Auto Illuminati

Wow, its been awhile. Fact is, life has taken a front seat these days. A lot of things have not been happening.

People are holding on for dear life. Though the markets signal a sign of recovery? Truth be told the consumer is on hold.

The Automotive consumer is especially on hold. Cars are not selling, credit is hard to get. People are not buying parts or trying to get them for as cheap as possible.

Automobile companies are pulling out of racing series. Major American automakers are entering bankruptcy.
This could be a good thing. If the right management is put in place, with the right policies? These companies could come out,(of bankruptcy) leaner meaner and ready to compete.

Though this is costing the American taxpayer. Its costing the world due to the economic policies of the U.S. fluctuating back and forth. Thereby weakening the dollar. America needs a strong dollar. It gives the world confidence in us.

Oh am I straying off cars? Its easy for that to happen these days. With everything that is going on. Its hard, to even want to take the extra time to try and cover car topics, or even take the time.

AutoIlluminati in no way is backing away from the original intention. Its just a matter of the staff having lives and or full time jobs and families to take care of first.

We, have a love for cars, that is deep and passionate. We, have been around them a long time and are not abandoning them.
At the same time priorities for a minute have shifted.
The result is no new blog posts.

That is why I am here today. To let you guys know, we have been gone but not forgetting. Things will stabilize, Automakers will start bringing out Cars they have put on hold. All is not lost.
Though until things officially stabilize, till the consumer decides its time to start purchasing again? The Auto Industry is in rough ride mode.
We hope that happens before the end of the year. I will try to be posting more frequently.
I am here, so stay tuned.

-Drift Freaq

Autoblog has just just learned that Nissan will NOT be attending most auto shows the rest of the year. They will only attend Geneva, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after they ditched the NAIAS aka Detroit Auto Show.  When they announced they would not be attending Detroit they also said they would not be at Chicago, but later changed their mind and did indeed attend Chicago’s show which ended last weekend. This of course means Infiniti too.

What does that mean for the possible but not probable debut of the next Nissan SX? Who knows.

Here is the statement from Nissa:

Scott Vazin, Nissan’s U.S. director of product public relations:

In a short-term move to address the severe economic challenges to the industry and to consumers worldwide, Nissan has decided to streamline the company’s participation in auto shows during fiscal year 2009. As a result, the company has selected Geneva, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo as the four major international shows where the company will showcase offerings from the Nissan and Infiniti brands during the fiscal year.

“This decision has been taken to ensure maximum return on marketing investments in the midst of extraordinary market conditions. We are confident it is the right decision from a company committed to prudent management of shareholder resources.

“Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust our marketing strategies and tactics accordingly.

Source: Autoblog

A few days ago I posted my rendering of the Nissan Urge. As I mentioned Nissan said the future SX will be based off of this car and therefore I felt that using this car as a base but adding Nissan’s current design language would give me the best results of what the next SX could look like.

The most noticeable change from the Urge Concept rendering  is the addition of a fixed roof or ‘hardtop’. I don’t think Nissan would come right out the gate making the SX a convertible or have a targa top so the addition of the fixed roof was a must for a near production rendering. The roofline now looks very low and resembles the Sky or Solstice slightly which I believe is a good thing. The hood is long and the roof is low. This has always been a S-Chassis staple. You’ll also notice the A-Pillar has changed and the small triangle shape opening is now gone. The extra bracing in the A-Pillar was needed to add some strength and rigidity to the Urge since it had an open roof. Since this is now a coupe it was not needed and now looks more clean and open.

Continue Reading »

Tags: 240sx, Concept, Nissan, Rendering, S-Chassis, silvia, Urge

click on the thumbnail to view the hi-res image

I’ve been working with the Gradient Mesh tool in Illustrator daily now for the last month or so and I’m finally catching on. It’s a tricky tool to learn but damn if you can’t get some incredible results once you start catching on to the intricacies of the tool.

I’ve been basing my idea of the next SX off of the Nissan Urge Concept from a few years ago. So what I decided to do to get the best results possible was to start by rendering the Nissan Urge itself and I’m finally finished. Take a look at the rendering and lend me some feedback. Over-all I’m very happy with the outcome. It’s very realistic and looks like a nicely rendered 3D model. It’s not quit photo realistic but I think I’ll be crossing that road in the near future.

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks for the SX rendering tht I will be making from this rendering.

Here’s the outline of the mesh for shits and giggles.

