Lots of Nissan 200SXs for Sale in New England Right Now

So tempting to get one of these...many look in good condition, a couple are the turbo models with the oh-so-awesome hoods.  All would make great hillclimb, rallycross, stage rally vehicles.  Or at the very least they would make an epic daily driver.

First is a Black, 1986 model up in Hebron, NH.  This one is the most heavily modified with numerous  engine and suspension mods.  It has a KA24DET swap and presently is not really drivable given its blown turbo and bad exhaust.  Body is in good nick but it will take some work and money to really get on the road in a legit fashion.  Price is listed at @2,500
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5151542652.html

Second is an '87 200SX notchback.  I like the hatch version much better than the notchback and this one is in a decidedly ugly gold color, is an automatic and has evidently had an attempt to turn it into some sort of drift vehicle with a welded rear diff.  It does still have the cool pop-up lights though!  This one is in Plaistow, NH and is going for $1,200 though with the welded diff, it won't really be pleasant to drive on a daily basis.  http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5147479484.html

There is also a 1987 200SX SE-V6 for sale in Southern Maine that would be a nice little car given it has the 300ZX's engine and driveline but the poster doesn't present a picture and says it has a good deal of exterior rust and hasn't been run for a few years.  He's asking for $2,000 which is pretty steep given the many multiple thousands necessary to really get it running again.

http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/5123093025.html


There was also a beautiful, manual, turbo 200SX in Providence, RI that I had intended to post here as well as it has been around a few times now but not purchased...alas, its listing has expired.  It was in good shape with no rust, good engine, etc.  The owner stated it needed some new plugs, wires and brakes but otherwise was in fine condition.  It would be the best of the lot so keep an eye open for a relisting.

2016 Nissan Titan Cummins Diesel Spy Shots

 Until now all the next generation Nissan Titan photos we have seen have been more or less merely test mules using the existing Nissan Titan body/frame with its new engine shoehorned into the bay.  Little was able to be discerned about the nature of the actual looks of the 2016 version.

With its full introduction only a few months away we are finally seeing what is likely a near production ready version of the coming diesel Titan being taken out on the road.  While still heavily camouflaged at this point there are a number of items worth pointing out in these photos.

First we have the single exhaust pipe and a small one at that.  Look at any heavy duty diesel truck and you will see a giant honking exhaust pipe hanging out the back to expend all those gases.  Evidently one example of how a smaller turbo diesel will change things up is in the exhaust design.  Lighter and in only a single outlet is different than a lot of the diesel trucks out there today.

Secondly we have evidence of the differentiation of the '16 Titan from its Ram counterpart.  The next gen Titan was originally going to be co-developed by Nissan and Chrysler/Dodge/Ram.  When that deal fell apart a few years back one wondered just how much would Nissan pull from the early Ram designs for its next fullsize truck.  Well, in terms of rear suspension??  Not much.  While Ram has moved to a coil sprung rear suspension these photos show that the Titan has retained the leaf spring suspension that is more common (and simpler?)  You might argue that the coilspring setup of the Ram is a more advanced system and maybe you're right...but its nice to see that Nissan went back to the board and came up with their own idea rather than taking what was Ram's preference at the time of their cooperation.

We also see evidence in these photos of additional nods to fuel economy found on most modern trucks including the aero skirt at the very front of the truck.  These have been viewed as major targets for curbs, rock and other debris typical of locations where fullsize trucks operate but have become fairly standard across the industry and one of the first things to be removed by many offroad oriented owners.

Lastly, size-wise the new Titan looks to have beefed up quite a bit compared to its prior version.  Asian trucks (the Toyota Tundra and Titan) have always been viewed as being just slightly undersized compared to their American brethren--a 7/8ths size truck or the like.  The crew-cab version here does not appear to lack for bulk or length with the passenger cab looking particularly cavernous.  The windshield also looks more raked than its predecessor and should help the overall aero and diesel sipping nature of the vehicle.

Here's hoping we see more of this in less and less disguised versions in the period leading up to its full introduction in Detroit in January '15.

