In August 1994, Nissan introduced the A32 series Cefiro to the JDM market. The A32 was typically only given the Cefiro badge for the JDM; exported A32s frequently had the Maxima emblem. The A32 was advertised as the “Nissan Maxima QX” in Europe. The mid-range 2.5-liter engine was exclusively marketed in the Japanese Domestic Market, while the 2- and 3-liter engines were offered in international markets. In January 1997, the Cefiro underwent a minor facelift that added new multi-reflector head- and taillights. While more comfortable variants had chromed headlamps, sportier models had black backing. While ABS and airbags were made standard across the board in the domestic market, there were also some modest alterations to the interior and the trim around the door frames.
With its new front-wheel drive setup and Nissan VQ six-cylinder engines, the A32’s personality altered. On both this and the following generations, four-wheel drive was not an option. Beginning in June 1997, the JDM Cefiro was also made available as a wagon option in place of the Toyota Mark II Qualis. After the sedan was discontinued, the Cefiro Wagon (WA32) was still manufactured until it was discontinued in August 2000.
The Nissan-branded Cefiro A32 was produced in Taiwan by Yulon. Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand were among the other nations that use the Cefiro name. It was rebadged and released as the Renault Samsung SM5 in South Korea.
The Cefiro A32 took the place of the A31 Cefiro in the Philippines in 1997. It is propelled by a 4-speed automatic transmission and Nissan’s 2.0L VQ20DE V6 engine. [1]
Nissan unveiled the brand-new “Brougham VIP” trim in 2000. The same 2.0L V6 engine, paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission, powers the “Brougham VIP.” It has revised headlights, grilles, and taillights. [2]
By 2002, an additional trim called “Elite” had been added to the “Brougham VIP” trim. Nissan’s 2.0L V6 engine continues to power both trims, and it is coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission in each case. The new “Elite” trim had a redesigned 6-speaker audio system with a 6-CD/VCD changer, power-adjustable seats, faux wood trim, a complete leather interior with tufted seats, and faux wood accents. Different wheel designs, a special pagcor symbol, automatic temperature control, and a motorized moon roof were added to the “Brougham VIP” trim. [3]
Nissan unveiled the “300EX” as a new trim in 2004. Nissan’s 3.0L VQ30DE V6 engine and a standard automatic transmission with performance mode now power the “300EX.” Among other things, it had unique wheel designs, leather interior and seats, keyless entry, back armrests, rear air conditioning vents, a factory-installed alarm system, an immobilizer, and a power rear windshield sunshade. [4]
Cefiro: What does that mean?
From the Spanish word “cefiro,” which translates to “soft gentle wind that brings spring to the Mediterranean,” comes the name CEFIRO. Another name for CEFIRO is “beauty, playfulness.”
On a skyline, what does GTR stand for?
Before joining up with Nissan-Datsun, Prince Automobile Company created and sold the Skyline line of sedans, giving rise to the Skyline brand.
The Prince Motor Company first introduced the 1.5-liter engine-powered Skyline in April 1957. A 2.0-litre G7 inline-6 engine shared with the upscale Prince Gloria sedan powered the Prince Skyline GT, a later version introduced in 1964. Two variants for travel were constructed. The S54B had a triple carburetor engine rated at 92 kW (125 PS; 123 hp), whereas the S54A had a single carburetor engine with a rating of 78 kW (106 PS; 105 hp). A total of 100 units were produced for each model. [18]
Gran TurismoRacing and Gran TurismoBerlinetta, respectively, are abbreviations for video games.
[19] As most automobiles built in Japan at the time used Western acronyms to increase sales, the Japanese decided to name the car using Italian naming practices. The S54 2000 GT-B, the GT-R’s earliest forerunner, finished second to the purpose-built Porsche 904 GTS at the 1964 Japanese Grand Prix. However, the GT-R was actually the first sports-oriented model in the Skyline lineup, hence the name, while the previous Prince Skyline Sport coup/convertible preceded it. [20]
The four-door PGC10 2000 GT-R, the next iteration of the GT-R, won 33 races during its one and a half-year racing career. However, when it attempted to win its 50th race in a row, a Mazda Savanna RX-3 broke its winning streak. By the time it was withdrawn in 1972, the car had amassed 1,000 victories. Due to the global energy crisis, just 197 units of the KPGC110 2000GT-R, the final original GT-R model, were sold. It featured the same S20 119 kW (160 hp) inline-6 engine as the preceding 2000 GT-R. Despite being designed as a single purpose-built race car, this model was the first GT-R to never take part in a significant race. It is currently housed in Nissan’s storage facility for historic vehicles in Zama.
The Skyline survived into the 1990s and gained popularity in large part because it continued to be rear-wheel drive at a time when the majority of other automakers were concentrating on front-wheel drive vehicles.
Throughout its lifespan, Nissan and its performance division Nismo released a number of special editions with extra performance-enhancing tweaks.