanese business and industry, retiring bureacrats often getting "consultant" jobs which relate to their former department. Transport Ministry - Toyota. Mitsubishi got taken to task a couple of years ago only because it became a criminal matter when they removed a page from a report about faults in a model of truck.

Sure Toyota have done recalls over the last 15 years on certain models from time to time. The JZX100 Chaser is a good example but these are minor parts which cost a few thousand yen at most. A good example of a recall that should have happened but never did was the ABS braking system that was installed on the later models of the 30 series Soarer or Lexus SC and the Crown Majesta of the same era. Talk to anyone who has knowledge of these and they will tell you they are a timebomb waiting to happen. Not a case of if but only when it will start leaking and stuff up. My Japanese parts supplier was very candid about it. "These things always break, the design was flawed." So why wasn’t there a recall? "Toyota covered it up, that’s an expensive part to replace." Yes it is. And they won’t supply you the offending shaft or part of the unit that is dud. You have to buy the whole brake ABS unit with master cylinder and pump, weighs 18kg and costs Y268,000.

The other disturbing thing about this is the safety aspect that is being ignored. If an ABS unit and pump lose pressure and stuff up while you are on the highway at 100km/h you are going to have to stand on those brakes really hard to stop the car. The cop out is that to do a recall then a certain number of cars have to have the same fault and if sales of these cars were not particularly high, as in the case of the later model Soarer, then that number isn’t reached.  

This is taken from the Nissan blurb that they handed out to the press.

The new Nissan GT-R may well be the most accomplished and technologically advanced high performance car ever made. One of the world’s fastest vehicles (including a production car lap record at the famous Nürburgring in Germany), it is also probably the world’s easiest and most secure high-speed car to drive fast. The multi-performance supercar Nissan GT-R raced through the Nürburgring circuit - where the condition of the most feared high-speed corner, "Kesselchen" was wet - with a record time of 7m38s. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds. The new Nissan GT-R is also striking value, offering much better performance - in acceleration, cornering power and braking - than all equivalently priced sports coupes.

Like previous versions of the legendary race-winning GT-R, the latest model is a showcase for Nissan’s engineering talents. Features include an advanced full-time four-wheel drive system that improves traction and cornering power. This four-wheel drive system uses an independent transaxle 4WD (a world first) for greater agility. There is a brand new 480 PS (353 kW) V6 twin-turbo engine that combines exhilarating power with an ultra-low emission exhaust (Japanese regulation) and the best fuel economy in its sector. The lightweight body, which uses a new package (Nissan’s ‘Premium Midship’), features diecast aluminum, carbon fiber and advanced steel and has a class-leading aerodynamic Cd of just 0.27. There’s a new dual- clutch paddle shift transmission that offers exceptionally fast gear shifts and the facility to drive in full automatic mode, improving ease of driving. The big ventilated Brembo disc brakes offer immense stopping performance.

The new Nissan GT-R is an extraordinary car, a technological flagship for Nissan that demonstrates our passion for cars,’ says Carlos Tavares, executive vice president for corporate and product planning. ‘It is designed for optimal high-speed performance in all road conditions. No car combines such speed, ease of driving, ability to excel in all road conditions, such exhilaration, value-for-money and distinctive style. As with its predecessors that have worn the famous GT-R badge, it is a technological wonder car, with an extraordinary breadth of ability. That’s why we say it’s for anyone, anywhere, at anytime.’ For anyone - because drivers of all abilities can enjoy its extraordinary performance, from professional racing drivers to those who simply want a stylish and exciting car for weekend driving. For anywhere - because here is a supercar that’s been developed around the world, from the twists and turns and dips and crests of the famous Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany, to Nissan’s high-speed hot weather circuit in Arizona, to the snowy roads of Michigan. It is the world’s only supercar that’s just at home on dry tarmac, snow and on wet rainy roads, helped by its advanced four-wheel drive system that offers superb traction and safety. Unlike previous versions of the GT-R, this one will be sold in both right- and left-hand drive forms around the world, including the North American and mainland European markets. At anytime - because it is just as capable on hot summer days as snowy winter ones, by day or at night. Technological highlights include:

• An independent transaxle and advanced four-wheel drive system that continuously adjusts torque front-to-rear (and vice versa) depending on dynamic needs
• New six-speed paddle shift dual-clutch gearbox featuring the exceedingly quick gearshift plus full automatic function for ease-of-driving
• New high-efficient 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 engine, mating great horsepower (480 PS / 353 kW), a wide torque spread (maximum torque 60gm / 588 Nm), good fuel economy and low emissions (ULEV in Japanese regulation). New technology includes plasma coating bores to improve cooling efficiency and boost both power and economy
• Aerodynamic body of just 0.27 Cd - so it’s one of the world’s slickest cars. This is specially unusual on a supercar that offers high downforce front and rear
• New body using lightweight steel, carbonfiber and diecast aluminum construction
• Brembo drilled ventilated disc brakes and Brembo opposed monoblock calipers that offer immense stopping power
• Dampers, gear shift and VDC-R are all manually adjustable, by simple switches on the dashboard, offering maximum comfort with ease of driving, or maximum performance
• Multi-functional instrument display, designed by the people who did the graphics of the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game
• A g-force meter in the instrument display, showing both lateral (acceleration and braking) and transverse (cornering) forces.

‘The challenge is to build a car that is stable and quiet at that speed, a car that is comfortable and easy to drive at that speed, a car that has excellent straight-line stability at over 300 km/h (186.4mph), a car that can handle snow and ice and rain at high speed, a car that is also environmentally sound and has very high safety standards. It is my belief that no car mixes these abilities like the new Nissan GT-R.’ says Kazutoshi Mizuno, chief vehicle engineer and chief product specialist for the Nissan GT-R, and former racing team director and racing chief engineer for Nissan.

Mizuno describes the Nissan GT-R as a ‘multi-performance supercar for the 21st century.’ ‘I believe it creates a completely new car genre. It inherits the DNA of past great GT-Rs and packs it with the very latest and best technology. The key factors are the utilization of the earth’s natural forces and the high technology for human-machine interface, developed to control the ultimate performance. Our objective was to create a flagship model to promote our technology but also to develop a new type of supercar. Supercars have traditionally been aimed at drivers with advanced skills. But our new "multi-performance supercar" can be driven fast and skillfully by just about anybody in just about any road condition.’

Despite the extraordinarily high level of technology, the GT-R has some old-fashioned sports car features, not least that much of the assembly of the car, made at Nissan’s Tochigi plant, is done by hand. Each engine is hand assembled by a single engineer (at Nissan’s Yokohama factory) and so is each transmission.

I traveled up to Tokyo on October 23rd and met up with Jeff Ash of C-Red Tuning for the Tokyo Motor Show 2007. Jeff had organized some press passes so we got the royal treatment with plenty of handouts and CDs including an excellent, fact packed, picture loaded and video filled one on the new GTR.

Because of the amount of information collected and interesting new releases, not just supercars but also Japanese makers are finally entering back into the domestic market with common rail diesels of their own, I’m going to spread the show over several entries so come back from time to time to get the Auto Insider’s take on the new releases at TMS 2007.

Well of course I’m going to lead off with the star of the show. Yes we saw the unveiling by Carlos of what will be without doubt not just another Japanese icon to follow the previous GTRs but a supercar that will cause every other manufacturer to pause and take note. It is one of those cars that will show up on a timeline. Pre GTR, post GTR, a bit like the release of the 32GTR in 1989 but on a worldscale this time.

Nissan have issued a challenge. Their sales pitch is Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime referring to anyone can drive this car in any location at anytime. However I got the distinct impression from Carlos’ presentation that he was throwing down the gauntlet to other supercars - we’ll take on anyone, anywhere, anytime and judging by the performance more than likely thrash the pants off them. I doubt there is a more complete supercar with such dramatic performance at all let alone for around US$70,000. Couple that with Japanese reliability instead of the usual supercar "personality problems" and you have a formula hard to beat.

I saw on the news last night that Porsche tripled their profits this year to 4.2Bn euros. I suppose all the dorks paying through the nose for Cayennes contributed to that. But make hay while the sunshines because apart from Porsche diehards with more money than sense, the GTR is going to make a big dent in that once it is released in the US in June 2008 and other world markets by the end of 2008. It was rather poignant that the crowd around the Nissan stand was 20 deep to get a glimpse at the new GTR while over at the Porsche, Ferrari etc. stand you could have driven a semi trailer through it and nobody would have blinked. I have a photo somewhere. For further pics of the GTR I have uploaded some to the Gallery under the subname GTR.