Tags: 240sx, Concept, Illustrator, Infiniti, Nissan, Rendering, RWD, S-Chassis, silvia, Urge

Let’s face it, Subaru has gone soft. Once a brand that revolved around it’s Rally breed success, in 2009 it’s more concerned with the masses then it is with full throttle on the edge of a mountain racing . The Impreza has went from giant trademark fogs lights and wide fenders to a Corrolla clone with attitude. Is there any hope if you want your Subura and your aggressive looks too? Well the Subura Legacy Concept that debuted in Detroit says “yes sir” and then kicks you in the nuts.

The concept is aggressive inside and out.

“In-car entertainment is featured through monitors with multiple functions that are located in the center console, as well as in the rear of the front seat headrests to provide comfortable functionality as well a calm design that creates a relaxed ambiance for passengers. The monitor for the Side Rear Vision Camera has been situated toward the front of the roof to maximize rear visibility. The design is capped off with seats covered in pearl white leather that give off a blue sheen, while black metallic leather has been used for the door trim to create contrast with the instrument panel”
“The theme of concept design is “Presence”, represented by the aggressive front facia and solid yet expressive body. Four powerful and defined wheel arches emphasize the dynamism of Symmetrical AWD. Sharp design lines carve out a substantial mass as they flow from the hood, across the roof to the trunk, while the sharp body lines project a sense of strength. Wedge-shaped Side Rear Vision Cameras are featured and provide a sense of flow from the momentum of the A-pillar lines. A character line runs from just before the A-pillar and sweeps up to the tail just above the taillamps.

This grille design incorporates a central wing motif that defines the Legacy’s Subaru brand identity. The Subaru logo separates a deep central grille shape that is accented by sharp headlamps with a dual vertical-row layout of multiple LED lamps. In addition, the slim, vertical fog lamps set in a large front valance with angular air intakes add a jewel-like touch to the front design. The LEGACY CONCEPT is finished in a special high-luster “Ultimate Silver” paint to accentuate the design’s angular shapes.”
Follow the link to the rest of the details in the Press Release along with a full gallery.

Continue Reading »

Tags: AWD, Boxer Engine, Concept, Detroit Auto Show, Legacy, Subaru

Nissan released a press release with the info on the V-Spec we’ve all been waiting for. While most were hoping for Nissan to bump up the power to compete more heavily with the ZR1 it looks like they’ve gone a more mild route. Nonetheless the improvements are purposeful and with the an “unofficial” Ring time of 7:25 the improvements should be very effective. Hopefully we’ll get some official Ring numbers from the car now that it’s been unveiled.

Key notes:

“The GT-R SpecV is targeted specifically at enthusiast drivers who desire race car-level performance in a street-legal vehicle.”

“The GT-R SpecV’s new exterior features include a carbon fiber rear spoiler, a carbon fiber grille, and carbon fiber brake ducts.”

“The SpecV is available exclusively in Ultimate Black Opal (RP) body color. Inside, the SpecV’s unique two-seat interior (non-SpecV GT-R models also include a two-place rear seat) offers special Recaro carbon fiber bucket seats, while carbon fiber insets embellish the rear center storage box, instrument panel and other trim areas.”

“Performance is enhanced with a new high gear boost control device, which momentarily increases boost of the engine’s twin turbochargers for greater torque in the intermediate-to-high speed ranges to provide a more powerful feeling of acceleration, while also allowing the engine to operate at a lower speed for improved fuel economy. Other modifications include a titanium-coated exhaust system and carbon-ceramic brakes that provide powerful stopping performance.”

“The GT-R SpecV is also equipped with lightweight, racing-style forged aluminum wheels that were developed for this model and have been sold by Nissan Motorsports International (NISMO) since September 2008. The lighter unsprung weight provided by the new wheels, together with the enhanced braking capability, an exclusive suspension and high-grip tires, combine to deliver the SpecV’s exceptional performance.”

More pics and press release after the jump.

Continue Reading »

Tags: GTR, Infiniti, Nissan, V-Spec

-Exitspeed

A new year and a new rendering.

I took my cartoonish style rendering to the next level via the Gradient Mesh tool and came up with some favorable results.

I reworked the front fascia also making it ore accurate to real life.

Enjoy! Check out after the jump for a full res version.

