Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Nissan Bluebird has been through three iterations since it was first brought here in the early '80s. Fidelity Motors carries the latest flavour, the G11.

The car's specs are as follows: overall length - 4,610 mm; width 1,700 mm; wheelbase - 2,700 mm, track (front) - 1,480 mm, rear 1,485 mm; kerb weight is 1165 kg, tankage is 52 litres and the vehicle turns within 5.3 m. Trunk capacity is 504 litres. Showroom price is $3.35 million.

Equipped with the venerable HR15DE 1,500 cc - which is basically the same engine in the Tiida - or the new MR20DE 2.0 litre, Bluebird moves off the line smartly, the bigger engine corralling a little over a 130 horses in the stable, with 110 hp available from the 1500. Kerb weight is surprisingly low; all up weight at a little over 2,560 lb. Bluebird's interior is also quiet, with class leading rear legroom. Zero to 60 comes up in 11.2 secs which is slower than was tested for the 1,300 cc Yaris - but this engine is smoother, more refined. Bluebird also felt more secure over the rough stuff and better tuned suspension wise.

Driving position

Nissan's interior seems a little more Spartan than the competition - gauges are smaller, and the faux wood trim doesn't have much lustre, for example - but the driving position feels excellent and visibility out is excellent. The car is available with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), an option that contributes to an excellent economy number of 6.5 litres per 100 km.

In days gone by, the old war-horse engines such as the CA18 and SR20 inline fours were indestructible and found themselves worthy to be tuned for competition. However, these engines have to be tuned to meet ever-increasing emissions and economy standards; today's camshaft profiles aren't that aggressive and combustion chambers aren't so revolutionary. But for anyone who has owned a U11 up Bluebird, the car still zings in that delightful way when you sink the go pedal. The DNA is still there - this Bluebird still sings sweetly.