Nissan celebrated its eighth successive victory in the Toyota 1000 Desert Race, round 4 of the South Africa off road championship in Botswana on Sunday when Duncan Vos and Ralph Pitchford took the chequered flag in their Super Production class Donaldson Nissan Navara.

For Vos, the reigning national drivers’ champion, it was his third successive triumph in the most gruelling round of the championship. Vos and Pitchford have now extended their lead in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship, over Donaldson Nissan teammates Ivar Tollefson / Quin Evans and Hannes Grobler / Juan Mohr, who occupy second and third places respectively.

Nissan have now won each of the first four rounds of this year’s championship, with Vos victorious on three occasions and Grobler once.

Norwegian Tollefson and Britain Evans finished fifth while Grobler and Mohr, who won Friday’s 70km prologue to earn the right to start Saturday’s race from pole position, retired after 138 km while leading after hitting a rock and damaging the front suspension.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2009/_STORY/090625-02-e.html

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Japanese Vehicles Exporters

Honda Motor Europe is attending the 2009 Green Week Conference this week where it will exhibit the FCX Clarity’s Fuel Cell Stack, share its vision for a hydrogen society and promote the company’s commitment to addressing environmental issues. Organised by the Directorate-General Environment of the European Commission, it is the largest annual conference on European environment policy.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘Climate Change: act and adapt’ and through a series of seminars, events, discussions and exhibitions, it will put the spotlight on the multi-faceted challenges of climate change.

During the week Honda will showcase its achievements in the areas of clean energy production (including in-house developed thin-film solar cells, ethanol production from soft biomass and a micro cogeneration system) and the development of low emission products, such as its unique hybrid technology and the future expansion of its range.

Honda’s exhibition complements the Conference’s four key themes: EU climate policies; the international dimension; living with climate change; and 2050 vision, a carbon-free society. It also further illustrates Honda’s ambition to manufacture products with the highest environmental performance, using production systems with the smallest environmental impact. This includes the competitively priced Honda Insight, which demonstrates Honda’s belief that environmentally friendly cars should be accessible to more people.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c090623Green-Week-Conference/

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Japanese Cars Exporters

In SUPER GT’s sole event outside Japan, the mid-season Round 4 (54 laps) saw the HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GT-R (#3 Ronnie Quintarelli / Hironobu Yasuda) take control to lead the early stages after starting 2nd on the grid. The Nissan GT-R then went on to build up a huge gap, leaving all others far behind as it claimed its first victory of the season.

With a month-and-a-half gap since Round 3 in Fuji, the fourth race on the SUPER GT calendar was run under severe conditions with temperatures and humidity levels higher than those seen in the height of the Japanese summer. In addition, typically unstable weather conditions added to the spectacle. On the 21st, the skies overhead has an ominous look as the race was about to get underway. However, the track surface never got wet for the duration of the race.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2009/_STORY/090622-03-e.html

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Nissan Vehicles, Sports Cars

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today provided an update on its comprehensive environmental action plan, Nissan Green Program 2010 (NGP 2010), along with a preview of future actions. Among the new initiatives is the review of long-term CO2 emission reduction scenarios. Nissan also announced the introduction of an automatic transmission (AT) model with a clean-diesel engine in the Japanese market, planned for spring 2010.

Nissan already has produced tangible results toward its goal of reducing CO2 emissions, one of the priorities of the NGP 2010. These reductions include development of electric vehicles (EV), introduction of clean diesel and fuel-efficient vehicles, and energy savings in manufacturing, logistics and facilities operations. Along with the mid-term NGP 2010 plan, which was originally announced in December 2006, Nissan is reviewing its long-term CO2 emissions-reduction scenarios. These will be reflected in the next mid-term environmental action plan.

Aiming to be a global leader in zero-emissions vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has positioned electric vehicles as a core business strategy. The Alliance is accelerating its efforts for vehicle development and for establishing sustainable mobility partnerships in cooperation with governments and municipalities worldwide. The Alliance has 27 such partnerships in place at this time.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2009/_STORY/090622-02-e.html

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Japanese Electric Vehicles

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the sales launch of the all-new Mazda Axela (known overseas as the new Mazda3) in the Japanese market. Mazda’s mainstay model has been fully redesigned and updated with a host of new features, including the ‘i-stop’ engine stop/start system. Sales commence today at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Autozam dealers nationwide. Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (including sales tax) for the all-new Mazda Axela range from 1,660,000 to 2,678,000 yen. The target sales volume in the Japanese market is 2,000 units per month.

