14 Oct 04
Big is best in America, so it's hardly surprising that Nissan thought 'big' with the Titan's 5.6-litre V8. It kicks out 305bhp which may not seem a lot given the displacement of the engine, but more importantly it produces 379lb ft of torque. All that twisting force is developed from just 2,000rpm - making for plenty of shove when pulling away or overtaking. An extremely sensitive throttle can make low-speed manoeuvres a bit tricky as the engine wants to come out all-guns-blazing, all the time.
A lazy five-speed automatic gearbox channels all that power to the rear wheels - although you can switch on the move to four-wheel drive. Unladen pick-ups can suffer from oversteer under power when cornering due to the minimal weight over the driven rear wheels. Still, the Titan's weight distribution isn't disastrous, split 56/44 front to rear. Incidentally, the tailgate is rather heavy, which you find out to your cost as it crashes down the first time you open it.
That load bay is cavernous at 2 metres long by 1.7 metres wide - big enough for the 4Car soap box racer, or even a jacuzzi if you put enough thought into it.
