NISSAN has announced the winners of its latest round of quarterly dealer awards.

The awards, which cover the fourth quarter of 2012 (October-December), were presented to the quarter’s Overall Retailer, Vehicle Sales Retailer, Customer Quality Retailer and Aftersales Retailer.

As ever, the successful dealerships received a personal letter of congratulations from Nissan Managing Director, Jim Wright.

And now dealerships across the UK, including those receiving quarterly honours, face a nail-biting wait to see if they’ve made the shortlist for the Nissan annual dealer awards, which will be presented in Bratislava in early July.

In Q4 2012, the Overall Retailer title went to the same three dealers as in Q3 – West Way Stourbridge, West Way Aldershot and JS Holmes in Wisbech.

What’s more, just as in Q3, West Way Stourbridge and JS Holmes were also recognised in the Customer Quality category, along with Lake District dealership J Edgar and Son.

There was also repeat success for Chorley Nissan, which took the Vehicle Sales award for the second quarter running, and for the teams at Parks in East Kilbride and Arnold Clark in Perth who scored a second successive quarterly award in the Aftersales category.

The successful dealerships were:

(scroll down for pictures)

Overall Retailer of the Quarter

• West Way Stourbridge
• West Way Aldershot
• J S Holmes

Vehicle Sales Retailer of the Quarter

• Chorley Nissan (Chorley)
• Glyn Hopkin Watford
• F J Chalke Wincanton

Customer Quality Retailer of the Quarter

• West Way Stourbridge
• J Edgar & Son
• J S Holmes

Aftersales Retailer of the Quarter

• Parks (East Kilbride)
• Arnold Clark Perth
• Ames Nissan

Congratulations to them all!

The full league tables are available on N-GAGE, just select ‘My Dealership’ and go to the ‘Dealer Dashboard’.

West Way, Aldershot

Arnold Clark, Perth

West Way, Stourbridge

J Edgar and Sons

Chorley Nissan

Parks (East Kilbride)

NISSAN is recalling thousands of Micras in the UK because of a potential steering wheel problem.

The recall affects 133,869 cars manufactured between December 2002 and May 2006 and is part of a worldwide recall of 841,000 Micras.

In a statement, the company said: ‘Nissan is writing to owners of its Micra models built between December 2, 2002 and May 12, 2006 asking them to take their car to a Nissan dealer for a free check to ensure the steering wheel securing bolt is tightened sufficiently.

‘In some cases, the steering wheel securing nut has gradually become loose.

‘This would soon become apparent to the driver and there is no risk of a sudden failure, but if left unchecked this could eventually lead to the steering column being damaged. The check will take less than 15 minutes at a dealer.’

First launched in 1983, Micra is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. The car has become an icon for Nissan and throughout its four generations has remained dependable and affordable.

Naturally, the issue has featured on TV and radio news bulletins. Professor David Bailey, an expert on the automotive industry from Coventry Business School, told BBC Radio Five Live: ‘It doesn’t seem like there have been any reported accidents or injuries as a result of this problem, simply that the nuts that hold the steering wheel in place can become loose. Nissan will be checking to see whether they need to be tightened up or replaced.

Safety-first approach

‘I think this is a safety-first approach. Nissan have identified a problem, there’s a quick fix and that should be enough to satisfy consumers.’

Asked how common motor industry recalls were, Prof Bailey said: ‘They’re very common. Product recalls in the car industry have been around for as long as the car industry itself. There’s almost one a month globally.

‘The key thing from a manufacturer’s point of view is to identify the problem, identify the fix and tell consumers that they can deal with it.’

Prof Bailey was then asked if he thought the reputation of Nissan’s Sunderland plant would be affected.

He replied: ‘No, I don’t think so at all. This is a very frequent occurrence in the car industry. A modern car today could have anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 different components in it. The car manufacturer will product-test that car almost to destruction but cars are lasting longer and longer.

‘The cars mentioned today were built as far back as 2002. You can’t simulate the whole lifetime of a car. These things will emerge as cars get older. What’s interesting is that they’re going right back to cars made in 2002, and they’re replacing the component even if it’s well out of warranty.’

He advised the affected Micra owners: ‘Go straight to the dealer and get them to deal with it. That would be the quickest and safest thing to do. It’s safety first from the manufacturer’s point of view.’

NISSAN has revealed pricing for its new 2013 model year 370Z range with the revised line-up kicking off at just £26,995.

And adding to the good news story is the arrival of the 370Z Nismo, which will cost from £36,995.

Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the 370Z Nismo is the second model in Nissan’s new European Nismo line-up.

The ultimate 370Z, it packs a 344PS 3.7-litre V6 – up 16PS on the standard car – a dramatic bodykit, uprated suspension and brakes plus a sports exhaust.

