Nissan 360: PH liveblog
Matt gets excited in an Infiniti; a ticking off swiftly follows
It should be an excellent few days and this liveblog should give you some idea of the experience. Follow @PHMattB on Twitter for additional insight on the event, there will be plenty to chat about!
Latest update: From the sublime to the ridiculous
For 10 years since the arrival of the 350Z in Britain, it's always been a car I've coveted. So with no queue and three versions of its 370Z successor (Roadster, Cooooup and NISMO) available immediately, that's where I headed first.
The 370Z NISMO is a really imposing thing, forcing its way into your periphery with its sheer aggression. The course laid out here at El Toro is like a gymkhana course from Gran Turismo (yes, I'll play the demo later) and so doesn't really show the Zee to its best. But it's certainly game, and the burly approach to a performance coupe is different. I liked it.
Being able to jump straight from the NISMO to the coupe and then the Roadster was revealing. The Roadster's auto was far better than I expected, although can't match the Synchro Rev Control of the manual for nifty gearbox features. Of course, the open-top car feels a little softer but, on the short test route, not by a massive amount. Unfortunately for the coupe, I spent the weekend in a Cayman and it just felt a little fat. Still, it was fun, and it offers something else for those who say the GT86 is underpowered...
Right, that's enough of doing genuine comparisons. I'm getting a coffee and finding the New York taxi...
Well, this being America and all, it only seemed right to head for the most gigantic thing that could be found after the Zees (the NY taxi is still being filmed).
Ergo I found myself behind the wheel of an NV2500 High Roof, a 6,067lb 240-inch long truck in a fetching shade of maroon. Only in America could such a thing be powered by a 4.0-litre V6, and having a moderately sonorous soundtrack is a really bizarre experience in something so utilitarian. Loaded up with cargo, the High Roof drove, well, like a high-roofed van. It wallowed its way round requiring copious amounts of steering lock whilst just feeling gigantic.
Powered by a 260hp V6. Only in America...
Less enjoyable was the Juke Nismo. We’ll wait to drive one in the UK before any formal verdict, but it just felt average in a class of mightily talented rivals. It’s massively nose-led in corners, the systems are overly intrusive and it didn’t feel that fast. Great interior though, but that’s all that I really liked. Might give it another try, just to be sure...
I’ve got a whole lot more to fill you in on but the time difference will make recording updates a little hard. There should be new stuff as you wake on Friday. There’s a V8 Infiniti that has future barge written all over it!
Of course the Cedric had to have its own blog update. What a hilariously awful and strangely enamouring thing.
The key resembles something you might use to open an allotment shed, and the interior is of a similar quality and about as lavishly equipped. The ventilation controls slide their way across the dash, the 'PLL Synthesized Tuner' radio could well be from a Rover 100 and the wood very possibly is. There's also net curtain on every seat; can anyone familiar with Japanese taxi culture please explain?
But above the interior and etch-a-sketch saloon styling, it's the driving experience that dates the Cedric in a fantastically scary way. It went round an entire hairpin on full throttle before kicking down, after which it lurched forward with unexpected violence. It then painfully labours its way to around 5,000rpm (in a petrol!) before shunting home another gear; it's truly incredible.
Pretty soon the brakes will have to be encountered. Give them a firm push and it feels like your feet might go through the bulkhead, but not before it has done a forward roll. If you can muster enough lock to pass it round a corner, it's best to grab some dash for composure.
But all the while you're giggling behind the wheel of the Cedric. It's an amusing anachronism, staunchly refusing to adapt in a fiercely modern world. And for that reason you can't help but love it.
Now we all know Speed Matters, so it was with eager anticipation I waited for the Infiniti Q70 5.6 to make its way over from the parking lot. The Q is what we would know currently as the M saloon (this probably still means not much, I know; it's a 5 Series rival basically) with a 5.6-litre V8 in it. Promising, right?
And with 420hp, it certainly shifted itself along the runway fairly well despite its 1,900kg kerbweight. But then you're aware of a squealing sound; that's the tyres as you attempt to slow the Q70 with any kind of conviction. Infiniti's 'halo sedan' is definitely something for the US market, where its wallowy nature and easily accessible performance would be great. It'll probably do a good burnout too, and it looks quite smart in a kind of generic contemporary Japanese saloon way.
The Q70's weaknesses were highlighted by the QX70 SUV, which I really enjoyed. It just felt taut, responsive and decidedly more modern. The diesel's nice without ever being outstanding but there's just a sense of quality that permeates the QX70. It feels distinctly European whereas the Q seemed like a standard US luxo-barge. It will be interesting to try the QX on the road tomorrow. Maybe it's just the LA sun, but the QX70 looks fantastic in my opinion also
Another little and large story here then, this time involving the Nissan Moco and the NV3500 Cargo van. Both were fantastically enjoyable, for very different reasons.
The NV3500 brings a smile to your face by just turning the key; its 5.6-litre V8 makes 317hp and 385lb ft, with start-up accompanied by a gentle rock on its springs and a fantastic burbling idle. Out on the runway route, it was ridiculous. Attempt to combine throttle and steering at any point and the unloaded rear will just spin up. Out of corners the Cargo will fishtail its way straight, V8 bellowing you along to the next challenge. The steering even feels distantly related to the wheel's movements here too; it's superb in a brash, rudimentary 'America, f*** yeah' kind of way, and I love it.
