Nissan President?

[Ferrari 308]

WTF is that?

Anyone have a picture?

[Morpheus XIII]

The President is Nissan's flagship luxury car in Japan. Americans may remember it as the mk1 Q45 of the early 90s. Oddly, the japanese retain popular automobiles, regardless of whether or not a newer model is built. A prime example would be the continuation of the 180SX hatchback all the way through '97, built alongside the S13 and S14 Silvias. In this case, age doesn't signify obsoletion. Nissan's Mr. President has grown much since its original inception. The Cima/New Q may take the international spotlight, but there's nothing like a classy car--especially one that satisfies modern needs.

[Morpheus XIII]

All shots from Nissan's japanese corporate website:

[Jay!]

That top pic reminds me of a Ford Crown Vic or its Mercury counterpart. LOL.

[Morpheus XIII]

Yeah, doesn't it? I wonder if cop cruisers in Japan have the upper hand in the speed factor, as ours do.

Once on the way to Vegas, I was running steady at 85, when this 5.0 Mustang state trooper passed me (crossing over the yellow-dashed oncoming lane) at about 115mph or so. It's days like those that I am proud to have serious law-enforcement agencies in our nation, as opposed to the funky laughable little minicoppers they have in Europe, whining the WHEE-AHH, WHEE-AHH, WHEE-AHH (heh, reminds me of Mr. Bean).

However, one thing to be envious of the japanese is this thing they do about keeping older model cars, even though they design and produce newer ones. I was stunned the first time I heard that Nissan decided to continuously build the 180SX alongside the S14 all the way through 1997. Being a hardened fan of the SR20DET powered machines, it was music to my ears (especially because they gave the 180SX a nice facelift, which I intend to incorporate into an S13 240SX hatch when I purchase one in September).

Below: the most recent 180SXs

[Morpheus XIII]

The nice new skirts and spoiler are factory equipment, alongside the freshened taillights (available at around $500 in the U.S. for the whole set). You may have seen the wheels on some later G20's and '97-'98 240SX's as a dealer option variety.

[Morpheus XIII]

Moderators: PLEASE don't move these posts, I am trying to display the significance of the Japanese auto-marketing strategy of keeping popular models alive.

Below: the ominous staring glow of the circular rear lights at night. Somewhat similar to the Skyline's trademark derriere.

[Morpheus XIII]

180SX with a new bunghole. Note the relocation of the Nissan emblem. Nice touch!

[Morpheus XIII]

Redone front bumper/airdam. I don't know about you guys, but I REALLY enjoy pop-up headlights, and I'm glad Nissan retained them until the 180SX's end. And none of that aftermarket 'lazy-eyed' poppers that the NSX made popular for the MR2, RX-7 and others. The full pop-up headlight is a sign of genuine sports. Perhaps switching to half-open headlights is interesting for outside viewers, but that shows ignorance in the sense that the driver only considers what others think of their machine, instead of what they feel is right. Genuine pop-up headlights are BEST viewed from the INSIDE of a car. They let you know what your car was intended for.

[Jay!]

Originally posted by morpheusxiii
...And none of that aftermarket 'lazy-eyed' poppers ...

I don't get what you mean by that. Great post, BTW!!!

[Morpheus XIII]

Some call it "the sleepy-look" or "1/3rd, 2/3rds up". I don't why I make such a big deal about this all the time, but for some reason the look just gets on my nerves. I even KNOW how to perform the mod, but that doesn't mean I would ever do it. Plus, as I mentioned previously, it seems like just another 'trendy' fix that gets away from the original sports car design.

Here is a shot of what it looks like on an S13. Some like it, some don't, but without the right aftermarket lights, it could seriously impair night-time vision:

[Jay!]

And people choose to do that? I've never seen that before. Are they fixed in that position, or is the travel just limited? They look broken. I'd be pissed if my headlights did that.

[Nizmolee]

yo morpheous, whre are you located? man, love those pictures!!! i just discovered a new world!! Any chance you might be able to find some real japanese parts for a 98 maxima or buy some parts off those japanese cars?? thanks
wayne~ [email protected]

[Morpheus XIII]

I don't know how compatible the Maxima is with the Cefiro, but perhaps some chassis/suspension modifications can be had on the U.S. Maxima since they share a chassis. However, if I owned a Max, I would stick to our U.S. performance aftermarket since many of the engine and bolt-on parts (Stillen, HKS, etc.) are built with the highest quality. For suspension I would look into HKS's Hiper Damper, and for more horses I think a good choice would be the Stillen supercharger since it is CARB approved. I don't think anyone would want to lose the comfort, reliability, and street legality of a car like Maxima--a refined rocket, rather than a grunt racer.

But you probably already knew all about this; sorry I can't be more of help.

[Nizmolee]

thanks! i ll look around, my max is okay for now...