Continue Reading »

-DorkiDori

DorkiDori's S16 Silvia Rendering (in progress)

Hi guys, I’ve been a bit busy working on shirts and running DorkiDori (plus living on zilvia WAY too much) and have neglected my duties here at Auto Illuminati, and for that im sorry, BUT, the last couple of months in my absence have yielded quite a bit of information about the new “240sx/Silvia” replacement. Both Mel and I have worked up renderings based on info and studies we’ve learned about in the Nissan field and I’ve met with a couple of influential people from Nissan corporate who have let info leak to me about the very much needed replacement 240sx that we’re all dying to, AT LEAST, catch a glimpse of.
Continue Reading »

Tags: 2010, 240sx, Infiniti, Nissan, S16, silvia

-Exitspeed

If you’ve been paying attention Nissan has been dropping little hints here and there about it’s new SX (this is what I’m calling it for the time being)  replacement for quit some time. In 2005 Nissan debuted a concept at the NAIAS aka The Detroit Auto Show called the Urge Concept. It was based off of a shortened FM platform which is what the 350z and G35 sit atop. It wasn’t a close to production concept like the EX Concept of 2007, but rather an extreme character of what a new SX could look like sans the openings in the doors, the open top, the protruding taillights, and the playable X-Box 360. No you have to look beyond all that to really see what Nissan may have in store for us come 2010/2011.

I’ve seen quit a few renderings done online, mostly by magazines like 7Tune, that completely ignore the fact that Nissan has said that the new SX would be based off of the Urge Concept.

So a few weeks ago I set off to teach myself how to do car renderings. It’s something I’ve wanted to learn how to do for quit some time and now just happened to be the perfect time to do it. It’s done is a vector art style.

This is my vision of the new Nissan SX. I based it off the of the Urge concept and added Nissan’s current design language with the “boomerang” headlights housing projectors as well as LED turn signals.  The front fascia borrows cues from the always classic S15 Silvia. Also important are the wide fenders. 240sx enthusiasts are suckers for wide, low offset wheels so I wanted a design that would easily accommodate the widest lowest offsets wheels anyone would want to throw on it. The all black greenhouse is a throwback of sorts to the 180sx/240sx Hatch/Fastback which is how they should have came from the factory. Over all the car is neat and clean. I didn’t want to create another extreme concept. I wanted to render the car in complete production trim.

Comments and feedback are great. However, be kind as this is my first attempt at this whole process of vector art.

-James

Another wild day on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) ending in the price of crude oil falling by over $3 a barrel. Today’s closing price of $40.06 is the lowest crude has closed since early 2004 and industry experts are predicting prices to fall even further.

The OPEC cartel (funny this term is a welcomed description of these guys…… I bet Tony Montana would be pissed) met on Wednesday and agreed to cut another 2.2 million barrels a day, the largest one time cut in history, bringing the 3 month total of production cuts to 4.2 million barrels or 12 percent of their total capacity. “We want non-OPEC countries to contribute, and not just benefit from the impact of our cuts,” Chakib Khelil, OPEC’s current president, said after the meeting in the coastal Algerian town of Oran. “It’s in their own interest as well as in ours.”

Russia, a non-OPEC country, sent a sizable delegation to this meeting but it is being viewed as political support and only carrying symbolic value. Russia will see a decline in their production next year anyway due to new legislation so a drastic mandate to cut production in the former Soviet country would be a waste of time on the part of the Russian government.

So what does all this mean for me and you? It means that for the time being we are going to benefit from the old accounting rule of supply and demand. Ridiculously high summer prices curbed demand so fast in western and Asian countries that the increases in crude production when prices were high are actually coming back to bite crude producing entities in their big fat greedy asses! Careful though, remember when these companies start losing money it could very well add to the economic problems that the United States are facing now. Oil companies will inherently have to cut jobs and stop capital reinvestment to maintain a favorable balance sheet and keep stakeholders off of their backs. Also, if you have a 401k, check your funds. Many fund managers have moved your money around trying to stop the bleeding caused by the credit and housing crunch by investing in more stable companies and commodities. Think you’ve lost a lot already, wait until the oil companies start failing.

Remember in the late 90’s when all the oil companies started to combine, ExxonMobil, BPAmoco, ChevronTexaco, ConnocoPhillips, and so on? Oil companies who couldn’t make it through the crude oil crash had to sell the farm and companies who had a healthy supply of cash laying around were able to buy large heavily capital laden companies for pennies on the dollar (think the banking industry right now). See where I’m going?

So, are record low oil prices good for us? Is $40 a barrel a fair price? What’s going to happen to domestic production and American oil industry jobs? Are we going to push for more drilling? We’ll see!!!