Throwback Thursday: Lego 510

We've featured a number of Lego creations in this blog in the past and we've done a few Throwback Thursday postings in the past.  Now we've combined the two!

A beautiful Datsun 510 in BRE livery with accurate decals and logos.  Lego has announced that it will produce in a real world kit form, the original Mini.  It would be cool if they made a limited run of other cars as well--particularly this one!

BRE Lego 510...

Classics and Ari Vatanen and More...

The 2014 Australian Rally Championship is now underway down under with Brendan Reeves taking the National Capital Rally win this past weekend in his Mazda 2.  In a case of "this sounds like a bigger accomplishment than it is" there were only 17 national class entries in the event and 10 of them DNF'd.  Not that Reeves isn't a fantastic driver, he is, its just that national class entries seem to be as limited there as they are here in the States.

More interesting to me at least, is the always quality "classic" stage rally vehicles that come out to these ARC events.  For the Nat. Cap. Rally we have an old Mini, your typical gathering of Datsuns and Fords and, for one stage at least, Ari Vatanen behind the wheel of an epic looking Audi.  The classic class win was taken by the Toyota Celica #70 of Neal Bates.  Enjoy.

National Capital Rally...

The IDx Lives!

The recently introduced at the Tokyo Auto Show Nissan IDx Freeflow and NISMO were evidently not just pretty shells.  After being brought over to the Detroit Auto Show they are now on a tour of Southern California.  This whole process is far beyond what you see with normal concept cars and Nissan has then taken things even further...

They delivered the concept cars to the Motor Trend folks and allowed them to be driven...OK, so it was only around a parking lot but still...This is something you never see with concept vehicles.  Nissan is bringing the cars around to a number of locations and events in the area continuing to gauge public interest.  It appears more and more likely that these are going the Juke route and will be put into production in the near future.

Motor Trend drives the IDx...

NISMO Festival 2013

This is an annual festival that Nissan Motorsports puts on in Japan.  It went away in 2012 during the move of NISMO to its new headquarters but now its back.

As is typical Nissan brought out tons of vintage machinery and drivers for both display and use.  Included in these (and of most interest to me) is one of the old African Safari Rally 240Zs.

  A drifting event and an exhibition race featuring identically prepped GT-Rs was just some of the action.  Some 32,000+ enthusiasts turned out for the event.  I do need to ask...is there a more beautiful background for a race track than what is present for the Fuji Speedway??  If there is, I'd like to see it...

Nissan IDx NISMO and Freeflow are a GO!

Well that didn't take long...

Reports are already coming out that Nissan will be producing the IDx NISMO and/or Freeflow "concept" vehicles recently shown in Tokyo.  In truth this is what we all thought anyway as they are close to production models as is--similar to the Juke when they released its "concept" model.  Reportedly they were waiting on the response from the public after their recent introduction to make a final decision.  That response has been solidly (but not universally) positive.

I think this is what Nissan was aiming for anyway.  The last thing they wanted to do with these vehicles was produce another Sentra or Versa.  Why produce another bland econobox?  Create something a bit polarizing that people will latch onto and claim as their own--similar again to the Juke.

Where is the line for the NISMO version??  I think its just brutally awesome with its gaping shark like nose, small wing over the rear window, side mirrors on the hood, side exhaust and bulging flared wheel wells. I'd like to get in that line NOW!

Nissan greenlighting the IDx NISMO and/or Freeflow!!

Would You Sell One Testicle For A 370Z?

Hmmm...I dunno...I'm done having kids (two kids are plenty!) but it still feels right to keep my god (small g) given body intact.  The guy in the story below is trading his testicle to medical research for $35K which he is using to get a 370Z.  That's not even a top end 370Z...

Man donates testicle to buy 370Z...

That said...I might be willing to part with an extra organ or two in exchange for a copious amount of cash or a really nice Nissan.  So let's play the organ for Nissan game shall we?




Kidneys:  I'd trade a kidney for a nice Nissan Titan.  The Titan is a bit outdated of a vehicle and a bit of a gas hog.  Then again, a kidney isn't that big of a loss.  So I'd have to pee more often and my ability to filter stuff would be a bit compromised...meh...I can adjust.  Seriously....I think I'd donate a kidney today if it got me a vehicle to tow my race vehicle with.

Lungs:  Hmm, this one is a bit tougher.  Without a lung I assume my ability to perform physical actions would be compromised.  Plus I feel as if I'd end up leaning to one side or the other as the absence of a lung would mean a pretty big weight imbalance wouldn't it?  That said, I could use to lose a few pounds and getting into actual decent shape would help mitigate the loss of the lung.  I say a lung is what I'd trade for a 370Z which is a real nice sports car but not something ridiculously valuable.

Testicle: Now we get into some serious stuff...though the loss of a testicle doesn't present any obvious outwardly visible signs I just feel like it would change how I would walk around...a little less swagger in my step so to speak.  A loss of manhood, even just 1/2 of it requires a big return and a mere stock 370Z just wouldn't cut it.  Something classic, something race, something with a great deal of value, if not monetarily then historically.  A fully restored Datsun BRE 510 from the Baja perhaps??

