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Nissan has increased horsepower to 306 for it’s flagship sports car. In addition to the engine upgrades the Z sports a new refined nose. Here’s Nissan’s press release:

“The Nissan 350Z continues to offer sports car lovers high performance excitement and dynamic driving experience. For the 2007 model year, Nissan engineers have taken the award-winning sports car one step further with the next generation of its award-winning VQ-series 3.5-liter V6. The new VQ35HR V6 produces 306 horsepower and 268 lb-ft of torque and features a twin air intake system, among other enhancements, that increases efficiency and allows for improved fuel economy.

Other new features for the 2007 350Z include a new front hood design, three new exterior colors, a new gray colored convertible top (Roadster models), interior improvements, a Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System (Touring, Grand Touring Coupes) and standard front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags (Roadster models).

These new features enhance the already well-equipped sports car, which features speed-sensitive power steering system, LED taillights, refined optional navigation system and available RAYS® super lightweight 18-inch front/19-inch rear 5-spoke forged alloy wheels (Coupe only).

For 2007, the 350Z is again available in Coupe and Roadster body styles and in an array of models – four for the Coupe and three for the Roadster. Each provides sports car lovers high performance excitement and a dynamic driving experience, with a style all its own.”

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Call me crazy, but I always thought that the previous-generation Volvo S40 was one of the most interesting cars in the world. Why? Because it was the ultimate illustration of globalization at work. Just think: A car from a Swedish company (Volvo), owned by an American company (Ford), with engineering and parts from a Japanese company (Mitsubishi) that was partially owned by a German company (DaimlerChrysler) that had purchased an American company (Chrysler).

NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett might just agree with me. Jarrett will soon be racing for Toyota - the first foreign make to race full-time in the NASCAR premier series. In a recent sit-down with NASCAR’s web site, Jarrett offered a few insights into the modern automotive industry:

“As far as Toyota, sure, the parent company is foreign,” Jarrett said. “We could get into the argument about where the Ford Fusion is built; every one of them are built in Mexico. The Monte Carlos are built in Canada.

So we could go through all that stuff and see who is right and who is wrong, but there are a lot of Toyotas that are built in the United States. They employ a lot of people.”

But, Dale, how about the American brands and all of that tradition? Shouldn’t we be psuhing our own stuff?

“But we have to be accepting of change. If we don’t, then you would still be watching 12-inch TV screens, and that’s not a lot of fun whenever you’ve got everything else that’s out there.”

Not sure what (if any) this move could have on domestic brands. Granted, I never knew how they sold ANY Chevy Monte Carlos for all those years until I found out that they raced them in NASCAR. (Hey, I’m a New Yorker, I had never even heard of Dale Jarrett before I caught this interview on the NASCAR site.) But he makes alot of sense. Why has NASCAR been stuck with the “Big Three?” Half of America doesn’t even buy domestic products!

And with that, I’ll sit down and my bowl of Sushi-Cloudberry-Wienerschnitzel Pie.

The funny thing about European SUVs is that they’re every bit as tough (if not tougher) than their domestic and Japanese competition - but they just seem… too nice… to be put to the test. Sure, you’ll see one at a boat ramp or parked near a beach every so often, but except for the venerable Land Rover line, how often is it that a European SUV is seen muddied, trudging home from a tough day of “utilities” that it’s made for?

The designers of the BMW X3 are trying to change its fancy image just a bit. Recently, European Car Web got down and dirty with BMW’s small Sport Activity Vehicle (as they call it) and put it to the test.

Despite its computerized stability features, the engineers in Bavaria made sure that the X3 is capable of doing some serious off-roading:

The new DTC is supposed to increase the amount of time before the car steps in and takes control over the engine and brakes. DTC also allows for higher lateral acceleration, giving the OK to what’s deemed a “light and controllable” drift in the turns. It all makes for the ‘active’ part of this SAV.

Check out the full review at European Car Web for the rest of the story.

The fine folks at Nissan Sport have given us a first look at the 2008 Infiniti G35 coupe - complete with analysis and commentary.
The lines seem to be sleeker,  including a “bump” over the headlights, down the hoodline to the rearview mirrors.

Significant changes can be seen in the bumper.  We’ll have to see how fog lights will eventually fit into the bumper structure.

Can’t wait to hear what’s going under that hood.  Any guesses?

I’ve been to loads of auto shows; not just new car shows either, I’ve even spent some time with a press pass at a SEMA show. I’ve stood in the wake of massive introductions. I’ve touched the paint of cars that cost six figures while they were sitting on plush carpeting under fluorescent lights and raised ceilings. I’ve read about the cars, I’ve looked at the numbers, and I’m just dying to yell from the rooftops.

