First, a short Nissan history. Nissan is a globally known and recognized car manufacturer. They are represented in almost every car market in the world. In 1999,  Nissan cut a deal with Renault to share platforms and engines, making them effectively partners. Usually Renault provides the engines, the awesome dCi units, and Nissan provides the platform. Nissan also has two separate divisions. Nismo (Nissan Motorsports), is Nissan’s racing division, also in charge of performance road cars. The other brand is the luxury manufacturer Infiniti. Infiniti is Nissan’s premium car brand, in charge of their up-market sedans and limousines.

In this article however, we'll cover their Cube. The Nissan Cube is a small MPV originally intended for the Japanese markets. It was introduced in 1998, but due to its quirky and interesting look, Europeans and Americans took an interest to it as well, forcing Nissan to bring it there too. It was available in the US from 2009, but as of 2014, it's only available in Japan once again.

While not especially sporty, the Cube's engine options initially were just two 1.3 liter engines, but subsequent 1.5 and 1.8 liter engines were introduced, as well as a 1.4 replacement for the 1.3 liter engine. Power and speed certainly isn't what made this car so appealing, but rather it's unusual looks and surprising practicality. The car's box shape (hence the name Cube) uses every bit of its available space very efficiently, making for a car that's bigger than it appears. 

The Cube's looks are its defining characteristic, and the reason for its popularity. The interior is very interesting and creatively designed too. Whatever you think of the car overall, you certainly can't say it doesn't provoke a second look every time one passes you by. While not tuned for lots of power or performance, these cars have a cult following, meaning lots of parts are available, some even free up some power. In a car that's as light as the Cube, it's more than enough to make them interesting and quite quick. 

Bean Garage has a selection of Nissan Cube Aftermarket parts, some of which offer more performance. Check out all Nissan Cube parts here.