All Nissan Dealerships to Receive Diesel Training in Preparation for 2016 Titan

There's an item I hadn't thought of.

With the upcoming introduction of the 2016 Nissan Titan at the January 2015 Detroit Auto Show, many Nissan dealerships will find themselves in a position where their techs may never have worked on a diesel engine before, or at the very least, are unfamiliar with the Cummins diesel platform.

In order to assist their franchises in getting their staff up to date, Nissan is going to be taking technicians from each dealership offsite to do training specifically on the Cummins engine specifically and diesel engines in general.  Hopefully the platform is buttoned up enough that their coming skills are not of much use in the near future but it does stand as another example of just how committed Nissan has to be to this new product.  If the diesel Titan fails it will be a sunk cost of billions of dollars, one which would hamper Nissan from doing anything truly innovative in the near term.

Nissan sending its techs to diesel school...

2015 (?) 2016 (?) Next Generation Frontier Details To Be Released!

Well, we kinda knew it would happen sooner or later but no less authority than Nissan's Global Boss Andy Palmer at last weeks NYC Auto Show revealed that they would begin releasing info on the next generation Frontier in the coming couple of weeks.

With the Titan (introduced in '04 as an '05 model) seeing its complete redesign, the Frontier and Xterra (if it were to continue to exist) were next on the hitlist.  Now that the Pathfinder has returned to its own, unibody, more "refined" model it leaves open the question of how related the Titan and Frontier would be given in their current form they ride on the same basic platform.

Pressed by Australian journalists in NYC and the Aussies get the Frontier in both a 4.0L Petrol and a 2.2L turbo diesel badged with the "Navara" name, Palmer would discuss that no diesel version of the Patrol (the Infiniti QX80 here) would be produced (disappointing many there as well as in the Mid East).  What he did indicate is that not only would the details on the Frontier's replacement come shortly but that "it would be logical" if that replacement also spun off an SUV variant.  Given that the Xterra is the current Frontier's SUV clone, it would seem "logical" that the Xterra would be living on in the next generation of "smaller" truck and SUVs within Nissan's portfolio.

Quoting Palmer "should go back to that basis of good durability, good quality, and good reliability. If I was doing a pick-up, that’s where I’d start...It’s around about the same [size as the current model] - one-tonne pickups are fairly generic in terms of their overall dimensions..I think it’s about what you deliver on fuel consumption, what you deliver on styling...these are the key differentiators for that kind of pickup market"

To me the first part sounds an awful lot like the Xterra's original tag-line of "Everything you need, nothing you don't" while the fuel consumption and style sound a lot like a diesel with a bold design--much like the original Frontiers were, being the first to introduce the quad cab and other queues.

Should be an exciting month or so!  Oh, and given they are releasing this info right now, I'd say the next generation Frontier should be about six months to a year behind the introduction of the next Titan which means, as the next Titan will be introduced in Q1 '15, I'd look for the next Frontier later that year...and with a diesel as well and that means a diesel Xterra could be in the cards as well...

Andy Palmer talks about next generation Frontier and Xterra...

Update!!

Now confirmed that at least in its overseas version it will house a 3.0L turbo diesel and will spawn a 7-seat SUV based upon the same platform...now the 3L diesel isn't much of a surprise but a SEVEN seat SUV is a big surprise...Maybe Nissan feels that people don't want a 5 seat SUV anymore but a body on frame 7 seater??  That seems a bit odd and it also flies in the face of thinking that this rugged SUV (vs. the soft-roading Pathfinder) would hold closer to the Xterra demographic...and it now appears that the reveal of the vehicle will be within the next month per this report...

Next Gen Navara/Frontier/Xterra update...

2016 Toyota Tundra Getting Same Cummins Diesel as Nissan Titan...

So now it appears EVERYONE is jumping on the diesel bandwagon...

Toyota is now known to be adding a diesel option to its 2016 Tundra using the same 5.0L Cummins engine as the Nissan Titan will use.  This is a great move for Cummins as they are likely hedging their bets against the Titan being a low volume vehicle and generating additional business for their factory.  When you go from producing engines for Dodge or other high volume sellers, putting all your eggs in an unproven basket like the Titan is not wise.

