Options included 12 different styles of grille, while a novel battery-driven engine kicked in to drive rear wheels when those at the front were spinning. While subsequent iterations were officially imported to the UK market, this is the Cube that fans are keenest on, not least because of the unswerving commitment to squared-off styling that gives this little Nissan its name. Nissan Cube Z11īoxy Nissan aimed at being a lounge on wheels when it was introduced to the Japanese market in 2002. Named - as of course you want to know - after the Bongo antelope, native to African forests. Who wouldn’t want a combination people carrier and camper with a name like this endearing 1990s Mazda? Pop-up top contains extra bed, compact dimensions made it more nimble than European rivals, bulletproof reliability meant few visits to your local dealer and the reassurance that your camping holiday to Cornwall wouldn’t be interrupted by pesky mechanical difficulties down a single-track lane. Interior is super-simple form-follows-function, result is as much family pet as motor car. Split tailgate is said to be a nod to Austin’s Pininfarina-designed A40. Once described in the New York Times as “the height of post-modernism”, Nissan’s remarkable take on a form-follows-function small car, based on Micra mechanicals, references everything from the original classic Mini, with external door hinges, to Citroën’s 2CV with flap-up rear side windows. Lace curtains can be drawn for extra privacy. You’ll be travelling in the back of course, on your first class cabin-style reclining wool-covered seat - leather is regarded as less sound absorbent - while your chauffeur does all the hard work, tastefully concealed by a partition. Powered by a lazy V12 designed specifically for the Century, this limousine is all about ultimate comfort and ease. Keen on travelling like a real plutocrat? Then Toyota’s range-topping Century, here in G50 guise as introduced in 1997, is what you need. While styling is demure compared to successors, that didn’t extend to what was under the bonnet: a 2.6-litre in-line six twin-turbo engine, producing 276 bhp, but up to 1,000 bhp when set upon by Japan’s famous tuner scene. This it did with aplomb, winning every single Japanese Group A race in its first season. Nissan Skyline GT-R R32īeginning of the legend that became known as Godzilla was the 1989 Skyline GT-R R32, developed for one reason and one reason only: to win on track. Just 500 are being made - allocated via ballot in Japan. Cost is twice as much as the regular GR Yaris, and your extra cash buys not only those aerodynamic appendages but extensive use of carbon fibre bodywork, aimed at saving weight, plus there’s added welding for stiffness. If Toyota’s frankly bonkers GR Yaris, co-developed by those behind the company’s rally programme, isn’t wild enough, then perhaps consider this heavily bewinged more powerful cousin as a grey import.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |