Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Videos, BMW, Nissan
Pitting the Nissan GT-R against the all-new BMW M5 is ridiculous. They’re two different beasts in two different classes with two different purposes. It’s a cynical, SEO-optimized comparison. And even worse, it’s already been done. But…
We can’t help but post on it. Not because it’s clicky or that a few of us have man-crushes on Chris Harris. No. It’s because watching the two cars being flogged back-to-back on a damp circuit demonstrates how technologically sophisticated each one is and how they go about putting the power down so differently. You can actually see the GT-R – traction control switched off – trying to right itself as Harris flings it sideways, while the M5 slackens and goes neutral while the turbocharged eight responds like a naturally aspirated mill.
Scary with a capital “F?” Indeed. But just as educating as it is entertaining. See for yourself below the fold.
Continue reading Chris Harris + M5 + GT-R. You’ll want to watch this
Chris Harris + M5 + GT-R. You’ll want to watch this originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Crossover, Nissan
Compared to most SUVs-turned-mommy-mobiles, the Nissan Pathfinder has had an odd 27-year existence. Like all ‘utes, it’s first iteration was built on a truck platform, which was then followed by a unibody second generation. But unlike the rest of the pack, the third-gen Pathfinder swapped back to a body-on-frame architecture and it’s stayed that way for the last seven years.
Now the Pathfinder is swapping its underpinnings, yet again, utilizing a unibody platform that weighs “substantially less than the previous design,” houses seven seats, a new V6 and a CVT, all of which adds up to a claimed 25-percent improvement in fuel economy.
But even with all that information, Nissan is still calling this a “concept.”
Before it goes on sale later this year, we’ll get a real glimpse of the interior, which Nissan says will have more interior and cargo capacity thanks to its new platform. The outside, on the other hand, is almost a dead-ringer for the production version, with an aero-honed nose that’s much more handsome than some of Nissan’s recent snouts, along with a low beltline, a sizable greenhouse and A- and D-pillars that should lessen the blindspots that plagued the outgoing model.
We’ll have more from the floor momentarily, but until then, get the full details in the press release after the jump.
Continue reading 2012 Nissan Pathfinder Concept goes back to unibody
2012 Nissan Pathfinder Concept goes back to unibody originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Nissan, Specialty
The Nissan Juke R concept may have sought to define the high-performance compact crossover, but what happens when you don’t have a million-dollar budget, Nissan UK’s engineering talent and a spare GT-R lying around? You build your own. And that’s what Fox Marketing is doing. Well, almost…
The crew behind some of our favorite builds has apparently taken inspiration from the Juke R and decided to make something slightly less powerful, much more affordable and on the high side of attainable. It’s called the Juke S and it’s set to debut later this year.
According to Fox, they’ll be retaining the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system used in the standard Juke, but they plan to push the wee engine passed the 400 horsepower mark with a host of breathing mods and a massive turbo.
Other kit will include 14-inch, six piston calipers, 20×9-inch wheels, a reworked suspension, Yonaka Ronin racing seats and an exterior fitted with a custom body kit and Foxy Orange paint from BASF. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be seeing it before the summer, and hopefully it will inspire Nissan to develop its own hotted-up Juke for production.
Fox Marketing developing 400-hp Nissan Juke S originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Videos, Nissan, Off-Road
Nissan has already given us a darkened preview of the next Pathfinder’s profile, but tonight the automaker has released two exceptionally brief videos of its latest ‘ute.
The Pathfinder concept is set to debut at next week’s Detroit Auto Show, and all Nissan is saying is that the seven-seat concept will still be able to haul through the muck with four-wheel drive when it goes on sale this fall.
Beyond that, we’re left with the two videos after the break, the first showing the Pathfinder’s redesigned face and the second giving us a glimpse of its rear. Neither designs are particularly revolutionary, but they’re certainly more handsome than what’s currently on offer. Here’s hoping it delivers when the wraps come off on January 9th.
Continue reading Nissan gives two incredibly quick teases of the Pathfinder Concept
Nissan gives two incredibly quick teases of the Pathfinder Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Performance, Crossover, Nissan, Specialty
The Dubai Autodrome will play host to a very special guest for the 2012 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai race.
In addition to the scads of GT3-spec BMW Z4s, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs, Ferrari 458 Italias and Porsche 911s, the pace car running in front of them will be none other than the Nissan Juke R.
The 480-horsepower GT-R/Juke mash-up hasn’t made its debut in front of the public yet, so unless Nissan has a surprise up its sleeves before the race, which is scheduled for the weekend of January 12-14, this will be Juke R’s coming out party. We won’t be on hand to snag shots of the R in Dubai, but rumor has it that it could make its first Stateside appearance at the Chicago Auto Show.
Nissan Juke R to pace Dubai 24-hour race originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Minivan/Van, SUV, Nissan, Electric
Nissan is gearing up for the Detroit Auto Show and two new concepts will grace the automaker’s show stand, along with a Detroit-inspired food truck to keep the throngs satiated.
But more important than free hipster grub is the introduction of the Pathfinder Concept, which Nissan claims will inspire the next-generation utility vehicle’s styling before the production model debuts later in 2012 and goes on sale towards the end of next year. Considering the current Pathfinder has been around since 2005 (with a facelift in 2008), it’s due for a thorough overhaul. Persistent rumors have suggested that the next Pathfinder will eschew the body-on-frame architecture of the outgoing model in favor of a more car-like unibody.
Joining the Pathfinder Concept will be an all-electric van which we’re assuming could be based on the NV series. Nissan says it’s a concept that’s suitable for both families and businesses, and continues its commitment to emissions-free motoring. Check the release after the break for the full details.
Continue reading Nissan confirms Pathfinder concept and more for Detroit
Nissan confirms Pathfinder concept and more for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Crossover, Nissan, Specialty
The Nissan Juke R might be one of the company’s most impressive engineering efforts in recent memory, but the skunkworks team behind it has apparently ruffled more than a few feathers with Nissan execs in Japan.
The UK team behind the Juke R apparently didn’t seek approval from Nissan’s higher-ups before beginning the build, and the unholy GT-R/Juke hybrid concept was apparently born in secret before the unending teasers – see the latest one after the jump – began making their way online.
According to sources close to the company, the release was a complete surprise to many at the automaker and several Nissan executives at the company’s headquarters were put-off by the idea that a group of rag-tag engineers the team responsible for a number of Nissan projects, plus successful campaigns in WTCC, BTCC and Le Mans, would take the flagship for everything Nissan is capable of and toss it into an inexpensive compact crossover.
But like you, we think it’s awesome, and we suspect when the execs get some seat time, they’ll begrudgingly agree.
Continue reading Juke R might be awesome, but Nissan HQ ain’t happy [w/video]
Juke R might be awesome, but Nissan HQ ain’t happy [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos, Infiniti, Nissan
In the last few years, Infiniti has joined the ranks of the Germans by offering a range of enhanced active safety features on its higher-end models. But Nissan wants to bring many of these systems to its core models, including blind spot and lane departure warnings.
But that’s old hat now.
This week in Japan, Nissan demonstrated three new safety technologies that are bound for both Infiniti and Nissan models in the next few years, two of which are sure to be copied by other automakers in short order.
Continue reading Nissan introducing three new trick safety technologies
Nissan introducing three new trick safety technologies originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Technology, Nissan
Finally, A CVT That Doesn’t Suck
Continuously variable transmissions have been the bane of our enthusiast existence since… well… forever. An endless, droning tone coupled with the dreaded “rubber band” effect has relegated the gearboxes to rolling appliances and miserable fuel misers – save for one particular sedan.
It’s not just an improvement, this is the best driving CVT yet.
When Nissan debuted the new Maxima and revived the “Four-Door Sports Car” name, we wanted to love it. Then we saw one glaring omission on the spec sheet: a manual gearbox. Nissan wouldn’t offer the Maxima with a stick, and to add insult to injury, the reborn 4DSC would only be available with a CVT. That bitter taste in the back of our throats – disappointment.
But then we drove it. And it wasn’t THAT bad. The six faux ratios were a bit of a joke, but they worked, and everything from the seating position to the chassis tuning were better than nearly anything in the segment.
Last week I had the chance to sample the Maxima again, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Thirty hours after dropping off the Maxima at the airport I was behind the wheel of an Altima prototype with the automaker’s all-new CVT. Nissan claims it boosts fuel economy another 10 percent while offering a dramatically refined driving experience. I can’t speak to the new tranny’s decreased fuel consumption, but I can say this: It’s not just an improvement, this is the best driving CVT yet.
Continue reading Nissan shows us its new and improved Continuously Variable Transmission
Nissan shows us its new and improved Continuously Variable Transmission originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric
Sitting inside Nissan’s Smart House perched above the automaker’s booth here at the Tokyo Motor Show was a fitting setting to talk about Nissan’s plans for future electric vehicles. The mock building was being powered by a Leaf, with the EV parked below and connected through the Leaf-to-Home system. Within a few minutes of starting my interview with Hideaki Watanabe, Nissan’s corporate VP of the Zero Emissions Business Unit, the lights flickered on and the ceiling fan began to spin. For a country just beginning to recover from the March 11th tsunami, being able to pull extra energy from an EV during a blackout would be indispensable. But that’s not why I’m sitting down with Mr. Watanabe.
I want to know about performance EVs.
Seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV.
Nissan is committed to a zero-emissions future. Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s President and CEO, maintains that 10 percent of the global automotive market will be comprised of electric vehicles in 10 years. And Nissan is helping to lead the way with the Leaf and two forthcoming EVs: a small commercial vehicle and an electric city car, both due to arrive in the next few years.
But more often than not, zero emissions means zero fun. So seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV. And even Ghosn hinted at the idea when speaking about Nissan’s dual (or is that dueling?) roles as both performance brand and alt-powertrain champions.
But after speaking with Watanabe, we’re still a ways off. “It’s about [EV] volume,” Watanabe tells me, making it clear that first comes widespread electric vehicle adoption followed by component costs coming down. Once that happens, Nissan can justify production of an electron-powered sports car. So when is that going to happen? Three to five years seems like a reasonable guesstimate, but more importantly, what form will it take?
The Nismo Leaf Nismo (above) is just a concept and it’s nothing more than a body kit to provide additional downforce and a new set of wheels – a bit ridiculous for a glorified commuter. The Leaf RC – with it’s dramatic weight loss and race-spec hardware – may pack the performance, but it’s far too hardened to be considered for production. So what’s likely to happen first is some kind of hybrid sports coupe from Infiniti, followed by a full EV (see Esflow) that can justify the price premium, ala the Tesla Roadster. But an electric performance vehicle from a major automaker is definitely in the cards; it’s just a matter of waiting to see who pulls it off first.
Nismo Leaf Nismo Concept is a look at the future of performance EVs, but don’t expect it too soon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
