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The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas is always a hotbed of wacky and wild concept cars, and Nissan has brought both performance and, well, paws to this year's show.
The Japanese car maker has brought five cars to Vegas, and we reckon the coolest one is the PAWS ONE Titan pickup. It's been made in collaboration with Animal Rescue Rigs (ARR), a new animal rescue charity dedicated to providing support during and after natural disasters. Not the fastest vehicle at SEMA, by any means, but probably the one with the best intentions. Looks awesome, too.
Speaking of disaster relief, there's another Titan pickup at SEMA, this time the 'Ultimate Service Titan.' It's packing a massive 5.0-litre V8 turbo diesel engine and is hauling a massive trailer which has been transformed into a mobile response unit built to serve in collaboration with the American Red Cross in South Florida.
Nissan has been working with the American Red Cross for the past five years, has managed to hep raise USD$2.5 million for the charity, and has helped with disaster relief by encouraging its employees to donate blood whenever possible.
Inside the massive trailer is a solar-powered generator, and a built-in wifi hotspot, which allows it to operate as a mobile command centre in an area hit by disaster which may not have power or wired internet.
There's also a bed and first-aid kit, allowing for casualty care and triage, and a built-in fridge which can be used as a blood bank. According to Nissan: "For rescue and relief workers, the Titan can serve as a place to find shelter, food and a much-needed place to rest between shifts, thanks to the temperature-controlled box that features a resting area, stove, microwave, sink and refrigerator." Can we start having Titans at home now, Nissan Ireland? Please?
Across the stand at SEMA is the Kicks Sound Machine. The Nissan Kicks is a small, affordable crossover (originally designed as a low-cost car for emerging markets) but for SEMA, Nissan has turned it into a mobile disco. The project includes the Kicks' class exclusive1 Bose Personal Plus sound system with eight speakers and proprietary Bose signal processing and a pair of lightweight 2.5-inch Bose UltraNearfield neodymium speakers located inside the Kicks' driver's seat head rest.
There are also eight Bose Virtually Invisible 791 speakers, custom built composite panel and speaker housing, three Bose F1 1,000-watt powered subwoofers, and two Bose RoomMatch Utility RMU206 speakers, hidden speakers revealed by pneumatic roof panel, with one Bose PowerMatch PM8500 configurable amplifier, one Bose ControlSpace CC-64 controller, and one Bose ControlSpace ESP-880 sound processor with ethernet card, Three Bose Panaray MA12EX loudspeakers, pneumatically-controlled speakers hidden under the vehicle (yes, really), professional disk jockeying equipment, including articulating rear drawer (reveals DJ controls), one Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 DJ Mixer, two CDJ-2000NXS2 Pro-DJ multi players (put your hands in the air like you just don't etc), and custom 18-inch aluminium-alloy wheels. It also has just the standard 1.6-litre petrol engine, so it's loud, but it's not quick.
You want quick? Nissan can do quick. How about the 370Z-based Project Clubsport 23? The idea behind the Clubsport is to create a concept car that Nissan owners can go out and build for themselves using off-the-shelf Nissan Motorsport components. The Clubsport, which was originally a second-hand 370Z NISMO, has had its standard 350hp V6 replaced by a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo VR30DDTT V6 engine, packing 400hp. It also gets uprated suspension, steering, brakes, and cooling.
Exterior and interior modifications include custom body panels and Gloss Burnt Orange body wrap, along with a full roll cage and diamond-pattern upholstery offering a contemporary throwback to the diamond pattern vinyl used in the original 240Z. The NISMO-branded 18x10.5-inch wheels get Hankook RS4 285/35R18 high performance tyres.
Oh, and just to top things off, Nissan's also bringing along three-time Formula Drift Champion Chris Forsberg's 370Z to SEMA. That car has a carbon-fibre body, and a twin-turbo VQ V6 engine.