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Issue 7<br />
a <strong>legend</strong><br />
<strong>returns</strong><br />
n A UniqUe ColleCtion<br />
n imAginAtion fACtory<br />
n trAnsCending borders of time & spACe<br />
July '06 - October '06<br />
gt-r poster<br />
inside
IFC
MR. CARLOS GHOSN<br />
PRESIDENT & CEO, NISSAN MOTOR CO. LTD.<br />
Another month brings along another SHIFT_, whether<br />
it’s in our lives, our business, or our dreams and ambitions.<br />
SHIFT_ is constantly moving and never resting, and this is<br />
what <strong>Nissan</strong> is all about.<br />
In the past we have highlighted many of <strong>Nissan</strong>’s<br />
plans and achievements, worldwide and certainly in the<br />
region, where with the help of our dealers we have grown<br />
exponentially and continue to do so.<br />
Regionally, we have had several product launches<br />
and reveals, whether it’s the always-youthful TIIDA, the<br />
bigger and better Pathfinder or the pride of <strong>Nissan</strong> Egypt,<br />
the locally produced <strong>Nissan</strong> Sunny and Pickup. We are<br />
committed to growing our business even further, and<br />
we have shown that through our regional plans and our<br />
commitments to each and every market throughout the<br />
region.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> is on an expansion plan, we have committed<br />
ourselves to several new markets which are sure to make<br />
an impact on <strong>Nissan</strong>’s global expansion plans, and we<br />
believe that the regional markets are some of the strongest<br />
in the world with a passion for all things <strong>Nissan</strong>.<br />
With the addition of the new Pathfinder to our SUV<br />
lineup, we have strengthened the largest SUV lineup in<br />
the region several fold – the new Pathfinder offers more<br />
seating, more power, bolder design and a more dynamic<br />
driving experience – dare we say this is the most complete<br />
Pathfinder yet.<br />
Our promise to each and every <strong>Nissan</strong> customer in<br />
the region is our enduring commitment, and hope that the<br />
coming years will bring along fruitful growth and unfazed<br />
dedication.<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
“In the car industry, superior design is critical. Product<br />
design defines the first impression the customer has<br />
about our products. With one look the customer makes<br />
their decision about their appeal. Of course, an attractive<br />
design is not enough to make a product a success, but<br />
it is necessary. It’s all about the customer’s ownership<br />
experience.”<br />
MR. TORu HASEGAwA<br />
MANAGING DIRECTOR, NISSAN MIDDLE EAST FZE<br />
2006 1
Issue 7<br />
Editorial Team<br />
Monal Zeidan<br />
Adel Feidi<br />
Sussan Fernandes<br />
Pankaj Dev<br />
Neville Jal Darukhanawalla<br />
Hania Tabet (TBWA/RAAD)<br />
Mirna Al-Qassim (TBWA/RAAD)<br />
Design & Production<br />
AdCom Advertising & Publishing<br />
Editorial Office<br />
P.O. Box 61111, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE<br />
e-mail: shift_mag@nissan-me.ae<br />
Website: www.nissan-me.com<br />
Published for<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East FZE<br />
by Devshri Global Inv. Inc.<br />
Suite #215, 933 N. Kenmore Street,<br />
Arlington, VA 22201, USA<br />
Advertising<br />
AdCom Advertising & Publishing<br />
P.O. Box 34556, Dubai, UAE<br />
Tel.: +971-4-3522337<br />
Fax: +971-4-3595983<br />
E-mail: pankaj@adcomonline.com<br />
Copyright<br />
Law prohibits reproduction in whole or part of<br />
any matter, without prior written permission<br />
of the publisher.<br />
Copyright SHIFT_2005<br />
Legal Disclaimer<br />
Views and opinions expressed in this<br />
magazine are not necessarily those of <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Middle East FZE and the publisher. We shall<br />
not be held liable in any manner.<br />
CONTENTS<br />
CONTENTS<br />
FEaTurE<br />
NISSAN COLLECTION!<br />
INTErVIEW<br />
HIGH PERfORmER<br />
SHEIkH AHmED ALHAmRANI<br />
MOTOr SHOWS<br />
CaSaBlaNCa & EgYPT<br />
NISSAN WOWS THE CROWDS<br />
HErITagE<br />
A UNIqUE COLLECTION<br />
MOTOr SPOrTS<br />
NISSAN SWEEPS TOP<br />
PLACINGS IN TAL EL SAAD<br />
1EDITOrIal<br />
2 4<br />
NEWS<br />
9<br />
10<br />
14<br />
16<br />
21<br />
22<br />
24<br />
26<br />
28 30<br />
COVEr STOrY<br />
GT-R<br />
A LEGEND RETURNS<br />
NISSaN TraVElOguE<br />
TRANSCENDING BORDERS<br />
Of TImE & SPACE<br />
TECHNOlOgY<br />
ALL CHANGE<br />
DESIgN FEaTurE<br />
ImAGINATION fACTORY<br />
ME & MY NISSaN<br />
BHAvNA vISHNU &<br />
TIIDA SEDAN
Bridgestone AD<br />
2006 3
aBu DHaBI<br />
DuBaI<br />
PaTHFINDEr<br />
lauNCH<br />
KuWaIT<br />
4<br />
BaHraIN<br />
OMaN<br />
SauDI araBIa<br />
The all-new <strong>Nissan</strong> Pathfinder was launched with much gusto throughout<br />
the GCC region. Now in its third generation, the Pathfinder is a powerful,<br />
authentic family adventure-enhancing sport utility vehicle, featuring a larger<br />
interior, three-row seating, a new 4.0-liter V6 and an all-new rugged platform.<br />
The 2006 Pathfinder combines rugged body-on-frame construction with the<br />
superior ride and handling characteristics of 4-wheel independent doublewishbone<br />
suspension to offer the best balance of off-road capabilities and<br />
on-road utility. Power comes from a 4.0-litre V6 developing 291 horsepower<br />
and 41.7 kg-m of torque mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.<br />
Here are some pictures from launches around the region.<br />
qaTar
NISSAN ORGANIZES<br />
ROAD SAFETY EVENT FOR<br />
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS<br />
The biggest road safety campaign in the GCC launched by <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East –<br />
aimed specifically at university students – has been picked up by Arabian Automobiles<br />
for their market in Dubai and Northern Emirates.<br />
More than 400 students from the American University in Sharjah (AUS) attended<br />
the inaugural training session last week when top rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem<br />
gave advice on safety and urged road-users to abide by the regulations and save<br />
lives.<br />
On average, five students from the AUS are killed every year in traffic accidents.<br />
“The UAE has the most advanced infrastructure in the region and very strict traffic<br />
regulations, yet it is a pity to see careless drivers on the roads subjecting many innocent<br />
lives to danger. There are specific places where speed enthusiast may practice their<br />
interests and that is not on highways or public areas,” said Ben Sulayem.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong>’s University Safety Campaign provided more than 300 test drives – on-road<br />
and off-road – for AUS students who also took part in a series of safety competitions<br />
such as changing the spare wheel of a <strong>Nissan</strong> X-Trail, fixing a child seat in the back of<br />
a <strong>Nissan</strong> Tiida, and identifying the engine parts of a <strong>Nissan</strong> Altima.<br />
Abhijeet Pandit, marketing manager of Arabian Automobiles Company, <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
dealers in Dubai and Northern Emirates, said: “Arabian Automobiles and <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Middle East invested more than half a million dirhams in the event where students<br />
received priceless fun and education on safety driving and a wide range of prizes<br />
and giveaways, including free check-up vouchers and <strong>Nissan</strong> emergency kits for AUS<br />
students and faculty members owning a <strong>Nissan</strong> vehicle.<br />
”AAC is acutely conscious of its corporate responsibilities and believes that<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Altima 3.5 SE<br />
Fastest in Class!<br />
The <strong>Nissan</strong> Altima 3.5 SE has been declared the most powerful frontwheel<br />
drive Japanese sedan in the Middle East market by car enthusiasts in<br />
the region.<br />
The 3.5-litre Altima, mated to a manual transmission, is the most powerful<br />
front-wheel drive Japanese sedan, boasting an unprecedented 257bhp at<br />
6,000rpm and 37kg of torque at 4,800rpm.<br />
Of all Japanese competitors in the region, the <strong>Nissan</strong> Altima offers a 3.5litre<br />
V6 engine, based on the 12-time Ward’s Best Engines award-winning<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> VQ engine, which also features in the <strong>Nissan</strong> Maxima, Murano and the<br />
crowd favorite 350Z.<br />
“<strong>Nissan</strong> has a strong heritage of delivering high performance and high<br />
response engines for its vehicles” commented Monal Zeidan, Senior Manager,<br />
Marketing and Corporate Communications Departments at <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East.<br />
“It’s easy to see why our products are so popular – we offer quality products,<br />
chalked full of features, and as always safety and performance oriented”<br />
continued Zeidan.<br />
The sporty look 3.5-litre <strong>Nissan</strong> Altima with 6-speed manual transmission<br />
comes equipped with <strong>Nissan</strong>’s Traction Control System (TCS) for better road<br />
handling on slippery surfaces, Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) for<br />
increased braking potential and advanced suspension for better handling<br />
and stability on corners. ABS and power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes come<br />
standard, as well dual-stage supplemental airbags with seat belt pre-tensioners<br />
and zone-body construction for maximum passenger safety.<br />
NEwS<br />
increasing safety awareness in young people is the best way to inculcate the right<br />
motoring values and combat the dreadful toll exacted by road accidents.<br />
“Through our cars and their own built-in safety features, AAC is making every effort<br />
to promote safe driving and reduce the unacceptable number of serious accidents that<br />
take place on our roads and highways.” .<br />
Other big partners joined hands with Arabian Automobiles and <strong>Nissan</strong> to add<br />
to the success of the university event and sponsored prizes that included two anydestination<br />
tickets from Air Arabia and Motorola safe-driving Bluetooth pieces.<br />
Emirates Diving Association gave environment friendly bags, Nestle distributed<br />
chocolates, Nescafe hot drinks and Baskin Robins ice-cream while Virgin played their<br />
latest hits.<br />
Monal Zeidan, Senior Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications<br />
Departments at <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East said: “<strong>Nissan</strong>’s University Safety Campaign will<br />
reach out to students, staff, and faculty members at tertiary education institutions<br />
across the GCC, aiming specifically at the 18-25 age group who are among the highest<br />
risk of being involved in road accidents.”<br />
B E S T - S E L L I N G<br />
Carlos Ghosn Book<br />
N O W I N A R A B I C<br />
Carlos Ghosn’s award-winning SHIFT_ book is now available in an Arabic edition<br />
worldwide. Ghosn, President and CEO of <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Co., Ltd., took over the<br />
reigns at <strong>Nissan</strong> in 1999, and turned the company from near bankruptcy to the most<br />
profitable auto manufacturer in the world. The book, written by Ghosn in collaboration<br />
with Philippe Riès and published in Arabic by the Arab Scientific Publishers publishing<br />
house, details Ghosn’s history since taking over the nearly bankrupt <strong>Nissan</strong> and<br />
achieving one of the most remarkable turnarounds in automotive and corporate<br />
history.<br />
“The SHIFT that took<br />
place at <strong>Nissan</strong> is considered<br />
a world-class business case<br />
study and offers much food for<br />
thought,” noted Monal Zeidan,<br />
Senior Manager, Marketing and<br />
Corporate Communications<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East FZE.<br />
SHIFT_ recounts the 18<br />
months that turned <strong>Nissan</strong> back<br />
on course and made it the most<br />
profitable automotive company<br />
in the world, accomplishing<br />
the seemingly impossible and<br />
transforming it into the giant<br />
automotive manufacturer it is<br />
today.<br />
The book is available in both<br />
English and Arabic hardcover<br />
versions at all major retailers.<br />
2006 5
NISSAN MURANO IS NO.1<br />
CROSSOVER VEHICLE IN THE REGION<br />
The <strong>Nissan</strong> Murano has enjoyed great success since its debut in the region in<br />
2005 – its sleek, stylish and sophisticated design, along with a powerful V6 engine<br />
made the Murano an instant best-seller regionally. And with just over a year since its<br />
introduction, the Murano has clinched the No. 1 Crossover title in the region.<br />
Receiving many awards worldwide, and most recently the prestigious Saudi<br />
Auto “4X4 of the Year 2006” award in the GCC, the Murano has been a favorite for<br />
people from all walks of life.<br />
“The Murano cross-over has had spectacular sales in the region surpassing<br />
FIRST ARABIC<br />
DOCUMENTARY ON<br />
CARLOS GHOSN<br />
6<br />
LBC Satellite TV Channel has produced the first Arabic<br />
documentary on the life and career of <strong>Nissan</strong> President & CEO,<br />
Carlos Ghosn. The documentary produced in conjunction with<br />
NMEF Corporate Communications Dept. took over a year to film and<br />
outlines the key milestones in Mr. Ghosn’s private and business life<br />
including his historic revival of <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Co. Ltd., leadership of<br />
Renault and his landmark visits to the Middle East. The documentary<br />
was broadcast on LBC on June 3 2006.<br />
