Good afternoon ladies n gents,
I recently got rid of my Toyota Starlet Glanza V in a bid to protect my license. Those motors are such a bad influence and everyone just wants to race with you! Anyway, to fill the JDM void in my heart, I acquired this vehicle a few weeks back. 1986 Nissan Leopard Ultima 3.0 V6 F31. Not heard of it? Don't worry, I hadn't heard about them either until I stumbled across this one. Yes that's right, this car had me trippin'.
It is essentially a Nissan Skyline R31, they share the same chassis and geometry with 2 inches being added to the front and back of the Leopard. 2 inches doesn't seem like much but you can just tell how much more sharper this motor looks against the R31 Skyline. You will also notice how the front tiny bit resembles an R32 Skyline.
Technology? This thing would have made the best of marques tremble in their feet with the level of kit it has got. Honestly, every time I jump in a discover a new button/feature which is awesome because your never quiet sure what you will discover next. So far, I have uncovered the following features:
Automatic Lights turn on when dark outside
Automatic Wipers turn on when rain hits sensor
2-mode cruise control (not had opportunity to discover what 2 mode is about)
Super Sonic Suspension which adjusts dampness on monitoring road ahead
Adjustable Sport, normal and soft suspension settings
Electric adjustable driver seats
x3 inflatable air bolsters in driver seat to support lower, mid and upper back
AC, zonal climate control which I've not fully worked out yet
Full digital dash
Height Adjustable rear aerial
5 cassette tape changer/player
Furry soft Wool padded door cards and floor
Probably a couple of things I've missed there. Under the hood, it has a lovely happy sounding 3.0 V6 with 24 valves with quad cams! It purrrs just like a Leopard and goes really well. I've also been informed about 300zx 3.0 twin turbo engines being a straight swap with no fabrication work required in these but not something I would look at until much further down the line.
The best thing about it imho is not the level of technology, or its big 3.0 v6 engine. The best thing by far is the driver satisfaction/feeling. This is the first ever car I've jumped into and actually felt like just driving really slowly. It's such a comfortable place to be, the seats are extremely accommodating and the soft wool is so cosy. It's a wonderful place to be. It sounds and feels like an american muscle car, only it turns much better. Turning circle is fantastic. And when you put your foot down, the spirit of the Skyline emerges and it shifts really well and hold down on the road just like it should considering the Motorsport heritage the Skyline earned.
So your probably thinking theres gotta be some sort catch, it must weigh a few tonnes so must be nothing like a Skyline. Well actually, with all the technology and that big old v6, this car still only weighs 1,500 kg which was pretty impressive, a bit more than an R31 Skyline but still not massively more.
I am planning on removing those stickers, replacing sun visor sticker with a plain white strip and painting the wheels a dark bronze/gold colour.
So there you have it... a 1986 Nissan Leopard Ultima.
I recently got rid of my Toyota Starlet Glanza V in a bid to protect my license. Those motors are such a bad influence and everyone just wants to race with you! Anyway, to fill the JDM void in my heart, I acquired this vehicle a few weeks back. 1986 Nissan Leopard Ultima 3.0 V6 F31. Not heard of it? Don't worry, I hadn't heard about them either until I stumbled across this one. Yes that's right, this car had me trippin'.
It is essentially a Nissan Skyline R31, they share the same chassis and geometry with 2 inches being added to the front and back of the Leopard. 2 inches doesn't seem like much but you can just tell how much more sharper this motor looks against the R31 Skyline. You will also notice how the front tiny bit resembles an R32 Skyline.
Technology? This thing would have made the best of marques tremble in their feet with the level of kit it has got. Honestly, every time I jump in a discover a new button/feature which is awesome because your never quiet sure what you will discover next. So far, I have uncovered the following features:
Automatic Lights turn on when dark outside
Automatic Wipers turn on when rain hits sensor
2-mode cruise control (not had opportunity to discover what 2 mode is about)
Super Sonic Suspension which adjusts dampness on monitoring road ahead
Adjustable Sport, normal and soft suspension settings
Electric adjustable driver seats
x3 inflatable air bolsters in driver seat to support lower, mid and upper back
AC, zonal climate control which I've not fully worked out yet
Full digital dash
Height Adjustable rear aerial
5 cassette tape changer/player
Furry soft Wool padded door cards and floor
Probably a couple of things I've missed there. Under the hood, it has a lovely happy sounding 3.0 V6 with 24 valves with quad cams! It purrrs just like a Leopard and goes really well. I've also been informed about 300zx 3.0 twin turbo engines being a straight swap with no fabrication work required in these but not something I would look at until much further down the line.
The best thing about it imho is not the level of technology, or its big 3.0 v6 engine. The best thing by far is the driver satisfaction/feeling. This is the first ever car I've jumped into and actually felt like just driving really slowly. It's such a comfortable place to be, the seats are extremely accommodating and the soft wool is so cosy. It's a wonderful place to be. It sounds and feels like an american muscle car, only it turns much better. Turning circle is fantastic. And when you put your foot down, the spirit of the Skyline emerges and it shifts really well and hold down on the road just like it should considering the Motorsport heritage the Skyline earned.
So your probably thinking theres gotta be some sort catch, it must weigh a few tonnes so must be nothing like a Skyline. Well actually, with all the technology and that big old v6, this car still only weighs 1,500 kg which was pretty impressive, a bit more than an R31 Skyline but still not massively more.
I am planning on removing those stickers, replacing sun visor sticker with a plain white strip and painting the wheels a dark bronze/gold colour.
So there you have it... a 1986 Nissan Leopard Ultima.
Will do.
