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Suzuki Launches New Alto Lapin Minivehicle in Japan

01st December 2008

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce the Japanese domestic launch of the new Alto Lapin, a minivehicle that combines a distinctive design with outstanding fuel economy. The new Alto Lapin is only available in Japan and sales began on 26 November.The Alto Lapin is based on a concept of creating a minivehicle that engenders the same kind of emotional attachment as a favourite fashion accessory or ornament. Since its appearance in its original form in January 2002, it has been especially popular with young women who are choosy about the things they buy and use.

In developing the new Alto Lapin, Suzuki remained faithful to the attributes that have made the original Alto Lapin so popular but, at the same time, worked in line with a “good design plus good driving” theme to combine distinctive looks and great fuel economy (24.5km/L* with 2WD and CVT) with a relaxing cabin and a comfortable ride in a great new way.

Suzuki targets domestic monthly sales of more than 4,000 units.

*measured in Japan’s 10-15-mode cycle and verified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Source: http://www.globalsuzuki.com/globalnews/2008/1127.html

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Nissan Releases New Fairlady Z

01st December 2008

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the release of the all-new, fully redesigned Fairlady Z sports car, which goes on sale today at Nissan dealers nationwide.

Fairlady Z Version ST (fitted with optional equipment)

In the nearly 40 years since the first-generation S30 model debuted in 1969, the Fairlady Z has earned a reputation as one of the most desirable sports cars in the world, with approximately 1.7 million units in global sales to date.

The latest Fairlady Z, while embodying the first generation’s signature “Z-ness” in terms of high performance, design and high value, incorporates dramatic advances in dynamic performance and perceived quality. The Z also offers a strong feeling of “newness,” as expressed by its fresh exterior and interior styling and new performance features.

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.

Helping the driver take full advantage of the new performance levels is a redesigned interior that aims for “oneness” between the driver and the cockpit, combining sports car functionality with an impression of stellar quality. And, along with its world-class dynamic performance and dynamic design, the new Fairlady Z once again offers exceptional value, giving customers the confidence of having made a wise purchase decision.

Highlights of the all-new Fairlady Z follow.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2008/_STORY/081201-01-e.html

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Nissan Dealers, Japanese Sports Cars

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Nissan to Display Cooperative Intelligent Transport Technologies at ITS World Congress

12th November 2008

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that four advanced Cooperative Intelligent Transport technologies will be shown at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The ITS World Congress, which is being held at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Center from Nov. 16 - 20, showcases future vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems.

Cooperative ITS Prototype

The systems on display include Signal Violation Warning, Cross Traffic Notification, Oncoming Traffic Notification and Cooperative Intelligent Cruise Control. Nissan is developing these advanced systems for future applications to help inform the driver and help control the vehicle, with the goal of contributing to improved traffic safety as the infrastructure is implemented. Following are brief descriptions of each:

Signal Violation Warning: If the vehicle is approaching an intersection with a red light or a light that will soon turn red without the driver applying the brakes, the Signal Violation Warning system issues visual and audible warnings to notify the driver of impending danger. These warnings are generated based on the traffic signal phase (color and duration), vehicle speed and distance to the intersection. The system calculates when the vehicle will arrive at the intersection and issues a warning if a conflict is anticipated.

Cross Traffic Notification: As the vehicle approaches an intersection without a traffic signal, the system will issue a crossing traffic notification to warn the driver of potentially unseen cross traffic. Warnings are generated based on information received from other vehicles and distance to the intersection.

Oncoming Traffic Notification: If the vehicle is in the left turn lane, the system will issue a warning of oncoming traffic based on information received from the other vehicles and vehicle location.

Cooperative ICC: If the vehicle using ICC approaches an intersection with a red light or a light that will soon turn red, the system will apply the brakes and bring the vehicle to a stop near the stop line.

