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Archive Date: October 13, 1999 to December 13, 1999	Other dates...
DECEMBER 13, 1999 We have added a new Engine Catalog for Nissan vehicles. We've tried our best in ensuring the accuracy of the data. If you are the guru of Nissan engines and found an error please email us. Note that we initially are covering recent gasoline engines. We plan to eventually add older power plants (i.e; 280Z) as well as diesel engines.
DECEMBER 13, 1999 We've found some Sentra 2000 spy pics. Hmmm...interesting design. We'll hold of any critique until we can see it in person.  Its kind of hard to tell the lines with the disruption of the black tape. Did you notice the nice 16" alloy wheels? Remember that the new Sentra will feature an optional California only 1.8L lean burn engine expected to meet the state's ULEV (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) standard. We're thinking wouldn't it be cool if Nissan offered an SE-R version with a SR20VE? Click the thumbnails for a bigger size picture....

DECEMBER 3, 1999
This maybe old news but new to you. Most Nissan fans know they've competed in Le Mans for the past few years. According to a quietly released press statement from November 11th we ran across today, they won't compete in the 2000 Le Mans. This is probably due in part to cost cutting measures since they've spent millions battling the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota.

Nissan's last year (1998) had all four cars in the top 10 but no first place finish.

DECEMBER 3, 1999
According to the Nissan Revival Plan, they will divest themselves of any non-critical core business assets. Apparently that means Subaru's parent company's stock, Fuji Heavy Industries. Nissan has been pretty open about it's plan to do so but have not laid out a time line or deal structure. Rumors abound that GM may pick up Nissan's share and swap engine technology from Subaru.

DECEMBER 3, 1999
Sign of the times? Nissan North America happily released it's November sales. Apparently trucks are big sellers with increased sales of 52.2 percent versus November 1998. Some twenty two thousand trucks (Xterra, Frontier, Pathfinder, and Quest) were sold. The controversially redesigned Maxima, reported sales of 10,401 units, up 53.5 percent over
last year. All in all, Nissan sold 44,821 units, an increase of 19.7 percent over 1998. Considering the popularity of the new truck models, it's not a surprise.

All combined Infiniti models sold 5,603 units for the month of November. Highlighting the month is the new 2000 I30 generating sales of 2,771 units, posting a 52.4 percent increase over the previous year.  This year has been a good one for Infiniti. It's year sales are up 14.5 percent versus last year, with total sales of 64,836 units. 

We're not surprised that new I30 is kicking ass; It's a true competitor to the Lexus ES300 unlike the old I30 which was too Maxima-like. Now all they need is a GS400/LS400 beater. That'll be the upcoming redo of the Q45. Of course the ante will upped once again Lexus releases the IS300 in the states. Either the XVL concept will spawn a production model or a new G20 with a V-6 will march into battle against the IS.

DECEMBER 3, 1999
Remember that all rumors are not true but then again they are not all untrue either...
Cryptic enough? Our mole at a Nissan affiliate reveals the naked truth and substantiates a lot of previously  leaked information. For the sake of anonymity, we will codename him/her NEO. 

NEO says...

"At a recent meeting on the restyled 2000 Altima, our regional Nissan rep, told us that the 2000.5 Pathfinder will have the 3.5L 240 hp engine and there will be a supercharged 210hp Frontier truck for 2001. The Altima will have a four and an optional six for 2003 and be roughly the size of the present Maxima. Some big Nissan dealers have seen the clay models already. For that same year 2003, there will ba a completely redesigned Maxima with the optional 3.5L, 260hp VQ motor. Also for that year there will be a seven passenger Pathfinder with an eight cylinder engine and a new Frontier truck the size of the Dodge Dakota. That is exactly what he told us, whether it will come to pass is the big question. It is a turbulent time at Nissan."

What do we think? The seven passenger V-8 Pathfinder sounds like a stab at the Toyota LandCruiser. The supercharged Frontier might be interesting since the current Frontier lacks the horsepower to compete with some of it's competitors. It sounds like they're going to make the Maxima go head to head in the 300M and Avalon size segment. And the Altima may become a true Camry and Accord fighter since both of Toyota and Honda offer optional sixes with base four bangers.

NOVEMBER 30, 1999
Nissan North America (NNA) issued a press release stating its North American operations will be restructured in accordance with the Nissan Revival Plan. (See October 18th) 

Highlights include plans to reduce employee overhead by 1,000 before March, 2001. Additionally Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation (NMMC), located in Smyrna, Tennessee, will be merged into the NNA organization by April 1, 2000. The NMMC plant manufactures Altima, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles. In addition, many of Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC) operations including human resources, legal and finance functions will be consolidated into NNA.