Couple items here as it impacts Nissan.  1) it means that if Nissan wants to appear as a market leader and not a market follower it will need to get the diesel Titan to market BEFORE the Tundra, likely pushing Nissan even harder to get it wrapped up. 2) the Tundra is no slouch of a truck in terms of quality and so the Titan better be damn good or else why not just move over to the Tundra and get the same engine but better overall quality. 3) the Toyota diesel is reportedly more of a "test" for the Tundra to see if its a viable product before Toyota goes off on its own and produces its own diesel.  Nissan then has an opportunity to truly get in bed and market around the Cummins brand vs. Toyota who is likely not to push the Cummins brand very hard if it intends to go its own way in the near future.

Regardless, it will continue to push the domestics on trucks harder than they ever have been before and more competition is always a good thing....

Tundra and Titan to share Cummins diesel...

Aussies At the Parker 425

A number of Aussies came over for Best in the Desert's Parker 425 this past weekend.  What makes Parker and the Aussies so interesting for me?  Well, its the inclusion of a number of Nissan powered buggies.  In Australia, due to rules allowing for turbo motors, Nissan motivated vehicles are a dime a dozen.

In the states however where turbos have been excluded from most desert racing classes the humble VW engine has been standard for smaller buggies and carbureted Chevy and Ford engines have been dominant for years.  In this year's Parker 425 however, BITD has loosened their rules a tad and are now beginning to allow turbos (and multiple turbos) in their top level classes.  One such class is the Unlimited buggy class, called "Class 1" or "1500 class" vehicles in BITD.

So there were three Aussie class 1500 buggies and actually one Aussie Trick Truck as well.  All three buggies were Nissan powered by a VQ35 engine.

The #1528 of Matt Hanson was a twin turbo Jimco that had been shipped over from Australia.

The #1507 Alumicraft of Garry Simpson had originally had a Honda powerplant but was swapped for the Nissan once it reached Australian stores.  Its VQ35 is naturally aspirated and is mated to a six speed Fortin sequential transmission.

The #1573 is  a brand new Raceco that Matthew Martin took delivery of just a few days before Parker and is also naturally aspirated.

The #47 Jimco trick truck was also just completed and delivered to its Aussie customer Steve Sanderson and is motivated by a Kroyer racing engines Chevrolet.

The results for the Aussies were excellent.  Two of the three buggies finished the race as well as the Trick Truck.  The only DNF was not caused by a mechanical failure or driver error but was due to a ruptured fuel cell from an impact by one Mr. BJ Baldwin and his Trick Truck.  Results were as follows:

#1528--finished 23rd overall and 5th in class out of 95 official finishers and 24 finishers in class
#1507--finished 21st overall and 3rd in class
#47--finished 27th overall and 17th in class

The drivers of these vehicles were blown away by the roughness of the course calling their premier event--the Finke Desert Race in Australia--a highway compared to the terrain in Arizona they encountered.  The most impressive finish of these drivers was the #1507 of Garry Simpson who was running his little 3.5L NA V6 engine against the 7 Liter V8s of the rest of the Class 1500 field.  Overall the Aussies showed that even in limited seat time on unseen terrain behind unproven vehicles, they can compete at the pointy end of North American desert racing.

IDx Video and Audio!

Certainly does NOT sound like a three or four cylinder under there....nor does it sound like a turbo either...but what do I know??

Next Nissan Frontier to be a Diesel?? Or a Hybrid??

Sure sounds like it according to Fred Diaz who is head of US sales.  All powertrains are under consideration and given that Nissan has moved to put a diesel in the 2016 Titan would it surprise anyone if a smaller diesel ended up in the next generation Frontier?