I’m bored!

No, I’m not begging for more outrageous concept cars, because they are more capable of causing an uncontrollable nap than an impromptu reading of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. I see the slashes, I see the 30″ alloys, I see all the gadgets and unconventional interior bits, and for half a second I’m excited. But then, I think about the waiting time it would take to see this car on the market. Sometimes concepts shown turn into cars several years later; often long enough that I’ve forgotten about them. I also get to thinking this car will never be sold in this guise. Just how can I get excited about a car that showcases the absolute best that a car company can do (which often amounts to nothing more than loud paint, large rims, tiny rearview mirrors), and goes into production looking nothing like the extravagant concept that was shown to the public? And that’s not even mentioning that all those cool gadgets and high quality interior bits are all gone, replaced by rationality and accounting practices.

So please, automakers, show me the car you’re going to sell. Keep your orange paint, keep your enormous wheels, and keep the wait time short. Don’t show me a car that no one is able to buy because it won’t ever get made. Don’t make me wait for the flying car before I can pick up a new coupe.

When I see a car at an autoshow, I want to see the car that is going to be sold. And I want it to be sold the next model year.

Is that so much to ask? Am I completely alone and angry?

BMW recently introduced a facelifted version of their controversial 5 Series sedan.  You won’t be able to spot many changes, but don’t be fooled; there are many technological advancements over the previous model.  There’s a new six-banger, which now develops 273hp and 236 lb ft of torque.  More importantly, the new 5 delivers 30.5 mpg, according the BMW AG.  Impressive, indeed!

Inside, the i-Drive is now updated and is shared with the new BMW X5.  Higher quality trim and materials is utilized as well.  Besides some aesthetic improvements to the lights, the new 5 Series employs BMW’s FlexRay electronic platform, a more stable one than before.

Overall, the changes are more than skin-deep, and those who were turned off by the styling will probably not like the facelifted version any more.  But dynamically, it’s a more superior machine than its predecessor.   

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There aren’t many folks who would describe Porsche as a “thrifty” marque, but as soccer moms, hockey dads, and boaters looking for something nice to lug around their vessel with discover the brand by way of the Cayenne, fuel consumption and engine efficiency have become an issue for the sports car maker.

Along with interior and exterior changes (which we’ll get to in a second), the engine choices are what’s causing a stir in Detroit this week. The Cayenne’s V6 now puts out 290HP, and the Turbo engine now offers a massive 500HP V8, rocketing the Cayenne from 0-60 in just 4.9 seconds (it’s never 5, is it?). Amazingly, Porsche’s new high-tech injection system lowers fuel consumption by 10% or more, even with the boost in horsepower!

TheCarConnection examined the car up close, and reported on the updated sheetmetal:

The new version boasts significant revisions to the exterior designed to smooth out some of the more criticized design features. That includes more widely-set headlights, as well as the addition of a new LED light bar, mounted in the grille below the main lamps. That will become a standard feature on future Porsche products, company officials noted during the unveiling, at the North American International Auto Show. The rear spoiler on the Cayenne Turbo has been lengthened for further aerodynamic stability, and new, rear LED taillights have been added. The subtle changes reduce Cayenne’s wind drag markedly.

The final verdict? The new features are important in the growth of the vehicle. Sales are good, and this may make them great, as folks who read up on the changes may consider the Porsche over bulkier, boxier American large SUVs that don’t handle as well and VW’s Cayenne-cousin Touareg.

Bob Lutz said a little more than he was supposed to at a press conference in Detroit a few days ago. It’s still unofficial, but Holden will be exporting the VE Commodore SS to the United States; It will be sold here as a Pontiac and quite possibly called the G8. This is the second such experiment for GM, the Holden Monaro was sold here as the GTO and was an enthusiast favorite, especially for the price. Holden also exports the Commodore and Statesman to the Middle East, where they’re sold as the Chevrolet Lumina and Caprice, respectively.
The official anouncement will likely come at the Chicago Auto Show in February.
Source: drive.com.au
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Chalk another one up to the little guy.  Hyundai may have a hit vehicle on its hands with the new Veracruz 7-passenger crossover.  Undercutting prices of European and Japanese models and featuring (from what we can see) a better interior than most of the American domestic offerings, this new vehicle that premiered at the NAIAS today seemed like a perfect “middle ground” in the crossover market.

This sub-$30K vehicle will compete primarily with the Lexus RX-Series.  And, its chief designer has claimed that the vehicle was specifically engineered to cut down on road noise based on the sound levels inside the RX’s cabin.  Talk about lofty goals!  The leather interior includes everything you would expect in a luxury vehicle, and is executed beautifully at that.