NOVEMBER 30, 1999
Our favorite dead tree based car magazine (appropriately named) "CAR" (December issue) from the UK has an interesting news bit on the Nissan Revival Plan. On the side bar is an quote from one of Nissan executives identified as Patrick Pélata. He is loosely quoted saying the interior "touch-and-see" of Nissan's car must match Audi's. We've heard that Nissan's US design studio (NDI) president, Jerry Hirshberg drives an Audi A6...

Note that "CAR" magazine is available at Barnes and Noble stores and well worth the eight bucks!

NOVEMBER 27, 1999
Nissan's revealed the following about the new compact Sentra coming out in February 2000. It will be offered with a 2.0L inline 4 and a variable capacity muffler outputting 145 bhp. (Sounds like the same power train as the Infiniti G20!) Also in the engine bay will be a strut tower brace and the glorious return of the Viscous Limited Slip Differential (VLSD). Nissan geeks will recall VLSD went away on the 1998 200SX SE-R. No word if Nissan will make ABS standard. 

The interior should be substantially improved with brushed aluminum accents, better grade plastics, gauges and an improved sound system. And a first for compact small cars...side impact air bags will be offered. Nissan is right on time with this major upgrade considering the competition; the Ford Focus, Toyota Echo, and upcoming reworked Honda Civic. We're not certain if Nissan's going to call this a Sentra or not...hmmmm.

NOVEMBER 25, 1999
Call us rumor mongers, but here's the latest dirt on new Nissan vehicles in the States...

Next spring, the Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 will recieve a more powerful V-6 engine good for over 240 bhp. This due in part to complaints about having tepid acceleration and being underpowered compared to the Toyota 4Runner and Lexus RX300. There's two powerplant choices Nissan will probably use. 

Either a larger displacement version of the current VG series engine (3.3L V-6 DOHC 12 valves) or upgrading to the more modern VQ series engine (likely a 3.5L V-6 DOHC 24 valves). Nissan hasn't indicated either one. If it's the VG, they'll likely bore it out 3.8L. We vote for the VQ series. Note that if they adapt the VQ series into the Pathfinder/QX4, we suspect that Frontier and Quest which currently also use the VG series would be naturally next in line.

Speaking of the Pathfinder/QX4, they're built on a unique singe unit body (monocoque) platform. Most SUVs (with the notable exception of the Lexus RX300 and Jeep Cheorkee) are based on truck frame platforms. Due in part to the cost cutting "Nissan Revival Program" (see below), the Pathfinder's unit body platform maybe sacrificed. The Frontier/Xterra truck platform would be the likely choice for the next Pathfinder's home.

The next Altima coming out in 2001/2002 will probably have a small V-6 as an option. Likely configuration will be a 2.5L DOHC V-6 outputting 160-170 bhp. It will probably a smaller version of the Maxima's exquisite VQ series engine. The Altima has a unique market position as it competes against both Corolla and Camry (or Civic and Accord) because of it's large price window and bigger than usual size.

Expect a slightly restyled Maxima in 2002. Nissan usually restyles the nose and front of vehicles every two years. Bigger and better news is that Nissan may introduce a higher performance Maxima SE-R version with over 250 bhp (up 25+ bhp) and a limited slip differential necessary to route the power to the tarmac. Its rumored that the engine displacement will be bumped up to 3.5L (up from the current 3.0L).

Even if most of us can't afford an Infiniti Q45, you'll want to know the new Q arriving sometime in 2001/2002 will be re-fanged (versus "defanged" for the current second generation model). The first generation Q was in our humble opinion a GS400 before it's time. Infiniti didn't know how to market the car or the market wasn't ready for it (depending on your school of thought). 

Now that Lexus and BMW have made high performance sedans "acceptable," the new Q will be a worthwhile competitor. Of course, rear wheel drive is a must in this segment and Q will continue to RWD. Expect over 300 bhp from a 4.5L V-8 and possibly a 5 speed automatic. Nissan does have a high capacity CVT but the US may not be ready for it. 

NOVEMBER 22, 1999
Nissan Motor Co. has posted a substantially larger loss than expected for the first half of 1999 due to one-time accounting and reorganization charges. Its operating profit more than doubled, however, as cost-cutting offset a decline in domestic vehicle sales and the effects of the rising yen.

Nissan posted a group net loss of 325.5 billion yen, or $3.05 billion, in the six months ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of 105.4 billion yen a year earlier. But group operating profit more than doubled to 58.5 billion yen, or $551.8 million, from 25.9 billion yen a year ago.