Since the Mazda Axela first debuted in October 2003 it has become a core model in Mazda’s lineup, selling over two million units worldwide and currently comprising over a third of its annual global sales. For the second generation Axela, the development team was determined to once again exceed customer expectations. As a result, the new model inherits and evolves Mazda’s highly acclaimed sporty performance and exterior styling. Additionally, it arrives with an outstanding interior with greater quality and functionality, and offers advanced environmental and safety features.

Source: http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2009/200906/090611a.html

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Japanese Cars Exporters

Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the successful launch of the newly developed Aqua-tech Paint System for vehicle body painting at its Ujina Plant No.1 in Japan. The innovative new technology achieves the world’s highest standards for limiting emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) contained in paint as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generated from the energy consumed during the vehicle painting process.

The Aqua-tech Paint System maintains the same world-class low CO2 emissions volume as the Three Layer Wet Paint System — Mazda’s paint system currently installed at all of its production facilities in Japan — and reduces VOC emissions by a further 57 percent. At only 15 grams per square meter of vehicle body surface, the extremely low VOC emissions volume makes Aqua-tech the least polluting water-based paint system in the world. The new system also delivers improved paint quality.

Source: http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2009/200906/090615a.html

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Japanese Vehicles

Honda marked its first 50 years in America, commemorating the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in a small Los Angeles storefront on June 11, 1959. Honda associates observed the occasion with a brief ceremony at the company’s Torrance, Calif. headquarters.

“On behalf of the tens of thousands of Honda associates in America, past and present, we offer our deepest thanks to our customers for placing their trust in Honda over the past 50 years,” said American Honda President & CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. “Today, in the face of new challenges, including the preservation of our environment, we renew our commitment to exceed the expectations of our customers and society.”

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c09061150-Years-in-America/

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Electric Hybrid Vehicle

Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Honda’s Asia & Oceania Regional Headquarters announced the start of motorcycle Knock Down (KD) sets of engine assembly, PGM-FI units and other component parts export to Japan.

The KD sets are manufactured by Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in the Ladkrabang Industrial Estate, Ladkrabang. They are destined for the Honda Motor Japan Kumamoto factory for production of the brand new Honda Super Cub 110 model to be sold in Japan starting on June 19, 2009.

The key component supplied from Thailand for the Honda Super Cub 110 is the latest 110cc 4-stroke air cooled engineequipped with the ‘PGM-FI’ Fuel Injection system.  This is the technology currently deployed in the Honda CZ-i and Wave 110i models, both representing Honda’s focus on the environment by providing better fuel efficiency, cleaner exhaust emissions and better overall performance.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2009/2090610Export-PGM-FI-units/

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Motorcycles Exporters

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today, on World Environment Day, unveiled the production version of the i-MiEV *1 *2 new-generation electric vehicle (EV), describing it as “the pioneer that will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society.” The i-MiEV will go on sale on the Japanese market in late July of this year.

The i-MiEV represents the crystallization of some 40 years of electric vehicle development at Mitsubishi Motors. The company is presenting the production i-MiEV as the ultimate eco-car, a solution to the various challenges the automobile faces today including environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of petroleum-based energy supplies. The company will continue its extensive collaboration with both private and public sectors in Japan and overseas in developing infrastructure to promote ownership of EVs.

Mitsubishi Motors expects to distribute, on a maintenance lease*3 basis, some 1,400 i-MiEV models in fiscal 2009 principally to corporations and to local authorities. The company plans to start sales of i-MiEV to individuals in April 2010 and will start taking orders in late July of this year.

Source: http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/products/detail1940.html

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Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles, Japanese Exporters

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the launch of the special edition Mazda AZ-Wagon XS Special. The exclusive micro-mini wagon goes on sale today at all Mazda Autozam, Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers throughout Japan.

Mazda AZ-Wagon XS Special (FWD model with a continuously variable transmission)

Based on Mazda’s popular AZ-Wagon XS micro-mini, the new XS Special offers enhanced interior and exterior quality and comfort through new features which include colored door mirrors with LED turn signals, a fully automatic climate control system; and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The XS Special is also available with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that provides lively acceleration and improved fuel economy. All front-wheel drive (FWD) models qualify for Japan’s eco-car tax reduction program.

Main features of the Mazda AZ-Wagon XS Special

*Special features
Colored door mirrors with embedded LED turn signals; fully automatic climate control system with a catechin-coated air filter that removes allergens; black chrome rings on the air conditioner side vents; chrome inner door handles; ambient temperature display on the air conditioner panel; tachometer; leather-wrapped steering wheel; driver’s side seat lift; tilt steering wheel; and six speakers (two front, two rear and two tweeters).

*Exterior body colors
A choice of five body colors is available: Pearl White, Silky Silver Metallic, Bluish Black Pearl 3, Luna Gray Pearl Metallic, and Mysterious Violet Pearl.

Source: http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2009/200906/090605b.html

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Mini Wagon Dealers