its business plan by 60 percent in just over a year since its launch,” said Tariq<br />
Danish, SUV Brand Manager at <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East. “Its popularity lies in its design,<br />
a ‘sculpture in motion’, and a powerful, smooth engine, making the Murano a unique<br />
vehicle” explained Danish.<br />
The 2006 <strong>Nissan</strong> Murano features the award winning <strong>Nissan</strong> VQ 6 cylinder<br />
engine, a 12-time awardee on “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” list, Xtronic CVT<br />
transmission, all-mode 4X4 for off-road capability, digital Bose audio system with<br />
in-dash 6-CD changer and 225 watts speaker output. Chic, spacious and relaxed<br />
seating offer unprecedented comfort for driver and passengers. A host of safety<br />
features including ABS and dual stage supplemental front airbags with seat belt<br />
sensors, front and rear disk brakes and zone body construction help protect the<br />
occupants of the car in case of collision.<br />
Saudi Youth to Benefit from<br />
Al Hamrani Academy<br />
Under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Al Hamrani, vice president of Al Hamrani<br />
United Company and with the collaboration of the center for training and counseling,<br />
the Al Hamrani Academy for training and development has been launched with the aim<br />
of training the Saudi youth for work in various automotive sectors such as sales and<br />
after service.<br />
The training program consists of 500 training hours that the students receive in<br />
twelve months, including five months of theoretical class work and seven months of<br />
practical training, all provided through trained and certified technicians. The training uses<br />
highly rated equipment and materials to help the trainees in their education and to help<br />
them in their jobs in the automotive sector.<br />
The program aims to further develop the general knowledge of the Saudi youth<br />
as well as training them in English, computer use, sales, management, general vehicle<br />
knowledge and introducing them to <strong>Nissan</strong>’s worldwide program to help prepare them<br />
for the working world.<br />
The Academy is located next to the largest AUC showroom in Jeddah which will<br />
aid the trainees by providing work experience directly at the showroom and therefore<br />
familiarizing themselves with the working environment that they will be part of once they<br />
complete their training program.
NISSAN EGYPT<br />
PRESENTS THE<br />
LOCALLY PRODUCED<br />
NISSAN SUNNY<br />
Less than a year since <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt announced its new era in the<br />
Egyptian market, the Japanese company proved it is fulfilling its commitment<br />
by offering the first batch of <strong>Nissan</strong> Sunny 1600cc to the Egyptian market in<br />
three different categories – EX Saloon - in both manual & automatic transmission<br />
options - and Super Saloon with automatic transmission.<br />
In April of last year, <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt had announced its plans to<br />
assemble the first sedan in its plant in 6th of October Industrial City. The Japanese<br />
automotive giant had registered its new era in Egypt last year through the Pick-<br />
Up, which is the first vehicle to be produced and sold under the management<br />
of <strong>Nissan</strong> in Egypt.<br />
“We have announced last year our plans for assembling the <strong>Nissan</strong> Sunny<br />
in Egypt, and we are glad to announce that we have fulfilled our commitment to<br />
the Egyptian market by offering the 2006 model year Sunny, produced locally<br />
according to <strong>Nissan</strong>’s global quality standard in two categories ‘Super Saloon’<br />
and ‘EX Saloon’ models,” commented Yasuaki Hashimoto, Vice President of<br />
Marketing and Sales for <strong>Nissan</strong> in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and<br />
the Caribbean.<br />
“We hope that the locally produced Sunny is another new era for <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Motor Egypt to help assuring its position in the local market and helps us offer<br />
more great models from <strong>Nissan</strong> to the Egyptian customers” added Hashimoto.<br />
Hashimoto also assured that this big step helps <strong>Nissan</strong>’s performance<br />
globally under the new three-year “<strong>Nissan</strong> Value-Up” plan. <strong>Nissan</strong> hopes its sales<br />
will grow through this plan to reach an additional 4.2 million units, in addition to<br />
maintaining the highest profit margin between global automakers and to maintain<br />
the return on investment capital estimated at 20%.<br />
Mitsuji Sato, Managing Director of <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt, assured that offering<br />
the locally produced Sunny represents one of <strong>Nissan</strong>’s new era stages in Egypt,<br />
where the company committed itself to offer additional high quality <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
products through the current year.<br />
Further, Moustafa Hussein, Marketing and Sales Manager at <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor<br />
Egypt, assured the public that <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt is currently heading an effort<br />
to extend its local distributors’ network of local sales companies through its<br />
ambitious plan to offer the best sales and after sales services that the consumer<br />
expects from a brand like <strong>Nissan</strong>, which has proved its presence the world over.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> had announced on 28 June 2004 that it will be handling the direct<br />
management of its operations in Egypt by investing US$60 million to purchase,<br />
renovate and expand its plant, in addition to reviving the sales, marketing and<br />
distribution activities in Egypt.<br />
Throughout the first year, <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt was able to achieve a lot of<br />
its ambitions by investing in its plant located in 6th of October Industrial City to<br />
reach a total production capacity of 17,000 units annually. Also, the number of<br />
employees has increased from 245 since the beginning of operations in April, up<br />
to 350 workers currently, which ensures <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt’s effectiveness in<br />
developing automotive production activities in Egypt.<br />
State Of The Art <strong>Nissan</strong> Showroom<br />
Opens in Jeddah<br />
Alhamrani United Co., National Sales Company for <strong>Nissan</strong> in the Kingdom,<br />
saw the inauguration of the newest addition to its showrooms in Jeddah in the<br />
presence of Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director, <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East, and top<br />
executives of Alhamrani United Company.<br />
Located in the heart of Jeddah, the newest <strong>Nissan</strong> showroom is easily<br />
accessible to visitors to choose from <strong>Nissan</strong>’s complete line-up vehicles. The<br />
showroom covers 2000 square meters and includes a trade-in workshop to<br />
service customers’ vehicles quickly and efficiently.<br />
“The new showroom strengthens our dedication to the Saudi market”,<br />
commented Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director at <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East. “We are<br />
committed to offering highest quality of sales and after sales services to all of<br />
our customers in the Middle East through our extended network of professional<br />
dealers”.<br />
Sheikh Ahmed Alhamrani, vice president - National Marketing, Import &<br />
Distribution at Alhamrani United Company explained the significance of this<br />
showroom: “As the National Sales Company and partner to one of the leading<br />
automotive companies in the world, Alhamrani United Co. is dedicated to its<br />
growing customer base in the Kingdom. With our showroom expansion, we are<br />
now able to reach more people than ever before and offer them an upgraded<br />
service at their reach.”<br />
Express Service Centre Launched in Bahrain<br />
Y.K. Almoayyed, the national sales company for <strong>Nissan</strong> in Bahrain, was selected for<br />
a pilot program as part of Project SX, which was rolled-out in May of last year.<br />
The word ‘Express’ designates the objective behind this project, as the facility is<br />
dedicated to conduct periodic car maintenance jobs faster, hence saving customers’<br />
time.<br />
The official inauguration was conducted by Mr. Y. Okuda and Ms. Mona Almoayyed,<br />
in presence of GCC Parts & Service Managers, NML & NMEF members and press<br />
representative, marking the success of the pilot program.<br />
The ‘Express Service’ centre includes a customer lounge, washing bays with pits, a<br />
sophisticated under-chassis spray wash system, a full lineup of genuine spare parts and<br />
seven days a week assistance for unprecedented customer service.<br />
“This new service centre is an example of <strong>Nissan</strong>’s commitment towards its<br />
customers across the GCC,” commented Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director at <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Middle East. “The program has been successfully implemented in Bahrain and we<br />
currently have plans to implement this program further in other GCC markets during<br />
2006 in order to raise the bar in serving our customers across the region.”<br />
The Bahrain Express Service centre is located at the Y.K. Almoayyed’s Salamabad<br />
showroom.<br />
2006 7
Petromin Selects <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
for latest TV Commercial<br />
In the latest edition of Petromin’s TV commercial, a line-up of <strong>Nissan</strong> SUV<br />
vehicles were featured to highlight the performance of their products in the<br />
most demanding weather conditions in high performing vehicles.<br />
“<strong>Nissan</strong> has a long heritage in the Middle East, especially when it comes to<br />
8<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Fleet<br />
Customers Trained<br />
In Better Service<br />
Keeping with its promise for better service to the public, <strong>Nissan</strong> recently<br />
conducted a training program for its fleet customers to better serve and<br />
educate the public about <strong>Nissan</strong> products.<br />
With an aim to create a positive impact and to ensure that the fleet<br />
customer technicians are well versed with <strong>Nissan</strong>’s high service standards,<br />
NMEF successfully conducted service training at its training centre exclusively<br />
for fleet owners and workshop managers by holding an incentive trip to Dubai<br />
earlier this year.<br />
“The <strong>Nissan</strong> Tiida has become an instant best-seller in the GCC market in<br />
a very short period, offering luxury options for much less money” commented<br />
Ibrahim Abou Samra, Manager, Sales and Market Management at <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Middle East. “By offering this kind of training to our fleet customers’ technicians,<br />
we are passing on the advantages to our third party customers as well by<br />
providing the best in service and maintenance,” he concluded.<br />
In keeping with its promise to provide the best service to its customers,<br />
the fleet exercise sessions conducted by NMEF revolved around intensive<br />
service training on the new hatchback and sedan <strong>Nissan</strong> Tiida models, usage<br />
of electronic service, manual and wiring diagram, function and diagnostic tool<br />
and usage skill.<br />
performance, both on and off-road, and their reputable design and build<br />
quality” commented Monal Zeidan, Senior Manager, Marketing and Corporate<br />
Communications Departments at <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East. “Some of our most<br />
popular SUV vehicles were used in the oil company’s TV commercial due to<br />
their solid reputation in the local markets and overall performance under<br />
real-world driving conditions,” continued Zeidan. “In highlighting their quality<br />
products, Petromin decided to use high performance vehicles, and <strong>Nissan</strong> fits<br />
the bill perfectly with the largest SUV line-up in the Middle East.”<br />
The Petromin commercial featured some of the most popular <strong>Nissan</strong> vehicles<br />
including the <strong>Nissan</strong> Patrol, Armada and Murano crossover.<br />
NAS-GOM Awards<br />
The Tiida Launch saw an unprecedented level of integration between <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Middle East and its GCC NSCs which comprehensively defined the product and<br />
brought the <strong>Nissan</strong> brand to life through every execution at every consumer contact<br />
point.<br />
To this end, a number of awards were presented to the importers. Seen here in<br />
the picture are representatives of <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East & seven NSCs from the GCC<br />
with their honours: Alhamrani United Company, Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain<br />
Company, Arabian Automobiles Co., Al Masaood Automobiles, Saleh Alhamad<br />
Almana Co., Suhail Bahwan Automobiles LLC and Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons BSC(C).<br />
Dubai TV<br />
Honours<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong><br />
“Carz”, the entertaining automotive show on Dubai TV has acknowledged the<br />
support it has received from <strong>Nissan</strong> in presenting a certificate of honour to<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East.<br />
“Carz” has been an unqualified success in the last one year and the programme<br />
has gone on from strength to strength with <strong>Nissan</strong> being an important partner<br />
in supporting it.
