Other Japanese automakers must be green with envy at Nissan’s current success with the sports car genre. Tuners on the other hand, salivate each time the Japanese car maker is mentioned. Branew is one such tuner. Also based in Japan, Branew plans to launch a very comprehensive tuning kit for the new Nissan 370Z at the Tokyo Auto Salon in a couple of weeks’ time.

Branew developed a new sports exhaust for the car, reprogrammed the standard 332hp 3.7-litre V6’s ECU, upgraded its brake system and added a new sports suspension kit. Carbon fibre exterior kit includes front spoiler, side steps, rear spoiler, a rear air diffuser and a rear wing. Multi-spoke alloy wheels will be offered in various sizes for that final touch of performance.

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Mazda has announced that it will use the Eco-Products 2008 Show that takes place at Japan’s Tokyo International Exhibition Center over the period December 11 -13, 2008, to display its latest eco-friendly technologies aimed to further reduce CO2 emissions. The company’s main exhibit will consist of the new i-stop engine start-stop system that improves fuel economy by approximately 10 percent in Japan’s fuel economy tests and is scheduled for launch in 2009 as well as the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid and the RX-8 Hydrogen test vehicles. Other exhibits at Mazda’s show stand will include the display of various weight reduction and material technologies.

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In celebration of GM’s 100th Anniversary, GM Asia-Pacific has unveiled the Corvette S-Limited, a 30-car special for the Japanese market. priced at ¥7,980,000. The allotment is split evenly by color — 15 in Arctic White and 15 in Black. All the cars get the full leather-wrapped interior package; a rear spoiler, mesh grillework , and screened inserts for the side coves and the plate between the exhaust outlets. ‘Vettes in Japan are probably scarce enough that they still draw plenty of attention. Hey, in the land where the best-selling car’s engine displaces 660cc’s, a thundering, 430-horsepower American pushrod that displaces 6.2 liters is always gonna make people look. Appropriately, the Corvette S-Limited officially goes on sale on the Fourth of July.

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Even though diesel cars are quite popular in Europe, the same cannot be said for Japan and America. Sure, both countries might have plenty of diesel trucks hauling things about, but for conventional everyday driving the diesel car is still uncommon.

Many consider diesels to be dirty, have a foul-smell, and sound too much like farm equipment. According to Nissan, only 1% of the Japanese passenger vehicle market comprise of diesels. Yet in spite of all this, Nissan hopes that its launch of the first clean diesel this fall will reverse the old opinion and shed a new, positive light on diesels.

The Japanese automaker plans to send a prototype to next month’s Group of Eight leaders’ summit, in Toyako, Japan, where climate change tops the agenda. There, delegates will be given the chance to test drive a clean diesel X-trail SUV. The M9R eco-friendly engine, co-developed with French partner Renault, delivers strong acceleration while having emissions levels low enough to meet the tougher 2009 Japanese regulations.

The X-trail will be first on display at the G-8 leaders’ summit from July 7 to 9, and then later at the Integrated Exhibition of the Environment in Sapporo, Japan from July 19 to 21.

Yo Usuba, Nissan’s senior vice president for power train development, claims that the new X-trail can get up to 30 percent better gas mileage than its gasoline-based counterparts and similar torque levels to a 6-cylinder, 3.5L gasoline engine. “People can really enjoy driving,” said Usuba.

With the Honda already scheduling an Acura-based clean diesel in 2009, Nissan plans to catch up with the release of a diesel X-trail, along with a diesel Maxima to the U.S. in 2010.

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The Scoopers of Cars have gotten their hands on a scanned brochure of the production version of the Nissan Intima concept, and it seems that in addition to getting a mass-market makeover, it will also be sporting a Teana badge when it goes on sale in Japan. The transition from concept to production has been uncharacteristically kind to the Teana, with the tightly drawn headlamps, plummeting C-pillar and elongated tail lamps surviving, but the suicide doors and 22nd century interior must have been scrapped due to feasibility issues. We’ll get our first official taste of the Teana when it’s finally revealed on April 20th at the Beijing Motor Show.

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