These future systems are based on research and development conducted by Nissan as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program over the past three years. These advanced systems utilize dedicated short range communication (DSRC) technology between road side equipment (RSE), on-board equipment (OBE) in the vehicle and other vehicles, and GPS-assisted high-accuracy vehicle positioning technology.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2008/_STORY/081111-01-e.html

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NISSAN GT-R wins Car of the Year Japan’s Most Advanced Technology Award

12th November 2008

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is proud that the NISSAN GT-R supercar has won the Most Advanced Technology Award, one of the highly coveted awards of Car of the Year Japan 2008-2009.

NISSAN GT-R

The final selection, conducted by the Car of the Year Japan Executive Committee, took place from November 10 - 11 at Oiso, Kanagawa prefecture. In awarding winner, the jury cited the NISSAN GT-R “as a supercar that delivers powerful performance and clean emission, featuring an advanced new body structure combining carbon, aluminum and steel, in addition to its impressive dual-clutch transmission and the world’s first independent transaxle 4WD.”

NISSAN GT-R has been a global success since its launch on December 6, 2007 in Japan and July 7, 2008 in North America. The NISSAN GT-R will soon be arriving in Europe next spring.

Source: Nihttp://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2008/_STORY/081112-01-e.html

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NISSAN GT-R Takes Seventh Win and Championship Title

10th November 2008

Sunto Gun, Shizuoka prefecture. Round 9 of the 2008 SUPER GT took place at Fuji Speedway (1 lap: 4.563kms). In light rain, the CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (#12 Tsugio Matsuda/Sebastien Philippe), which started on slick tyres after qualifying in twelfth position, took the win. In the series points’ battle, the Xanavi NISMO GT-R (#23 Satoshi Motoyama/Benoit Treluyer) finished 9th, netting the series’ championship title. Making its debut this year, the NISSAN GT-R took seven victories from nine rounds, and in the process won the Driver’s Championship Title.

Amidst thick clouds, 47,100 fans gathered to witness the title-deciding race. At 2:00pm, low-hanging clouds emitting sprinkles of rain made it a gamble for teams trying to make the optimal tyre choice for the start. Many teams expected conditions to deteriorate, thus choosing intermediate tyres. However, TEAM IMPUL principal Kazuyoshi Hoshino insisted on installing slicks. “I based this decision on my many years’ experience racing at Fuji. Matsuda just needed to be patient for the first five laps,” he said. Soon after the race started, the rain stopped and water drained off the circuit, as had been expected. Therefore, a lot of teams had to make several pit stops for tyre changes. By the sixth lap, Matsuda in the #12 GT-R had risen to 2nd place. Thereafter, the #39 Lexus SC430, which had been running top, was caught and passed on lap 17. Matsuda then held onto the lead, returning to the pits on lap 32 to hand the car over to Philippe. It began to rain again, and Philippe, who had returned to the track on intermediates, immediately ran in the top position. From this point, the team settled down as they were running with a gap of 30 seconds, concentrating on taking their second victory of the season after their win at the 1000-km event in August at Suzuka. From the front row, Oliveira took the start in the #24 WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R (Joao Paolo de Oliveira/Seiji Ara), but had drive train trouble after coming in for a tyre change on lap 3, immobilizing the car in the pit garage for 16 laps. On lap 20 the car returned to the race, and finished in 15th place.

Choosing to run on intermediate tyres at the start, Treluyer took charge for the first half of the race in the #23 GT-R. An aggressive drive in the unstable conditions saw him rise as high as third at one point. However, from around lap 18, tyre grip decreased and on lap 22, the car came in for new rubber and a simultaneous driver switch to Satoshi Motoyama. During his long stint, Motoyama returned to the pits for another set of tyres along the way. From that point, he saved his tyres and maintained a constant pace as he ran down the laps. During the latter half he picked up the pace a little, running in 9th place to the flag and earning points. With the 2 championship points for the position, their win in the Driver’s championship was put beyond doubt. The #23 GT-R took a resounding debut win in the opening round of the season, and then followed that up with victory in the 2nd race also. Victory in the race at Auto polis in October (Round made it three wins this season. Satoshi Motoyama returned to the champion’s circle or the first time since 2004. The MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (#22 Michael Krumm/Masataka　Yanagida) finished in 11th, while the YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R (#3 Ronnie Quintarelli/Naoki Yokomizo) ended the race 13th.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2008/_STORY/081110-01-e.html

