NISSAN and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have revealed that the innovative GT Academy competition will return for a fifth season.

GT Academy 2013 will be the biggest yet, with more countries than ever before participating and the online gaming element of the competition set to be run in July on a demo of the hotly-anticipated Gran Turismo6 game exclusively on PlayStation3.

Since its inception in 2008, the highly-acclaimed virtual-to-reality competition has attracted over two million entries, with gamers and motor sport fans battling it out on Gran Turismo for the chance to become real Nissan racing drivers.

Six former winners of the competition, which now runs in Europe, the USA, Germany, Russia, the Middle East and South Africa, are now Nismo athletes competing in top-level motor sport on behalf of Nissan.

Nissan’s Director of Global Motorsport, Darren Cox, revealed the plans for GT Academy 2013. Speaking at the famous Silverstone Circuit, during an event at which the latest version of the famous Gran Turismo game was announced, he said: ‘Every year of GT Academy has provided excitement and firsts, and 2013 will be no exception.

‘The selection process and Driver Development Programme are now so robust that we are turning out some genuinely fast racing drivers.’

Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital, explained: ‘GT Academy is a fitting platform for the Gran Turismo community to preview GT6 for the first time, as we aim to bring the worlds of virtual and reality closer than ever.’

Talent-spotting contest

With the online qualification rounds offering a sneak preview of GT6, and the Nismo athletes blazing a trail in motorsport – including Lucas Ordoñez (2008 winner) and Jann Mardenborough (2011 winner) racing at the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours for Nissan – the entry levels for this year’s motorsport talent-spotting contest are expected to reach an all-time high.

The format of GT Academy sees the fastest PlayStation gamers from each country join winners from a number of live events to compete in their respective National Finals.

The action will then make the transition from the virtual world to real Nissan sports cars when the winners of each National competition are invited to take part in the intense international final at Silverstone Circuit, now the established home of the GT Academy Race Camp.

The winners of each of the GT Academy competitions will then be put through an incredibly intensive and thorough Driver Development Programme, rated among the best in the world, in order to qualify for the ultimate competition prize – a full season racing a Nissan GT-R GT3 Nismo in a top-level championship.

Details of how to enter GT Academy 2013 can be found on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy, http://eu.gran-turismo.com and www.twitter.com/GTAcademy.

The impressive figures were revealed when the company published its financial results for the 12 months ending March 31, 2013.

Nissan faced a range of challenges during the 2012 financial year, yet its strong performance in the fourth quarter of the year enabled it to achieve its full-year net income target. The company recorded a total income of £2.2 billion and posted an operating profit of £3.36 billion.

Ten new models were launched to global markets, including the new Altima in the United States; Sylphy in China; and Note in Japan.

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer, said: ’2012 was marked by both successes and challenges for Nissan. We ended the year with a sound balance sheet, record global sales, an improved brand, and an expanded presence in critical growth markets.

‘Equally important, we have taken counter-measures that will enable us to navigate the headwinds that lie ahead and resume significant growth.

‘As we enter the third year of the Nissan Power 88 mid-term plan, I am confident we have the right strategy in place to deliver on our business objectives.’

Leading automaker

Looking at sales performance in global markets, sales in the US were up 5.4 per cent to 1.14 million units. Across Europe including Russia, sales were 660,000 units, falling 7.5 per cent. In Japan, sales were down 1.3 per cent to 647,000 units. Strong results were reported in other markets, including Thailand, Brazil and the Middle East. Overall, the company sold 1.4 per cent more cars than in the previous financial year.

Nissan solidified its position as the leading automaker for electric vehicles and zero-emission mobility during the fiscal year. More than 62,000 Nissan LEAFs have been sold worldwide since the product’s launch. During 2012, Nissan has now launched production in the US and the UK to increase the ability to grow global sales.

The global sales forecast for the 2013 fiscal year is 5.3 million units, an increase of 7.8 per cent. Nissan plans to launch several new vehicles soon – among them will be the first new model of the Datsun brand, although Datsun won’t be making an appearance in the UK.

NISMO ambassador and Super GT racer Michael Krumm will join GT Academy winners and Nismo Athletes Lucas Ordonez and Jann Mardenborough at the Le Mans 24 Hours next month.

