Nissan is stealing a march on manufacturers hoping to hog the limelight at the 2006 British Motor Show by displaying two concept vehicles at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed held over three days from July 7th, two weeks before the London show.

Central to the Nissan stand will be a sporty new concept SUV based on the Murano crossover called simply the Nissan Murano GT-C. The Murano GT-C features the Kuro Black paintwork shown on the Nissan 350Z GT4 edition and the Murano's lights have been tinted to give the car a more menacing appearance. Complementing this is the fitting of massive 22-inch five-spoke alloys. Finishing off the extrovert appearance is a raised roof spoiler. Inside, leather and wood should feature, though apparently with a "modern slant."

The Murano GT-C is more than just a styling exercise, as Nissan has turbocharged the Murano's regular 3.5-litre V6, resulting in an increase in power from 231bhp to nearly 350bhp. The CVT transmission is retained, as is Nissan's ALL-MODE four-wheel drive system. There is a distinct possibility that Nissan will put aspects of the Murano GT-C into production too, as the company has admitted that road testing of this vehicle will take place after its display at the London Show later in July.

Though the Murano GT-C is at this stage nothing more than a static show car, Nissan's other concept to be displayed in Goodwood will be subjected to the rigours of a flat out blast up the famous hill. The Nissan 350Z GTS was allegedly developed by a team at Nissan’s Cranfield Technical Centre in their spare time. The 'S' is for supercharger, as this particular 350Z uses supercharging to boost maximum power to 375bhp. We don't yet have information on the torque curve, but you can be sure that the presence of a supercharger will significantly increase the urge on tap throughout the rev range.

For Goodwood, the GTS features uprated brakes and suspension, as well as a suitably aggressive body kit. Thankfully, the alloy wheel diameter has not been increased, so this concept should be more about how it drives than looks. It is sadly unlikely that the 350Z GTS will make it into production though, as it would step on the toes of the forthcoming Skyline replacement. Hopefully it will be displayed at the British Motor Show in any case.

Motorsport fans will be treated to blasts up the Goodwood hill in the 2004 Japanese Super GT championship winning Nissan GT500 350Z along with an attempt at the quickest hill time of the weekend in a modified BTCC Nissan Primera. Should be a cracking exhibition.

Shane O' Donoghue - 14 Jun 2006