Nissan rolls out race concepts

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an event as English as cricket at Lord’s and FA Cup football at Wembley, however, a pair of Japanese upstarts is aiming to crash the party at next month’s extravaganza.

Nissan has designs on stamping its presence on the July 7-9, 2006 festival with outrageous concept versions of its 350Z coupe and Muruno SUV. And they’re not mere cosmetic makeovers either -- both one-offs pack serious firepower.

The 350Z is no slouch even in showroom form, but the UK-developed GT-S concept lifts performance to an altogether new plane, thanks to the addition of a supercharger. Result? Peak power jumps from 221kW to a distinctly more serious 280kW.

Of course, the added grunt wouldn’t be of great value unless the rest of the package was upgraded accordingly. And it is… The manufacturer says uprated brakes and tweaked suspension ensure the car is just as strong in the stopping/handling department as it is in the squirt stakes. Proof of this will ostensibly be provided when it lights up the Goodwood hillclimb track in a series of demonstration runs.

Apart from its searing pace and multicoloured livery, the GT-S is also likely to induce rubber-necking as a result of its chunky 18-inch alloys and a take-no-prisoners bodykit.

Equally over the top is the Murano GT-C, a substantially beefed-up version of the rakish SUV that launched here last year (click here for our latest review).

Visual clues that this is no ‘cooking’ Murano are provided by the oversize 22-inch alloys and subtle roof spoiler, but lift the bonnet and you’ll find a turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 with 259kW -- a handy increment on the donor car’s 172kW. (No word on what’s happened to the standard car’s CVT tranny…)

A sportier driving experience seems the likely outcome, as the blown powerplant is complemented by tauter suspension and liquorice-strip rubber.

The exterior has been painted Kuro black, with all brightwork finished in a darker hue and head and tail-lights tinted in coordinated shades. The cabin also has been upgraded and retrimmed, according to the company, “using British craftsmanship”.

Nissan UK says both of these cars are concepts at the moment, but word has it that both will reach limited production in due course. It’s believed the Murano GT-C will be offered for sale in the UK some late in the (northern-hemisphere) summer, while the 350Z GT-S will follow later in 2006.

As for their Oz prospects?  Well, let’s say at this stage don’t hold your breath. Mind you, a hi-po Murano would be an interesting alternative to BMW's X5 4.8is...