Priced at £36,995, the 370Z Nismo offers incredible value for money carrying a similar price tag to the outgoing MY12 370Z, yet benefiting from Nismo upgrades.

Simplified line-up

And that concept of muscular performance without the price continues with a revised and now simplified MY13 line-up which consists of just two other trim grades – the 370Z and 370Z GT.

Marking the entry point to the line-up, the MY13 370Z costs £3,005 less than before at £26,995.

With 328PS and 363Nm of torque from its 3.7-litre V6, it is set to make similarly-priced rivals look distinctly weedy.

The MY13 370Z GT replaces the outgoing GT Pack and costs from £31,955, representing a saving of £3,055, despite having Nissan’s Connect Premium audio and satellite navigation system as standard.

In addition, both the MY13 370Z and 370Z GT benefit from daytime running lights and a new front bumper while new colours are available too; Magma Red and Midnight Blue replacing Black Rose and Le Mans Blue. The GT now features new 19-inch alloy wheels with red brake callipers, while the 370Z entry-level car gets 18-inch alloy wheels previously only available on the Roadster.

The MY13 370Z and 370Z GT are on sale now, while the 370Z Nismo goes on sale in June with first deliveries scheduled for July.

The MY13 370Z is available only as a six-speed manual coupe, as is the 370Z Nismo, while the MY13 370Z GT is available as a coupe or Roadster and with manual or automatic transmissions.

Full price list:

• Coupe 370Z, six-speed manual: £26,995
• Coupe GT, six-speed manual: £31,995
• Coupe GT, seven-speed automatic: £33,445
• Coupe Nismo, six-speed manual: £36,995
• Roadster GT, six-speed manual: £36,495
• Roadster GT, seven-speed automatic: £37,945

SOME Hollywood glitz and glamour were sprinkled onto a corner of Wales recently, when Nissan handed over a very special one-off Batman-inspired Juke Nismo to its lucky new owner.

Carmarthen residents were amazed to see the famous Tumbler drive through their town with Nissan’s Dark Knight Rise Juke Nismo following just behind it.

Bringing some big screen drama to west Wales, the two cars then took pride of place in front of Carmarthen Castle where the keys to the unique Juke were given to competition winner, Adam Williams.

Self-confessed action film fan and local baker, Mr Williams, bagged the Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo after taking Nissan’s Thrill Test on www.builttothrill.co.uk.

He said: ‘I can’t believe I’ve won this fantastic car – it was the biggest surprise of my life and I was so excited to take delivery of it. I’ll certainly turn a few heads driving around Carmarthen – it’s great to think I’m the only person in the world with my very own version of the Batmobile!’

Produced to celebrate Nissan’s partnership with Warner Bros and the release of the third film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy on DVD and Blu-Ray, the Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo features a host of Batman-inspired details making it the envy of every movie fan and car buff.

Based on the new Juke Nismo, The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo features the same 200PS 1.6-litre turbocharged engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox − giving it a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds − as well as a Nismo bodykit, uprated suspension and enhanced interior.

But in addition, it has a whole host of Batman-inspired details that will make Adam Williams feel just like Bruce Wayne. Matt black paint gives a menacing look reminiscent of the on-screen Tumbler, while a shark fin antenna replaces the standard car’s conventional aerial.

In addition to Nismo badging, there are aluminium Bat badges on the front grille and tailgate while the unique gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels include bespoke red detailing, matching the eye-catching pinstripe on the bumpers and sills of the standard Juke Nismo.

Open the door and you’re greeted by Bat logos on the kickplates and reflective Bat badges on the headrests of the suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats.

Clever uplighter

Thanks to downlighters mounted under the door mirrors the famous Bat signal can be projected onto the floor area around the doors. A clever uplighter projects the same signal onto the black headlining inside too.

The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo was the work of Nissan’s very own Batcave – Nissan Design Europe, based in London’s Paddington, the same studio responsible for the design of the original Juke.

Since going on sale in January 2013, the Juke Nismo – Nissan’s first Nismo model for Europe – has outstripped expectations. ‘We’re not even halfway through the year and we’re already well ahead of our target, having sold nearly 600 cars,’ said Juke product manager, Jon Davies.

‘That’s a fantastic achievement and proof that buyers love the Juke Nismo’s combination of accessible performance, stylish looks and generous equipment.’

THE Nissan LEAF has won the Environment Award at the 2013 Fleet World Honours awards at a ceremony held today at The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall.

The LEAF fended off competition from rival electric and hybrid manufacturers to win one of the most significant awards in the fleet calendar.

