[DCD]

I just got off the phone with one of the importers I'm dealing with to figure out how best to get my father his FX35/45 here to Japan.
They have finally got a demo FX45, black with brick interior at one of their shops in Yokohama. I will take a few snaps and post them up here...you might think I sound a bit overexcited here but trust me, after almost a year of reading about this darn SUV I finally get a chance to see it and hopefuly drive it. I think the hard part is convinicing my father to go with the 45 rather than the 35!! Now that I found out the 35 does NOT come with 20 inch wheels/sport pack in Canada this is one more thing against it! Lets hope! :wink:

 

[esemes]

I just got off the phone with one of the importers I'm dealing with to figure out how best to get my father his FX35/45 here to Japan.
They have finally got a demo FX45, black with brick interior at one of their shops in Yokohama. I will take a few snaps and post them up here...you might think I sound a bit overexcited here but trust me, after almost a year of reading about this darn SUV I finally get a chance to see it and hopefuly drive it. I think the hard part is convinicing my father to go with the 45 rather than the 35!! Now that I found out the 35 does NOT come with 20 inch wheels/sport pack in Canada this is one more thing against it! Lets hope! :wink:

take ALOT of pics.......

items of interest:

1) dash/instrument
2) headlamps
3) wheels/tire (manufact)
4) rest of car

is this an 2004 US spec or 2003 US spec?? (maybe thas where all the leftover 2003 45's were taken???)

 

[DCD]

I think its a 2004, has chrome wheels I believe. Pix tomorrow

 

[esemes]

I think its a 2004, has chrome wheels I believe. Pix tomorrow

an easy spot for the 2004's are the alum. roof rails, and / or hatch trim ring......

 

[DCD]

Well went to see it today. I think it looks 100 times better up close than it does in pictures, as most cars do. It is slightly bigger than I had thought and so was the interior. This FX45 was a 2003 model and had the premium package fitted, roof-rails x-bars, chrome dubs and splash guards. I also spotted the infiniti trunk cover and some carpets in a plastic bag... although I'm not sure if these are extras.

This has to be one of the freshest designs I have seen in a long time, and trust me, in my line of work I get to see LOTS of new cars, but this FX is simply superb in every way! I simply loved every little detail about it! I'm 6.3 and had no trouble fitting in the back, plenty of knee room and head room. The brick interior really surprised me as well, I had no idea it was such a cool shade. Just looks orange and plain in most pictures I've seen but it is without a doubt the best combination to go for with a black body color. Needless to say my father, who is the one actually buying this thing(!), was totally impresses too. Probably more than me...

Its just a question of time now. I'm going to try and make this work as soon as its feasibly possible!

Here are a few pix:

 

[GTRPower]

I told you it's cool! I'm glad you got to see it for yourself...

 

[DCD]

Yep you were right, thanks! Its just so darn hard trying to picture the true proportions from pix and info. Anyway I owe many thanks to people from here and Freshalloy for all their help over the last few weeks. You guys are too cool and so helpful.

Can't wait to see it parked next to this

....lets hope its going to be soon!

 

[CDR]

"after almost a year of reading about this darn SUV I finally get a chance to see it and hopefuly drive it."



Did you get to drive it? If so, what did you and your dad think? Also, will the left hand drive present a problem in Japan? Talk about an attention getter!!

My wife and I had a British right hand drive car (a '64 Singer Gazelle) in New York for about 5 years in the early '80s and the attention it received was amazing. It was her car in Britain when we got married and we had it shipped over. The only thing that took a little getting used to, aside from changing gears with your left hand, was judging the proper distance from the oncoming traffic lane on the left. Naturally, sitting on the opposite side, you are further away from the center line and need to make sure you don't wander too far over. But after a couple of weeks, it became second nature and, in fact, I had to teach myself how to change gears with my right hand again after we got rid of the Singer. Now the S2000 we have now...wow, what a car!!! The best gearbox I have ever experienced, with either hand.

Good luck to you and your dad and I hope you go through with the deal, you won't be sorry. Just get ready for "rubbernecking" at every turn.

 

[DCD]

No, unfortunately no test drive. The car has been in Japan for only a few days and it has not been registered yet. Plus it was on the second floor of the showroom...

No problem with LHD or RHD. I've driven LHD cars in the UK and Japan, and RHD cars in Italy and most of Europe. No problem. In Japan having a LHD car is a bit of a status symbol. You'll be surprised how many US/Euro cars there are on the roads, plus when the Japanese buy European cars they always tend to go for LHD rather than RHD. Just makes you look more special I guess. Obviously my father is not doing this to look cool, the car will be shipped back to Italy when he leaves Japan at the end of the year.

 

[Ak1nza]

Heya DCD,
Could you post some info on how popular the FX35/45 is in Japan? I mean were there a lot of people looking at it?

I think that if it were popular in Japan more aftermarket products would be released for it. Unfortunately since it is a US market only product there really is no market for aftermarket products. In Japan the Harrier (RX300/330) here are pretty modded out (coming from Asia, I see bodykits for em all the time).

