Nissan Builds One-Off Batman-inspired Juke Nismo, Offers it in a Special Competition

Halloween may be long gone, but Nissan hasn't throw…its pumpkins out yet. To celebrate the partnership with Warner Bros and the release of the third film in Christopher Nolan’s Batmantrilogy on DVD and Blu-Ray on December 3, and of course, create some buzz around its name, Nissan's UK division has built a special vehicle inspired by the Dark Knight.

Called "The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo", this one-off model won't go on sale but instead, it will be offered to the winner of a special competition named "Builttothrill" that runs until February 28, 2013 with the results to be announced in early March.



The darker edition of the Juke is based on the Nismo variant that will go on sale in the UK in January next year. We'll remind that the Nismo model sports an uprated 1.6-liter turbocharged four producing 197Hp (200PS) for a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 7.8 seconds along with a bodykit, 18-inch alloys, tuned suspension and bespoke interior parts.

The Bruce Wayne-inspired model brings a matt black paint reminiscent of Batman’s Tumbler (with a little bit of imagination, that is…), red accent stripes that recall the 1966 Batmobile, a new shark fin antenna that replaces the conventional aerial, Bat badges, and gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, passengers are welcomed by bat logos on the door sills and reflective Bat badges on front and rear headrests.

Finally, Nissan also added an uplighter that projects Bat symbol on the headlining as well as downlighters mounted under the door mirrors that project the Bat logo onto the floor area around the doors.

 

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After the major upgrade it received for the 2013 model year, it would be logical to assume that Nissan’s GT-R would remain mostly unchanged this year.

Nissan’s dedicated Team GT-R, though, led by Kazutoshi Mizuno, has a philosophy of constant improvement. Therefore, the 2014MY GT-R, which will make its world debut today at the LA Auto Show, may look identical to the previous model but it features a number of significant changes dictated by the data Team GT-R collected after entering a stock car in this year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race.

"With the entry into an actual 24-hour racing competition, GT-R's unique development process not only took an incredible step into a new dimension, it did so under the eyes of 100,000-plus spectators", said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan North America.

"The development of a super high performance vehicle demands testing your own limits as well as the vehicle's, as was the case at Nürburgring, and will certainly pay off in our GT-R customers' enhanced driving enjoyment," he added.

Power and torque output remains the same, at 545HP and 463 lb-ft respectively, but new fuel injectors allow for enhanced torque between 4,500-6,000 rpm and improved throttle response in mid and high revs while a baffle in the oil pan stabilizes oil behavior and pressure and new relief valves for the turbochargers’ bypass helps sustain instant throttle response.

Moreover, Nissan decided to add an aluminum nameplate with the name of the specially trained engineered who, as has been the case since the current GT-R’s inception, single-handedly assembled that unit.

In the chassis department, the 2014 GT-R features reinforcements to the dash panel bar and instrument panel member in order to improve rigidity. Additionally, the front suspension has been thoroughly revised with changes to the dampers, springs and anti-roll bar lowering the center of gravity and improving stability when cornering.

All those changes enabled Nissan’s revamped supercar to post a 7’18’’6 lap time at the Nürburgring, improving upon the 2013MY car’s 7’21’’.

The new GT-R will be available in the U.S. from January in two versions: the GT-R Premium, which will feature a navigation system, a custom-designed Bose audio system with 11 speakers, premium near-black finish wheels and heated front seats, and the GT-R Black Edition that adds black Rays forged alloys, a two-tone interior in red and black with Recaro leather seats and a dark headliner and a dry carbon fiber rear wing.

Customers will be able to choose between Deep Blue Pearl, Jet Black, Solid Red, Gun Metallic, Pearl White and a limited production 4-stage metallic Super Silver paint, and two optional packages.

The Cold Weather package includes Dunlop all-season tires and a unique coolant/water ratio and the Premium Interior package sports semi-aniline leather, hand-stitching on the front seates and red accents on the steering wheel, gear lever and instruments and door panels.

You can watch Road & Track’s preview of the 2014 Nissan GT-R in the video that follows right after the break.

 

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Infiniti Goes to Brazil, will Launch with a New Sedan, the FX and JX in 2014

Even though Nissan originally created Infiniti in 1989 to cater to the needs of North American consumers, the Japanese brand has since rapidly expanded its global network that currently includes 47 countries around the globe.

This year alone, Infiniti added Singapore, Chile, the Dominican Republic, South Africa and Australia to the list of countries it operates within, with Hong Kong to follow in early 2013.

And that's no all, as on Saturday, Infiniti announced plans to begin sales in Brazil starting in 2014 with the opening of "Infiniti Centres" in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

"As part of Infiniti's worldwide expansion, Brazil is a logical addition to our footprint for premium car owners,” said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti.

"By 2014, premium vehicles with a unique combination of inspired performance, attentive hospitality and unparalleled quality will become a reality for the Brazilian market. We are delighted to enter Brazil as we know discerning customers there are very receptive to premium brands,” he added.

Infiniti said it will launch in Brazil with the FX crossover, the seven-seater JX and an all-new sports sedan yet to be released that we believe to be the next G-series,  which you can check out in detail here.

 

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Nissan Fuga and Infiniti M get Some Attitude from Wald International

The JDM Nissan Fuga, which is one and the same with the Infiniti M sedan sold in overseas markets including North America and Europe, has beenblessed with a new styling package from Wald International named the Sports Line Black Edition.Wald, one of Japan's most recognized tuners, gives the Fuga a more aggressive appearance through an aero kit that bundles a new front bumper housing LED daytime running lights, side skirts with front fender side extensions, deck-lid and roof spoilers, and a new rear apron with integral diffuser.

The treatment continues with the quad tailpipes of the sports exhaust system, a new set of alloy wheels and a lowered suspension to improve the Japanese sedan's stance and handling.

Prices in Japan, excluding the cost of the rims and sports suspension kit, start from 821,100 Yen or about US$10,400 / €8,200 at today's exchange rates.

 

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