#nismo

Ever wonder what would happen if you let a high-performance tuning company run wild on a minivan? Well wonder no longer, as Nissan‘s NISMO division has just debuted a version of the new Elgrand (sold as the Quest in North America) at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Nissan recently announced it would showcase a total of nine vehicles at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, and the Japanese automaker has now decided to take the wraps off its collection in advance of the show.

NISMO’s VK45DE powerplant, which has had huge success in the SuperGT series powering the Nissan GT-R to a championship in 2008, will be installed in LMP2 class race cars from 2011 and on. NISMO has partnered up with Zytek Motorsport, a noted Formula 1 engine builder, with Zytek taking responsibility for servicing and maintaining all the engines.

“Zytek Motorsport is delighted to enter into this partnership with Nissan Motorsports International. We firmly believe that this collaboration between these two excellent brands is going to produce competitive and reliable products. It is an honour to work with a manufacturer of the standing and reputation of Nismo and we look forward to a long and successful partnership,” said John Manchester, Zytek Motorsport’s Operations Director.

Official press release available after the break.

With the R35 Nissan GT-R always in the headlines, it’s easy to forget about the previous-generation model. It’s hard to miss a car we never got, but you have to admit that the R34 GT-R is making fewer and fewer appearances on the Internet. But it’s refreshing to see that legends truly never fade and that passionate enthusiasts and shops are looking out for aspiring R34 GT-R owners, collectors and spenders.

Back in 2004, Nissan released a very limited edition run of 20 on the Z-Tune Skyline R34 GT-R. Packed with NISMO goodies, the very rare R34 GT-R also sported exclusive silver paint with a code of KY0. After all these years, spotting one of these in person is next to impossible, never mind having the opportunity to purchase one.

But that’s all about to change thanks to JAPO Motorsport. Based out of Essen, Germany, JAPO Motorsport picked themselves up a 1999 Skyline R34 GT-R and stripped it down to its bare bones for the ambitious three and a half month rebuild. The result is simply stunning; a mint condition R34 GT-R that looks identical to a limited edition vehicle and restored to perfection.

In addition to the Z-Tune components, NISMO wheels and Toyo Tires, JAPO Motorsport also freshened up the interior with leather and Alcantara, multifunctional display and a speedo that tops out at 199 mph. Under the hood though, JAPO Motorsport didn’t keep things tame. New GT RS turbos, intercooler, intake, injectors and spark plugs help boosts power output of the RB26DETT to 516-hp and 440 ft-lbs of torque. Quite a beefy increase from the factory 327-hp / 289 ft-lbs of torque and even more than the Z-Tune’s 493-hp and 398 ft-lbs.

Miscellaneous performance upgrades include an HKS clutch, ARC strut bar and StopTech brakes. The beauty is for sale for $116,960, which isn’t cheap, but for something this original it’s hard to argue with the price.

Gallery: JAPO Motorsport Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R

Official press release available after the break.

What’s the biggest problem with the Nissan GT-R? Why, it’s a big fat heavy pig of course. So what if you could get a GT-R that weighed significantly less? Sounds like a winner. The only problem is, it’s not street legal.

Infiniti is set to launch its new go-fast division, Infiniti Performance Line, later this year, promising an enticing list of performance parts, set to include mundane things like air filters, and stretching all the way to “automotive engine parts, namely turbochargers and superchargers.”

Nissan’s NISMO motorsports department has finally announced full details on the 2010 FIA GT1-spec GT-R race car and along with some expected changes, there’s also a big surprise. Under the hood you won’t find Nissan’s twin-turbo V6, but rather a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 engine that produces 600-hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. That’s sure to motivate the GT-R rather briskly, thanks to a curb weight that has been reduced to just 2,756 lbs.

Even though Nissan’s readily available market vehicles were the center of attention at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, the company’s flagship GT-R also had an offering from NISMO: a Club Sports Package. The Club Sports Package doesn’t overhaul the exterior of the GT-R, but rather includes a new data logger for track use and a fine collection of suspension tuning modifications.

Nissan never fails to impress at Tokyo Auto Salon and 2010 was no exception to the rule. In-house tuning company NISMO showed off its offerings for the brand’s most popular performance platforms, the FairladyZ, Skyline Coupe and Skyline Sedan, or as they’re known in North America: the Nissan 370Z, Infiniti G37 Coupe and G37 Sedan. All three carry the “Sporty Package” option from Nissan which looks to include a mild performance increase though a new sporty exhaust system, as well as a new lip kit for both the NISMO Skline Coupe and Sedan. The Skyline Sedan package also looks to include some additional LED fog lights.

Nissan is preparing an onslaught of modified vehicles for the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, working with partners like Autech and NISMO. An included in the list of nine custom Nissan’s will be a NISMO-ized 2010 GT-R, featuring a new NISMO Data Logger Kit. This kit allows an owner to download data collected by the onboard computer so it can be analyzed and shared.

In addition, two other NISMO models will be on display a NISMO Fiarlady Z (370Z) as well as the Super GT-spec XANAVI NISMO GT-R racecar.

With these three models, Autech will show an additional three custom cars, while Nissan will display three vehicles, including a Roox, Skyline (G37) and Skyline Coupe (G37 Coupe) modified with Nissan parts and accessories.

AutoGuide will bring you more on all of these cars with live coverage of the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon starting January 15th.

Official release after the jump:

After releasing the limited edition Nissan GT-R SpecV (pictured above) last year, rumors of a more comfort-oriented SpecM model have surfaced. Those rumors have now reportedly been confirmed by GT-R project chief Kazutoshi Mizuno, when he ran into the folks from PistonHeads at Nissan’s Nürburgring test facility.

Nissan just couldn’t wait for the New York Auto Show doors to open to unveil its high-performance NISMO version of the 370Z, choosing to give select media a sneak peak the night before at a private event in the Big Apple.

Despite all of Nissan’s troubles, the company isn’t shying away from motorsports for 2009, with four factory backed cars running in Japan, as well as several privateer teams running in Japan, China, South Africa and even in Europe.

“Motorsports is an important part of Nissan’s strategy for building a strong brand with consumers who share our passion for high-performance driving,” said Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. “In addition to being an important touch-point for consumers, motorsports serve as a dynamic proving ground for automotive innovation.”

That being said Nissan plans to back four teams in the SUPER GT series in the GT500 class. Team NISMO, Team Impul and Kondo Racing have all decided on running the Nissan GT-R, however, Hasemi Motorsport has not decided which platform it will use.

Some of the most exciting news, however, is that Gigawave MotorSport will run a NISMO-developed car in the FIA GT1 class in the U.K. The car will only run four races in 2009 and, therefore, won’t compete for the championship. The driver’s names are not official but are expected to be Michael Krumm ( a NISMO driver) and Darren Turner of Gigawave, a team that has compete in the FIA GT series since 2007.

Now if only a NISMO GT-R could make its way to the American Le Mans Series.

Official release after the jump:

Nissan Japan has just released some details of the upcoming GT-R SpecV, boasting increased performance in every category.