Bu then the wanton Japaneseness of the Moco is similarly captivating. It's small and high and boxy, generating huge room inside. Light brown is the predominant interior colour, and there's a genuinely decent little touchscreen infotainment system that is fabulously Japanese.
One aspect of the Moco defines its driving experience, and that's the tyres. They're 145/30 R13s, and they make for rather humourous progress. Once the dreadful CVT has generated some momentum from the 52hp three-cylinder, you're ready for a corner. Pitch it in and the Moco surrenders grip almost before the wheel has been turned. But having such low limits makes them more readily available, plus it can even be coaxed into something approaching mild neutrality with some commitment. It was more fun than the Juke Nismo, let's leave it at that.
So then, tomorrow's plans. I'm scheduled to take a passenger ride in a GT-R GT3, there are some Infiniti Performance Line models to try, LA's freeways to tackle and an off-road course too. Can't wait!
I panicked. Following an interview with motorsport boss Jerry Hardcastle that overran, I was itching to get out on the road. The desired Infiniti was unavailable, the new Note not registered and it became a case of finding something, anything, that could be driven. Ergo the canyons beckoned in a Qashqai diesel. I'm sorry.
With nothing therefore to discuss as far as the car is concerned, it makes sense to tell you about driving in America. The lanes are huge, so wide that a European-size car just feels swamped by them. But then you get overtaken by a double-cab Silverado and it all sort of makes sense. Turning right on a red stop signal is a real boon too.
There's some exceptionally poor drivers round here though, myself now probably included. Because the lane size, smooth surfaces and the easily navigated corners put fewer demands on the driver, there's a patent lack of effort from quite a few involved. Freeway lanes bear no relation to overtaking intentions and the two-second rule is probably something to do with handguns. Worryingly, it's very easy to find yourself ambling along without paying much attention.
And that's if the scenery doesn't distract you. The rural route here takes in the Santiago Canyon Road which, whilst not exactly a driver's paradise, does include some beautiful topography, a good ol' ranch or two and a great view of the gorgeous skies. It was a fascinating drive, even in a Qashqai diesel.
So after the farce of driving on the road, it seemed wise to stay back at El Toro for the foreseeable future. Heck, why not even let someone else drive for a bit?
Okay, that's not strictly true as I was a passenger in the GT-R GT3 which, unsurprisingly, wasn't available for us to drive. The driver was a GT Academy driver Steven Doherty and he wasn't on a gentle demonstration run. Though the acceleration was predictably savage, it was the braking that quite literally took my breath away. Just the tiniest dab of the pedal forces you into the harnesses and wipes off huge speed, the six-piston Brembo calipers clamping onto some suitably mighty discs. Running slicks on a hot day meant corners were tackled at unbelievable speeds too.
To allow all the adrenaline to wear off, I followed the GT3 up by driving a bus.
The Civilian is used across Africa and Asia as a 'bloodmobile, school bus [and] presidential transportation', according to Nissan. This version was powered by a 4.2-litre diesel with a five-speed manual. Nothing unusual there, but the diesel was a straight six, and genuinely sounded it; you won't be mistaking it for a 370Z anytime soon, but its configuration was easily identifiable and pleasing. It also seemed quite wieldy as buses go, a view shared with a few of the other guys here. Given the choice, I'd rather be a Japanese bus driver in a Civilian than a taxi driver in a Cedric!
We've had quite a bit of Infiniti propaganda thrown at us today, which is certainly something that will be discussed further on PH in future. It was therefore hugely frustrating to be denied access to its latest Vettel-fettled offering, the Q50. Hopefully the 3 Series rival can deliver on its promises and hefty investment when we can get in the driver's seat.
For now, the only remaining PH-worthy cars were the Q60 Infiniti Performance League (IPL) coupe and convertible. Decent cars they were too, which you would expect being based on the 370Z. We were restricted to the twisty airfield track again, but both felt composed and able. The manual coupe was also excellent on a smoky start attempt, which resulted in a mild telling off. Worth it though, definitely.
The biggest issue Infiniti faces in Europe currently is the sheer quality of its opposition. There's clearly some talent at work there though, so its progress will be intriguing to watch.
Representing a completely different side of Nissan's corporate empire is the e-NV200, which was also available this afternoon. As the name suggests, it's a battery-powered version of the van being rolled out as the New York taxi and used in London too. With a proper EV infrastructure (a big task, admittedly), electric taxis are a brilliant idea. The performance is strong and readily available, the fuel (and so the fare) is cheaper, it would improve city centre emissions and passengers wouldn't have to endure a diesel sound. On low rolling resistance tyres, the e-NV200 would also wheelspin disdainfully out of slow corners. Everyone's happy, right?
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I also remember 'dressed up Soarer' (a riced Soarer) and 'Junk Yard Dog' a model made to look like a wreck. Good to see that Tamiya is still going, even if practically impossible to find model shops these days
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_NV
Powertrain options are a 4.0 Litre Petrol V6 or a 5.6 Litre Petrol V8
There is a modern version with a lot more poke though
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-300-C-AUTO-300c-3...
I considered this very one...
Mind you, this is a country where some people put sleeveless t-shirts over the driver / passenger seats and others don't even bother removing the plastic wrap fresh out of the factory in order to keep them clean. Each to their own I guess...
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