Tag Archives: Nissan

News

Nissan’s Cold Spray Wizardry: Reinventing the Humble Valve Seat

You’d think the words “valve seat innovation” wouldn’t exactly set petrolheads’ pulses racing. But here’s the thing: Nissan just pulled off a world-first in engine design with something called cold spray technology, and it’s not just clever engineering—it’s a bit of automotive wizardry that could change how hybrid engines are built.

Let’s rewind. The star of the show is Nissan’s new 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder, codename ZR15DDTe. No, it won’t power your dream Skyline GT-R. Instead, it sits quietly in the background of Nissan’s latest e-POWER hybrid system, generating electricity while the actual driving is done by the electric motor. Think of it less as a rev-happy engine and more as a power plant—designed for efficiency, smoothness, and that weirdly serene EV-like glide.

So where does the trickery come in? Enter the valve seats. In a normal engine, these are dull little metal rings press-fitted into the cylinder head. They seal the valves, deal with heat, and… that’s about it. But they’re also a design headache, limiting how air can be funnelled into the combustion chamber.

Nissan’s engineers decided they’d had enough of being held back by 20th-century hardware. So, instead of fitting seats, they’ve sprayed them in. Literally. Using cold spray technology, metal powders are fired at supersonic speed onto the cylinder head, forming a robust layer without melting the aluminum underneath. The result? A seamless, high-conductivity surface that allows Nissan to shape the intake ports exactly as they like—no compromises, no clunky inserts.

The payoff is impressive: this compact engine achieves a thermal efficiency of 42%—a figure normally reserved for cutting-edge Formula 1 units and high-end diesels. That’s thanks to Nissan’s proprietary STARC 2 concept, which uses that perfectly sculpted intake port to generate a strong tumble flow (engineer-speak for “air whipping around like a tornado in the cylinder”), stabilising combustion and squeezing every last joule of energy out of each drop of petrol.

It’s a geeky solution to a geeky problem, but the result is less heat, better cooling, more durability, and ultimately more efficiency. And because this engine doesn’t actually drive the wheels—it just generates electricity—the gains are felt in smoother, quieter, more economical driving.

The first production car to get this clever setup? The Nissan Qashqai, now rolling off the Sunderland line with the new e-POWER system under its skin. From there, it’s heading to North America in the next-gen Rogue, and even Japan in the upcoming Elgrand minivan. Not exactly poster cars, but that’s the point. This is innovation that makes everyday family crossovers feel like EVs—without the charging faff.

And the cherry on top? Nissan’s made the whole e-POWER unit more compact by bundling the motor, generator, inverter, reducer, and increaser (yes, that’s a real thing) into a single 5-in-1 powertrain unit. It’s lighter, more efficient, and quieter. Which means the school run in a Qashqai just got a little more… futuristic.

So, no, you won’t see enthusiasts queuing up at Cars & Coffee to talk about “supersonically sprayed cobalt-free copper valve seats.” But behind the jargon, Nissan’s pulled off a rare thing: taking an unloved bit of engine hardware and turning it into a genuine breakthrough.

The future of hybrids, it seems, isn’t just batteries and software. Sometimes, it’s about spraying metal at the speed of sound.

Source: Nissan

News

Godzilla Bows Out: The R35 GT-R’s Final Roar

Eighteen years. That’s how long the R35 Nissan GT-R has been rewriting physics, terrifying Porsches, and giving accountants nightmares with its “bargain” supercar status. And now, at a factory in Tochigi, Japan, the final one has rolled off the line — a Midnight Purple T-Spec bound for a lucky owner at home in Japan. Curtain call. End credits. Fade to black.

Except, of course, it’s not really goodbye. Not to Godzilla. Not to the GT-R.

The Last Samurai of Speed

When the R35 first hit the scene in 2007, it wasn’t just another fast Nissan. It was a four-seat, twin-turbo V6, all-wheel-drive cruise missile that could embarrass Ferraris on the autobahn and knock seconds off lap records at the Nürburgring. Nissan didn’t just want to build a sports car — they wanted to build a “multi-performance” machine. Grand Tourer comfort, luxury fit and finish, and the kind of launch control that made grown men squeal like schoolchildren.