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Honda Announces the All-New Life

10th November 2008

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that sales in Japan of the all-new Life will begin on November 7, 2008. Continuing a tradition of superior comfort and utility, the new Life offers enhanced drivability and is the first minicar in Japan to include an audio system with a backup camera as standard equipment.*1 In addition, a special mobility-assistive version of Life with lift-up frontpassenger seat will go on sale December 5.

Life G-type (FWD)

Life Pastel (FWD)

The all-new Life was developed with the concept of “daily smile technology” to achieve a level of drivability and utility customers can enjoy in their everyday lives. Based on this concept, Honda evaluated every aspect of the vehicle from the customer’s point of view to develop a minicar that will put a smile on the customer’s face every day.

Customers may select from three Life variations to express their individuality and lifestyle: the Life G-type is simple, modern and practical, the Life Diva is perky and sporty, and the Life Pastel* is refined, elegant and fashionable. With an emphasis on advanced safety technologies, the Life is also the world’s first automobile equipped with a driver-side i-SRS airbag system with continuously staged inflation, which accommodates a broad range of occupant positions and potential collision situations.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2008/4081106All-New-Life/

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New turbodiesel Mitsubishi Racing Lancer to make competition debut on Baja Portalegre

07th November 2008

Mitsubishi Motor Corporation (MMC) and its motor sports subsidiary MMSP have entered an all new turbodiesel Racing Lancer (FIA Group T1 Super Production Class) for Portugal’s Baja Portalegre (Thursday October 30-Sunday November 2), round six of the 2008 FIA Cup for Cross Country Bajas.

The all-new Racing Lancer will be driven on the Portuguese event by Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Stephane Peterhansel (France) and loyal co-driver Jean Paul Cottret (France), with whom Peterhansel has shared all his cross-country rallying successes on four wheels. Peterhansel won six Dakars on two wheels before switching to cars in 1999. Since joining Mitsubishi in 2002, the Frenchman has claimed three further Dakar victories with different iterations of the Pajero/Montero Evolution (in 2004, 2005 and 2007) to become one of the annual marathon’s top stars.

To boost power output at all engine speeds, the new Racing Lancer’s diesel engine is equipped with a two-stage turbocharger which calls on small and large turbines in accord with engine speed and load. In addition, the team’s partner Valeo contributed to the development of a particularly efficient cooling system to cope with the hot climates frequently encountered in cross-country rallying. The 3.0-liter V6 powerplant delivers maximum power of more than 280ps (206kW) and peak torque of 66.3kgm (650Nm). The new car’s more aerodynamic body styling is derived from that of the production-model Lancer Sportback*1 in order to cope with the increasing speeds of cross-country rally events.

Other differences compared to the previous car include reduced weight thanks to a new, fully-integrated multi-tubular steel frame, and a lowered positioning of the fuel tank for a lower overall center of gravity. Handling has been further enhanced by the reduced moment of inertia resulting from the revised location for the spare wheels, as well as by significant modifications to the suspension geometry. Performance on rough terrain has been improved, thanks to BOS dampers which can be adjusted through a wider range of settings.

The Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart-run Racing Lancer is equipped with Valeo-developed lighting and Brembo brakes with 16-inch ventilated discs and six-piston calipers all around. Mitsubishi’s new cross-country rally challenger sits on 7JJx16 OZ aluminum alloy wheels and BFGoodrich low rolling resistance competition tires (245/80-16).

Source: http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/motorsports/detail1850.html

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Honda Reveals Honda Reveals Accessory Concepts for Civic and Ridgeline at 2008 SEMA ShowAccessory Concepts for Civic and Ridgeline at 2008 SEMA Show

07th November 2008

More than 16 Honda project, concept, and accessorized production vehicles are on display at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced. Specially featured in the display are a 2009 Fit equipped with MUGEN accessories, the Civic Honda Factory Performance™ (HFP™) Concept and the 2009 Ridgeline Powersports Concept.