The Fleet World Honours Car Awards are open to all motor manufacturers and the judging process combines the expert opinion of the Fleet World editorial team with the values provided by a number of leading leasing companies and fleet data providers.

The LEAF was judged upon a variety of criteria specific to fleet including cost of ownership and fit for purpose credentials with the 100 per cent electric car ultimately judged to be the best environmentally focussed car available for fleets to buy today.

The prestigious Environment Award comes hot on the heels of a raft of improvements made to the New LEAF, including extended range from 109 miles to 124 miles, a battery that is capable of recharging in about half the time of the first-generation LEAF and for the first time, buyers can lease batteries for the 100 per cent electric car.

Recent enhancements

Fleet World editor, Steve Moody, said: ‘Nissan has been almost single-handedly driving the electric vehicle market forward in the past few years, with the LEAF spearheading this push by taking the vast majority of EV sales. With its recent enhancements, the LEAF is more viable than ever.’

Commenting on the award, Nissan corporate sales director Barry Beeston said: ‘We’re really pleased to have won this award from one of the most distinguished fleet titles.

‘With the crop of recent improvements we’ve made to the New LEAF including extending the range and providing the option to lease batteries, it’s all helping to make the LEAF a credible and low running cost option for forward-thinking fleets.’

Jessica Edgar, of Ennerdale, made her competitive debut at the Lakeland Karting Centre recently.

The talented eight year-old, whose family run thriving Nissan dealership J Edgar and Son in Rowrah, cut her racing teeth in the demanding Cadet class. But racing is in her blood.

Her granddad Terry, dad Jason and uncle Justin are all former British karting champions and belong to one of the sport’s most famous families.

Terry was British Champion in 1977, while Jason held the same title in 1997 and 2003 and was also British Open Champion in 2002, 03 and 05. Justin meanwhile, was ‘O’ Plate Champion in 2001, ‘02, ‘04 and 10, British Champion in 2002, ‘03, ‘05 and ‘06 and GP Champion in 2003 and ‘04.

What’s more, her nine year-old cousin Jonny – Justin’s son – is several years ahead of Jessica in his racing development and currently sits third in the British Championship despite racing against people four years older.

The family are now hoping Jessica and Jonny can go all the way in motorsport, potentially emulating the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton who began their racing careers behind the wheel of a kart.

And with a state-of-the-art karting workshop above the Nissan service centre and the support of the dealership’s highly skilled technicians at their disposal, the future of both young drivers could be very bright indeed.

Speaking ahead of Jessica’s first race weekend, dad Jason, Managing Director at J Edgar and Son Nissan, said: ‘Karting’s just a part of Edgar family life and has been ever since my Granda, Joseph Edgar, who founded the business, bought my dad a kart when he was a lad.

 Incredibly talented

‘Justin and I were older when we came into the sport – I was 24 when I started and he was 17 – as we’d been into motocross prior to that.

‘Looking back we got into it a bit late to really make a career for ourselves in motorsport but Jonny and Jessica have the potential to go all the way if they want to.

‘Jonny’s incredibly talented and I think he’ll go a long way but it’s too early to tell about Jess at this stage. At the moment, it’s just a bit of fun for her.’

Jessica said: ‘I’m really excited about racing in my first meetings. I love going fast!’

• Our pictures show Jessica and Jonny Edgar in the family’s karting workshop above J Edgar and Son Nissan in Rowrah; and in one of the family’s crammed trophy rooms

AN AWARD-WINNING Great Yarmouth hotel praised for its environmental efforts is blazing a trail for eco tourism in the region after taking delivery of a 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF.

The four-star Imperial Hotel in North Drive will use the state-of-the-art zero-emission model – the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle – to promote its impressive green credentials and attract to a new breed of environmentally-conscious traveller.

Owners Nick and Aileen Mobbs, who this summer celebrate their family’s 80th year in the prominent seafront hotel, are also in the process of installing a dedicated charging point for use by guests with their own electric vehicles.

It’s another major step in the hotel’s £60,000-plus environmental makeover – including the use of cutting-edge technology to reduce the property’s electricity and water usage and increase recycling – which saw it awarded the ‘Great Environmental Contribution Award’ by Enterprise Great Yarmouth in 2012.

A delighted Nick said: ‘I’d wanted an electric car for the business for some time. We’ve already done so much to reduce the environmental impact of the business that it seemed silly not to at least explore the options.

‘Since taking delivery of the LEAF it’s been like Great Yarmouth’s newest tourist attraction. So many of our guests are absolutely fascinated when they see it charging outside and they often request a quick spin.’

A spacious and generously equipped family hatchback, the Nissan LEAF was named World and European Car of the Year in 2011.