NISSaN<br />
COllECTION!<br />
FEATuRE<br />
In keeping with its promise to provide the best to its customers and huge enthusiast base in the GCC,<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East in collaboration with its National Sales Companies in the region are offering showroom<br />
visitors the opportunity to get their hands on limited edition <strong>Nissan</strong> branded lifestyle items.<br />
Named the “<strong>Nissan</strong> Collection” these limited edition items include officially branded shirts, jackets,<br />
a multi-purpose bag, special sporty keychain, mug, high intensity clip-on LED light, optical mouse,<br />
memory stick, <strong>Nissan</strong> survival kit pouch, and a die cast miniature model of the <strong>legend</strong>ary 350Z.<br />
“All of our <strong>Nissan</strong> Collection branded items are a celebration of the <strong>Nissan</strong> brand and are only<br />
available through our National Sales Companies showrooms” said Monal Zeidan, Senior<br />
Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications Departments, <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East. “These<br />
items would make a great gift for any <strong>Nissan</strong> enthusiast. The fact that they are limited edition<br />
items makes them even more desirable.”<br />
The items will be available directly at <strong>Nissan</strong> showrooms throughout the region.<br />
2006 9
10<br />
GT-R<br />
A LEGEND RETURNS<br />
The GT-R <strong>legend</strong> has, in recent times, been hotted up again when the latest version was shown<br />
at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. So what was the mythology behind the cars bearing the GT-R<br />
moniker? It is part tincture, part car and whole lots of culture, that’s what it is.
COVER STORY<br />
Borne out of a sober line of big saloons, it<br />
turned into an adrenalin bruiser thanks to<br />
a package of high-tech gadgetry which<br />
turned it into an unlikely but absolutely credible rival<br />
for 911s and Ferraris. This turned it into a serial<br />
race winner, a <strong>legend</strong> at Nurburgring and above all,<br />
a blazingly outstanding road drive. On the culture<br />
front, it’s totally Japanese origin and heritage<br />
endowed it with a cult status that has reached<br />
astronomical heights. After all, only the Japanese<br />
can get weirdly obsessive about something that<br />
the rest of the world wants, but can’t get.<br />
But now the time are a changing. The new GT-<br />
R is breaking out and unlike its older generation<br />
siblings it is not saloon derived, but gets it own<br />
unique sports-car bodyshell. And unlike previous<br />
generations, this car is going global!<br />
Unveiled at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, the<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> GT-R Proto Concept gives an impression of<br />
what the new GT-R will look like when it finally goes<br />
on sale globally in 2007.<br />
So, here it is: meet the upcoming <strong>Nissan</strong> GT-R!<br />
Ever since its incarnation way back in 1969, the<br />
GT-R (well, it had the Skyline nameplate before<br />
its initials) has not followed any well-trodden path<br />
but has made its own way and with the new GT-R<br />
this ideology remains the same. Shiro Nakamura,<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong>’s design chief insists there is no way a<br />
GT-R should follow the pack. “There’s no need<br />
for it to be a sleek-looking car. The strength of a<br />
GT-R is its presence. It has a substantial volume<br />
and is totally different from the sleek, low slung<br />
supercars. It has top-end performance and<br />
retains a 2+2 configuration so as to appeal to a<br />
wider spectrum of buyers. We had total freedom<br />
in design but refrained from going low and sleek.<br />
In fact, it shares nothing – zero – with any Skyline<br />
saloon this time.”<br />
2006 11
12<br />
The design language of the GT-R<br />
is expressed by a distinctive bodystyle<br />
that communicates pure<br />
performance and functionality.
This could be the most obvious clue that the GT-R<br />
will not carry the Skyline name.<br />
The GT-R is pretty much boxy with visual aesthetics<br />
resembling a bodybuilder with muscles in the right<br />
places. Hey, there are many points of view on its<br />
looks, but tell me, what part does logic really apply<br />
on planet supercar? Culture, heritage, mystique<br />
matter more and this aspect was not lost on<br />
Nakamura and his design team. In 1969, when the<br />
GT-R mystique began, it was based on a four-door<br />
Skyline saloon – very upright and boxy. Then the<br />
second GT-R was a two-door coupe and when the<br />
famous R32 (the first 4WD version) came about, it<br />
still was saloon based. The design team obviously<br />
did not want the loose the GT-R DNA and the new<br />
car builds on the annals of history. The boxiness of<br />
the new GT-R retains that characteristic of being<br />
Japanese and indeed confronts European and<br />
American sports cars.<br />
Driving pleasure means that a car responds<br />
faithfully to the driver’s wishes and performs<br />
precisely as expected. Successive generations of<br />
the GT-R have consistently pursued this vision of<br />
ultimate driving pleasure. Whether on the road or<br />
the racetrack, the GT-R has always represented<br />
ultimate performance combined with handling<br />
qualities that stay faithful to the driver’s wishes,<br />
in all conditions. As a result, the GT-R has built<br />
a reputation that extends far beyond just its loyal<br />
owner base.<br />
The design of the GT-R expresses pure GT-R<br />
heritage, coming from the first model PGC10<br />
(1969) through R34 (1999), in a new and expressive<br />
form.<br />
The design language of the GT-R is expressed by<br />
a distinctive body-style that communicates pure<br />
performance and functionality. The form of the GT-<br />
R instantly expresses its purpose and potential,<br />
but in a way that is unique to this iconic car.<br />
At the front end, the single centre air intake is<br />
designed to optimise airflow and to strongly link<br />
the identity of the GT-R from R34 to GT-R Concept<br />
(2001). Front fenders are uniquely designed<br />
through intensive analysis of the airflow around<br />
the tyres and the air vent behind the front fender<br />
also optimises aerodynamics. The front end is<br />
expected to change on the production version,<br />
getting more realistic as carbon fibre can’t really be<br />
used on a mass produced vehicle the way it has<br />
been used on the show car. The sides of the body<br />
are sculptured towards the rear fender, expressing<br />
the power and dynamic tension of the car. Again,<br />
I must emphasis here that this is not a show car in<br />
the true sense of the word as most of the design<br />
has been freezed and most what you see here is<br />
what you will get, come next year.<br />
The overall shape of the body combines solid<br />
and smooth surfaces to achieve the look of a<br />
well-trained athlete. The unique C-pillar crease is<br />
designed for optimum aerodynamics, reflecting the<br />
racing DNA of the GT-R.<br />
The rear of the GT-R PROTO is strong and well<br />
defined. The signature four ring-shaped tail lamps<br />
provide an immediate visual link to previous GT-R<br />
models. Four large-bore exhaust pipes complete<br />
the purposeful look, which could only be that of<br />
a pure GT-R.<br />
Though no clues to what engine will be employed<br />
have been given, the twin bulges under the hood<br />
would imply a V engine and the smart money is<br />
on a compact, lightweight V6. No power outputs<br />
have been given but expect much more power<br />
than the 280 bhp plus twin-turbo straight six of the<br />
old R34. The 350Z’s V6 makes that kind of power<br />
and would be a logical donor to the GT-R. Imagine<br />
adding twin turbos to this and one could be<br />
looking at around 400-450 horses. Or then maybe<br />
more! The GT-R will ride on massive 20-inch rims<br />
and utilise the fancy ATTESA-ETS all-wheel-drive<br />
system of previous Skyline GT-Rs<br />
Going by the pictures seen on these pages, the<br />
designers are absolutely on the ball and going by<br />
the strides <strong>Nissan</strong> has made in the engineering<br />
department, the new GT-R looks to hold<br />
dynamically as well what it promises aesthetically.<br />
Neville Jal Darukhanawalla<br />
2006 13
14<br />
High Performer<br />
Sheikh Ahmed Alhamrani<br />
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Alhamrani United Co.<br />
Committed to climb to great heights and with a strong belief to achieve the ultimate,<br />
Sheikh Ahmed A. Alhamrani is a man with both vision and mission.<br />
Hardworking and persevering, combined with a flair for consistency in performance,<br />
Sheikh Ahmed is a role model that most would like to emulate. Apart from attending to<br />
his other businesses as well, this energetic and indefatigable COO of Alhamrani United<br />
Company (AUC) looks into the day to day operations of the company and takes his<br />
valuable time out to look into the functioning of the marketing department as well.<br />
His immense knowledge of the automobile business in Saudi Arabia, combined<br />
with his sharp business acumen, led <strong>Nissan</strong> to achieve its 180 Plan in Saudi Arabia<br />
last year.<br />
Under Sheikh Ahmed’s leadership, AUC has the second largest network in the<br />
Kingdom operating three major automotive business activities and to-date sales of<br />
over one million <strong>Nissan</strong>.<br />
As the Saudi market becomes more sophisticated, the vision culminated in the<br />
opening of new self-owned branches in important and strategic locations which is<br />
a major step in AUC’s dealership expansion process with a total of 15 branches, as<br />
envisaged by Sheikh Ahmed. Further to keep customers satisfied at all times, AUC<br />
has increased manpower by implementing the Saudization program in every sector<br />
of its organization, thereby establishing salesmen & technical training programs in<br />
various fields to improve efficient customer service as well as up-grade the quality of<br />
employees.<br />
Sheikh Ahmed also focuses on public relations campaigns in which social issues<br />
such as road safety and the protection of the environment play an increasingly<br />
important role. The core of this operation is a highly trained and motivated workforce<br />
of over 1000 employees on whose skills and dedication the company is continuing<br />
success and ultimately attaining the goals.<br />
SHIFT_ spoke to Sheikh Ahmed to find out more about AUC and the Saudi market.
