Steve

Tokyo, Japan - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has developed two new-generation six-cylinder V-type engines for front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles featuring powerful performance and improved environmental friendliness.

The 3.5L VQ35HR and 2.5L VQ25HR engines will be built at Nissan's Iwaki Plant in Fukushima Prefecture and will be equipped in the all-new Skyline to be released this autumn in Japan, as well as in the U.S. where the model is sold as the Infiniti G35.

Featuring newly-designed engine blocks and other key components, the engines offer smooth transition to top-in-class level engine speed of 7,500 RPM drawing upon the "smooth transition" concept of the popular VQ engine, the only engine in the world to appear on Ward's 10-Best Engines list for 12 consecutive years.

The engines achieve a 10 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared to vehicles equipped with the existing VQ engine and top-in-class Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle level emissions. SU-LEVs have 75 percent or less nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions than those stipulated by Japan's 2005 exhaust emission standards.

The letters "HR" in VQ35HR and VQ25HR stand for "high revolution" and "high response."

Nissan began VQ engine production in 1994 and has produced a cumulative total of 5.5 million units as of last fiscal year, ended March 31, 2006.

Main specifications of the VQ35HR and VQ25HR engines:

Smooth transition to top-in-class level engine speed of 7,500 rpm
* Reduction of weight and friction through adoption of asymetrical piston skirt configuration
* Reduction of piston-side force through lengthening of con rod
* Addition of rudder frame, newly-designed cylinder block with significantly improved rigidity

Thrilling revving sound and top-in-class output
* Adoption of perfectly symmetrical intake system
* Adoption of continuously variable valve timing control (CVTC) for intake side and electromagnetic valve timing control (e-VTC) for exhaust side
* Reduction of intake resistance through adoption of symmetrical twin intake system and straight intake port
* Adoption of isometric exhaust manifold and perfectly symmetrical exhaust system

Improvement of fuel-efficiency and emission cleanliness
* Reduction of friction through adoption of world's first hydrogen-free, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating
* Adoption of catalyst substrate with ultra-low heat mass, super-ignition iridium spark plug and fast light-off O2 sensor control