Japan Car News: Isuzu D-Max, Honda Indy Cars, Subaru BRZ And More …

Isuzu’s HOT New D-Max is On The Loose in Australia

It is no secret that Aussie’s love their utes (short for utility vehicles), and Isuzu’s new dual cab 4WD is one tonne workhorse poised to take the land Down Under by storm for both the family minded commuter and the offroad enthusiast alike.

There has been a continuous high demand for big displacement turbo-diesels in the Australian light truck and sport utility vehicle like the 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel motor in the D-Max. Paired with its new six-speed transmission and a few other tech refinements, Isuzu’s latest offering is ready to run roughshod over the competition from Toyota, Ford, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.

Sure enough, this new truck offers significantly more usable power, rides like its on rails, has an silky smooth six-speed automatic transmission, and it all comes at a very attractive price point for what it is. Bonus points to the D-Max as well for its Euro5-compliant emissions rating and its exceptional off-road performance, and impressive fuel economy.

Isuzu’s been steadily gaining popularity in Australia’s 4WD ute market, earning the admiration of Australian drivers thanks to its tough-as-nails, no-nonsense design, and it is considered as a serious long term investment for both families that like a weekend getaway in the outback and tradesmen who earn their living with their daily driver. It has made hugh strides in recent years thanks to its tough and sporty MU-X wagon, and the newly redesigned D-Max seems ever more likely to unseat the former ute 800-pound gorilla of them all, the Nissan Navara. Isuzu trailed Nissan last year by only 400 total sales.

Thanks to Isuzu’s smarter, market focused design with a bigger engine capacity, increased torque, and some sleek-yet-rugged styling tweaks, this dual cab is looking to be the new world heavyweight champion in the 4WD ute market, and if their reputation continues to grow at its current rate, they are likely to keep that title for many years to come.

Mikhail Aleshin Leading the Way Pre-Season for Honda Indy Cars

Driver for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Mikhail Aleshin was the leading performer among the Honda Indy car competitors this past weekend at the two-day “Test in The West”, an event held at the Phoenix International Raceway. Aleshin posted the sixth fastest speed this past Saturday afternoon during the Verizon IndyCar Series field practice session, an event that usually signals the end of pre-season practice for the 2017 racing season.

Drive Tonay Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing also brought Honda back to Indycar for the 2017 season by posting the seventh fastest time, and Dale Coyne Racing’s Sebastian Bourdais also repped a Honda Indycar as he posted the ninth fastest time. The top 10 for the weekend test run was rounded out by Aleshin’s fellow Schmidt Peterson teammate James Hinchcliffe, also driving a Honda for the 2017 season.

This weekend’s test event in Phoenix was the public debut of the twin-turbocharged Honda HI7RTT V6 Indy engine, and so far prospects look very promising for Honda when the Verizon IndyCar Series commences on March 12 in St. Petersburg, Florida for the Firestone Grand Prix.

Mikhail Aleshin had this to say post test run: “We did a good job in today’s first session, and it was pretty productive; we went through our test plan and everything went perfect. I know we are the fastest Honda, so that is pretty good, but there are still a lot of things in our plan to work on in the final session. This test has been great. We’re here in Arizona, the weather is great, nice people around and I’m with my team, so I think that’s what matters and I’m really enjoying our time here.”

President of Honda Performance Development Art St. Cyr also remarked on the testing in Phoenix this weekend: “After a long off-season, it does feel good to be back on track again. This being a test weekend, you can’t read too much into the results, and we know we still have work to do prior to the start of the season. But we are looking forward to the start of racing next month in St. Petersburg, and to seeking our fourth victory in the last six years at the Indianapolis 500.”

I know all of us here at Eastern Roundup are pulling for an all Honda IndyCar podium at the championship in Indianapolis this year. Best of luck to all our Honda IndyCar contenders!

Nissan Expands Urban “Midnight Edition” Package

After the incredible customer response to last year’s Maxima “Midnight Edition” accessory package, Nissan has decided to expand the black-on-black color scheme trim accessories for their entire lineup.