Customer satisfaction is<br />
a key factor to success in<br />
this very competitive world<br />
of today. Obviously, we pay<br />
immense attention to it and<br />
in fact, created a whole<br />
new division to be able to<br />
achieve our planned goals<br />
in customer satisfaction.<br />
SHIFT_: The Saudi Arabian market is one of the<br />
largest markets for <strong>Nissan</strong> in the Middle East and<br />
Alhamrani United Co. (AUC) was a large contributor in<br />
achieving the NISSAN 180 plan. What programmes did<br />
AUC have in place to collaborate in this achievement?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: AUC prepared an intensive<br />
plan called Thunderbolt to cope with the sudden<br />
demand of the 180 plan. With all the new models<br />
launches, Thunderbolt centred around the<br />
following:<br />
a) Increase our presence in the market through<br />
the distribution channel. More “Branches” to be set<br />
up enabling to service the <strong>Nissan</strong> brand name and<br />
satisfy our customers.<br />
b) Focussed management approach on sales<br />
by sales type.<br />
c) Enhance the finance company performance,<br />
because majority of our sales are on instalment/<br />
hire purchase. Our top management issued the<br />
“Zero Tolerance” policy and we had to achieve,<br />
which we did.<br />
SHIFT_: What is your business outlook for the<br />
coming year ?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: The business outlook in Saudi<br />
Arabia in particular is very promising and the<br />
region in general is growing. The oil prices are very<br />
foreseeable and the general economy of Saudi<br />
Arabia is strong. The Government is to execute the<br />
best budget in many years to improve the standard<br />
of living in Saudi Arabia, so I am very optimistic for<br />
the future.<br />
SHIFT_: What role does Customer Satisfaction (CS)<br />
play in your total business outlook?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: Customer satisfaction is a key<br />
factor to success in this very competitive world<br />
of today. Obviously, we pay immense attention<br />
to it and in fact, created a whole new division to<br />
be able to achieve our planned goals in customer<br />
satisfaction. What is relevant today may become<br />
redundant tomorrow, so there is a constant<br />
learning curve and training that is being imparted<br />
to our entire staff – be it front line sales personnel<br />
to service and aftersales staff. We are extremely<br />
proud of our manpower and believe that regular<br />
updates on innovative management techniques will<br />
INTERVIEw<br />
Short Takes<br />
only further improve our progress in total customer<br />
satisfaction.<br />
SHIFT_: Aftersales has a growing influence on<br />
buying intentions. What are your current efforts to<br />
improve quality service and to exceed customer<br />
expectations?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: Our focus has always been<br />
on the whole aftersales experience – right from<br />
the parts availability to the demands of the fleet<br />
industry to increasing the manpower and manhours<br />
to opening new workshops. We believe all<br />
these efforts and investment will surely play a key<br />
role in the brand image in the future and will result<br />
in satisfying more customers and consequently<br />
more sales. As our brand equity increases we will<br />
constantly innovate to bring ever increasing quality<br />
to our customers.<br />
SHIFT_: The Saudi market is a highly competitive<br />
automotive market. What are AUC’s plans for staying<br />
ahead of the competition?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: Saudi Arabia is a highly<br />
competitive market. Thanks to our widespread<br />
experience in this environment we are constantly<br />
evolving with modern business plans to further<br />
increase our customer base. We have a big<br />
database of <strong>Nissan</strong> owners and others who are<br />
potential <strong>Nissan</strong> customers, so the focus is now<br />
on further improving our coverage to be a strong<br />
second largest network. In addition to increasing<br />
our manpower – we are hiring experienced new<br />
personnel who are experts in their fields – we<br />
now have some truly modern facilities as well as<br />
an attractive product line up that is young, vibrant<br />
and refreshing to our customers. We are becoming<br />
more aggressive and competitive in the market<br />
place and thanks to the exciting <strong>Nissan</strong> model<br />
range we have an advantage on others. So within<br />
this combination, the secret lies in our confidence<br />
in staying ahead of the issue.<br />
SHIFT_: What are your top two <strong>Nissan</strong> / Infiniti best<br />
sellers in the Saudi market ?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: On the <strong>Nissan</strong> side, the Pick-up<br />
and Altima breeze out of our showrooms very fast,<br />
while the FX35 and QX56 are the jewels in Infiniti’s<br />
crown.<br />
Philosophy of Life: Live simple, and enjoy it with all kinds, of people around you<br />
and try to make difference in their lives.<br />
Hobby/Sports: I love all types of sports and participated in many of them, but<br />
lately due to pressures of business I obviously have less time. But I do enjoy<br />
the following and take part in some sporting activity whenever time permits:<br />
1) Football<br />
2) Skiing<br />
3) Fishing<br />
4) Swimming<br />
5) Basketball<br />
6) Reading<br />
Favourite Holiday Destination: France.<br />
Favourite Car: I have two favourites - <strong>Nissan</strong> Maxima and Infiniti Q45<br />
Favourite Book: Apart from Quran, the latest book I am reading.<br />
Favourite Advice: Treat people like you would like to be treated. Also time is<br />
money, so use your time well.<br />
Favourite Food: Home made food.<br />
SHIFT_: What after sales services does AUC offer in<br />
its showrooms that distinguish it from its competitors,<br />
and how successful have these services been?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: We have many services that add<br />
value to the vehicle as well as to the customer. We<br />
have a full fledged accessory section as people in<br />
Saudi Arabia like to customise their cars further.<br />
Plus we also provide leasing service contracts,<br />
insurance and invite our customers to interact<br />
closely with our service managers and personnel<br />
to build up long lasting bonds. This, I feel, is very<br />
important as we want our customers to feel and be<br />
part of the AUC family.<br />
SHIFT_: What are biggest challenges <strong>Nissan</strong> is<br />
facing in the Saudi market?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: The biggest challenge facing<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> in KSA comes mainly from the two giant<br />
manufacturers who are fighting heavily for market<br />
share - Toyota and General Motors. The latter is<br />
offering products made in Korea with very attractive<br />
prices, whilst the former has traditionally been a<br />
forerunner in sales.<br />
We are having to innovate and push<br />
aggressively in the market to further increase our<br />
presence and this is on the upswing thanks to the<br />
new model portfolio that <strong>Nissan</strong> has developed in<br />
the last few years. This is a great challenge to AUC<br />
and we are fully geared to rise to it.<br />
SHIFT_: How closely do you work with <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Jeddah Office?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: We work very closely with<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Jeddah office on a daily basis. We<br />
always considered them part of AUC and always<br />
appreciate their efforts in supporting us.<br />
SHIFT_: Recently <strong>Nissan</strong> has opened the Olaya<br />
showroom in Riyadh. What has been the public’s reaction<br />
to this flagship facility?<br />
Sh. Ahmed: The people in Riyadh realize<br />
and appreciate the Olaya showroom as a unique<br />
and wonderful showroom. With sales from that<br />
showroom increasing, it proves the ideal investment<br />
to be a very worthy one. It also shows our<br />
commitment to the brand as also our customers in<br />
providing facilities that are world class.<br />
2006 15
TRANSCENDING<br />
BORDERS<br />
OF TIME & SPACE<br />
A trip to the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, a country abounding in archaeological riches, culture and history is<br />
a fascinating experience by itself. And to explore the country in a <strong>Nissan</strong> Altima 3.5 is even more invigorating.<br />
Jordan is one country where you can visit<br />
10,000 year old villages where humankind<br />
first began experimenting with village life. Or<br />
drive down to the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley<br />
and bask in the sun at the lowest spot on earth. The<br />
adventurous can climb through Crusader and Arab<br />
castles from the eleventh and twelfth centuries.<br />
That’s not all, One can go back further in time to<br />
the Greco-Roman world of Jerash and Cities of the<br />
Decapolis, where the splendours of Rome’s frontier<br />
provinces live on in the magnificent Roman cities<br />
of modern Jordan. Theatres, colonnaded streets,<br />
baths, temples, and much more awaits visitors in<br />
Roman Jordan. You can trek through the desert<br />
and make contact with the Bedouins, the seminomadic<br />
tent-dwellers who live with their immense<br />
herds of goat, sheep and camel throughout the<br />
and regions of the Middle East. Wow!<br />
Modern Jordan as we are to witness in the<br />
next couple of days was founded by King Abdullah<br />
I in the wake of World War I and ruled by his<br />
grandson, King Hussein, as constitutional monarch<br />
for forty-six years. The reign of His Majesty marked<br />
remarkable measure of peace, stability and<br />
16<br />
economic growth. After King Hussein’s death<br />
on 11th February 1999, his son, King Abdullah II<br />
was sworn in as the new Monarch. Jordan today<br />
is on the road to urbanisation and modernity with<br />
special care taken to preserve intact the history<br />
and culture of the land.<br />
DURATION: 3 Days<br />
TOTAL ROUTE DISTANCE: 867.5 km<br />
DETAILED ITINERARY<br />
Day 1: Amman – Dead Sea – Aqaba<br />
DISTANCE TO TRAVEL: 350 km<br />
TIME OF DEPARTURE: Amman Airport (11.00 am)<br />
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Dead Sea (1.30 pm)<br />
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Aqaba (6.45 pm)<br />
Special Instructions: Make sure your travel<br />
documents (passports) are handy as the stretch<br />
between Dead Sea and Aqaba requires many<br />
stoppages for routine inspection of documents by<br />
police and army.<br />
Accommodation: Intercontinental Hotel (Aqaba)<br />
Getting There –<br />
Hit The Road: Our flight from Dubai landed at<br />
Amman International Airport at around 9.15 in the<br />
morning. Immigration and customs took some<br />
time and after a quick coffee at the airport lounge,<br />
we jump into a jet black Altima 3.5 and are on our<br />
way to the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley.<br />
We take the road through Madaba, skirting<br />
Amman. This is not the Dead Sea Highway as we<br />
take an inland route passing through many small<br />
villages before we reach a breathtakingly scenic<br />
spot overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead<br />
Sea. Ringed by volcanic mountains, this area is<br />
also witness to the Jordan International Rally which<br />
starts the next day.<br />
It is truly an awesome sight with rings of<br />
mountains on one side and the Dead Sea dividing<br />
Jordan from Palestine. From here we can cast<br />
our eye over a large area and our associates from<br />
Bustami & Saheb Trading Co. Ltd. – the <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
dealer in Jordan - point out to me some famous<br />
sites in the area. Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem,<br />
the Baptism Site and more are all within easy<br />
distance from where we are. It is quite unnerving to<br />
be in a place where there is so much history.<br />
A number of Dead Sea resorts have come
up in recent times as the Jordanian government<br />