And squeal they did. Over 48,000 units later, the R35 departs with an enviable trophy cabinet: five GT500 titles, a Bathurst 12 Hour victory, countless lap records, and even a Guinness World Record drift at over 300 km/h. Not bad for a car that started life with 480 horsepower and ended up churning out a monstrous 600 in NISMO spec.

Built by Hands, Not Robots

Every single R35 engine — all 48,000 of them — was hand-assembled by one of nine Takumi master craftsmen at Nissan’s Yokohama plant. That’s right, nine men were solely responsible for ensuring Godzilla’s heart beat properly. Their signatures sit on a small plaque affixed to each VR38DETT twin-turbo V6. A quiet reminder that beneath the techno wizardry and video-game dashboards, there was still craftsmanship in its veins.

A Life at the Limit

The GT-R’s natural habitat wasn’t just Tokyo expressways or cars-and-coffee meets. It was tracks. Big ones, scary ones. Like the Nürburgring, where in 2007 it shocked the world with a 7:38 lap time — in the wet, no less. By 2013, a NISMO-tuned car had sliced that down to a scarcely believable 7:08.679. Over at Tsukuba, it cracked the minute barrier. Twice. And in 2016? It broke the world drift speed record at 304 km/h. Because why not.

The End, or Just Intermission?

Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s head honcho, insists this isn’t the end of the GT-R, just the end of one chapter. “The GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special,” he said. Translation: sit tight, something nastier is coming. But don’t expect it tomorrow.

And so, the R35 takes its final bow. It was never the prettiest. Never the lightest. Never the most refined. But for 18 years it was the people’s supercar — a giant-killer with PlayStation menus, a howling V6, and the ability to scare Lamborghinis silly.

The legend of Godzilla doesn’t end here. It just goes back into the ocean, waiting for the next time it’s needed.

Source: Nissan

NEW CARS

2026 Nissan Roox: Kei Car Meets Big Tech

Nissan has pulled the wraps off the fourth-generation Roox, a pint-sized box on wheels designed to maximize space within Japan’s strict Kei car regulations. And while it may never officially reach U.S. shores, the Roox’s mix of clever packaging, fresh design, and unexpected tech is enough to make enthusiasts abroad wish it did.

At first glance, the silhouette feels familiar—tall, upright, and unapologetically boxy. But every panel is new. The front fascia now wears a bolder expression with sharp headlights linked by a wraparound LED light bar. Out back, the sliding rear doors remain, ensuring easy access to tight city parking spots, a hallmark feature of previous generations that Nissan wisely kept.

The Roox’s mission is clear: squeeze out every usable millimeter of space. To that end, Nissan stretched the cabin by 4.5 inches, giving the interior a surprisingly roomy feel for a car that’s barely bigger than a shoebox. Rear seats slide fore and aft by nearly a foot, unlocking a cargo area capable of swallowing four carry-on–sized suitcases.

Inside, things get properly futuristic. Dominating the dash is a massive 12.3-inch infotainment display—the largest ever fitted to a Kei car. It’s joined by Nissan’s Intelligent Around View Monitor, complete with an “Invisible Hood View” that digitally erases the front end of the car to help drivers spot curbs, bicycles, and other urban hazards.

This Roox also leans heavily on active safety. Standard kit includes a 3D view system, Nissan’s ProPILOT semi-autonomous driver-assist suite, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot intervention, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. For a city car that costs less than many used Civics, the tech list borders on decadent.

Customization hasn’t been overlooked either. Buyers can pick from 17 paint schemes, including six two-tone options, across the base Roox and the sportier Highway STAR trim. Pricing starts at a very approachable 1.6 million yen (about $10,760).

As for performance, don’t expect much to change under the skin. The Roox is still expected to use a 658-cc three-cylinder producing 52 horsepower and 44 lb-ft of torque. In the Kei car world, that’s right on target—and more than enough to shuffle through Tokyo traffic.

The 2025 Nissan Roox may be small, but it proves that Kei cars can deliver big on design, practicality, and technology. Too bad it’ll never make the trip stateside.

Source: Nissan