Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on edgy styling and performance. The company's lineup of vehicles is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Tennessee-based plant.The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.After the turn of the new century, however, Nissan bounced back. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima were well-received, as were new models like the Titan and Armada. A 1999 alliance with Renault, a European automaker, also helped to shore up the company's finances. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of vehicles capable of going head to head with the best of the best when it comes to overall quality, dependability and performance.
All the talk out of Nissan recently has been about the GT-R supercar, but the 2009 Nissan 370Z is headed our way soon as well. An early test mule for the next-generation Z-car was spotted testing at the Nurburgring test track in Germany last year. It wore what looked like sheet metal from the current-generation Z, but a closer inspection makes it clear that the car was substantially modified. At roughly 3,600 pounds, the current-model Z-car is far heavier than its natural competition, the 2,900-pound Porsche Cayman and the 3,100-pound BMW Z4. We think Nissan is looking to push the Z closer to its natural competitors when it comes to performance, and this cut-down chassis might be an attempt to create a leaner, lighter Z. Instead of employing exotic materials to reduce the Z-car's weight, it looks like Nissan is simply whittling down the chassis to a smaller size. The current Z has a wheelbase of 104.3 inches, and while the next-gen Z isn't likely to match the short 95.1-inch wheelbase of the Porsche Cayman, we're guessing something between the two numbers is a safe bet. And don't be surprised to see a 370Z badge planted on the trunk lid of this new car, as an upgrade to Nissan's new 3.7-liter V6 is also likely to appear. Rated at 330 horsepower in the Infiniti G37, the 370Z's V6 would probably come in around 320-325 hp, a modest bump to the 306 hp delivered by the current 3.5-liter V6.