Eye:  This would be near the top of my value list for dual organs.  The others mean losing something but being short of breath or having to pee more often is more of an inconvenience than an actual LOSS of something.  Losing an eye however...now that's big.  Depth perception is gone, range of vision is cut in half...plus you have to decide to go the Stuart Scott route or look like the Governor from the Walking Dead...neither is a good look.  I'll need something truly special and one off.  I'm going with the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona winner R91CP which thoroughly destroyed the field finishing nine laps up on the closest competitor and finished more laps in the 24 Hours of Daytona than anyone ever before or since.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it...anyone know a good surgeon??

If You Can't Wait For The Nissan IDx There's Always This...

 The Nissan Sentra NISMO edition.  Though "technically" a concept vehicle, that appears to be in name only.  This vehicle appears to be production ready right now and I'm betting it being a 2015 model released in mid-late '14.

Housing a turbocharged version of the Sentra's 1.8L engine it has been boosted to 240 hp AND 240 ft. lbs. of torque.  That's a whopping 110 increase in hp over the standard version.  Almost as importantly is the addition of a limited slip for the front end, working to get that power to the ground.  Interior upgrades include Recaro seats and an Alcantara steering wheel as well as other accessories.  Handling is improved with a NISMO tuned suspension and of course there is the requisite additional aero package and aggressive exterior accents.

The changes incorporated into the NISMO Sentra truly take it from one of the most boring of economobiles to a reasonable pocket rocket.  Given how great the IDx NISMO concept looked, if they're not coming out with that for another 3-4+ years, this is an attempting alternative and might be a decent successor to the early 90's Sentra SE-Rs.  Keep the pricing reasonable and I'd be a buyer for sure (though really I could do without the fuzzy steering wheel and such as I'd be sorely tempted to turn it into a tarmac rally car).  Look for a production announcement in Q1 of '14.

Nissan's Answer To The BRZ--REVEALED!!

Just now at the Tokyo Auto Show!!  Yup, its RWD.  Yup its small (couple inches smaller than the BRZ).  Yup it looks a bit like the old Skylines.  Yup the NISMO version of the concept is AWESOME looking.

Further photos and video are below.

Early indications this is already fast tracked to production to be released as a '16 model.  SOOOO hope they make a NISMO version in the first batch.
I'll be in line from the moment they start taking orders...put some rear view mirrors up front on that thing...WOW...cannot wait...another year and a half is too long.

And OK, yeah, it LOOKS like a concept vehicle--a bit too angular and non-production looking aspects but please remember how the Juke was said to never be a production vehicle too and look where that ended up--design queues toned down a bit but the big aspects were kept.  I think you'll see the same here...

The concept's name is the Nissan IDx and the hopped version is the IDx NISMO

Anyone want a slightly used Rally Truck for sale in about mid 2015??

Classic Nissans at Nissan Nightmoves Rally...

Australia always brings the hot, classic Nissans and Datsuns to the rally scene.

An all night stages event titled the "Nissan Nightmoves Rally" should really bring them out then huh?  Well it did, with Nissans/Datsuns taking all three podium positions.  Rob Parry and his Datsun 1600 (510) taking the win, Sean Hodgson in second with his similar 1600 and third went to Cary Seabrook and his Datsun Stanza.

And its not like there weren't modern cars in the event with modern Celicas, Lancers, and a WRX all in the field.
Nissan Nightmoves Rally release...

Russell Woollard -- Nissan Bluebird

 Cary Seabrook -- Datsun Stanza

Sean Hudgson -- Datsun 1600

David Lawrence -- Datsun 1600

Andrew Paice -- Datsun Stanza

Brendan Brown -- Datsun 180B SSS

David Lawrence -- Datsun 1600

Timothy Smith -- Datsun 180B

Great Old School Datsun 510 Photo...

This photo is from the 1973 High Desert Trails event.  The driver is a Bob (R.C.) Laton and the codrive is a Gerry Finn.

The 510 here would go on to win the event.  In doing a quick Google search it looks like Bob (R.C.) was quite active with Datsun throughout the 70s in numerous stage rally events.

Note the strange tube on the outside of the front passenger wheel.  This is the wheel sensor for the rally odometer.  No GPS in those days!

Supposedly he still has a shop of some kind in Santa Clara, CA.  There does seem to be a RC Laton connected to a "Trailkat" company in Santa Clara and the coincidences are too striking for him NOT to be the owner of this company.  I'm going to try and reach out to him and get more info on his career and vehicles.  Who knows??  He might have some of them hanging around!  A 510 of this era and design would be an epic car to have at a vintage NORRA race.

Oh, and I love the 1973 method of cutting and cropping photos with the protractor laid down pencil markings on the photo for later handling.  Ahh...the good old days!!

Trailkat Website!!

Australia--National Capital Rally

The Australian rally series always features some great and classic Nissans and Datsuns.  The National Capital Rally, the first event of the Australian Rally Championship 2013 season was no exception.

Will Orders and his Nissan Silvia S13 as well as Jack Monkhouse and his similar Silvia S15 fought for the top of the podium most of the weekend.  Orders would DNF in day two but Monkhouse would finish on the podium in third with the Honda Jazz and Renault Clio of Eli Evans and Scot Pedder (respectively) finishing one and two.

Beyond the Silvia's of Orders and Monkhouse however there were a number of other Nissan/Datsuns in the event including the Datsun 510 of Claude Murray which took the Classic class win for the weekend. Other models seen in this event include a Datsun 180B, Nissan Bluebird, a Datsun 1200, and a Datsun 1600.


Australian Rally Series...