Is this the next generation GT-R?

Nissan and Gran Turismo has announced the NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 Vision Gran Turismo.

This will be delivered by a free update of the PlayStation3 exclusive use software “Gran Turismo 6” in July 2014.

The development of NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 Vision Gran Turismo was started by the style that the young designers of Nissan Design in Europe and London freely designed a dream sports car.
 
Afterwards, they incorporated the technical feedback from engineers of the Nissan technical center who received the design.
 
The development was promoted by the repeated collaboration of the design and the technology.

They have finished the car that shows the directionality of the concept model of the next generation GT-R model.

Fair lady Z Roadster (open) production stop

Nissan announced that the production of the Japan domestic model of Fair lady Z Roadster (open body) will be stopped after completing the order received until September end of 2014.

There is no other option because the sales is only 800 cars in the five years after the sales start in 2009.

It was completely a loss and below the breakeven.
Mitsubishi Motors will also stop the production of Lancer evolution in this autumn.

Lancer Evolution

On the other hand,
For Toyota, the sales of TOYOTA86 is good, and it has announced the revival of SUPRA.

86 Rocket bunny

SUPRA

Subaru has BRZ and WRX.

BRZ STI

WRX STI

Honda has NSX and Civic type R.

NSX

CIVIC type-R

You can feel the power in these 3 companies.

Then, why the Fair lady Z Roadster and Lancer evolution was withdrawn and stopped from production.
The reason is simple. The brand image is very sluggish in the Japanese market.
 
Though all the automobile manufacturers have worked out big restructuring and reduction balance plan due to Lehman shock, and have now under revival. They came out with the vigor and energy.
Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors also received the impact of Lehman shock in the year 2008, and have entered the state of shrinking.
In marked contrast, their President spearheaded companies at the critical time like Toyota.
 
Only the Company with force and energy can produce a sports model, and the user is also responding to the enthusiasm of the automobile manufacturer.
To say more this is not only limited to sports model.
I wish a healthy manufacturer makes a high value added car (price, performance, and quality), and a brand with positive image.
For this reason, I think that Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors did not catch up with the expansion of the market. This is the area that I would like them to work hard and put their best efforts.

Seriously damaged TOYOTA 2000GT

On June 8, 2014 at 9:45 am, a Japanese beech tree of about 30 meters in height and 1.9 meter in diameter growing along the slope of the 156th National highway in Toyama Prefecture fell down across the road.
The tree feel hit the sports car traveling directly below, and a male company employee (28 years) of the Yamato-Koriyama City in Nara Prefecture driving the car was slightly injured with the cuts and bruise in his arm.

As per the police report, the beech tree collapsed from the root and directly hit the bonnet of the sports car.The sports car is the famous “Toyota 2000GT”, and it suffered serious damage by the crushing of the trunk and the branch.

There were no fellow passengers in the car.

The Toyota 2000GT is the most valuable car with total production of only 337 cars. It made the headlines when it was successfully bid for about 1.16 million dollars (about 118 million yen) at the auction held by the M/s.RM auctions that especially handles the classic cars.

As a Japanese car it is one of the most valuable car with a very high price tag, and one of that car is now vanished.

Delta wing marketing activity

“Delta wing”is the new generation racing car that has participated in the 24 Heures du Mans in 2012 etc., with the engine supplied by Nissan Motors.

Nissan has withdrawn from the project and 2 years has passed now, and the marketing plan has come up to Delta wing.
This was clarified by M/s. Delta wing technology on May 28, 2014.
The design rendering image was presented to the public as the sales model planned for development, by applying the technology of the delta wing of the racing car.

The design rendering of the sales model presented to the public this time also inherits the basic design.
In addition, a practical packaging enabling the riding of 4 persons was also held.
 
The engine located on the rear side of the body is presumed to be 4-cylinder engine of small displacement.
The maximum output is 85~110ps level.
The target performance is 0~96 km/h acceleration in 6 seconds, and maximum speed is 210 km/h.
The target fuel consumption is about 30 km/liter.
 
M/s. Delta wing technology is looking for OEM partner, and has floated the concept of moving the Delta wing production as the sales car by granting the license.
This company has explained, “The structure of delta wing is 35% light, can be driven with 3~5% less power and 35% improvement of fuel consumption is possible”
It is good to publish the image, but I wish they published the image by finishing it to a little more attractive packaging.
 
How many people will be attracted by seeing this red color body?
Though Nissan has stylishly finished it with great pains ~~
I don’t prefer this car…

Mazda Roadster 25th anniversary cars sold in few minutes of reservation start

Mazda has commemorated the 25th anniversary of the creation of “Roadster”, and has launched 25 limited numbers of the commemoration model for sales.

When the sales reservation started at 20 hrs on the website, applications were rushed in, and it was understood that all the reservation receipts were completed in just few minutes.

The 25th anniversary Roadster car was produced as the “Best Roadster” compared with the present Roadster (the 3rd generation) that was refrained from model change.
These cars were made to be concerned more with the handmade production by incorporating the gratitude of the fans like careful selection of parts by the worker, manual painting of the internal and external etc.

In the United states the reservation was held earlier, and the 100 numbers of limited production cars were sold in 10 minutes.
The 25 numbers of limited production is less in Japan, and all the cars were booked in just few minutes after the start of reservation acceptance.
 