strives to establish a strong tourist destination here<br />
and it is in one of these that the Jordan Rally is<br />
headquartered as most of the stages are in the<br />
vicinity. We stop at the Marriot Hotel to break for<br />
lunch. By the way we are now some nearly 385<br />
metres below sea level! And it is a very relaxing<br />
place to be at after the morning’s drive. The drive<br />
itself was in many ways surreal and interesting,<br />
what with the black volcanic mountains nestling<br />
amongst a spread of brown, rocky hills. The drive<br />
also showed a lot of character of the Jordan<br />
countryside and our two able associates from<br />
Bustami - Majd Bustami and Ratib Abdo – have<br />
been extremely gracious in getting us up to date<br />
with their beautiful country. The Dead Sea is an<br />
amazing place with Palestine right across the<br />
border. After lunch we head for Aqaba, Jordan’s<br />
only port city.<br />
Some facts about the Dead Sea<br />
The Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic, beautiful<br />
landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400<br />
metres (1,312 ft.) below sea level. The lowest point<br />
NISSAN TRAVELOGUE<br />
on the face of the earth, this vast, stretch of water<br />
receives a number of incoming rivers, including<br />
the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead<br />
Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go,<br />
so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich,<br />
cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry,<br />
agriculture and medicine with some of its finest<br />
products.<br />
The Dead Sea has an historical and spiritual<br />
legacy of its own. Flanked by mountains to the<br />
east and the rolling hills of Jerusalem to the west,<br />
there is an almost other-worldly beauty to it and<br />
it is believed to be the site of five biblical cities:<br />
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebouin and Zoar<br />
(Bela). Located at the lowest point of earth (421<br />
metres), its eastern shore is sparsely populated<br />
and serenely quiet. With much of the landscape<br />
virtually unchanged since ancient times, this is a<br />
favourite spot for a holiday drive. It’s a nice place to<br />
relax in the gently lapping brine-rich waters which<br />
guarantees that you cannot sink! People come<br />
here to indulge in a soothing massage or try the<br />
well known healing powers of minerals from the<br />
sea’s muddy floor. From here you can look across<br />
the sea to the western banks and up the Moab hills<br />
directly behind.<br />
The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the<br />
warm, soothing, super salty water itself – some<br />
ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in<br />
chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium,<br />
bromine and several others. The unusually warm,<br />
incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have<br />
attracted visitors since ancient times, including<br />
King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian<br />
Queen, Cleopatra, all of whom have luxuriated in<br />
the Dead Sea’s rich, black, stimulating mud and<br />
floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up<br />
the water’s healthy minerals along with the gently<br />
diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.<br />
The Dead Sea is 80 kilometres (50 miles)<br />
long and approximately 14 kilometres (9 miles)<br />
wide. The northern and larger part is very deep,<br />
reaching at one point a depth of 430m (1320 feet).<br />
The southern bay is, on the contrary, very shallow,<br />
averaging hardly a depth of 4m (13 feet).<br />
Unfortunately, the water level of the Dead Sea<br />
is dropping by about a 30cm (1 foot) per year. It<br />
is being diverted by Jordan and its neighbour for<br />
2006 17
industry, agriculture and household use. Scientists<br />
predict that the sea may dry up by the year 2050.<br />
Because of its extremely high content of salt and<br />
other minerals, the Dead Sea is devoid of plant and<br />
animal life.<br />
On The Road Again<br />
We are back on the road and the Altima is<br />
eating up the miles as we head towards Aqaba.<br />
Being a sensitive area, with the borders with<br />
Palestine just behind us, there are a lot of check<br />
posts. This compels us to stop at regular intervals<br />
to have our documents checked and our car<br />
searched as well. Nonetheless, we make good<br />
time.<br />
Coming from the mountains, the topography<br />
changes on this stretch and now we are in the<br />
plains with the desert on our left and the Dead<br />
Sea on the other side. With a full complement of<br />
four and luggage, the Altima 3.5 buzzes about<br />
merrily and there is a lot of cheerful banter going<br />
on amongst us.<br />
The international airport is the first sign that we<br />
are nearing Aqaba and we enter the city to find it<br />
bustling with life. Aqaba is in a very strategic place<br />
as just a thirty minute drive from the town centre<br />
can take one to the international borders of Egypt’s<br />
Sinai and Saudi Arabia.<br />
Aqaba’s long history dates back to pre-biblical<br />
times, when it was known as Ayla. According to<br />
the Bible’s Old Testament, King Solomon built a<br />
navel base at Ezion Geber, just 3 kilometres from<br />
where the modern town of Aqaba stands today.<br />
From 106 AD, the Romans, who ruled the<br />
region from their base in Sypria, also used Ayla<br />
as their trading sea port, until it came under the<br />
control of the Byzantine Empire in the early 4th<br />
century. The Byzantines appointed Christian Arabs<br />
18<br />
from south Arabia to rule the port city on their<br />
behalf.<br />
When the Mameluk Sultans of Egypt took<br />
control of the region, they renamed the city Aqaba<br />
and, in the 14th century, built the town’s famous<br />
Mameluk fort. The Mameluks were followed by the<br />
Ottomans, who ruled Aqaba for 4 centuries.<br />
Aqaba was taken from the Ottomans, in 1917,<br />
by Arab forces together with the famous T.E.<br />
Lawrence.<br />
With its wealth of other attractions, Jordan’s<br />
splendid Red Sea resort is often overlooked<br />
by modern-day visitors. But apart from being a<br />
delightful place for discerning holidaymakers, this<br />
is actually a great base from which to explore<br />
various places of interest in southern Jordan, as<br />
we found out.<br />
Aqaba is a fun place. But perhaps Aqaba’s<br />
greatest asset is the Red Sea itself. Here you can<br />
experience some of the best snorkelling and diving<br />
in the world. The temperate climate and gentle<br />
water currents have created a perfect environment<br />
for the growth of corals and a teeming plethora of<br />
marine life.<br />
Day 2: Aqaba – Wadi Rum - Petra<br />
DISTANCE TO TRAVEL: 225 km<br />
TIME OF DEPARTURE: Aqaba (11.30 am)<br />
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Wadi Rum (1.00 pm)<br />
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Petra (3.45 pm)<br />
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Resort (Petra)<br />
Getting There –<br />
Hit The Road: The day begins at 9.00. With<br />
a hearty and leisurely breakfast, we are back in<br />
the Altima and looking for unleaded petrol. It is<br />
a frustrating exercise as we go from one petrol<br />
station to the other without luck. Time is passing<br />
and at last we strike it lucky. With a full tank, its<br />
now time to head towards Petra, but on the way<br />
we have a destination with Wadi Rum.<br />
We are now travelling on the famous King’s<br />
Highway heading towards Petra. The Kings’<br />
Highway has been in continuous use as an<br />
international trade and transit route for the past<br />
5000 years, when it was first mentioned in the<br />
Bible as the way travelled by four kings from the<br />
north who came to do battle with five kings who<br />
ruled in south-western Jordan.<br />
Wadi Rum<br />
Wadi Rum is yet another of those ethereal,
timeless places, virtually untouched by humanity<br />
and its destructive forces. Here, it is the weather<br />
and winds that have carved the imposing, towering<br />
skyscrapers, so elegantly described by T.E.<br />
Lawrence as “vast and echoing”.<br />
Also known as ‘The Valley of the Moon’, this<br />
is the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and<br />
T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the<br />
Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War 1,<br />
and their exploits are intrinsically woven into the<br />
history of this amazing area.<br />
A maze of monolithic rockscapes rise up from<br />
the desert floor to heights of 1,750 metres creating<br />
a natural challenge for serious hikers and rock<br />
climbers. Visitors here can enjoy the tranquillity of<br />
the boundless empty spaces, explore the canyons<br />
and water holes to discover 4000 year old rock<br />
drawings and the many other spectacular treasures<br />
this vast wilderness holds in store.<br />
There are various excursions available - for<br />
example, a trip to Burdah Rock Bridge, the highest<br />
in Wadi Rum, via the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and<br />
many other interesting sights.<br />
The Bedouin people that inhabit the area still<br />
maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle. They are<br />
hospitable and offer a friendly welcome to visitors,<br />
often inviting them to sit and enjoy a coffee or even<br />
a meal.<br />
On the Road Again<br />
We head out of Wadi Rum and on to Petra.<br />
The road is smooth with some rough patches and<br />
we make decent time. The Altima is in its elements<br />
and before we know it, the sights and wonders of<br />
the mountains housing Petra are in view. A long<br />
winding road through the Petra village takes us to<br />
our destination – the Crowne Plaza Resort. Here<br />
we are met up other members of the Bustami<br />
Group. In fact, Mr. Emad Bustami, the managing<br />
director of the company is there himself to greet<br />
us. A quick wash and change of clothes and we<br />
are ready to explore the hidden wonders of Petra.<br />
Petra<br />
Popularly known as the rose-red city, Petra is<br />
the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab<br />
(originally believed to be from Yemen) people who<br />
settled in south Jordan more than 2,000 years<br />
ago. From a remote staging post, they dominated<br />
the trade routes of ancient Arabia, levying tolls and<br />
sheltering caravans laden with Indian spices and<br />
silks, African ivory and animal hides.<br />
Petra is a totally overwhelming experience. It<br />
is a journey back in time and seems endless: the<br />
trek is more than three kilometres long and we<br />
decided to take horse-drawn carriages through<br />
the siq (canyon) to reach the majestic ‘Khazna’<br />
or Treasury. It is truly a wondrous sight to see<br />
this absolutely magnificent piece of prehistoric<br />
architecture carved out of the mountain. The<br />
final sequence of the film “Indiana Jones and the<br />
Last Crusade”, was filmed in front and inside this<br />
towering facade.<br />
The late afternoon sun brought out the warm<br />
tones to the multicoloured stones and weathered<br />
architectural edifices. Located deep within a narrow<br />
desert gorge, Petra’s most striking features are the<br />
towering temple facades carved into cliff faces<br />
and dramatic tombs. To enter the city we passed<br />
through the main gate called Bab As-Siq. This led<br />
to a 1.2 km long chasm that ripped through the<br />
mountain in a prehistoric quake. Weaving your way<br />
through the Siq and flanked by 80m cliff walls you<br />
pass inscriptions of ancient scripts and rock-cut<br />
chambers carved in sandstone. The first sight of the<br />
Khazna is enough to make any body dumbfounded<br />
for a few moments. Six enormous Corinthian pillars<br />
support a Roman pediment; above that, a ledge<br />
balances six more pillars as well as six immense<br />
niches with statues of Nabataean goddesses and,<br />
in the middle, a round kiosk topped by a bull-sized<br />
urn! And local <strong>legend</strong> has it that the urn on top of<br />
the monument held the Pharaoh’s treasure, hence<br />
the name. Interestingly, the architecture exhibits a<br />
