The good oil: Nissan goes for the max

Nissan New Zealand is ready to launch a new Maxima before the end of the year. Final specifications and pricing are yet to be announced but Nissan says that the car is all-new. Versions of the car released overseas feature a much more aggressive look than the existing model, with sleek Mercedes-style headlights and sporty rear-end styling. Changes to the smooth 3-litre V6 engine, including new exhaust and inlet manifolds, have boosted power from the current model's 142kW. The new car has more cabin space and the interior has been restyled. The Maxima is still a strong seller for Nissan in New Zealand, regularly occupying third spot in a large-car segment dominated by the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore.

Aussie cars on big


OE Australia's most potent muscle cars are hoping to make an impression in Britain. A London-based importer of American cars is planning to sell Ford's Falcon XR8 and Fairlane models in limited numbers. The big Aussie may be a long way from home, but it will be in good company: an Oxford importer has already been selling HSV Commodores in Britain for several months. The Falcon AU recently celebrated its first birthday, with 4573 sales in New Zealand since its launch in October 1998.

Flash flood


After a quiet time among sporty two-doors, suddenly it seems that the Kiwi market is awash with flash yet relatively affordable coupes. Earlier this year Nissan became one of the first right-hand-drive markets outside Japan to offer the new version of the turbocharged rear-drive 200SX. Meanwhile, Toyota is gearing up to launch an all-new Celica before Christmas. The new car is more compact than the old and features sharp-edged styling and a brand new 1.8-litre engine with variable valve timing. Ford may get into the game, too. Although it says that it is unlikely to offer the new Cougar coupe as part of its regular showroom line-up, the model may be available on special order. The American-built Cougar features radical new edge styling and is powered by the 2.5-litre V6 engine from upmarket versions of the Mondeo. If your budget does not quite stretch to the latest Japanese and European offerings, there is also the accomplished Hyundai Coupe, which has recently undergone a restyle. Image-conscious coupe buyers have never had so much choice.

Clean-burning Mitsi


Production of Mitsubishi's clean-burning gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engine has now passed 600,000 units and the technology is being licensed by other carmakers. First introduced as a 1.8-litre powerplant in 1996, GDI technology has since spread to 1.5 and 2.4-litre four-cylinder engines, and 2.5, 3 and 3.5-litre V6s. The engines power a wide variety of Mitsubishis, along with the Volvo S40 and V40 (built as part of a joint venture with the Japanese company in the Netherlands), Peugeot in France and Hyundai in Korea. A GDI engine also powers an Italian-built version of the Pajero iO, called the Pajero Pinin. Mitsubishi says the next step is to mate the high-tech engine to continuously variable transmission, with an idle stop system, hybrid electric motor and turbocharging. The result should return fuel economy between 10 and 30 per cent better than the existing GDI engine.