The Roadster has deep-rooted fan not only in Japan, but also in North America and Europe.
I have a presentiment that this car will be the happiest cars by the introduction of SKYACTIV, Small engine displacement, and also weight reduction!!!

SKYACTIV-G

Cosworth tuning the BRZ

M/s. Cosworth, the engine manufacturer and the producers of F1 engine in United Kingdom, seems to have started the tuning of Subaru BRZ.

M/s. Cosworth has made a preliminary announcement in its official site, entitled as “FA20 power package” on the tuning of Subaru BRZ.

The FA20 type and direct-injection 2.0 liter horizontally opposed 4 cylinder gasoline engine of Subaru BRZ normally draws out the maximum output of 200ps / 7000rpm and maximum torque of 20.9kgm / 6400~6600rpm.
The tuning details of M/s. Cosworth is unclear at present, but M/s. Cosworth has already handled the tuning of “Impreza WRX STI”, and is supposed to be make the best use of that knowhow.
From the image presented to the public in the preliminary announcement, I wonder whether it is a sales of the total package as a special edition, because the addition of a big rear spoiler and blue decal to the BRZ can be confirmed.

This is such an enjoyable car.

Toyota announces mass production start of fuel cell car

It is now known that the Toyota Motors has planned to start the mass production of the fuel cell car assumed as the favorite of the next generation eco-friendly car during the middle of December.

They are also investigating to accelerate the sales within the year 2014, instead of the planned launch around 2015. It is believed that the price of one fuel cell car will be about US$78,000 (8 million yen).

The fuel cell car is produced on the scale of about 10 cars/month at the factory in Toyota City of Aichi Prefecture.
The plan is to increase the sales by reducing the price to about US$ 30000~48000 (3 ~ 5 million yen) in the 20's, and also to increase the production scale to thousands of cars per year.

However, the establishment of the hydrogen station to refill the hydrogen, the fuel for the car, is not progressing, and is becoming the biggest obstacle for the sales expansion.

 

Do you like to buy the fuel cell car?

First minor change in Toyota 86

Toyota Motors has partially improved the FR sports car “86” for the first time in April 2012 and sales will start from June 2. 

In the partial improvement this time, the tuning is implemented in the suspension like the review of friction characteristic of the shock absorber, and improvement in the control stability and riding comfort.


Roof antenna of shark fin type is standard

In the internal and external of the car, the design of the instrument panel (GT, GT limited) was changed by implementing the carbon decoration, in addition to the provision of roof antenna of the shark fin type, and was made much like the sporty specification. 

In the body color, the traditional “Satin white pearl” and “Sterling silver metallic” were abolished, and the new colors of “Crystal white pearl” and “Ice silver metallic” was added.

Crystal white pearl

Ice silver metallic

Do you like these changes?

Joint Engine basic research by 8 car companies

The 8 major Japanese car companies including Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Suzuki, Daihatsu Motor, Fuji Heavy Industries, Mazda, and Mitsubishi Motors have announced that they would jointly embark on the basic and applied research of fuel cost improvement and exhaust gas reduction of the passenger car.

They will tackle the technologies like the exhaust gas purification of the diesel engine vehicle mainly used in Europe and India.
They have established the Research Association of “Automotive Internal Combustion Engines (AICE)” to tackle the European power by tagging the Japanese powers aiming at strengthening the competitive edge.
It is expected that the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology will also participate in the future.
 
In Europe, the basic and applied research and standardization are executed by the cooperation of each automobile companies, parts manufacturers and universities for a many years in the fields such as the vehicle performance development, controls, engine etc.
The activity for the standardization assumed as a weak area and the combination of various development systems are made to counter the Japanese and European influence, and the efficiency improvement and development time reduction are aimed.
The specific topics of research are purification technology of diesel engine, upgrading the combustion technology of engine, and engine performance investigation. About US$10 million (1 billion yen) was allotted for the project expense in the current year.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has allocated US$5 million (500 million yen) for the diesel engine purification technology, and the balance will be shared by the 8 car companies.
 
The research will be carried out in cooperation with the universities and research laboratories, and will develop the combustion technology that will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent compared with ten years by the year 2020.
The thermal efficiency of the engine will be improved from the present 40% to 50%.
It is judged that the gasoline engine and diesel engine will account for about 80 percent of the entire car market even by the year 2020. Each company will the individually put the result to practical use.
 
At present, the European powers are preceding with the downsizing technology that supplements the power performance with turbocharger instead of reducing the engine displacement of both the gasoline and diesel engines.
 
The Japanese are countering by the hybrid technology with the electric motors.

Civic type R concept appears at Good wood festival 2014!

It was announced that Civic type R concept will be taken to Good wood festival of speed 2014 to be held at United Kingdom in June.

The Good wood festival is an event that uses the vast site at the Good wood West Sussex of the Earl of march in United Kingdom.

The car that has received the invitation from the Earl of march only is permitted to drive in this event.
Every year the most famous and latest sports car all over the world are gathered, and a bustling of activity can be seen during the actual driving.

This is the event that I look forward to see the video uploaded to the YouTube every year, and the car event that I love most in the world.
No other event has so much cars are assembled at one place!

Civic type R concept made the initial debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014.

The next generation Civic type R schedule for sale in Europe in 2015 makes the initial debut at Goodwood festival of speed 2014 to be held on June 25~29 in United Kingdom.