Importdriver News No.6

Skyline Coupe

Nissan designers have been back to the gene lab, this time crossbreeding the 350Z and G35 Skyline sedan. The result... a spectacular 205kW, 2+2, hybrid coupe.

Though more rounded and raked, the front end of the coupe gets it's looks from the G35 Sedan. Interestingly, the LED tail lights feature the return of circular 'afterburners', a distinctive Skyline family trait missing in the sedan. On the other side, the new coupe's profile, 17-inch, wheels and dual exhaust all show their 350Z heritage.

The task of crossing the two vehicles was made easier, as both are based on the same FM (front mid-ship) platform and sharing many drive train and suspension parts.

Like the sedan, the coupe comes with multi-link independent suspension, however the 'ripple control' shocks and springs are more aggressively tuned. The coupe's wheelbase is identical to the sedan's, but overall length is reduced around 100mm and height lowered by 125mm, flared guards also allow the coupe 75mm more width. Each of these variations promises improved dynamics in the coupe.

Electronic brake force distribution and brake assist come standard, with a limited slip differential and lift cancelling factory body kit optional. Also optional; a high performance Brembo brake upgrade and 18-inch wheels.

The sedan's output is 194kW, but with some 'tweaks' and a new exhaust the coupe's rises to 205kW. A short throw six-speed manual transmission will be standard, with a five-speed 'manual shift mode' automatic, optional.

The interior, while mostly taking after the sedan, has sportier bucket seats up front and sculpted fold-downs in the rear. A 6-disc CD changer is standard, with Bose system optional. Driver, passenger, side and curtain air bags are all standard.

Released as a US model at the New York Auto Show, Nissan will begin building it's new baby in Japan within months. Sales will begin in the US under the Infiniti badge before 2003, with pricing expected to start below $30,000 US.

The similarities between this (GT-S?) and the recent GT-R concept are hard to ignore. Expect a muscled-up version of this car to appear in 2003 as the production-ready GT-R.

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Veyron

From behind you could be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at a new Supra concept. However the power of this machine surpasses anything yet produced by Toyota- including it's F1 cars.

It's size is ominous; 4.47m long, almost 2.0m wide, just over 1.2m high, with 20 inch wheels on a 2.70m wheelbase. Intimidating enough, before you realize that at rest, this new Bugatti is less than 14 seconds away from 300 kph on its way to a top speed of 406 kph!

This performance, unprecedented in a production car, comes thanks to a mid-mounted, 8.0 litre, quad-turbo, W16 engine. The configuration uses two eight cylinder, narrow-V alloy blocks mounted at a 90-degrees and driving a common dry-sump crank.

The engine is compact and complex. Compressed air passes through two top-mounted intercoolers before entering the 16 cylinders via 32 inlet valves. Valves are operated by four continuously variable overhead camshafts. Exhaust gasses exit through 32 further valves before powering the four turbo chargers.
The pay off for this complexity is power; 736 kW (1001 bhp) at only 6000rpm and an amazing maximum torque figure of 1,250 Nm.

Feeding the power to all 4 wheels, the Veyron employs a twin-clutch sequential seven-speed gearbox. Operated via steering wheel paddles, the auto-clutching unit performs shifts within 0.2 of a second.

The chassis, constructed from carbon-fibre reinforced material, has the best possible strength and rigidity for it's weight. External panels are aluminium and carbon-fibre, a speed sensitive rear spoiler and diffuser floor pan generating downforce.

Displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in close to final production form, the Bugatti Veyron EB 16-4 is due to go on sale in 2003.

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