The three drivers will unite to race a Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan in the LMP2 class. This class has an entry of 22 cars, 15 of which are powered by the Nismo-tuned Nissan VK45DE V8 engine.

LMP2 is expected to be the hardest fought class at Le Mans this year so it is vital to have a bulletproof driver line-up.

Lucas Ordonez has already proved himself at Le Mans, taking a podium finish at his first attempt in 2011 when he became the first virtual to real racer to compete in the 24 hour race.

Jann Mardenborough is hot on Lucas’ heels and after narrowly missing out on a British GT title in 2012 he moved into the FIA Formula 3 Championship this year in order to fast track his learning curve and prepare him for the challenges of racing an LMP2 car at Le Mans.

When a driver was needed to partner Lucas and Jann the first choice was Michael Krumm. A Nismo driver of long standing, Michael is the perfect mentor and team mate and he has had a lifelong ambition to win at Le Mans.

While racing in Super GT at Fuji recently, Michael took a call from Nissan. We hope you enjoy the video…

Bolt, known as ‘the world’s fastest man,’ has been promoting the company’s brand awareness in association with the Nissan Global Brand Campaign, which kicked off in April 2012 and has been running in markets around the world ever since.

It was love at first sight for Bolt, already a GT-R owner, when the one-of-a-kind ‘Bolt Gold’ GT-R was unveiled as the top prize in an online global charity auction held in late 2012. The proceeds of the auction went to the Usain Bolt Foundation.

The special Gold GT-R that Nissan presented to Bolt is based on the 2014 model year Nissan GT-R.

It has been customized to suit Bolt’s driving style, based on the data Nissan engineers recorded during his test drive of the GT-R line-up when he visited the company headquarters in October 2012.

The uniquely gold-painted Nissan GT-R features a flamboyant white interior, BOSE audio system and 10-spoke RAYS aluminum-alloy forged wheels. These specially fitted, hyper-titanium color-coated wheels add extra flair to an already bold exterior that is highlighted by an exclusive ‘Spec Bolt’ emblem. The visual specs of the car, including exterior colour, interior colour and wheels, were selected by Bolt himself.

Home training facility

The handover event took place at Bolt’s home training facility in Jamaica that overlooks the mountains of his home country.

Jose Román, vice president of Nissan Latin America and the Caribbean, who attended on behalf of Nissan, handed over the keys to the Gold GT-R to Bolt.

Bolt then become the owner of one of only two Gold GT-Rs in existence, the other belonging to the charity auction winner who will take delivery of his special car before the summer of 2013.

LOCAL criminals won’t be the only ones charged after West Midlands Police (WMP) took delivery of 30 Nissan LEAFs in the UK’s largest corporate LEAF deal to date.

Ten local policing units (LPUs) will run three ‘diary car’ LEAFs each: the cars will be used to attend pre-arranged meetings with victims of crime and locals who have contacted the police force.

Diary cars average 40 to 45 miles per day making the 124-mile range of the LEAFs perfectly suited for WMP’s day-to-day needs.

After a successful trial by WMP Fleet Services last summer, the decision was made to order 30 LEAFs and spread them evenly across each LPU.

Feedback so far has been very positive, with police drivers praising the LEAF for its arresting looks and zero emissions when in use.

Dedicated charging points installed at each LPU will be used to charge the LEAFs, meaning officers won’t have trouble finding leads. With the bill for a full recharge being a mere £1.75, costs are kept under control too.

Bob Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands Police, said: ‘We welcome the new LEAFs, which fit in perfectly with the operational requirements of diary cars and will significantly cut our fuel costs while also reducing our carbon footprint.’

Prestigious institution

Barry Beeston, Nissan corporate sales director, said: ‘It’s fitting that the UK’s largest corporate LEAF deal to date is with such a prestigious institution as the West Midlands Police.

‘The LEAF is becoming ever more popular as fleet managers see the benefits of 100 per cent electric vehicles and massively reduced running costs. We’re delighted to hear the police are already enjoying driving the LEAFs and we hope they’re enjoying going after a new type of lead!’

NISSAN has signed off the final design of its eagerly-anticipated NV200 London taxi.

The new taxi for the capital was signed off last week by Nissan’s executive vice president and global product planning chief, Andy Palmer.