Their new six vehicle Midnight Edition campaign includes the Sentra, Altima, Rogue, Murano, and Pathfinder, with a Midnight Edition Maxima already confirmed. The original “Midnight Edition” Maxima was first unveiled during a TV awards program in late 2015, but Nissan had no plans at the time to market the model after the ad.

Then the customers started calling.

“Our phones started ringing with people asking how they could buy it,” stated Nissan’s chief marketing director Eric Ledieu. “So we quickly made it available on the Maxima SR — and now it accounts for 85 percent of all SR sales.”

Ledieu went to his dealerships and asked if there would be any interest in more “Midnight Editions”, and the dealers immediately clamored for any and all “Midnight Editions” that could be sent. Thus the line was expanded, and Nissan fully expects to see this touch of noir look continuing to be exceptionally popular across all model in their lineup.

Subaru’s 2017 BRZ is On The Prowl

There once was a time when car enthusiasts could find a sports coupe that offered significant performance and a sense of sheer joy that connected via the accelerator pedal, and it wouldn’t require them to raid their retirement fund. These days, a decent coupe will set you back you a fair portion of your children’s college education and a few of your Golden Years, too. Nobody needs that kind of drama/hassle/dilemma/responsibility in their life. But what can you do?

Enter the new 2017 Subaru BRZ. A joint venture of the past few years with Toyota that also produced the Toyota 86 Coupe, the BRZ has been refined significantly since its original model to bring you the freewheeling fun of a performance coupe with a pricetag that won’t give you terminal sticker shock. Some coupe enthusiasts may be quick to write off the newest BRZ as only a slight improvement on the original, but those enthusiasts are best ignored until you’ve taken a new BRZ for a spin yourself.

Still rocking the 2.0-liter flat four motor, Subaru has paired the new BRZ to a sportier six-speed manual transmission, and while it definitely feels sportier to drive, the BRZ could benefit significantly from say… a 2.5-liter STi turbocharged version. That monster upgrade would defeat the budget price point for which the BRZ was designed though, so BRZ fans will have to remain content (at least for now) with the more staid 2.0 liter model.

The air and fuel systems have seen some fairly extensive revisions as well to provide a little more get up and go than previous BRZs, and Subaru engineers have added an Active Engine Sound port from the air intake to the cockpit to add a little thrill to revving the engine as well.

Additionally, the overall ride and handling have apparently undergone a significant upgrade as well with a bigger rear anti-roll bar, reinforced mounting for the front, transmission, and rear struts, and a much revised and re-programmed stability control system, too.

Finally the icing on the cake of this delightful new sport coupe, the new BRZ possesses a more upscale interior, providing a far more luxurious cockpit experience, which is something many new Subarus are seeing this model year. Sport coupe fans need to keep an eye on the Subaru BRZ, as it might be just the ticket for your future ride that doesn’t need extra room for the kids.

Nissan Supercar Squad Taps Jack Le Brocq

24-year old Jack LeBrocq has joined Nissan’s Supercars squad for the 2017 season, and he’s got a new deal that includes a Super2 drive with MW Motorsport and an endurance seat alongside driver Todd Kelly. Jack is slated for the newly-minted “reserve driver” position for Nissan’s factory team, which earns him returning to Matt White’s MW Motorsport squad for the Nissan Altima debut in tier-two of the Dunlop Super2 Series. Additionally, LeBrocq will also run a full-time campaign that will include a non-championship race at Bathurst this year.

As if that were not enough, LeBrocq is also scheduled to race alongside Todd Kelly for the Sandown 500, the Bathurst 1000, and the Gold Coast 600, taking the place of Matt Campbell who is currently outbound for Triple Eight. Jack also has two Supercars sprint round appearances lined up as part of the series new wildcard initiative for the 2017 season.

“To be offered an opportunity to join the factory Nissan programme in this way is awesome,” stated Le Brocq.

“Being the first to race an Altima in the Dunlop Super2 Series is fantastic and the programme with Nissan Motorsport is truly integrated. Having driven for Matt White previously, I know we have every chance of winning the title.”

“Add in co-driving duties with Todd [Kelly] in the enduros, a couple of wildcard races and total integration into the factory programme, and there’s a lot to look forward to.

“I can’t wait to get started.” Best of luck Jack! See you in the series!