We’ve got some numbers to go with the shots Nissan recently provided of the 2009 370Z, set to debut at the Los Angels Auto Show later this month. According to the LA Auto Show’s website, the redesigned Z’s new DOHC 3.7 liter V6 boosts power by 26 horses over the outgoing model, to 332. A Variable Valve Event and Lift Control is part of the new drivetrain, as is a choice of seven-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions. The 370Z’s new manual transmission also features synchronized downshift rev matching programming.

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Showing that they are not immune to the troubles that have plagued the Big 3 U.S. automakers; Japanese manufacturers are implementing production and cost-saving measures under the pressures of mounting worldwide economic struggles. Adding to the dismal outlook for almost every major automaker is Nissan who announced last week that it will cut production for five months beginning next month at its two American plants due to lagging demand in the United States.

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Looking pretty much like what everyone has been expecting for months now, the 2010 Nissan 370Z dropped this morning. The company hasn’t released any details, although from the new nomenclature we can surmise that the sports car contains the new 3.7L V6 as used in the Infiniti G37. The new Z goes on sale early in 2009, and we’ll see it live at the LA Auto Show in a few weeks. Continued

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Measuring in at just 3 meters in length, the Nuvu is Nissan’s vision of a future minicar powered by a zero-emissions electric drivetrain. The funky looking concept car with the 2+1 seating arrangement is more than a styling exercise though as according to Nissan officials it’s a fully working mobile test bed for much of the tech that will be used on Nissan’s forthcoming Electric-Vehicle that will be launched in 2010. Just to make it clear, the Nuvu is not that car. The concept is equipped with a rear mounted electric motor that drives the rear wheels offering the stubby minicar a driving range of 125 km or 77miles and top speed of 120 km/h or 75mph. The electric motor is powered from a set of laminated lithium-ion-type batteries mounted under the seats.

Unlike a conventional lithium-ion battery with bulky cylindrical cells, the laminated Li-Ion battery as used in Nuvu has thin laminated cells and fewer components overall. Nissan says that this boosts its power by a factor of 1.5 at the same time as halving its physical size. It also remains twice as efficient as a conventional cylindrical Li-Ion battery even after five years or 100,000 km of continuous usage.

The Japanese automaker supports that a quick charge from empty to full should take between 10 to 20 minutes while a full charge should take between three to four hours from a domestic 220V socket. Continued

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If you happen to live in Japan, your choices for buying a diesel car are quite meager. Until a new model goes on sale on September 18, there is only one diesel car available: the Mercedes E320 CDI. The model in question is a Nissan X-Trail GT20, codenamed M94, which gets a Renault-derived 2.0-liter dCi diesel engine, which was announced last year and was used for the G8 summit last June. This engine gets 30 percent better mileage than the standard 2.5-liter gasoline version while offering the same power and torque as the 3.5-liter V6. The powertrain is also fully compliant with Japan’s new anti-pollution legislation which becomes mandatory in October 2009. As with most other new diesels, the M9R uses a high pressure (1,600 bar) common rail injection system with piezo-electric injectors. The exhaust after-treatment system consists of a lean NOx trap and diesel particulate filter. Volkswagen, Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru expect to have diesel vehicles available next year as well.

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 Looks like the Datsun XLink concept that was created by Benjamin Nawka at Nissan’s Yulon Design Center  has given birth to a newly found interest for the long-gone Japanese brand. This modern interpretation of the iconic Datsun 240Z / Fairlady Z of the 1970s is the work of a Polish designer Jacek Kolodziejczyk who goes by the alias ‘Iacoski. The Fairlady Z Concept study combines the classic lines of the original 240Z with several design elements from the new Nissan GT-R such as the front grille, the side air vents and the headlamps. And while it may never go into production, the end result is pretty dang cool.

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You know how it goes with the rumormill. Sometimes it tends to be spot-on in its predictions; sometimes… not so much. Such is the case with recent reports that the upcoming clean diesel engine in the Nissan Maxima would be equipped with a manual transmission only. As we reported at the time, a move like that would surely limit the new diesel’s appeal to the stick-averse American buying population, and therefore hurt sales. Fear not, slushbox fans, Motive has confirmation from an engineer at Nissan that the Maxima, even in diesel form, will in fact be offered with an automatic transmission as standard. Moreover, it’s the shift-it-yourself gearbox that now seems a bit unlikely. As much as we enjoy the thought of rowing our own gears with tons of diesel-supplied torque on hand, delivering the Maxima with an automatic is surely the right choice to make.

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