Capable of travelling up to 124 miles on a single charge, which could cost as little as £2.03 on an overnight electricity tariff, the LEAF’s battery-powered motor means it’s completely exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge.

Rapidly expanding

What’s more, the model can be charged from an ordinary domestic electrical socket or at a rapidly expanding nationwide network of specialist charging points.

Craig Gibson, general sales manager at Desira Nissan on North Quay, Great Yarmouth, said: ‘More and more businesses and individuals are being switched on to the benefits of electric vehicles and, in particular, the Nissan LEAF.

‘Basically, if you drive around 100 miles a day or less, the Nissan LEAF could save you a small fortune in fuel bills as well as reducing your carbon footprint.’

• Our picture shows Nick and Aileen Mobbs with the Imperial Hotel’s new Nissan LEAF.

IT’S THE kind of road trip that performance car enthusiasts dream of: A week-long, 3,000 mile (5,000km) driving adventure through 13 countries in one of the most hotly-anticipated new cars of 2013.

Nissan is teaming up with French publishing house L’Ecurie and Intersection Magazine to participate in the 2013 Gumball 3000 Rally – a non-competitive, pan-European parade of the world’s most exciting and desirable cars – starting in Copenhagen on May 18.

The entry will be giving the millions of spectators expected to line the route a first glimpse of the exciting new Nissan 370Z Nismo in action. Gumball has a great heritage, providing a great platform to bring Nismo’s digital age performance to the streets of Europe.

The team has been entered as car 56, a number that has great significance for Nissan which occupied ‘Garage 56′ at the Le Mans 24hr race in 2012 with the Nissan DeltaWing. The company will be returning to Garage 56, the spot reserved for innovative experimental cars, in 2014 with an all-new race car incorporating electric technology.

Previewed in Barcelona in January 2013, the Nissan 370Z Nismo made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and is set to hit showrooms later this year.

Powered by a modified 344PS six-cylinder engine, the Nissan 370Z Nismo features a bespoke chassis tuned to deliver a sharper and even more engaging driving experience. Capable of accelerating from 0-100kp/h in just 5.2 seconds, the new Z follows in the tracks of the first Nismo model to arrive in Europe, the Juke Nismo.

Set to be driven by Gumball 3000 regulars Patrice Meignan and Jeremy ‘Jey’ Taltaud, the Nissan 370Z Nismo features a special camouflage livery designed specifically for the event. Both are contributors to Intersection Magazine and will be reporting on the rally via all major social media channels.

In addition, fans can follow the action on Nismo.tv where a daily video post containing highlights of the previous day’s action will be available.

Celebrity entrants

The Gumball 3000 has become a major draw for performance car enthusiasts from all over the world since the first event was held in 1999. Named after the 1976 cult film starring Michael Sarrazin, the Gumball 3000 Rally has attracted a host of celebrity entrants over the years, including musician Jay Kay, Former F1 champion Damon Hill and fashion designer Donna Karan.

Gareth Dunsmore, Nissan in Europe General Manager, explains: ‘Gumball is a great fit for the 370Z Nismo: it’s a road rally which allows thousands of fans to get up close to their dream cars. Making exciting cars accessible is at the heart of the Nissan brand, and with our innovative Nismo.tv platform on Youtube our customers will be able to keep up to date with its progress, so we can’t wait to take part in this historic parade.’

Kicking off in Copenhagen on May 18 the rally will run until May 25, concluding in Monaco at the Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2013.

ALEX F Noble Nissan, the Straiton based car dealership in Midlothian, is helping local Newbattle High School start next season in style thanks to a new sponsorship deal which sees the school’s senior team kitted out in a brand new strip.

Gordon Campbell, sales manager with the firm, presented the new kit to the Newbattle senior captain, Rory McIvor, prior to a recent league fixture.

Gordon said: ‘As a major business in the area, we’re happy to support the local community where we can and we thought this would be a great opportunity. Newbattle has a great tradition for nurturing local football talent and we wish all their teams continued success.’

Newbattle’s senior team’s football director, John Frame, said: ‘We are delighted that such a well-known and respected local company as Alex F Noble has agreed to support us in these difficult financial times.

‘Running five sides at the school requires a huge commitment in terms of time and resources and this sponsorship will be a big help in enabling us to maintain our provision in the coming year.’

Newbattle is the only school in Midlothian (and one of only 12 across Scotland) which offers regular league participation for all age groups.

In addition to the senior team, the new kit will be worn by the Newbattle Under 16 team in their Lothian Cup Final against Ross High to be held at Spartans FC in Edinburgh on May 17.

• Our picture shows Gordon Campbell, sales manager with Alex F Noble, Nissan, presenting the new kit to the Newbattle High School senior captain Rory McIvor.

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.