Nissan unveils Altima-based V8 Supercars [w/videos]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, Nissan, Australia, Racing

Good as it is, when we think about the Nissan Altima, the words "V8" or "supercar" are not in our vernacular, but Nissan Motorsports is looking to change all that. After unveiling the race version of its Altima sedan intended for the Australian V8 Supercars series back in October, the four race teams and their cars were revealed yesterday ahead of a preseason test session this weekend.

Two of the Altima racecars will be sponsored by Jack Daniels while the other two will wear Norton (as in Norton Anti-Virus) black-and-yellow livery. The season officially kicks off on March 1, and we'll get to see the V8-powered Altima on US soil from May 17-19 when the V8 Supercars series hits the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Scroll down to watch a couple videos and a press release issued for the team introductions.

Continue reading Nissan unveils Altima-based V8 Supercars [w/videos]

Nissan unveils Altima-based V8 Supercars [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan outlines Nismo's expansion and credentials

Zach Bowman — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:46:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Nissan

Nissan is reportedly working toward turning its Nismo arm into a legitimate sub-brand. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the Japanese automaker plans to pattern its performance wing after Mercedes-Benz's AMG, which means that moving forward, every vehicle with a Nismo badge will also pack a sizable jump in performance. Engineers will work to sharpen the suspension and brakes while offering more horsepower and revised aesthetics. In addition, Nissan will seek to burnish Nismo's credibility and visibility by putting forth bigger efforts in various motorsports series.

While speaking in an interview, Nissan global marketing boss Simon Sproule noted that Japanese brands have historically missed out on exploiting their performance history. Much of that struggle has come in the form of a lack of consistency from brands like Lexus and Infiniti with their F-Sport and IPL efforts, respectively.

Sproule says Nissan is now looking at a line of low-volume vehicles, the first of which will be the Juke Nismo set to launch next year. While the executive declined to comment on which products could be next, he stressed each vehicle will have to meet a few criteria before being branded as Nismo models. Those include significant design changes inside and out as well as a 10-percent bump in horsepower and different ride and handling calibrations. Among the possible visual cues for Nismo models? Red mirror caps as well as more aggressive grilles and front fascias. Sounds good by us, but we imagine those tweaks won't come cheap.

Nissan outlines Nismo's expansion and credentials originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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