Murano design

[ThunderChicken]

I was told that the main guy that designed the VX also was in on the design of the Nissan Murano. This car is sweet and it's got four doors.

Since I have decided to convert my VX to my RoboCop concept I am going to look for something a little bigger for my wife. We are into exotic hairless cats big time and she wants to start doing some serious cat shows. Just can't haul to many cats in the VX with the cages and all.
Not going to sell mine but I like the looks of the Murano.

Any truth to this hear say? Nissan is sure building some nice cars.

[mbeach]

I've heard that as well. There was a thread a little while ago about Nissan and 'getting it'. I think that it was mentioned there also.

We are into exotic hairless cats big time...

...must...resist...joke...too funny...

[geshaw30]

Yup- as I was told the story goes that the lead designer of the VX left Isuzu and went to Nissan. The first project was the Murano. There are several similarities in both SUV's (I should know-I had both in my garage for a while). You will be hard pressed to find a better SUV ride than the Murano for the money. The Infinity FX has it beat but at a much greater $$$.

I'd still have the Nissan but the wife wanted/needed a truck. We bought the redesigned (265hp) Frontier. My only gripe with the Murano was the need to burn premium fuel-----it got pricey.
________
Milf ebony

[Mudd]

Funny I thought the same thing first time I saw one!
My in-laws own a Murano and love it!

[Maugan_VX]

my dad has a murano, and its very nice.

I don't like the torque converter feel on it though. I guess I'm used to driving the VX though

[geshaw30]

It does seem strange being in a car that doesn't have a audible shifting of gears. Kinda like riding the subway
________
Spanish Cooking

[thedutchguy]

you might not know it, but the murano uses a dutch invention.
A cvt gearbox.
This means that the engine is revved till the max torque rpm., then it stayas that way all along the speed range.
It was first introduced in DAF. in the 50's or 60's I believe.
Brabham also used it in an F2 racing car and williams was going to put it in a F1 but since automatic gearchanges were banned from F1, the project was abandonned.

[thebear54]

All True Richard....
The Mureno does use the Van Doorne Variomatic (CVT) in their cars although very updated using a metal/plastic combination drive belt instead of the older reinforced double belt of the old DAF cars. I have three of the DAF cars and a DAF Pick-up here I am restoring. DAF was actually produced between 1958 through 1975 and then was sold to Volvo (who in the span of five years managed to eliminate the last Dutch car company to manufacture).
The CVT is a great transmission and has gotten so much better over the last few years...even Saturn has one in their "Vue" models here as well as Honda, Toyota, Subaru...the list goes on
It's the smooth shifting and the unlimited range of gears which makes the CVT so popular, it is only limited by the HP out put of the motor.
John

[WyrreJ]

It's the smooth shifting and the unlimited range of gears which makes the CVT so popular, it is only limited by the HP out put of the motor.

Really? I thought it was torque limited? I remember when Audi first started shipping a CVT on their cars, it was not available on the turbos since they had too much torque for it. I haven't checked for over a year, but I thought the v8 infiniti fx45 didn't have a cvt either while the v6 models all did.

[thebear54]

Howdy...
Yes, it is torque limited only because of the weakest link in the CVT...and that is the drive belt. How much torque can you place on a flexible band of plastic and metal verses the output torque of a V8 motor?
But then again....how much torque does an F1 or F3 race car place on that system???
The DAF F1 racing program was very successful with only minor CVT problems reported with the transmission.

It's only a matter of time before the V8 will have a CVT. Or maybe there will be no more V8 motors offered due to the gas situation
John

[Cyrk]

Shiro Nakamura — Senior Vice President, Design Director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Shiro Nakamura is senior vice president for the Nissan design division. He is responsible for overseeing the creation of distinctive and innovative designs, including Nissan 350Z, Titan and Murano, as well as Infiniti M and FX45, managing global design strategies and developing mid- and long-term design concepts and innovative ideas. He is also deeply involved in the brand management of the company. Additionally, Nakamura is the president of both Nissan Design America (NDA) and Nissan Design Europe (NDE).

Prior to joining Nissan in 1999, Nakamura held various senior level positions with Isuzu Motors, Ltd. for 25 years and oversaw the design development of models such as VehiCROSS and Gemini. In 1985, Nakamura was dispatched to join General Motors where he worked at the Advanced Design Studio in Michigan.

Nakamura holds a Bachelor of Art in industrial design from the Musashino Art University in Tokyo, Japan, and a Bachelor of Science with distinction in transportation design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Nakamura’s recent awards include 2002 and 2003 Automotive News All Stars Design.

Nakamura was born in Osaka, Japan in 1950.

[nyc #1 ironman]

WOW, great goin Cyrk.... pretty cool stuff....

[Heraclid]

The guy's going downhill fast...

Just kidding, nice resume... but the VX still IS the best-looking of the bunch.

Who else thinks the Subaru B9 Tribeca looks a helluva lot like a Murano?