All you fanboys out there who think if ‘it comes from Japan, it’s gold’, then take a look at a new body kit from Nissan. This is a Japan-only kit for the Fairlady Z (ya know, the 370Z) and its called the Stylish Package.
Although it may make your 370Z may look faster, unlike Nismo S-tune, this comes with no performance upgrades. Instead this is just a new front spoiler, a rear wing with an integrated third-stop light, clear crystal rear tail lamps, and ’Z’ scruff plates. There is also a new ’sports horn’, because it’s not enough to just look unique but you have to sound unique as well?
Either way, getting your hands on theses parts directly from Japan will make your 370Z pretty exclusive for a few weeks, until some major tuner (or Nissan) decides to import this package on its own.
If it looks like a 370Z and it sounds like a 370Z, then it must be a 370Z. In Japan, Nissan has used historically the Fairlady name on its sports cars, including the entire line on Z cars. So, its the same car as the U.S., it just has the steering wheel on the other side. Just like in the U.S. this marks the 40th anniversary of the Z car.
The new Fairlady Z’s enhanced performance characteristics are a result of its shorter wheelbase, reduced weight and the adoption of the larger, more powerful VQ37VHR 3.7-liter V6 engine. It also offers the world’s first 6-speed manual transmission with synchronized rev control or a newly developed 7-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode. The combination of more horsepower, new transmissions and a refined suspension helps the Fairlady Z deliver the superior acceleration, cornering and stopping capabilities expected of a true world-class sports car.
The VQ37VHR engine delivers 332 hp at at 7000 rpm and maximum torque of 270 lbs-ft at 5200 rpm. Combining power with ease of driving, this remarkable engine accelerates effortlessly and smoothly all the way to the high-speed range.
For those of you who live in USA, check the article about the 370Z.
Press release after the jump.
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Subaru launched today the Legacy Premium Leather Limited edition on the Japanese market. This special edition is based on the Legacy sedan (2.0 GT and 2.5i) and Legacy Outback (2.5i and 2.5XT).
The car has a fancy name that pretty tells it all. No big changes going on: special leather seats, a new pillar trim and a black roof trim; chrome door sills, aluminum pedals, SRS side and curtain airbags and a HDD navigation system. But if Subaru is making it, there must be a market for the car.
This special edition will be available only in Japan; it will be limited to 1000 units with pricing starting from 2,735,250 yen (about $28,000 if you really care).
Subaru revealed today the Impreza STI 20th Anniversary edition for the Japanese market (the U.S. got the first batch of WRXs in 2000.) Based on the WRX STI, the white-only anniversary edition comes with an upgraded suspension and 18-inch cast aluminum wheels. Inside, Subaru is offering Recaro seats and a leather gear knob.
Like any good commemorative car, the anniversary edition also comes with plenty of badging to tell others just how unique you really are. Then again, with a price of 4,126,500 yen (about $42,200) and production limited to 300 units, you may actually be special.
Honda sells a different version of the Odyssey in Japan than it does in the U.S. Although Honda calls it a minivan and it seats the same as the U.S. Odyssey, this car shares more in common with the first generation Odyssey that Honda sold in the U.S. from 1995 to 1998. The Japan Odyssey is shorter in all dimensions, it has four hinged passenger doors, and looks more like a wagon than a minivan.
On sale today, the new Odyssey is equipped with a 2.4l DOHC i-VTEC engine and torque converter-equipped CVT transmission. It is also equipped with advanced safety technologies, including the new Multi-view Camera System. A special mobility-assistive version equipped with a lift-up front passenger seat will go on sale in November.
Press release after the jump.
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Mitsubishi revealed today on the Japanese market the special edition Lancer EVO X GSR Premium Edition. The model sits above both RS and GSR models and comes with 18-inch BBS alloy wheels, lighter than the standard Enkei ones that come with the GSR, while the hood scoops are painted in the same color as the body.
On the interior the GSR Premium features leather seats, the Rockford Fosgate multimedia system, a satellite navigation system. The car comes equipped with the Twin Clutch-SST gearbox.
The car is now on sale in Japan at a price of 4,798,500 Yen ($48,250 US) 5-speed manual version and 5,050,000 Yen ($50,785 US) for the Twin Clutch-SST version.
Honda’s cars first got the attention of the U.S. market when the gas crisis of the 70s first hit. Although no one is calling the high gas prices of today a crisis yet, it’s Honda to the rescue all over again. Honda is considering bringing over small fuel-efficient cars that it currently sells only in Japan.
Just like General Motors, Ford and Toyota, Honda doesn’t sell its smallest cars in the United States. But as concerns for prices at the pump become a long-term problem, Honda (like most of the competition) is looking to other markets for a quick and cheap solution. Unfortunately for fans of the Civic Type R, Honda is looking more for the mommies then the racers. The company is studying the demand for its compact Stream and Japanese version of the Odyssey, both of which would be classified as station wagons.
Cars are becoming more efficient inside and out. Engines discharge lower pollutants, transmissions use longer gearing to better fuel economy, and even interiors are being manufactured out of more recyclable materials. The next frontier is utilizing state of the art manufacturing operations that use less energy.
Japanese carmaker Toyota has turned its engineering eye to the paint shop at its Tsutsumi plant in Japan. According to Toyota, because of multiple coats and “drying ovens”, almost a quarter of all energy needed to build a car goes into the painting process. So now it is using a new approach called "3-Wet", which eliminates a “drying oven” and decreases energy usage by 15 percent.
The purpose behind a greener painting process is not difficult to understand. Hybrids and electric vehicles that Toyota is going to mass-manufacture in the future are mild on the environment, and the manufacturing procedures that go into making such vehicles should be eco-friendly as well. Luxury models like the Lexus sedans won’t use the technology since multiple finishes are needed for them, but eco-conscious models like the Prius will utilize the new paint technology.
Toyota feels this new energy-saver technology is necessary because of the nature of manufacturing. "Our production has grown over the last decade so much the energy required to manufacture each and every vehicle has also grown considerable overall," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the executive overseeing production.
commentary and pics...coming soon. Update, almost there (22 Aug ’09)
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