fusion of Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman<br />
styles - affirming that above all, Petra had indeed<br />
been a cosmopolitan city in its hey day. And the<br />
unfinished structures suggest that work began<br />
from top to bottom, and not the other way round<br />
under normal circumstances.<br />
The Nabataean Kingdom endured for<br />
centuries, and Petra became widely admired<br />
for its refined culture, massive architecture and<br />
ingenious complex of dams and water channels.<br />
Ultimately, however, the Romans annexed the<br />
Kingdom and naturally, there’s clear cut evidence<br />
of archaeological influences in the different<br />
2006 19
structures including the near intact<br />
Treasury, the vaults and tombs,<br />
amphitheatres, sacrificial altars,<br />
temples and residential areas.<br />
Interestingly, all the<br />
structures, some finished and<br />
some incomplete, have a story to<br />
tell. Historians and archaeologists<br />
estimate the origins of this place being<br />
habitated as early as 100 BC with continuity till<br />
the 15th century at least. By the 16th century,<br />
Petra was completely lost to the West, and so it<br />
remained for almost 300 years. Then in 1812, a<br />
Swiss traveller named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt<br />
persuaded his guide to take him to the site of the<br />
rumoured lost city.<br />
Various walks and climbs reveal literally<br />
hundreds of rock cut tombs and temple facades,<br />
funerary halls and rock relief. The 3,000-seat<br />
amphitheatre is from 1st century AD, and there’s<br />
a Palace Tomb in the Roman style. Also from the<br />
1st century is a gigantic Ad-Deir (monastery). A<br />
modest shrine commemorating the death of Aaron,<br />
brother of Moses, was built in the 13th century by<br />
20<br />
the Mamluke Sultan, high atop Mount Aaron in the<br />
Sharah range.<br />
Day 3: Petra - Amman<br />
DISTANCE TO TRAVEL: 225 km<br />
TIME OF DEPARTURE: Petra (10.00 am)<br />
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Amman (12.00 noon)<br />
Accommodation: Intercontinental Hotel (Amman)<br />
Getting There –<br />
Hit The Road: Its Friday and there is a sense of<br />
urgency as we leave Petra on the way to Amman,<br />
the Jordanian capital. Being a holy day, there is not<br />
much traffic on the road and we make it to Amman<br />
in time for the afternoon prayers – the Altima<br />
making judicious use of its large displacement and<br />
copious interior to get us to Amman in a refreshed<br />
frame of mind.<br />
Amman is the capital of modern day Jordan<br />
and houses almost half of the country’s population.<br />
It is a pleasant city and a vibrant place with its<br />
own history, culture and monuments. Built around<br />
several hills and no more than five hours drive from<br />
anywhere, it is a convenient base for your tour.<br />
However one should some spend time in Amman<br />
and experience the sounds, smells and sites of<br />
one of the oldest cities in the world.<br />
High above the city, at the ancient Citadel,<br />
study the traces of Amman’s many lives: the regal<br />
columns of a Roman temple in silhouette against<br />
the sky, the elegant capitals of a Byzantine church,<br />
endlessly inventive carvings in the Umayyad<br />
Palace, fascinating displays in the Archaeological<br />
Museum and digs and ruins everywhere you step.<br />
At the foot of the Citadel, take a seat in the Roman<br />
Theatre, a deep-sided bowl carved into the hill and<br />
still used for cultural events.<br />
Till Next Time Then…<br />
It’s time to catch the flight back to Dubai. It<br />
has been a fascinating lesson in history and culture<br />
with Jordan presenting a large canvas of the<br />
modern and traditional, ancient and contemporary.<br />
We truly enjoyed it.<br />
Till next time then…wonder where our<br />
wanderlust will take us next?<br />
Neville Jal Darukhanawalla
Casablanca<br />
Motor Show 2006<br />
The fifth edition of the Casablanca<br />
Motor Show took place from the 12th<br />
to the 21st of May 2006. Close to a<br />
hundred exhibitors took part of this event,<br />
and nearly thirty new vehicles were revealed<br />
to the 127 000 visitors.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> attracted the public eye by presenting<br />
the convertible 350Z and the Micra C+C.<br />
Also on display were the X-Trail and<br />
Pathfinder - recently elected 4x4 of the year,<br />
Murano SUV, Micra and the new entrant in<br />
the Moroccan market – Tiida - both in the<br />
hatchback and sedan versions.<br />
The vehicles were showcased in a<br />
Japanese-style enclosure that garnered<br />
the award for the best stand of the motor<br />
show from the organisers. But this was not<br />
the only accolade won as the show was an<br />
unqualified success for the company and its<br />
dealer as 115 vehicles were ordered at the<br />
show.<br />
While being in Morocco, Shigeyuki Kawato<br />
(Marketing and Sales Manager - GOM<br />
- <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Co) and Toru Hasegawa<br />
(Managing Director – <strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East)<br />
visited the motor show and gave a big<br />
thumbs up to the <strong>Nissan</strong> stand for its quality<br />
and its ability to promote <strong>Nissan</strong>’s image and<br />
products in Morocco.<br />
MOTOR SHOWS - CASABLANCA & EGYPT<br />
NISSAN WOWS THE CROWDS<br />
Automech Akhbar AL Yom Motor Show 2006<br />
Only three months after launching the locally manufactured <strong>Nissan</strong> Sunny in three different spec<br />
levels in the Egyptian market, <strong>Nissan</strong> continued fulfilling its commitment to the Egyptian market<br />
by launching the trendy Tiida during its second consecutive participation in the Automech<br />
Motorshow 2006.<br />
Launching <strong>Nissan</strong> TIIDA in both models, sedan and hatchback, reflects the Japanese company’s push<br />
to establish a dominant position in the automotive industry, especially in the Egyptian market. The<br />
company has further committed to launch vehicles in different segments to reach a wide spectrum of<br />
consumers.<br />
The Tiida complements the locally manufactured pick-up and the Sunny and strengthens the company’s<br />
ambitious strategy of gaining a stronghold on the market in Egypt. <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt has also<br />
succeeded in launching its latest modified pick-up, which proves the company’s ability to provide new<br />
offerings every year to its already existing models in the Egyptian market. To continue the plan, <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Motor Egypt recently launched the ‘Urvan’ mini bus to further increase its model line-up to cater to<br />
everyone’s needs.<br />
Launched and manufactured in Egypt in February 2005, the reveal of the new <strong>Nissan</strong> Sunny stirred the<br />
Japanese company to the peak of its success. With its three spec levels - EX Saloon (Manual), EX Saloon<br />
(Automatic) and Super Saloon (Automatic), the Sunny has found immense success in the market and<br />
exceeded sales expectations at <strong>Nissan</strong> distributors’ network in all governorates.<br />
“The launch of TIIDA in Egypt is an integral part of our strategy in which to provide new <strong>Nissan</strong> models<br />
to the Egyptian automotive industry. By the end of 2006, we will be launching the X-TRAIL, a SUV also<br />
manufactured in Egypt with global <strong>Nissan</strong> quality,” said Mitsuji Sato, Chaiman & Managing Director,<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt.<br />
From his side, Engineer Mustafa Hussein, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, <strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt<br />
confirmed the full support and capability of the distributors that are committed to achieve <strong>Nissan</strong>’s overall<br />
strategy from providing state-of-the-art sales showrooms, unparalleled after-sales service and genuine<br />
spare parts at competitive prices.<br />
The role that <strong>Nissan</strong> is playing in Egypt exceeds increasing market share through sales and profits. It has<br />
succeeded in accomplishing great achievements during the first year and is extending a lot of support to<br />
the automotive industry in Egypt through the wide mix of products scheduled for launch.<br />
2006 21
NISSAN is about to deliver a big change<br />
for drivers. Over the next two years it is<br />
planning a fourfold increase in models<br />
fitted with continuously variable transmission, or<br />
CVT.<br />
By the end of 2007, <strong>Nissan</strong> is planning to have<br />
increased sales of models with CVT from around<br />
250,000 now to a million units.<br />
That increase means <strong>Nissan</strong> will almost singlehandedly<br />
have raised worldwide sales of models<br />
with CVT from the current level of seven per cent to<br />
almost a quarter of global registrations.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> intends to lead by example with a<br />
system which not only maximises refinement,<br />
but improves driving performance and makes a<br />
measurable difference to fuel economy compared<br />
to conventional automatic transmission systems.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong>’s CVT expansion plan focuses on the<br />
Japan and US markets, where the proportion of<br />
CVT-fitted vehicles is expected to rise to 50% and<br />
40% respectively.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> first introduced CVT to its passenger<br />
vehicle range in 1992 with the application of the N<br />
CVT to the March (Micra) compact vehicle.<br />
Since then, the company has been at the<br />
forefront of global CVT innovation. In 1997, <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
introduced HYPER CVT to the Primera and<br />
Bluebird models, the world’s first CVT capable of<br />
being paired with 2.0-litre class engines.<br />
In 2002, <strong>Nissan</strong> introduced its third generation<br />
CVT to the Murano crossover SUV in the US,<br />
followed by the Teana luxury sedan in Japan in<br />
2003.<br />
This was the world’s first 3.5-litre frontwheel<br />
drive adaptable X-TRONIC CVT, offering a<br />
breakthrough in smoothness, responsiveness and<br />
fuel efficiency.<br />
In December 2004, <strong>Nissan</strong> introduced a new<br />
generation of X-TRONIC CVT units for medium<br />
class models, starting with the <strong>Nissan</strong> Lafesta<br />
minivan. Improvements include the tuning of the<br />
hydraulic and electronic controls to boost the<br />
CVT shift response, and the development of a<br />
wider gear ratio range, contributing significantly<br />
to acceleration and fuel efficiency under ordinary<br />
driving conditions.<br />
Combined with <strong>Nissan</strong>’s new MR20 4-cylinder<br />
petrol engine and other improvements on the<br />
vehicle, average fuel efficiency has improved by<br />
37 per cent compared with an existing same-size<br />
vehicle.<br />
22<br />
ALL CHANGE<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> is taking a world lead in the manufacture of CVTs – here<br />
we explain why, and how CVT works<br />
This is a vitally important element in<br />
environmental awareness and responsibility, as the<br />
UK motor industry’s Foresight Vehicle programme<br />
has identified. It concluded in a report that “Vehicle<br />
and engine manufacturers must meet consumer<br />
demand for improved vehicle performance and<br />
drivability whilst achieving the challenge of reducing<br />
fuel consumption and emissions.<br />
“Transmission improvements, e.g. automated<br />
manual gearboxes, continuously variable<br />
transmissions etc, will also enhance performance<br />
characteristics, particularly when coupled to<br />
advanced control strategies.”<br />
For <strong>Nissan</strong> this is a win-win situation with its<br />
engines and transmissions working in harmony not<br />
only for owners but also for the environment.<br />
The wide application of CVT, which significantly<br />
improves fuel efficiency, will help to reduce CO2<br />
emissions, one of the major causes of global<br />
warming.<br />
Complex: At the heart of the X-TRONIC CVT is a very strong steel belt connecting two pulleys which have<br />
V-shaped grooves in which the belt sits.