Unchanged in terms of basic body design and powertrain options since its introduction as a 2005 model, the Nissan Frontier saw one of its best years of sales in 2013 with over 60,000 units sold in the US.  Worldwide the Navara is also a successful model but one that comes with a turbo diesel engine not available here.  Though the Truck Trend article mentions that they test drove just such a model at the Nissan 360 event in California in 2013, I wouldn't anticipate that this exact engine would end up in a US version of the next Frontier.  This engine has been in use for these past near 10 years and any updated Frontier would likely receive an updated and more efficient engine as well.  The suggestion of a small Cummins diesel is an exciting proposition

The more interesting possibility is that of a hybrid option.  Nissan likes to be seen as an innovative company on the cutting edge of automotive options--the first mini-pickup in the US, first truck with a crew cab option, first mass market all electric with the Leaf, etc.  So it wouldn't shock me to see Nissan be the first to offer a hybrid small pickup or perhaps a hybrid turbo diesel?  Or perhaps the "First Manufacturer to offer a Cummins diesel in a Mid-Size truck"??

In any case, the next Frontier is likely to stay "about" the same size as it is today given it will still need to differentiate itself from the new Titan though, as with the current version, the two models will see a number of identical parts--axles, hubs, frame, etc. to curb costs.  With the Titan rounding into its final form before its introduction to the world in less than a year, the next Frontier is definitely entering the design phase as we speak.

Nissan Frontier--Diesel? Hybrid? Cummins?

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!!

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??

2015 Nissan Titan Diesel Mule Video from 10/15/13

Looks like the good folks over at Nissan are out testing their diesel again.  As the video points out it is being refueled at the diesel pump and its towing a nice trailer which looks set up to carry very specific weights to be added as they run the engine and vehicle through its paces under various loads.

It also looks to be a 2WD version as I don't think I can spot any 4WD hubs in the front.  The nice, deep, early season snows out West look to have imposed some unexpected cold weather testing on the mule as well.  The body looks similar to that of the static shots we've seen with a boxier shaped, bulkier front end.  With this being the only part of the vehicle that is camouflaged we can assume that there are a number of design aspects that Nissan wants to keep under wraps for now while the rest of the vehicle looks sourced from the current Titan.

These 2015 Nissan Titan spy shots and videos are sure to continue and grow in frequency as time moves towards its formal introduction and we'll try and keep up with them here...

Nissan Juke Nismo RS to Debut at LA Auto Show

Coming in late November through early December is the 2013 LA Auto Show where Nissan will debut at least two new NISMO vehicles.

The only one confirmed at this time is the Juke NISMO RS.  This now makes four distinct models of the Juke that are available.  You have your regular Juke (in all its associated trim levels), the Juke NISMO, the Juke-R and now the Juke NISMO RS.

The standard Juke, Juke NISMO and Juke NISMO RS are those that are or will be found at your local dealership while the Juke-R is the highly limited production, half a million dollar Frankenstein project that sees the transplant of a GT-R driveline into the standard chassis.  The normal Juke comes with 188hp while the NISMO version saw a bump to 197hp along with a host of suspension and body tweaks to make it stand out.

The NISMO RS to be introduced in LA will take its performance to another level beyond that of the "plain"  NISMO but not anywhere near that of the Juke-R.  Though details are scant, an increase in power to significantly beyond 200hp (in theory to match that of the Mazdaspeed 3 which puts out some 263hp) along with an upgraded cooling system, suspension and aero designs are all likely.  In my dreams they would kit it out like a true stage rally car but I'm betting they still focus on the street handling nature of the platform.  At the very least they hopefully offer a manual transmission to be paired with the AWD version as in the NISMO (non-RS) model the manual transmission is only available with the FWD model leaving anyone wanting AWD relegated to letting a computer row the gates.

Unconfirmed by Nissan is what the second NISMO model will be at the LA Auto Show.  Some say a NISMO GT-R...I say it is a Nissan Versa hatchback with the NISMO label since they already offer a Nissan Pulsar (Versa here in the States) SSS elsewhere in the world and doing some minor tweaks to that version would easily give NISMO another model to its "performance" lineup.  This version would contain the same 1.6L turbo engine seen in the Juke, leading to all sorts of high hp possibilities for the small hatchback.

Nissan Titan Diesel Details!!