NOVEMBER 10, 1999
Is the new year 2000 Sentra the cleanest car in the world? Yes, if you mean by emissions standards. CARB (California Air Resources Board) recently certified the soon to be released California version of the Sentra as meeting the agency's most stringent tailpipe emission levels, zero evaporative emissions requirements, and OBD-III requirements. 

Rival Honda also recently announced that a version of it's Accord meets Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standard. The Accord will go on sale in January 2000; while the new Sentra will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in January 2000 and on dealer lots the next month.

The new Sentra should be powered by updated 1.8L and 2.0L four cylinder engines. We suspect that the new engines will feature direct injection technology (see XVL story below) which probably helped to meet the new CARB standards. We know that in Europe and Japan, direct injection is offered in some vehicles but in the US, this maybe a first for a large production car. (Prove us wrong...) 

Additionally, we've heard from various sources the new Sentra will be a benchmark in the entry level segment. We hope that's going to be true since the current (1995-1999) Sentra was a dodo bird, functionally reliable but not very pretty.

NOVEMBER 05, 1999
There's persistent rumors that Nissan North America is working on a full size truck to compete against the new Toyota Tundra as well as domestic models such as the Ford F150. Nissan's recent success with it's Xterra SUV and four door Frontier may have prompted this line of thinking. It's expected the new full size truck will be built in Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant.

OCTOBER 18, 1999
Nissan Motor Co. finally revealed it's restructuring program designed to bring Japan's second largest auto maker back into profitability. At the helm of this "Nissan Revival Plan" is Nissan's first non-Japanese chief operating officer, Carlos Ghosn. He's known as "Le Cost Cutter" in France after turning around Renault. He remarked in the restructuring news conference, "Nissan is in bad shape..." and went on to set the stage as to why Nissan needs to radically change.

Highlights of the "Revival Plan" include deep job cuts, Japanese-style, meaning no sudden firings. 

Nissan wants to reduce the number of employees within three years by 21,000 jobs, or 14 percent of the total workforce, that will come through attrition, early retirement, spinoffs and a shift to part-time and flex-time employment.

Most of Nissan factories and dealerships in Japan will be hit by these planned reductions.. Three plants will be closed by March 2001 and two engine facilities shut by March 2002.

In addition Nissan will substantially slash the number of platforms and models. Critics have called Nissan Japan's current catalog of vehicles as "bloated." Platform cost reductions will likely be assisted through shared engineering and manufacturing with Nissan's European partner, Renault.

As part of the "Revival Program", Nissan North America has shut down New York and Washington, D.C. offices as well as outsource information system technology management to IBM. As part of the agreement, IBM may eventually handle other Nissan affiliates outside the US.

In the US, Nissan's sales has been fairly stable even with having a line of fairly boring cars. First the Z went to the chopping blocks, then the 240SX, and now the 200SX SE-R. The sportiest American Nissan these days is the four door 222 bhp Maxima.

During the news conference, Goshn stated, "Product development will be at the heart of Nissan's revival." Indeed...as Nissan North America nervously awaits the introduction of cars such as the new 2000 Sentra, a 2001 Infiniti Q45, and the new Z slated for 2002, all which should help to improve sales as well as a lack luster image. 

OCTOBER 13, 1999
Nissan has unveiled the XVL concept car at the 33rd Tokyo Motor Show. The XVL concept car will spawn a production front engine/rear wheel drive sedan designed to fight the wildly popular Toyota Altezza (Japan) and the Lexus IS (Europe and soon US). 

To be released in Japan first, the production XVL will be powered by an aluminum 3.0L V6 with DOHC and 24 valves (VQ30DD). The engine is closely related to the US Maxima's VQ30DE except the VQ30DD uses direct injection technology. (Direct injection as the name implies is when the fuel is injected directly into the cylinders with precise timing. Direct injection gives the control necessary to manipulate air fuel mixtures and their injection timing resulting in better gas mileage and lower emissions.)

The resulting powertrain should yield over 220 bhp mated to the world's first high capacity CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Unlike traditional transmission with fixed gear ratios, CVTs have a virtually infinite number of ratios improving acceleration and fuel consumption. Add to that the XVL's excellent co-efficient of drag rating of 0.28!

It's rumored that the XVL will made-over into an Infiniti for the US market. Infiniti would benefit greatly from a high performance sedan to compete against the likes of the BMW 3 series and Lexus GS300 as well as the upcoming IS300.

The XVL is a rolling showcase of Nissan's engineering talent. Whether or not Nissan's marketing and sales departments can actualize the sales to help the bottom line remains to be seen.