Nissan VQ Engine Makes Ward's 10 Best Engines List for 2005; Versatile Powerplant Receives Award for 11th Straight Year

DETROIT--Dec. 8, 2004--The Nissan 3.5-liter VQ V6 engine has been named to the annual Ward's 10 Best Engines list for the 11th straight year by Ward's Communications, Inc. It is the only engine that has been part of the list every year the award has been presented.

The versatile VQ powerplant is offered in a variety of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles for the 2005 model year in the United States. These vehicles include the Nissan Altima and Maxima sedans, the Nissan 350Z sports car, the Nissan Murano crossover vehicle, the Nissan Quest minivan, in addition to the Infiniti G35 Sedan and Coupe and the Infiniti FX35 crossover utility vehicle. Ward's award was based on the 3.5-liter VQ engine as used in the Infiniti G35 coupe with a six-speed manual transmission.

The VQ engine has been improved for the 2005 model year. The engine in the G35 when mated to an automatic transmission now produces 280 horsepower at 6,200 rpm, and 270 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. This represents an increase of 20 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque in the G35 sedan.

When mated to the six-speed manual transmission, horsepower in both the G35 Sedan and Coupe increases to 298 at 6,400 rpm. The VQ engine sees its highest-ever output with the 35th Anniversary 350Z, which is tuned for 300 hp. A 4.0L variant of the VQ, specially tuned for truck applications, is now available in the all-new, 2005 Nissan Pathfinder SUV, and later in new generations of the Frontier mid-size pickup and Xterra SUV.

Voting for the best engines was a team of six editors and writers for Ward's AutoWorld magazine and Ward's Engine & Vehicle Technology Update newsletter. The panel judged dozens of engines in a wide variety of vehicles priced below $52,500.

Ward's Communications is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for nearly 80 years. Ward's AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals globally. The twice-monthly newsletter Ward's Engine & Vehicle Technology Update provides analysis of engineering advancements and technical issues. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data and analysis compiled by Ward's Communications, the world's leader in automotive industry information. Ward's Communications is a Southfield, MI-based division of PRIMEDIA Business, the trade publication group of PRIMEDIA.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.