Virtual Test Drives
Nissan Altima 3.5 SE Coupe
Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Z®'s VQ Engine Receives 2007 Ward's 10 Best Engines Award
In the words of the writers and editors of Ward’s, the “sublime 3.5L ‘VQ’ V-6 needs no introduction, being that it’s won a 10 Best Engines award each and every year since the competition’s inception in 1995. That the VQ has cemented itself as the dominant V-6 benchmark is without question….”Nissan Altima 3.5 SE Coupe
Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Z®'s VQ Engine Receives 2007 Ward's 10 Best Engines Award
The Z® has received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) highest rating — 5 stars – for side-impact crash safety.
New Nissan V6 Named One of Ward’s 10 Best Engines [Dec. 12, 07]
DETROIT (Dec. 12, 2007) –Nissan’s VQ37VHR engine has been named to the 10 Best Engines list by Ward’s Automotive Group, marking the 14th straight year a VQ series engine has earned that distinction. It is the only engine that has been included every year since the award began in 1995.
Along with utilizing a larger displacement than the previous 3.5-liter powerplant, the Infiniti G37 Coupe’s VVEL system combines hydraulic-controlled variable valve timing and electronically controlled variable valve lift on the intake side to help improve performance and response. The VVEL system is also expected to improve emissions and fuel efficiency.
The engine also features increased cylinder block height (from the previous 3.5-liter design), ladder frame construction for greater rigidity, large crank journal and pin diameters, asymmetric piston skirts, twin knock sensors, an electronically controlled “drive-by-wire” throttle system, molybdenum coated lightweight pistons, Iridium spark plugs and a symmetric twin air intake system.
A new, specially tuned dual exhaust system has been designed with equal length exhaust manifolds and low muffler exhaust backpressure to help improve engine breathing. Both intake and exhaust enhance driving pleasure with their authentic performance notes.
This year, six editors from Ward’s Automotive Group scored 37 engines in a number of objective and subjective parameters. To qualify for the award, the engine must be available in a regular-production, U.S.-specification model on sale no later than the first quarter of 2008 in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.
The Ward’s 10 Best Engines awards will be presented on January 16, 2008 at a ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show.
About Ward’s Automotive Group
Ward’s Automotive Group, a Southfield, Mich.-based division of Penton Media, has been a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis for more than 80 years. Ward’s AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals globally.
Ward’s Automotive Group, a Southfield, Mich.-based division of Penton Media, has been a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis for more than 80 years. Ward’s AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals globally.
Source: Nissan