Nissan - Nissan Motor Company, founded as the Kwaishinsha Motorcar Works, produced it's first car, the DAT ( the first letters in the names of the company's three principal partners ), in 1914. During the 1920's, the company was recognized as the DAT Automobile Manufacturing Company, and it's new car was celled the "DATSON" - son of DAT - Respelled as Datsun, the name was used on the company's cars until 1983. After a 1933 merger with the car manufacturer Nihon Sangyo ( popularly called " Ni-San " ), the company changed it's name again to become the Nissan Motor Company and is now one of Japan's biggest and most successful car companies.
In the late 1960's, Nissan developed potent overhead cam 4 and 6 cylinder engines, and used them to power two extremely successful new cars. The Datsun Bluebird / 510 sedan and the Fairlady / 240Z sports car. These cars included features found on far more expensive competitors, such as front disc brakes and independent suspensions, and gained Nissan worldwide recognition for their low cost and high performance. In 1969, Nissan introduced the potent Skyline GT-R all wheel drive sports sedan and coupe, powered by the very successful RB-Series inline 6 cylinder engine. The Skyline has been refined over the years. It now shares a chassis with the new fairlady / 350Z sports car, and is marketed in North America as the Infiniti G35.
2002 Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur - (after minor upgrades ) Worth : $169,900 / Total Winnings : $16,991 / Drivetrain : AWD / Horsepower : 345 / Torque : 294 ft-lbs / Weight : 3,442 lbs / Race Engine : Twin Turbo-charged / Number of Races : 4 / Repair Cost : $7
NOTES : A well balanced car, although it doesn't excell in any given area. I just haven't taken the time to fine tune it yet.
2000 Top Secret D I-Spec S15 - ( no upgrades available ) Worth : $283,000 / Total Winnings : $0 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 540 / Torque : 455 ft-lbs / Weight : 2,530 lbs / Race Engine : Turbo-charged / Number of Races : 0 / Repair Cost : $0
NOTES : In-game photo was not enabled for this car. Cannot modify this car in any aspect. Not setup for my style of driving, so it's just my trophy piece.
No in-game picture available
1998 R390 - (after major upgrades ) Worth : $512,000 / Total Winnings : $1,315,445 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 778 / Torque : 630 ft-lbs / Weight : 1,878 lbs / Race Engine : Twin Turbo-charged / Number of Races : 115 / Repair Cost : $48,139
NOTES : The SILVER BULLET. My Favorite car in this game so far. Built for speed 198 MPH top speed, custom built for oval tracks ONLY. Made to be driven flat out. Custom paint / decals by me.
1969 Fairlady Z 432R - (after major upgrades ) Worth : $142,800 / Total Winnings : $9,138 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 250 / Torque : 170 ft-lbs / Weight : 2,080 lbs / Race Engine : Normally Aspirated / Number of Races : 8 / Repair Cost : $62
NOTES : One of my first cars. I haven't been able to successfully fine tuned this vehicle yet.
2002 Tommy Kaira Skyline GT-R R34 - ( no upgrades available ) Worth : $190,900 / Total Winnings : $0 / Drivetrain : AWD / Horsepower : 394 / Torque : 309 ft-lbs / Weight : 3,417 lbs / Race Engine : Twin Turbo-charged / Number of Races : 0 / Repair Cost : $0
NOTES : In-game photo was not enabled for this car. Cannot modify this car in any aspect. Not setup for my style of driving, so it's just my trophy piece. If you can't modify the tuning aspects of the car, then I don't see the point in racing it.
No in-game picture available
Mitsubishi - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan is part of the Mitsubishi Group, which began as a shipping and shipbuilding business in the 1870's. Mitsubishi built it's first car - and Japan's first mass-produced automobile - in 1917. During the post WWII fuel shortage, Mitsubishi built buses that could run on alternative fuels or electricity, and resumed passenger vehicle production in a small way with a motor scooter. By the 1960's, car production was back in full swing, from motorcycle-engined microcars to the Colt compact and the mid-sized Gallant.
During the 1970's, Mitsubishi started a long string of international rallying successes with the Lancer compact. Over the years, this model evolved into a formiable competitor, especially in the Lancer Evolution series, which won the World Rally Championship four consecutive times in 1996 - 1999. Since then, these turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sport cars have grown in power and performance. The 2006 Lancer Evolution IX MR is a 2 litre, 286HP version with a top speed of 165mph. In the 1990's, Mitsubishi also produced two V6-powered performers, the 2-liter FTO and the 3-litre all-wheel-drive GTO.
2004 Lancer Evolution VIII MR - ( minor upgrades ) Worth : $74,000 / Total Winnings : $2,128 / Drivetrain : AWD / Horsepower : 325 / Torque : 332 ft-lbs / Weight : 3,094 lbs / Race Engine : Turbo-Charged / Number of Races : 2 / Repair Cost : $82
NOTES : I spent more time in customizing the paint job than I did actually tweaking it for competitve driving. It's more of a show car than anything else.
Subaru - Subaru is a Japanese car company, the automotive division fo Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. ( FHI ) FHI was established in 1953 and started to develop a car using aerospace technologies developed by aircraft manufacturer Nakajima Aircraft Ltd., which was the predecessor of FHI. In 1958, FHI introduced it's first car, the Subaru 360, adopting the car's name and it's symbol, the six star cluster, representing the Pleiades star cluster. In 1965, Subaru introduced the front-wheel-drive Subaru 1000 at the Tokyo Motor Show, featuring a 4 cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engine.
