Nissan Altima 2016 News

Nissan's Australian sales have slipped so dramatically in the last four years that the company’s global HQ is rethinking the local line-up - just don’t expect the turnaround to happen overnight.

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While Holden are set to start a V6 revolution by strapping a six-cylinder turbo into a Commodore when the "Gen 2" era begins, it appears Nissan will resist calls to put a Skyline GT-R on the grid and extend the reign of the Altima.News Corp Australia has been told Nissan, who come off-contract at the end of next year, will soon recommit to the sport and continue its four-car assault beyond 2017 by signing a new multi-year deal with Nissan Motorsport Australia.But despite popular demand and a new set of rules that have made a return possible, Nissan will not unleash the GT-R — the giant-killing car known as "Godzilla" that dominated the early 1990s.The 90-page "Gen 2" document has been sent to Nissan HQNissan will stick with the four-door Altima sedan.The 90-page "Gen 2" document has been sent to Nissan HQ in Japan with NISMO bosses set to examine the document."Nissan has been in discussion with V8 Supercars for some time regarding the technical regulations for 2017 and beyond," Nissan said in a statement."The next major step in our decision-making process is to work with NISMO in Japan on closely examining the Gen2 V8SC Technical Regulations so that we can evaluate our options."

Following nearly a full season of V8 Supercar effort, Nissan's Altima sedan -- the replacement for the long-toothed Maxima -- will move from the track to hit local showrooms in November

Not a wheel has yet turned in anger on Nissan's Altima but it has already claimed a scalp. The arrival of the V8 Supercar's road-going second cousin twice-removed on showroom floors in Australia spells certain doom for the long-serving Maxima nameplate.The new sedan's arrival in the last quarter of the year - following its debut series in the revamped V8 Supercar championship - will mark the end of the Maxima's 23-year run in Australia, as sales of the large sedan dwindle to a trickle.The passenger car flagship finished last year with 1454 - down almost 25 per cent on the 2011 tally - although it's January sales tally were up on the back of a sharp retail finance campaign.The demise of Maxima comes as the Japanese brand prepares to enter the V8 Supercar championship and bring to market a dozen new or facelifted models over the next two years."We have 12 new products over the next two years - the V8 Supercars is a great platform to seed the Altima, we're bringing that nameplate here to replace Maxima, we see that as a great segway in.""Maxima will be phased out over the next 6 to 8 months to give Altima a clean run," he says. The brand has to wait until near year's end for the Altima to make an impact in the sales columns.The triumphant return of the Pulsar nameplate to a market that remembers it fondly bodes well for Nissan, who don't feel left behind in the small car market despite Tiida's lacklustre performance."I don't know if we are behind, the last Pulsar was on offer in 2006, during that time we have maintained a 71 per cent awareness, Tiida after six years had 56 per cent, we believe Pulsar is the right product in the right segment at the right time," he says.The Japanese brand last year finished with 79,787 sales - a 17 per cent jump on 2011 and its highest tally since 1990. It has started the year with continued momentum, setting a January record with 7202 vehicles sold - a 34 per cent increase on January 2012."Nissan’s popularity in Australia is on the rise and there’s no stronger evidence of this than our latest sales results," Mr Peffer says. 

the Kelly-Racing backed Nissan Altima will shatter 20 years of Holden and Ford dominance when the team runs four factory-backed cars in the 2013 V8 Supercars series.

However Nissan¹s entry seems to have stalled. The V8 engine for the Nissan Altima which the Kelly Racing Team will race next year has not even been bench tested yet. However, Nissan and the Kelly brothers, Rick and Todd, are not panicking. Nissan Australia motorsport general manager Jeffrey Fisher - one of the architects of Nissan returning to Australia¹s premiere racing category says he is not getting frustrated by the apparent lack of progress on a Nissan-powered V8 Supercar.“We always knew it was mega job they have to do,” he says. “They’re building a brand new engine from scratch and are building a car that is not even on sale here yet. “They’ve only just started to build the Altima in the US.” Nissan returns to Aussie motorsport next year with four cars built by the Kelly Racing Team for Rick and Todd, plus Karl Reindler and Greg Murphy.They will be driving cars with a five-litre V8 engine that is a “de-stroked” (shorter-cylinder) version of the Patrol’s new 5.6-litre V8 due in December. The car will be shaped like the “large-ish medium-sized Altima” which Fisher says will go on sale here in the second half of next year. “We always went into the race program with a vehicle that we would sell here,” he says.“We will be racing the Altima before we sell it, so it’s a great way to get some awareness for it.” Rick Kelly says he is not concerned that championship-leading team Triple 8 has already tested its first completed new V8 Supercar “Car of the Future” (COFT) for the 2013 season at Queensland Raceway. “Triple 8 doesn’t have the same issues we have,” he says.“Their car is the same shape and has the same engine but we have to design the whole thing from scratch and then get the aero package homologated by V8 Supercars,” he says. “It’s largely in the hands of V8 Supercars and whatever package Nissan is comfortable with.” He confirmed that the V8 engine was still awaiting parts and had not yet been bench tested.However, he said it would be ready for revealing early next month and the first completed new race car rolled out in October. While the double-overhead cam V8 Nissan engine should have better fuel economy than the Holden and Ford push-rod engines, Fisher says V8 Supercars will equalise the engines. “Every advantage that a team can garner they will have a look at,” he says.“The equalisation terms are pretty strict. V8 Supercars will do what they need to so there are no obvious advantages. “We already know that the car will need to run some extra weight to get it up to the minimum.” Fisher says Nissan owners are keen for the brand to re-enter the sport. “This is just the kind of tonic the brand needs,” he says.“There’s a latent fan base out there. “I’m sure it will be a more interesting competition next year.” Kelly says the 2013 series would be more level with all teams having to build new race cars to the new COTF specifications. “This year is unusual with two teams dominating, while last year we won three races,” he says. “Next year (COTF) will even everything out. “However, the teams that are doing well now with managing tyre wear will still be good teams next year so it’s not going to be a free kick for us.”