Smooth: JATCO has taken on board the principal of CVT and it’s probably best illustrated in the latest X-TRONIC CVT as fitted to the Murano.<br />
Transmission of Choice<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> is currently the only manufacturer<br />
in the world offer a full CVT line-up for<br />
all, medium and large class passenger<br />
vehicles. <strong>Nissan</strong>’s CVT units are built by Shizuokabased<br />
JATCO Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary of<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Co., Ltd. To best understand how<br />
CVT has become the transmission of choice for<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong>, we must first look at the alternatives. The<br />
manual gearbox is probably the most familiar to<br />
drivers in Europe. With synchromesh to integrate<br />
gears, changing from one gear to other is very<br />
smooth and the clutch is light and responsive. But,<br />
as traffic has dramatically increased, particularly<br />
in urban areas, drivers can find themselves declutching,<br />
selecting and reselecting gears several<br />
times a minute as they crawl in queues. Some<br />
vehicle manufacturers have developed a manual<br />
transmission that is as normal but without a clutch<br />
pedal. These use a conventional clutch assembly<br />
and gearbox. Each time a gear is selected, an<br />
electronically controlled motor, instead of your foot,<br />
activates the clutch.<br />
This then disengages the clutch, the gear is<br />
shifted and the clutch engaged once more.<br />
Fully automatic gearboxes, which dominate in<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
America, rely on hydraulic fluid pressure to shift the<br />
gears up and down.<br />
Some 40 years ago, DAF developed the<br />
somewhat complicated first generation of<br />
Continuously Variable Transmission. The principal<br />
behind this type of transmission is one of being<br />
an automatic but with no real gear selection<br />
capabilities.<br />
It relied on centrifugal forces throwing out bobweights<br />
within a pulley assembly and the whole lot<br />
was driven by drive-belts.<br />
It enabled the car to virtually free-wheel at<br />
higher speeds, therefore saving fuel.<br />
JATCO has taken on board the principal of<br />
CVT and extensively simplified and refined it. It’s<br />
probably best illustrated in the latest X-TRONIC<br />
CVT as fitted to the Murano, which itself posed an<br />
engineering challenge with its high power 3.5-litre<br />
engine.<br />
At the heart of the X-TRONIC CVT is a very<br />
strong steel belt connecting two pulleys which<br />
have V-shaped grooves in which the belt sits. One<br />
pulley is driven by engine output and the other<br />
transmits torque to the wheels.<br />
On signals from a number of sensors linked to<br />
the throttle and brakes, hydraulic pumps increase<br />
or reduce the space between the two pulleys and<br />
effectively alter their working diameter and the<br />
distance the belt has to travel, but always ensures<br />
it is at its optimum.<br />
The <strong>Nissan</strong> CVT systems mean there are no<br />
annoying continuous changes up or down the<br />
transmission when climbing or descending hills as<br />
the gearbox searches for power or braking force.<br />
While the engine runs efficiently, the transmission<br />
works seamlessly and absorbs less power itself.<br />
For Murano, the system has been refined to<br />
its highest degree. The normal and power modes<br />
have been supplemented with a start-up mode<br />
to give stronger acceleration from rest before the<br />
normal or power modes slip into play.<br />
This overcomes the familiar jerk from moving<br />
off or under kickdown demand. Finally, <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
realised some drivers wanted the ability to select<br />
their own gears and the X-TRONIC CVT has six set<br />
change points accessed by moving the gearlever<br />
forwards or backwards as desired.<br />
Courtesy: N-COM<br />
2006 23
The Zama manufacturing plant in Japan, which once built compact cars like the<br />
Sunny and was closed in the early 1990s, now has a new life.<br />
It is home to a <strong>Nissan</strong> ‘Super Dealer’ where potential customers can drive all the<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> models – and is home to an unique collection of Datsun and <strong>Nissan</strong> cars.<br />
These date from the Datsun Phaetons of the 1930s and include cars like the Skyline<br />
Sports Coupe of 1962.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong>’s racing heritage is well represented with rally cars like the African Safari Rally<br />
cars, Le Mans racing cars and Japan GT racers.<br />
In 1982, with the 30th Safari Rally, a Violet achieved a historical first by winning four<br />
championships in a row and a first for driver Shekhar Mehta and co-driver Mike Doughty.<br />
It also includes one of the rarest of all <strong>Nissan</strong> models, the road going version of the<br />
1998 R390 GT1 Le Mans car. Of the machines entered in the GT class of the Le Mans<br />
24-hour race, at least one must be based on a vehicle that can be driven on public roads<br />
so this car was created in order to obtain homologation for the R390 GT1 as a ‘GT’ car.<br />
It was never marketed but was rumoured to be worth 100 million yen (€710,000) if it had<br />
been put up for sale.<br />
4 Centre stage: The unique road-going version of the R390 GT1 Le Mans car with a line-up of<br />
1930s cars on the left and other race cars on the right<br />
Courtesy: N-COM<br />
24<br />
A Unique
HERITAGE<br />
Collection<br />
5 Rally winners: The<br />
Safari Rally car of Mehta<br />
and Doughty are among the<br />
Zama collection of<br />
rally cars<br />
6 Classic: The skyline<br />
sports coupe of 1962<br />
2006 25
I M A G I N AT I O N<br />
FACTORY<br />
Designers from all over the world’s most<br />
advanced centres simulate one another<br />
to produce the best designs to respond<br />
to a variety of wishes within a fusion of cultures<br />
and customs, each with its own values. <strong>Nissan</strong>’s<br />
international network closely connects all this to<br />
create consistently advanced form.<br />
“For any automaker, attractive design is a<br />
necessary condition for the success of a product.<br />
It is not sufficient, but it is necessary. Why?<br />
Because the design is the first thing our customers<br />
see. If they do not like it, they won’t go any further.<br />
It is important for the design to be compelling,<br />
to make customers think at first glance, “Let me<br />
26<br />
IMAGINAT<br />
know more”. When they test our product, they<br />
then discover whether the technologies, benefits<br />
and features align with the design. The design<br />
provokes their interest, and when they test our<br />
products, they should not be disappointed, but<br />
fulfilled. For example, the design of the Z looks<br />
like a tiger. When you drive it, you feel the tiger!<br />
The experience fulfils the image.<br />
We have to remember that when customers<br />
buy cars, their decisions are often based on<br />
rational, irrational and emotional factors. Creative,<br />
appealing design can stir a strong emotional<br />
reaction, enhance pride of ownership and foster<br />
lasting loyalty to the <strong>Nissan</strong> brand.”<br />
The above statement is by Carlos Ghosn,<br />
President and Chief Executive Officer of <strong>Nissan</strong><br />
Motor Co. and is so true in its being. How many<br />
times our choice of a new car is determined by<br />
the way it looks.? Mostly, it seems. Once the<br />
appearance appeals, then the next step is to<br />
open the doors and sit in it to feel it. It is a chain<br />
of emotional stirrings that a good design – on the<br />
outside and inside – must evoke for the customer<br />
to begin a bond with the product.<br />
And this is where all the hard work of all the<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Design centres the world over comes<br />
into play. In recent years, <strong>Nissan</strong> has proved<br />
that it is possible to rise gallantly from the depths<br />
of despair to become the most profitable car<br />
company and one of the most important factors<br />
in this transformation has been the fantastic work<br />
done by the design department.<br />
Lessons have been learnt from the mistakes<br />
of the past to put things in perspective and today,<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> products are acknowledged to be in sync<br />
with the times and in some cases, much ahead<br />
of the competition. There is a sense of being<br />
adventurous, modern and curvaceous that draws<br />
customers to <strong>Nissan</strong> products. And this has all<br />
got to do with design!<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Design began way back in 1954 with a<br />
team of just seven. Today, there are design centres<br />
spread across the globe employing hundreds to<br />
bring cutting edge design catering to customers<br />
from different spectrums: time, geography, market<br />
segment, economic conditions. It is only by<br />
understanding the complexity of this multi-faceted<br />
situation that <strong>Nissan</strong> designers have led the<br />
revival of the company and this continues. After<br />
all, the global growth of <strong>Nissan</strong> has to continue to<br />
be led by the unique design of the products.<br />
Designers at <strong>Nissan</strong> Design start with values<br />
of the “3 C’s” - Clear, Creative, Consistent – and<br />
with these 3 C’s design takes shape. Further<br />
accentuating the passion of the brand are six<br />
words to <strong>Nissan</strong> Design which in each adds more<br />
emphasises to the passion of the brand.
DESIGN FEATURE<br />
ION FACTORY<br />
Symbolic – iconic and memorable<br />
Advanced – Progressive, fresh and new<br />
Broad Planes – Dynamic tension, solid and<br />
sturdy<br />
Simplicity – Pure, natural and clean<br />
Finessed – Refined nuances<br />
Humancentric – Attuned and sensitive.<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Design is an integral component of the<br />
company and its role is of the utmost importance<br />
as the company looks ahead with vigour and zest<br />
to bring more joy to <strong>Nissan</strong> customers.<br />
Neville Jal Darukhanawalla<br />
2006 27
<strong>Nissan</strong> Sweeps Top<br />
Placings in Tal El Saad<br />
Whilst there are plenty of motorsports activities taking place in the UAE, there are some events that are<br />
completely dominated by the local populace, most of whom place their trust in one brand – <strong>Nissan</strong>.<br />
28
Now, one would say that this is taking things<br />
a bit too far as how come one make of<br />
vehicle be so enduring to the competitors<br />
and by the way, what is this form of motorsport<br />
that makes for a frenzied dash in a <strong>Nissan</strong> to<br />
participate in?<br />
Well, it is hill climbing, only here in the Arabian<br />
peninsula the connotations change to dune<br />
climbing and the most famous of them all are<br />
the Tal Moreeb in Liwa, Abu Dhabi and the Tal<br />
El Saad in Al Ain – both in the UAE. There is one<br />
big dune in Saudi Arabia which is also huge, but<br />
it is the aforementioned dunes that all exponents<br />
of this very technical and exciting sport want to<br />
conquer. Think of dune climbing as a different<br />
form of drag racing wherein instead of racing on a<br />
flat track, one speeds up a dune having an angle<br />
of 38 degrees (checked by GPS). Total length of<br />
the track depends on basically how big the dune<br />
is, but Tal El Saad (our point of focus here in this<br />
article) is about 200 metres long with 65 metres left<br />
as braking distance. Even then 135 metres going<br />
vertically is nothing to scoff at as the competitors<br />
found out at the Red Bull Reach the Top event that<br />
took place in earlier in April this year.<br />
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh<br />
Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, this event saw a<br />
score of mainly Emiratis taking part. with the most<br />
MOTOR SPORTS<br />
popular wheels of choice being the effervescent<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Patrol.<br />