In 1972, Subaru took a bold step by introducing the first four-wheel-drive ( 4WD ) vehicle designed specifically for everyday driving, the Leone 4WD Station Wagon. Until then, 4WD had been limited to off-road and specialty vehicles, giving the Leone 4WD the distinction of introducing the safety and performance advantages of 4WD to a whole new segment of drivers around the world. In 1989, the Subaru Legacy, which boasts both a horizontally opposed boxer engine and the latest in all-wheel-drive ( AWD ) was launched, and by 2005 Subaru introduced the Subari Impreza, which won three consecutive World Ralyy Championship titles in 1995 - 1997.
1998 Impreza 228 STi - ( no upgrades ) Worth : $104,450 / Total Winnings : $779 / Drivetrain : AWD / Horsepower : 276 / Torque : 272 ft-lbs / Weight : 2,810 lbs / Race Engine : Turbo-Charged / Number of Races : 1 / Repair Cost : $32
NOTES : another one of those cars that has a HP / Torque ratio too close to one another that I am unable to win races with this car and performs poorly on test drives.
Mini - One of the most popular cars in recent years is the new Mini, launched by BMW's Mini subsidiary in 2001. This small, nimble car is a modern interpretation of the Morris Mini Minor, an even smaller car launched by Britsish Motor Corporation in 1959 and produced until 2000. The orginal Mini was a revolutionary transverse engine, front-wheel-drive design that devoted 80% of it's petite frame to passengers. It sipped gasoline and handled suprisingly well, riding on tiny 10" wheels. Race car builder John Cooper designed higher-performance models called the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. During it's 40 year production, more than five million Mini's were sold and the original remains a cult classic and tuner favorite.
In 1994, BMW bought the Rover Group, whose assets included the Mini, from British Aerospace. BMW kept the little car in production while planning it's successor. The new Mini is available in three models: the basic Mini One powered by a 90HP, 4 cylinder engine; the 115HP Mini Cooper, and the supercharged 170HP Mini Cooper S. An optional John Cooper Works tuning kit increases horsepower to 210HP. In 2004, a soft-top Mini Cabriolet was added to the line. The new Mini may be alot bigger than the original version, but is it's spiritual successor, offering a lot of fun in what is for today a very small package.
2003 Mini Cooper - ( minor upgrades ) Worth : $37,900 / Total Winnings : $5,214 / Drivetrain : FWD / Horsepower : 224 / Torque : 220 ft-lbs / Weight : 2,702 lbs / Race Engine : Supercharged / Number of Races : 2 / Repair Cost : $0
NOTES : This small car has lots of potential and have yet to unbridal it's possibilites.
Toyota - Early in the 20th Century, Sakichi Toyoda invented a series of industrial looms. In 1933, he used some of the proceeds to establish an automotive division of his Automotive Loom Company, which produced it's first car in 1935. In 1937, the renamed Toyota Motor Company became an independent operation. Since then, it has become the world's second largest car maker, with facilities in 27 countries. In the 1950's, Toyota entered other world markets. When the company started tailoring cars to these foreign markets, sales began to soar. Since 1966, Toyota has sold 30 million compact Corollas worldwide.
Between 1967 and 1970, Toyota produced about 350 copies of the sophosticated 2000GT sports car, a statement of the company's intention to build cars to compete with the world's best. In 1970, the Toyota Celica four-cylinder sports car appeared, and the six-cylinder Celica ( the Supra ) was introduced in 1978. The two cars became complete separate models in 1986, when the Celica switched to front-wheel-drive. The Supra remained in production until 2002. From 1984 to 2005, Toyota produced a small mid-engine sports car, the MR2 ( renamed MR-S in Japan in 1999 ) which offered an affordable taste of the mid-engine performance. At the luxury end of Toyota's sports car spectrum is the Soarer, introduced in 1981. The current model is a V8-powered luxury roadster with a convertible top, sold in all market as the Lexus SC430.
1992 Du-Luck Supra - ( no upgrades ) Worth : $174,800 / Total Winnings : $3,856 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 375 / Torque : 303 ft-lbs / Weight : 3,358 lbs / Race Engine : Twin Turbo-charged / Number of Races : 1 / Repair Cost : $0
NOTES : No comments at this time as I disliked racing this car from get go.
1985 Sprinter Trueno GT Apex - ( major upgrades ) Worth : $53,200 / Total Winnings : $46,061 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 227 / Torque : 184 ft-lbs / Weight : 2,104 lbs / Race Engine : Turbo-Charged / Number of Races : 28 / Repair Cost : $2,891
NOTES : One of my first cars and one of my favorites. Good little car for rat racing with on those twisty, windy tracks. Custom paint job by me.
1995 Border MR2 Turbo T-Bar - ( minor upgrades ) Worth : $146,000 / Total Winnings : $15,476 / Drivetrain : RWD / Horsepower : 299 / Torque : 284 ft-lbs / Weight : 3,006 lbs / Race Engine : Turbo-Charged / Number of Races : 3 / Repair Cost : $4,522
NOTES : I had a problem(s) in widening the HP / Torque gap, so consequently it never really reached past the point of test driving it. I never really ever got it set up for competitve use.