I'd really love to see some body kits or aftermarket parts specifically for our vehicle. Right now we're just sourcing parts from stuff that fits the G35. Until Pro-Drive comes out with their stuff, there's nothing for us.

Also since Pro-Drive is basically the only one offering parts they're going to monopolize the FX market and I bet they will charge an insane price for their body kit. Only time will tell however.

Anyways any info on how people respond to the FX there would be great.

It'd be awesome to see it released as a domestic model!

8)

 

[DCD]

Ak1nza...Unfortunatley there are very few people that are aware of the existence of the FX here in Japan. Its been appearing on various truck/suv/4x4 magazines for the last few months, plus if you go through the for sale sections there are maybe 5-6 resellers that import it into the country, but apart from this it remains a very well kept secret. As I was telling my father yesterday, the FX will no doubt turn more heads than a Ferrari in Tokyo! Its just unbelievably pretty.

As for after-market parts....none at all I'm afraid. I'm sure that as the FX after-market will develop in the US parts will be imported into Japan, but tuners over here are not going to invest developing FX specific parts when only a handful are actually in the country. Pity really, I would love to see a nice titanium exhaust on my fathers FX!! He he...but I'm sure a few parts can be adapted, stuff from Nismo or Mine's for the VQ35DE FX35 and stuff from Impul for the FX45. Plus I'm not really sure if Nismo-US will do parts for the FX...I hope so

 

[esemes]

Ak1nza...Unfortunatley there are very few people that are aware of the existence of the FX here in Japan. Its been appearing on various truck/suv/4x4 magazines for the last few months, plus if you go through the for sale sections there are maybe 5-6 resellers that import it into the country, but apart from this it remains a very well kept secret. As I was telling my father yesterday, the FX will no doubt turn more heads than a Ferrari in Tokyo! Its just unbelievably pretty.

As for after-market parts....none at all I'm afraid. I'm sure that as the FX after-market will develop in the US parts will be imported into Japan, but tuners over here are not going to invest developing FX specific parts when only a handful are actually in the country. Pity really, I would love to see a nice titanium exhaust on my fathers FX!! He he...but I'm sure a few parts can be adapted, stuff from Nismo or Mine's for the VQ35DE FX35 and stuff from Impul for the FX45. Plus I'm not really sure if Nismo-US will do parts for the FX...I hope so

DCD-

more please on the IMPUL you speak of...........

also, please pass this ebsite onto as many (including the dealers!) as you can.... we CAN make a difference, i believe!

great to see the beginning!

eS

 

[DCD]

esemes....Impul/Calsonic is the tuner/racing team set up by Kazuyoshi Hoshino.

http://www.impul.co.jp/

They do a bit of work (nothing special) to the Nissan Cima (Q45):

http://www.impul.co.jp/products/complete/f50.cima.htm

 

[Sweet Fx]

hey DCD,
the last link you posted had this about half way down the page

HIGH POWER CONTROL UNIT
■価格：VK45DDエンジン用
178,000円

（純正品下取りの場合118,000円）

can anyone enlighten me?

 

[particlefx]

価格：VK45DDエンジン用
178,000円

Price: 178,000 Yen for VK45DD engine

純正品下取りの場合118,000円

In case of genuine products trade-in 118,000 Yen

 

[esemes]

even if it was transferrable, i dont think fueling maps for japan spec octane would work over here...... (much less ignition tabling)

 

[particlefx]

価格：VK45DDエンジン用
178,000円

Price: 178,000 Yen for VK45DD engine

純正品下取りの場合118,000円

In case of genuine products trade-in 118,000 Yen

BTW: 178,000 Yen is about $1,600 US. I did not read the article so I'm not sure of the context, but that seems cheap for an engine. Is it?

 

[esemes]

価格：VK45DDエンジン用
178,000円

Price: 178,000 Yen for VK45DD engine

純正品下取りの場合118,000円

In case of genuine products trade-in 118,000 Yen

BTW: 178,000 Yen is about $1,600 US. I did not read the article so I'm not sure of the context, but that seems cheap for an engine. Is it?

i dont believe thas for the motor, is it??

(complete unit = control unit, right???)

 

[DCD]

yep its only an ECU remap. You'll have to bring or send in your ECU and they will flash the rom or solder a separate one on there. As esemes said this will be no good for US spec cars as fuel has much higher octane rating here....you will end up detonating your poor engine to death!

If you guys want an aftermarket ECU its worth looking at the HKS F-CON V-Pro. There are a few shops in California that have the required software and knohow to map these, however I have no idea if it would be easy to wire into the stock ECU (its a piggy-back system). Plus I doubt you would be looking at a great HP gain...

 

[SDGuy]

What a pain to have to import a car to Japan that was manufactured in Japan.

What are the possible reasons the FX is not sold as a Japanese model? Are other Infiniti models sold there as Nissans? Thanks.