TwistedAndes - Nissan Titan V8 = USA agarrate los pantalones

CON 300 HP y un motor V8 de 5.6 litros, hara que las RAM, Silverados y F150 se hagan "pipi" DE MIEDO .... AHAHAHAHAHAH

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Detroit has dodged bullets before – in the full-size truck market, that is. The high-profit domain of the Big Three has seen the likes of the Toyota T100 come and go, and the Toyota Tundra come very close and take a significant piece of business away from their mainstays. But not until now has a Japanese maker taken on the full-size market so directly, in size, mission, even in country of origin.

Nissan’s new 2004 Titan, which made its debut at the Detroit show, is a full-frontal assault on Detroit’s profitable big pickups. It’s built on a new platform dubbed ZW, which also will spawn a new Frontier/Xterra in the not-too-distant future. The Titan spans the same rough critical dimensions as the Ram, Silverado and F-150. It sports a 300-plus horsepower V-8, standard King Cab configuration with two rear-hinged and two front-hinged doors, and high towing capacity. And Nissan is betting its heavy nod to flexibility, especially in the Titan’s bed, will win it some buyers from the more conventional trucks from Chevy, Ford and Dodge.

Nissan pegged plenty of performance benchmarks with the Titan because they knew the Titan had to be good to enough show up on the radar of domestic truck shoppers. “We don’t have a lot of credibility in this segment,” said Larry Dominque, Chief Product Specialist, Nissan Titan. Their goals for building the Titan were to make an expressive shape that had the best in class power, fuel economy and driving range.

To that end, the Titan comes with a 5.6-liter V-8 rated at more than 300 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque. Loosely based on the Infiniti V-8, Nissan calls this iteration the “Endurance” V-8. The 300 hp is achieved without the use of variable valve timing; Dominique says with VVT the engine can “easily make 30 or 40 hp more,” and also notes that a supercharger will fit neatly in the V-8’s 90-degree valley. The V-8 does have other semi-exotic hardware, though, including a microfinished forged steel crankshaft and moly-coated pistons.

With the sole engine – a V-6 is in the discussion stage -- the new Titan offers a only a five-speed automatic transmission, no manuals. With that gearbox, the Titan is rated at 9400 lb towing capacity, just shy of best in class. (Before word of the Titan’s tow rating was made public, Ford had issued its 2004 F-150 rating of less than 9400 pounds. Later, Ford updated its numbers and now rates the ’04 F-150 at 9500 lb towing capacity.)

Four-wheel drive is available on the Titan in a system that offers only electronic shift on the fly below 50 mph. Soon after launch, Nissan says it will offer an off-road package with a lower-ratio Dana 44 axle, an electronic locking rear differential, Rancho shocks and bigger all-terrain tires. Power rack-and-pinion steering is standard, as are four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock control.

The shape, Nissan hopes, will be perceived as a modern, fresh break with pickup tradition. The “fourth way” Nissan has chosen cuts a leaner figure than the bulky American designs. The sole cabin at launch is the King Cab, which offers two full front-hinged doors paired with two rear-hinged half doors. A full four-door Crew Cab will be unveiled at April’s New York auto show.

The Titan’s bed design benefits from a new generation of crossovers and the call for more flexibility in cars and trucks of all sizes and shapes. For the hardcore truck users, Nissan has made a spray-in black bedliner available through the factory. There’s also a new Utili-track System that incorporates five C-channels in the bed that will accommodate a range of accessories, like a planned sliding toolbox, dividers, even removable cleats for tying down cargo. And along with special bed lighting, Nissan also has fitted the optional flexible bed with four stake pockets and a bedside storage compartment that will hold work gloves, ball hitches, and other equipment in a bin located behind the driver-side rear wheel, accessible even when the bed is full. The Titan’s bed hold the ubiquitous and proverbial 4x8 sheet of plywood, so fear not, Home Depot devotees.

Inside, Nissan plans a thorough range of standard and optional equipment, including power front seats with memory, heated front seats, flip-up rear seat cushions with grocery hooks. And the doors to the King Cab model sport a unique feature that Nissan dubs the Wide-Open rear door. It swings open nearly 180 degrees, giving much improved access to the rear seats/cargo area.

The Titan will be one of four vehicles assembled in the Canton, Miss. facility, along with the new Nissan Quest, Nissan full-size SUV and full-size Infiniti SUV. The new 3.5-million square foot Canton facility is schedule to start production in summer 2003, and Nissan’s goal for volume is 100,000 Titans a year. Nissan’s Decherd, Tenn. plant will produce the Titan's Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter V-8. Nissan suggests the Titan will be priced as an exceptional value, though in King Cab V-8 configuration not less than $30,000.

Looking ahead, a Nissan full-size SUV based on the Titan, but with an independent rear suspension, will be shown at the New York Auto Show along with the Titan Crew Cab. And Nissan seems to be studying seriously the development of a heavy-duty pickup. Diesels, too, are on the consideration list, and execs say they’ve talked to Delphi about that company’s Quadrasteer four-wheel steering.

The Titan is scheduled to go on sale nationwide later this year.