Civic Honda Factory Performance (HFP)

“From cars to light trucks, Honda products have always been great platforms for customization,” said Jim Roach, senior vice president of Parts and Service for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda Genuine Accessories offer our owners the ability to personalize their vehicles while enhancing appearance, performance and functionality.”

A 2009 Fit equipped with MUGEN accessories was revealed today along with the announcement that beginning next spring, Honda will make a complete new line of MUGEN accessories available for the 2009 Fit on an a-la-carte basis through authorized Honda dealers. Available MUGEN accessories for the Fit will include: 16-inch alloy wheels, aluminum oil filler cap, front sports grille, front under spoiler, side spoiler, rear under spoiler, sports silencer, rear emblem, quick shifter, shift knob, sports pedals (MT), sports floor mats and a mirror cover. MUGEN, under license by M-TEC Co., Ltd., of Japan, has been closely associated with Honda for decades in the design and manufacture of racing and premium performance components. Further details, including pricing, will be available at a later date.

Honda also revealed a Civic Honda Factory Performance (HFP) Concept sedan that represents a new approach on performance improvement. With more consumer concern about fuel prices, future customers may want to maximize the performance of their vehicles without compromising fuel economy. Honda Access America, Honda’s accessory development company, took on that challenge. Through aerodynamic improvements to the next generation HFP body kit, super-light alloy wheels with aerodynamic covers, a lighter HFP exhaust system and an upgraded HFP suspension kit, this concept offers the possibility of improving both fuel economy and performance. In fact, a very similar package has proven its worth on the race tracks of Japan on the Civic Type R race car, which campaigned in a spec series called the Super Taikyu Series.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2008/4081104SEMA-Show/

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Japanese Automakers’ 2008 Overseas Production Statistics

05th November 2008

Overseas vehicle production by Japanese automakers in the second quarter of 2008 totalled 3,096,118 units, an increase of 5.7% over the same quarter the previous year. This is explained primarily by expanded overseas production in the Asian markets.

Results for the first half of calendar year 2008 (January-June) were also up from the previous year, rising 6.8% to 6,232,099 units, owing likewise to expanded local production in the Asian markets.

Source: http://www.jama-english.jp/statistics/overseas/2008/081029.html

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Fiscal 2007 Clean-Energy and Low-Emission Vehicle Shipments

05th November 2008

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (chairman: Mr Satoshi Aoki) is pleased to post here below the figures for Japanese automakers’ domestic shipments of clean-energy and low-emission vehicles for fiscal year 2007, ending March 31, 2008.

In an effort to counter global warming and improve air quality, automakers are working to develop and promote the diffusion of vehicles with reduced impact on the environment.

Against a backdrop of growing concern over the issue of automotive environmental performance, JAMA and its individual member manufacturers have been posting on their Web sites comprehensive, annually-updated statistics on clean-energy and low-emission ex-factory vehicle shipments every year since FY 2000.

Source: http://www.jama-english.jp/statistics/low_emission/2007/081020.html

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Archive for Auto Industry News

Suzuki Launches New Alto Lapin Minivehicle in Japan

Nissan Releases New Fairlady Z

Nissan to Display Cooperative Intelligent Transport Technologies at ITS World Congress

NISSAN GT-R wins Car of the Year Japan’s Most Advanced Technology Award

NISSAN GT-R Takes Seventh Win and Championship Title

Honda Announces the All-New Life

New turbodiesel Mitsubishi Racing Lancer to make competition debut on Baja Portalegre

Honda Reveals Honda Reveals Accessory Concepts for Civic and Ridgeline at 2008 SEMA ShowAccessory Concepts for Civic and Ridgeline at 2008 SEMA Show

Japanese Automakers’ 2008 Overseas Production Statistics

Fiscal 2007 Clean-Energy and Low-Emission Vehicle Shipments

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