Around 15,000 UAE and foreign spectators<br />
came to applaud the 21 winners of the quad and<br />
4WDs categories. Sheikh Ali Sultan Al Khatiri,<br />
Mr. Abdallah Al Qobaissi, vice-president of the<br />
organizing committee, and Mr. Mohammed Bin<br />
Barrak Al Zahiri from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority<br />
distributed the prizes. He cherry on the cake for<br />
the winner in the car category was a pristine white<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Patrol, courtesy of Al Massoud Automobiles,<br />
the <strong>Nissan</strong> dealer in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.<br />
That the racing was fast and furious was an<br />
understatement as the competitors place a lot<br />
of emphasis on doing well as it reflects on their<br />
standing in the local tuners’ market. Racers and<br />
indeed winners are accorded cult status and much<br />
was expected of last year’s winner Hamdan Al<br />
Mazroui but sadly, the Tal El Saad is a great leveler<br />
of man and machine and he failed in his quest to<br />
take top honours.<br />
Fastest man on the night was UAE’s Bader<br />
Ibrahim Ahli from the Formula team. He darted up<br />
Tell El Saad in his 8-cylinder Patrol in a scorching<br />
time of 8.426 seconds. He was followed in second<br />
position by Ibrahim Abbas Al Balouchi with 9.006<br />
seconds, with Abdallah Al Hamli taking third with a<br />
time of 9.032 seconds.<br />
In the 6-cylinder category, Hamed Mohammed<br />
Jassem Al Mouni ranked first with 12.066 seconds,<br />
followed by second placed Thani Khalifa Al Muhairi<br />
(12.734 seconds) and Waleed Salah Ibrahim with<br />
12.394 seconds rounding off the podium.<br />
As for the standard car category, Jassim<br />
Mohammed Al Ali took the top spot after scoring a<br />
good time of 9.721 seconds. He was followed by<br />
Saeed Al Mazroui in second position with 10.483<br />
seconds, while Saeed Bou Samarah finished third<br />
in a time of 10.903 seconds.<br />
Surprisingly enough, Bader Ahli did not<br />
only win the title of 2006 UAE 4WD Champion<br />
of the Red Bull Reach the Top competition held<br />
in Tal El Saad, Al Ain, but he was also awarded<br />
the championship shield of all car classes, after<br />
the points he had previously scored in the car<br />
championships held in Tal Moreeb, Liwa and Tal<br />
Awafi, Ras Al Khaimah were added up with the<br />
points of this championship.<br />
Ahli expressed his joy of winning the title and<br />
said: “I am extremely happy, especially that I am<br />
crowned twice tonight: the first time because I<br />
scored the best time in Tal El Saad and the second<br />
time because I scored the highest number of<br />
points at the end of the season that started in Liwa<br />
and Awafi then ended in Tal El Saad”.<br />
“After my first trial, I realized that the drivers<br />
were unable to beat it, so I decided to wait before<br />
making the second one. I was in fact waiting for<br />
Al Mazroui in particular because I knew he was a<br />
strong competitor. However, I was lucky and he<br />
was not”, he explained.<br />
47 cars raced yesterday: 13 in the 6-cylinder<br />
standard category, 14 in the 6-cylinder full category<br />
and 20 in the 8-cylinder category. This number<br />
was more than sufficient to offer the spectators<br />
the expected excitement and enthusiasm. The<br />
wait grew longer and longer and reached its peak<br />
when the car of Saudi driver Ahmad Al Chaqawi<br />
rolled over after crossing the finish line. However,<br />
he came out of the accident unharmed and waved<br />
to put the audience’s mind at ease.<br />
All in all, it was a good evening of racing and it<br />
is but a tribute to the strength of the <strong>Nissan</strong> Patrol<br />
as it proved to not just be the fastest vehicle up<br />
Tal El Saad but the most preferred among the<br />
competitors.<br />
2006 29
Meet Bhavna Vishnu. Young, trendy, with an eye for the<br />
good things in life, this Indian lady has recently relocated<br />
to Dubai from Oman where she has lived ‘practically<br />
all my life’, as she puts it. The fast and hectic pace of<br />
Dubai compared to the peaceful, easy-going life of Oman,<br />
initially, was very stark for this advertising professional<br />
who has been her chosen field right from the start of<br />
her career. Presently working with a leading publishing<br />
company in Dubai, she says that the advertising industry<br />
is very challenging and it stimulates her senses.<br />
Coming from the laid-back life in Oman, Bhavna did find<br />
the pace a bit too fast for her liking in the beginning, but<br />
the wonder therapy that Dubai offers in the form of an<br />
abundance of shopping malls did make life a lot more fun<br />
and adjusting a lot more easier. Easy to talk to, Bhavna<br />
If you were a car, what would you be?<br />
A Black Limousine<br />
What’s your favourite stretch of road?<br />
Sheikh Zayed Road, with its huge towers on either side.<br />
What’s your proudest achievement whilst driving?<br />
Not hitting anyone or anything…..YET! (Thank God)<br />
What are the trends in your field of work?<br />
Very competitive and challenging. Keeps one always on their toes.<br />
What made you buy a <strong>Nissan</strong> Tiida Sedan?<br />
It’s an ideal family car which is spacious, has a good interior and is<br />
comfortable as well as economical.<br />
Describe your Tiida?<br />
Smart, Strong and Spacious.<br />
What kind of mileage is on the odometer?<br />
I have recently bought it and have so far done 2152 absolutely relaxed<br />
kilometres.<br />
If you were to switch careers, what would you do?<br />
Veterinarian. I love animals.<br />
What’s in your car stereo right now?<br />
Hindi-English combo CD.<br />
What would you do with the last tankful of fuel in your car?<br />
Save it for a rainy day, of course!<br />
What was the last book you read?<br />
The Da Vinci Code<br />
Describe yourself in one word?<br />
Contented!<br />
What’s the maddest thing you have done in your Tiida?<br />
Not washed it for an entire month.<br />
30<br />
ME & MY NISSAN<br />
BhAvnA viShnU<br />
TiidA SedAn<br />
is a friendly and fun loving person who likes exploring<br />
beautiful scenic beaches and to talk nine-to-the-dozen –<br />
a requisite that undoubtedly is of great value in her job.<br />
Happily married to Deepak since the last year and a half<br />
back, Bhavna epitomises the modern Indian woman who<br />
likes to cherish and enjoy each moment of her life.<br />
After owning a number of cars earlier, Bhavna professes<br />
that she has indeed found true joy in her latest acquisition<br />
– a <strong>Nissan</strong> Tiida sedan. So enthralled is she with the Tiida,<br />
that her new-found passion is to go for long drives in the<br />
setting sun … with her hubby, of course. She says: “I enjoy<br />
exploring the Emirates in my Tiida sedan, as each journey<br />
turns into an comfortable and relaxing experience.”<br />
SHIFT_ spoke to Bhavna to find out whether Dubai has<br />
really changed her.<br />
How sensitive are you to other people’s judgement?<br />
I follow the principal of ‘selective hearing’ – Absorb what is constructive<br />
and discard the rest.<br />
Your views on the traffic situation?<br />
Views!!! This place is not enough to pen that down.<br />
What’s the fastest you’ve driven on the public highway?<br />
I am not a speed crazy person and the fastest I have done is 140 kph.<br />
Your favourite cuisine?<br />
Indo-Chinese.<br />
Your favourite phrase?<br />
Thank God.<br />
Your favourite destination?<br />
Home.<br />
Home is where the heart is…what does your heart yearn for?<br />
A long fully paid-for holiday, to beat this heat, to the destination of my<br />
choice.
<strong>Nissan</strong> Middle East FZE<br />
Jebel Ali Freezone<br />
P.O. Box 61111<br />
United Arab Emirates<br />
Tel No.: +971 4 881 7500<br />
Fax No.: +971 4 881 7497<br />
Website: www.nissan-me.com<br />
Saudi Arabia<br />
Alhamrani United Company<br />
Madinah Road<br />
P.O. Box 701 Jeddah 21421<br />
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia<br />
Tel No.: +966 2 6696690<br />
TLX: 601556 AFAF SJ<br />
Fax No.: +966 2 6673658<br />
E-Mail: info@nissan.com.sa<br />
Website: www.nissan.com.sa<br />
Kuwait<br />
Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Company<br />
4th Ring Road, Al-Rai<br />
P.O. Box 2198, SAFAT 13022, Kuwait<br />
Tel No.: +965 4737977<br />
Freephone: 804888<br />
Fax No.: +965 4723677<br />
Email: General Enquiries: nissan@babtain.com.kw<br />
Website: www.nissankuwait.com<br />
Abu Dhabi & Al Ain<br />
Al Masaood Automobiles<br />
P.O. Box 322<br />
Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates<br />
Tel No.: +971 2 6811118<br />
Fax No.: +971 2 6776689<br />
E-Mail: almasood@masaood .com<br />
Website: www.masaood.com<br />
Dubai & Northern Emirates<br />
Arabian Automobiles Co.<br />
P.O. Box 2128<br />
Dubai - United Arab Emirates<br />
Tel No.: +971 2 2952222/2699770<br />
Fax No.: +971 2 2952828<br />
E-Mail: aaco@al-rostamani.co.ae<br />
Website: www.arabianautomobiles.com<br />
Oman<br />
Suhail Bahwan Automobiles LLC<br />
P.O. Box 156, Muscat, Postal Code 112,<br />
Sultanate of Oman<br />
Tel No.: +968 24560111<br />
Fax No.: +968 24560101<br />
E-mail: nissan@suhailbahwangroup.com<br />
Website: www.suhailbahwangroup.com<br />
Qatar<br />
Saleh Alhamad Almana Co.<br />
P.O. Box 91, Doha, Qatar<br />
Tel No.: +974 4441334<br />
Fax No.: +974 4441337<br />
E-Mail: marketing@shalmana.com<br />
Website: www.shalmana.com<br />
Name: ........................................................................................................................................................<br />
Company:....................................................................................................................................................<br />
Position: .....................................................................................................................................................<br />
PO Box: ......................................................................................................................................................<br />
City: .......................................... Country: .......................................... Zip Code: .........................................<br />
Tel: ............................................................................. Fax: ........................................................................<br />
E-mail: .......................................................................................................................................................<br />
Bahrain<br />
Y. K. Almoayyed & Sons BSC(C)<br />
Tel No.: +973 17 211211<br />
Fax No.: +973 17 731206<br />
E-Mail: almoayyed@almoayyed.com<br />
Website: www.almoayyed.com<br />
<strong>Lebanon</strong><br />
Rasamny Younis Motor Company S.A.L. (RYMCO)<br />
BLVRD, Chiah, P.O. Box 2737<br />
Beirut - <strong>Lebanon</strong><br />
Tel No.: +9611 273 333<br />
Fax No.: +9611 274188<br />
E-mail: rymco@dm.net.lb<br />
Website: www.rymco.com.lb<br />
Jordan<br />
Bustami & Saheb Trading Co.<br />
Amman - Wadi Saqra<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Bldg., P.O. Box 81821<br />
Amman 11121 Jordan<br />
Tel No.: +9626 553 2456<br />
E-Mail: bstc@nissan.com.jo<br />
Egypt<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Motor Egypt.<br />
6 October City<br />
3rd Industrial Zone<br />
Area 6,7, Egypt<br />
Tel No.: + 2 02 8340920<br />
Fax No.: +2 02 8340930<br />
Mobile +2 010 60 74 788<br />
Syria<br />
Rakha Co.<br />
Shallah & Hboubati<br />
P.O. Box: 33661<br />
Harasta, Damascus, Syria<br />
Tel No.: +963 11 532 99 35 (Lines, 6-7-8-9)<br />
Fax No.: +963 11 532 99 40<br />
Yemen<br />
The Tehama Trading company<br />
P.O.Box 4422 Shamsan street<br />
Hodeidah, Republic of Yemen<br />
Tel No.: +967 3 200 151<br />
Algeria<br />
<strong>Nissan</strong> Algerie S.A.R.L.<br />
6 Boulevard Colonel Amirouche<br />
Alger - Algerie<br />
Tel No.: +213 21 63 56 55<br />
Fax No.: +213 21 63 58 42<br />
Morocco<br />
Siab, 166 Boulevard<br />
Moulay Ismail<br />
Casablanca - Morocco<br />
Tel No.: +212 22 24 44 23<br />
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