Nissan's wrecked by Tsunami

TOKYO – The earthquake-triggered tsunami that ravaged Japan's Pacific coast has damaged at least 2,300 Nissan and Infiniti brand vehicles awaiting shipment to U.S. and Japan showrooms. The cars -- including nearly 1,300 Infiniti M, EX and FX models bound for North America -- were parked at two coastal loading points when the giant waves swept through.
About 1,300 cars -- all to be exported to the United States -- were damaged at the Port of Hitachi. Most were Infiniti nameplates such as the M sedan and EX and FX crossovers. But the damaged cars also included a small number of 370Z sports cars, the company said. Those cars are made at Nissan's Infiniti assembly plant in nearby Tochigi prefecture. A service center in neighboring Miyagi prefecture, where cars were being assembled for shipment to domestic dealers, was likewise devastated by the tsunami. About 1,000 vehicles were damaged at that location. Nissan Motor Co. confirmed that many of the vehicles at the Port of Hitachi had been consumed by fire. It couldn't give an exact breakdown or identify the cause of the fire. Fires were widespread throughout much of the disaster zone following Friday's killer 8.9-magnitude earthquake. The quake and the tsunami waves it triggered ruptured gas lines, wiped out villages, devastated ports and wharfs, damaged nuclear power plants and flooded vast areas. Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Subaru were among the automakers suspending production.

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