The Brit is incredibly excited about the new Nissan and thinks it will easily follow in the footsteps of other famous London taxis, despite it clearly being a Nissan product.

‘I can tell you now you’ll look at it and recognise it to be a traditional London taxi,’ Palmer told Nissan Insider.

Last year Nissan showed off the new NV200 London cab destined for the capital’s streets, but since then further work has gone into refining the look of the vehicle. That earlier taxi had a lot in common with the NV200s for New York – but Nissan has taken its time getting the look right for London.

Palmer added: ‘We didn’t want the cab to look like it had come straight from the 1950s, but neither did we want it to look too like a van. It’ll certainly be badged as a Nissan but it’ll be iconic in the way a London taxi should be. Boris [Johnson] told us it needs to look a bit like a bowler hat. Our new NV200 taxi does pull that off, I think.’

A great reputation

Nissan says cab drivers have been involved in the process of refining the NV200 for its hackney carriage duties, which will initially be offered with a diesel engine. Technology from the forthcoming eNV200 is likely to be available in the future.

But will cabbies be happy to switch their black cabs for the exciting new NV200?

‘I’m sure they will be,’ said Palmer. ‘Ask a cabbie what he thinks of a Nissan and they’ll be very positive. Nissan has a great reputation in the London taxi community thanks to the bulletproof 2.7-litre diesel engine used in previous London taxis.’

Nissan told us it will be unveiling the new NV200 London taxi within the next few weeks.

• Check back to Nissan Insider for further details soon.

NISSAN has welcomed the changes to the London Congestion Charge from Transport for London (TfL), which sees pure electric cars and vans or vehicles emitting less than 75g/km receiving a 100 per cent exemption from the £10 charge.

The new ultra low emissions discount, which previously applied to vehicles emitting less than 100g/km, comes in to force on July 1, 2013.

Nissan fully supports the Mayor’s aspiration to make London the European capital for electric vehicles and believes the congestion charge is an important tool in helping to incentivise drivers.

In addition to the 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, Nissan will also bring the e-NV200 van and taxi to the streets of London in the future.

TfL’s changes will strengthen London’s role as a pioneer in developing zero emission (ZE) transport policies which improve air quality and noise levels in London. Cities across the world will look to London’s example from July in setting and implementing ZE transport policy.

A positive milestone

Jim Wright, Managing Director at Nissan GB commented: ‘This change is a positive milestone and supports our commitment to offering drivers zero-emission motoring.’

The all-electric LEAF is now produced at the state-of-the-art plant in Sunderland following a £420m investment by Nissan. Starting from £15,990 (which includes a £5,000 grant from the government), the LEAF has a driving range of 124 miles, a regenerative braking system which puts power back in to the system and can be charged in as little as 30 minutes using a rapid charger.

BUSINESS Secretary Vince Cable has helped Nissan launch an innovative apprenticeship scheme which, in partnership with West Thames College, will recruit and train the people who will literally shape the future of car design.

On a visit to Nissan’s European design centre in Paddington, London, Dr Cable joined Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President, in launching the company’s Clay Modelling Apprenticeship Programme – an initiative scheme designed to address a national shortage in skilled sculptors who give form to the vision of car designers.

In collaboration with West Thames College, the National Apprenticeship Service, Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies (SEMTA), the Skills Funding Agency, Creative Skills and Edexcel, the scheme is designed to create a pool of talented craftspeople helping to cement the UK’s position at the centre of global vehicle design.

And there could be no more fitting venue than Nissan Design Europe – a hotbed of globally-sourced creative talent – where designers, working in collaboration with clay modelling specialists, have conceived two sector-defining models which are now among the most popular cars on the road: the British-built Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Juke.

While in Paddington, Dr Cable learned first-hand how a national shortage of skilled clay modellers has threatened to undermine the continuing success of Britain’s thriving car design sector. But he also heard how the innovative Clay Modelling Apprenticeship intends to tackle the issue head on.

Dr Cable also met the first three apprentices, Joanna Bond, Robert Bennett and Sanny Kumar, who were selected from more than 900 applicants after undergoing a rigorous boot-camp style recruitment process and are now training in the engineering workshops at West Thames College, preparing for what promises to be a rewarding career at the cutting edge of new car development.

Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President of Nissan, said: ‘Clay modelling is an integral part of the design process and vital in helping the design team visualise ideas. It’s one thing seeing a design on paper or on a computer screen but the ability to view a model in clay gives designers a real feel for scale and proportion and allows them to fine-tune their visions and realise the stunning cars we see in the metal.

‘In recent years though, the industry has seen a shortage of clay modellers because it’s a skill and career opportunity many young people simply haven’t been made aware of and there have been very limited training opportunities.

‘This shortage has forced us, and other manufacturers with design operations in the UK, to rely on freelance modellers. This exciting new apprenticeship will lead the way in changing this situation, bringing the skill of clay modelling in-house, developing future generations of talent and further cementing the UK’s position at the centre of global car design.’

Marjorie Semple, Principal of West Thames College, said: ‘We are really excited to be working in partnership with Nissan on this amazing project. This fills a gap in the industry and opens up fantastic opportunities for young people who want to pursue a career in this sector.’

Apprentice Joanna Bond said: ‘Clay modelling is a very specialist role and not a job you can just walk into. This apprenticeship is giving me the opportunity to get my qualifications and go straight into work. It’s giving me all the skills I need to fulfil the role, plus lots more.’

Dr Cable said: ‘Our ambition is that the UK should have a world-class skills base so businesses can compete in a global market. We have almost doubled the number of apprenticeship starts since 2010 to over one million. We have seen strong growth in sectors that are vital to rebalancing our economy, like engineering.

‘Now we’re putting employers, like Nissan, in the driving seat through the Employer Ownership Pilot. Companies can address their business needs by designing their own apprenticeships, like this clay modelling scheme which will keep us at the forefront of car design globally.’

Keen to look for ways to reduce its vehicle fleet carbon footprint, Microsoft UK ran five weeks of competitive internal trials with other electric car manufacturers.

The trial involved inviting 500 Microsoft UK staff members ranging from engineers and senior directors to sample a variety of vehicles.

The Nissan LEAF made the final selection list after praise from Microsoft UK staff for its comfort, driveability and wealth of standard equipment.

Microsoft UK has since welcomed the car to its scheme by installing two 32 amp quick chargers at its Reading HQ allowing staff who have opted for the LEAF to charge it on site.

First to take delivery of a Nissan LEAF is Alex Kureen, Microsoft UK’s partner/channel marketing manager. Kureen will keep the vehicle for four years and cover approximately 7,000 miles per year as the LEAF becomes his environmentally friendly commuter vehicle.

Katie Colledge-Price, Microsoft UK’s car benefits manager said: “As you can imagine at a software company, when we announced the vehicle trial list we were overwhelmed with staff interest in an advanced piece of technology like the Nissan LEAF.

“During the trial the LEAF received consistently positive feedback for how enjoyable and calming it is to drive as well as being a comfortable family vehicle. We have installed charging points at our Reading HQ to encourage staff to consider electric vehicles to help reduce our carbon footprint so we’re now looking forward to welcoming more LEAFs to Microsoft UK.”

Barry Beeston, Nissan corporate sales director said: “Microsoft UK is at the cutting edge of hi-tech developments so to hear its praise for the LEAF and its technology is particularly pleasing. The LEAF represents an excellent solution to cutting any company’s carbon footprint as well as reducing running costs for the end user. After a positive trial process, we now look forward to providing more LEAFs as staff at Microsoft UK see the benefits of 100% electric vehicles.”

First launched in 1983, all four generations of the iconic Nissan supermini have enjoyed enormous popularity by remaining dependable and affordable throughout.

And now, in the model’s landmark year, the new suite of ‘30’ themed aftersales offers will help Micra owners keep their cars in perfect condition.

All Micra drivers with over three years of ownership can now benefit from a MOT for as little as £30. They can also get their hands on some new accessories, with a considerable 30% off tyres and windscreen wiper blades.

Continuing the birthday celebrations, 30% can also be saved on Micra brake pads and batteries, now available from £45. Better still, all prices include VAT and come with free fitting.

Chris Marsh, Aftersales Director said: “Micra’s loyal customers have been instrumental to its success over the past 30 years. Nissan has introduced these offers to mark this great achievement and to say a big thank you to all Micra owners.”

Visit your local dealership now to find out more about these fantastic offers.