Are you ready for this!?!?  It appears the next gen Nissan Titan will have not just one diesel choice but two!!  Details are still coming it but it appears that there will be a turbo diesel 4-cyl as well as a monster eight cylinder Cummins diesel!  First numbers I've seen flying around are 500 ft. lbs of torque and 300 HP.  Very nice!!  We will continue to update!!

Update: Link to the Nissan release below and there is no mention of a turbo 4-cyl...just the turbo 8-cyl which will be 5 liters in size produce OVER 300 HP and have "mid 500" ft. lbs. of torque...

Nissan Announces Turbo Diesel Titan... 

NISMO Juke RS Confirmed For 2014

Multiple sources are reporting that evidently Nissan is not content to leave the Juke alone.  Nissan has confirmed that it will offer a Nissan NISMO Juke RS in 2014.  This will be in addition to your base Juke, the NISMO Juke and the ultra expenssive Juke R.

The NISMO RS will fall somewhere short of the Juke R and its GT-R driveline but will reportedly see a substantial boost in power over the 215 hp present in the NISMO Juke and may even see a different engine entirely than the 1.6L turbo seen in the lower two models.  Additionally the RS will see a more extensive aero kit than the regular NISMO version possesses.

While this won't get you to full Juke-R status it certainly will be one of the most radical autos out there and would just be SO begging to be flogged in the dirt.

NISMO Juke RS confirmed for '14

Nissan Pulsar SSS Specs and Release...

As we have previously predicted here, the Nissan Pulsar (Versa Note here in the US) in Australia is the first to receive confirmation of the hopped up version of the hot hatch.

The Pulsar will receive the "SSS" badging and is lauded by the initial article as being a decent competitor for the VW Golf GTI Polo (not the same as the US Golf).  While carrying a tad more HP than the Polo at 188 it does sport slightly less torque at 177 ft. lb.  Under the hood of this Nissan with be a turbo 1.6L vs. the NA 1.8L in the regular version of the Pulsar/Versa.  This engine matches EXACTLY the specs on the 1.6L turbo seen in the Juke and it is a safe bet that the SSS will be housing the same MR16DDT mill.  Knowing that the Juke engine has seen its HP pushed to 197 in the NISMO version of that CUV means that there is even more performance to be had out of this SSS particularly given the Pulsar will be about 600 pounds less than the Juke. The SSS will come standard...with a standard.  If you're a moron you can pay an additional $2500 or so for the privilege of having a computer do the shifting with an available CVT. 

These measurements should translate well to the US--if it comes here--which I can't forsee it not.  Likley dubbed the Versa Note NISMO I'm guessing, this will represent Nissan's entry into the performance end of the B-segment along with the Ford Fiesta.  I would anticipate Nissan USA announcing its arrival here in Q3 of this year and at dealerships by the end of '13 to Q1 of '14.

Oh, and the photo above is NOT of the SSS which I'm sure will come with more body cladding and such that always seems to come along with "performance" models...

Nissan Pulsar SSS announced...

Finally...

Nissan returned again to the NAIAS this week with a big display.

Nissan introduced the concept vehicle for the next generation Murano--the Resonance, showing off an even more swoopy design with a roof that appears to "float".  The rear looks a bit like the Lexus RX series from the side in my opinion.  The design doesn't look like that much of a departure from the current Murano to turn off may buyers so this looks like another win for Nissan.

Secondly Nissan introduced the new Versa Note.  Just called the Note in other markets this little hatchback will be priced in the low teens, get 40 mpg and be manufactured in Mexico.

The other news is that Nissan continues to confirm the production of a small (read sub-Z, sub-GT-R) sportscar.  It confirmed to Car and Driver that the design will be of a "love it or hate if" variety (something as radical as the Juke it sounds like) and the "concept" upon which the model will be based, will be released in the next twelve months.  Nissan also stated that it would be a "guilt free" car which in Nissan's world means an electric powertrain (or hybrid?).  Personally I can't wait.  A Nissan sportscar that might be cheap enough to convince my wife would be a great next car for me can't be beat.