Classic Cars Nissan

Alright, we get it. We’re deep within it, up to our elbows. Recession and economic turmoil haunts us at every turn and there isn’t much we can do about it. Cry, scream, throw yourself out of your office window…nothing is going to help at this point. The automotive companies and the banks and the lending agencies are all to blame. Nobody is immume, blah, blah, blah, and blah.

Have you heard enough about recession and economic downturn? It seems that there is very little to get excited about these days, especially if you’re within the automotive industry. But survival may soon be a fight to the finish and that fight could be, frankly, really exciting for all of us to witness.

Many analysts are predicting that there could be one car company to emerge out of this wreckage with actual sales, positive numbers, and *gasp* profits! The idea comes as foreign investment agencies line up to see which of the American car companies will collapse and who will win this proverbial race to the bottom of the pile. Foreign investment teams have a lot to work with, as the failure of the Big Three certainly guarantees at least some opening in the markets.

With this opening in the markets, an opportunity for a foreign car company arrives and someone will step through that rabbit hole. Many are asserting that it will be a car company with big brass ones like Nissan or Toyota. Regardless of what will occur, you can bank on the fact that every single company in the industry will be doing whatever it takes to survive.

Whether you’re into Nissan cars or Ford trucks, you can bet that it will be one hell of a fight to the finish.

With economic problems obviously gripping the planet, many car companies are playing it safe and holding off on investments and improvements that they had in the works. One such company is Nissan and one such improvement is a fair bit of investment in India.

Nissan is holding off on a commitment of money for a new plant in Chennai and is hoping that any recession issues will be resolved soon so that it can commence its plans for expansion in the region. The Times of India reported the news in its business section, adding that Nissan will be holding back as much as 120 million euros from the original investment plan.

The plant was expected to produce based on Nissan’s investment until 2015. The investment was to be shared between Nissan and Renault, but both parties have backed off on the process and are not sure as to when things will pick up again for the plant in Chennai. The facility is still expected to open, but it will likely not operated at full capacity or produce as many vehicles as originally planned.

Rollbacks such as these are being felt across the industry. Nissan cars and trucks are being scaled back in production and many dealerships are suffering, too.

With car companies tweaking line-ups and creating new out of the old, it’s no small wonder that Nissan is unveiling a new, updated GT-R with a higher price tag and a few extra features to satisfy customers. The updated GT-R boasts more power and an elevated chassis along with the elevated price tag, improving handling and giving drivers more pounce for the bounce.

The GT-R V-Spec gains 5 horsepower on its predecessor giving it 478 horses overall. With the increase, Nissan has improved engine management through the computer and added the horsepower boost without changing the overall power. Nissan has mastered the art of distribution instead, giving the engine its 5 horse boost with a few touches to the computer and finer tolerances on the manufacturing line. 

Fuel economy has also improved on the new GT-R, giving the vehicle an upgrade from 19.3 mpg to 19.5 mpg in Japan’s cycle, plus a slightly larger 19.6-gallon fuel tank.

The GT-R’s chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno continues to think of ways augment the car’s chassis. The latest round of revisions brings better shocks and recalibrated front spring rates to sharpen the car’s handling, improve the smoothness of the ride and create more stability.

If these changes intrigue you, drop by your local Nissan dealer today for a look at the new GT-R or any other Nissan cars that might catch your eye.

On the surface, from a serious business standpoint, it may seem as though a failure for the Detroit Three would mean good news for companies like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. But in all reality, the Asian automakers wouldn’t benefit from a collapse of the Big Three and wouldn’t benefit from the cash flow.

Even though Toyota, Nissan, and Honda would certainly gain market share from the failure of the Big Three, there are some problems associated with that. The immediate fallout from any bankruptcy of Ford, General Motors, of Chrysler would spell problems for the Asian car-makers because it would spread quickly through the industry like wildfire. The damage done to companies like Ford through bankruptcy would infuse an automotive industry that is bleeding cash with uncertainty and problems.

If the Big Three fail, it will be a strong blow to the very core of the United States economy and global markets would instantly begin to feel the ripples. Although the Asian carmakers could eventually recover from the aftershocks, many analysts predict that Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, and others simply cannot afford to have the Detroit Three fail. 

With Nissan cars not moving how they should, it is important that the Asian automakers have something to “lean on” in the ongoing struggles. Perhaps in a weird way, Nissan et al could use the Detroit Three to prop up their own sales and the car companies could rely on one another like a coalition.

While The Big Three automakers (Ford, GM, and Chrysler) are facing off against these economic times, companies like Nissan, Honda, and Toyota seem to stack up fairly well. The reason for this lies perhaps in the streamlined line-up of Nissan and other companies, as many are starting to believe that The Big Three have tossed their nets too wide in the economic struggles. 

With The Big Three awaiting automotive rescue plans from Congress, they’ll need to prove to the government that they have the ability to produce a solid business plan to make the spending worthwhile. Part of the problem here is that their vast vehicle line-ups may be getting in the way of any significant economic growth. 

Between them, General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler sell 112 different car and truck models through 15 brands in the United States alone. Contrast that with the sales line-ups of Nissan, Toyota, and Honda. Those three have roughly half as many choices with 58 models combined sold through seven brands. Now that’s a significant contrast and may explain why Nissan, Toyota, and Honda aren’t struggling as much through these troubling times.

Whether Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors will slim down to fit into the new jeans required by Congress remains to be seen, but Toyota, Nissan, and Honda dealers are still looking to the future despite the current struggles. Look for Nissan cars of 2009 to look a lot like Nissan 2008, with fewer choices but a more reliable structure for the company internally.

Nissan’s GT-R, an amazing two-door coupe, has been a bit of a thing of legend for a while. For most in the PlayStation generation, the GT-R has been a figment of video-gaming imagination. As a part of the video game Gran Turismo and a few others, this Nissan supercar already packs a significant following amongst the younger generation.

So when the real deal finally faces its North American release date and the car journalists get set to test drive this marvel, don’t be surprised to see a few jaws drop. The Nissan GT-R has already been cruising Japanese streets since December of 2007 and will face its international release in late 2008…which is any day now, for those of you waiting patiently.

With a starting price of $81,900, the GT-R is almost half the money of a 911 Turbo or Porsche GT3, yet it’s just as fast or faster.

The GT-R has a push-button engine start, just like all cool cars, and runs a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 under the hood, good enough to put some seriously fast times on the clock and beat most other cars on the road off of the line. Not that we’re advocating racing here, but it’s sure as hell nice to know that it can be done, isn’t it?

For more information on this and any other Nissan cars, keep it locked here for your dose of Nissan news.

Nissan is gearing up to focus on the smaller end of its spectrum, forcing its dealerships to focus on small cars and shuffle some of the larger models to the back. The Nissan Pathfinder, the big ass Titan, and the Armada are all heading to the back burner for the time being with carryover models making their arrival for the new model year.

In other words, if you’re a fan of Nissan’s trucks and larger vehicles, you may have to wait until the 2009 model year for any significant improvements.

With full size pickup sales down 60%, Nissan instead is focusing efforts on its mid size models, a segment in which sales are off only 30% compared with last year.

But Nissan is keeping the faith and hopes for market growth in those segments. They aren’t forgetting about the trucks or larger vehicles. On the contrary, the development of new products remains a significant priority for the car company. But for the time being, Nissan’s role is to not panic and not be overly concerned about a drop in those sales. Instead, the concentration on small cars will help distribute sales.

That doesn’t mean Nissan is resting on its laurels for the upcoming model year, of course. To generate interest in mid size trucks and SUVs, they will be adding a Frontier PRO-4X off road model for 2009, patterned after the successful 2008 Titan PRO-4X.

So while Nissan looks to make some improvements in all ends of their market scheme, Nissan cars will continue to sell well and the company will remain among the industry’s top competitors.

Nissan’s hydrogen fuel cell research vehicle is joining several other fuel cell research vehicles in making a stop at Nissan’s Smyrna Test Track as a part of the 31-city, 13-day Hydrogen Tour. The tour is traveling from Portland, Maine, to Los Angeles and is designed to showcase the commercial viability of environmentally friendly fuel cell vehicles.

The stop at the Nissan Test Track is the 24th on the tour.

Nissan is nearing the end of its research and development phase in terms of its hydrogen vehicle, which puts it in an enviable position amongst other car companies.

“We are excited to showcase innovations today to enable zero-emissions mobility in the future,” said Bill Krueger, senior vice president of Nissan North America Inc. “Nissan is committed to being a global leader in zero emission vehicles and has demonstrated that through our ongoing advancements in fuel cell technology.”

Nissan has been working feverishly on designing the latest fuel cell. Their research and development arm has been developing a cell that doubles the power density, costs 35% less than other fuel cells, and is 25% smaller than previous incarnations.

With Nissan 2008 heading off into the sunset and a new year of Nissan cars set to be unveiled, the advent of Nissan’s hydrogen vehicle line-up is exciting for anyone with even a passing interest in the car company.

Nissan is hoping to double its market share in Germany and to expand its operations into the country, allowing for more market growth and a better reputation among the German people.

Nissan 2008 is hoping for a 3 percent market share by 2012, which will build upon their current market share by a considerable margin. The increase in market share will be helped along by Nissan’s hiring of 55 of the additional 120 car dealers it needs to reach the goal.

Nissan is currently working with 400 partners in terms of retailing its brand all over Germany, which should help improve exposure to the brand in the country. With more exposure, Nissan cars should sell better and its market share should naturally expand.

Taking on the top giants of the German car industry will be no small feat, however, and Nissan execs certainly know what they’re up against. But with two new models coming to Europe in the upcoming years and an ambitious sales strategy, the Japanese automaker may have a few tricks up its sleeve.

Nissan cars in Germany will include a smaller version of the Qashqai crossover and a not-yet-named Indian budget car. Sales reports indicate hopes of selling about 10,000 of each model in Germany, although no absolute timeframe was offered by the company.

It looks like Nissan’s gas-powered Cube is going to be heading to the United States in 2009. Nissan 2008 already has released an all-electric version of the car in Japan and its popularity is unquestionable. In fat, the car has been making waves internationally since 2004 when it made its debut on the international stage. The United States was the odd one out.

The Nissan Cube looks to compete directly with the Scion xB from Toyota. Nissan is hoping to price the vehicle lowly enough so that students and young drivers will be able to make it a car of choice and still have enough money left over to add a slew of extra features, including custom graphics, stereo equipment, and other personalized features.

The Cube, which should hit most Nissan lots in early 2009 in the U.S., represents yet another car on the market with which fuel economy is a top priority.

For those with knowledge of Nissan cars, the advent of the Cube in America is exciting news. The Scion xB needs a direct competitor and most reports say that Nissan’s car is more than a suitable challenger. The small, boxy hatchback has made it big in Japan and has sold well internationally, so it’s probably only a matter of time before the same success is felt in the United States.