Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Nissan
Nissan has already begun spinning wrenches on the company’s crowd-sourced project 370Z, and the automaker has been kind enough to craft a well-made video documenting the build. Fans of the brand chose a GReddy twin turbo kit, which should crank up the 3.7-liter V6 to the tune of around 500 horsepower. The Stage One clip follows the build as technicians dismantle the front of the sports car, yank the engine and bolt on the aftermarket goods. Fans also chose a GReddy Ti-C catback exhaust to help the engine breathe a little easier while hustling down the track, so the pipes go on next.
Nissan plans on documenting the full build before unveiling the project at the upcoming ZDayz 2012. If you’re curious about the creation, you can follow along on the Nissan Performance Facebook page. In the mean time, scroll down to check out the video for yourself.
Continue reading Getting to know the crowd-sourced Nissan 370Z
Getting to know the crowd-sourced Nissan 370Z originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Etc., Government/Legal, Work, Nissan
John Liu, New York City comptroller, has said he won’t register the contract for a fleet of new Nissan taxis until every last one is made wheelchair accessible. There are currently just 231 cabs with wheelchair ramps in the city, though that number will jump by another 2,000 units next year. Even so, Liu said the current cab system is “separate and unequal.” The city comptroller signs off on every contract the city makes, but Liu doesn’t technically have the authority to block the contract unless there’s evidence of corruption. While speaking at his press conference, Liu admitted as much during questioning from reporters.
According to The New York Post, Liu may be attempting to draw attention away from a federal probe into his campaign finances as he vies to be a mayoral candidate in the next election. While he says he takes the federal investigation seriously, he also plans to continue with the work of his office and his blossoming campaign for mayor.
NYC comptroller threatens Nissan taxi deal over wheelchair accessibility originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Europe, Japan, Nissan, Earnings/Financials, Renault, Russia
Renault-Nissan aims to increase its stake in Avtovaz, giving the alliance majority control over Russia’s largest automaker. The deal will likely see Renault and Nissan vehicles manufactured beside Lada models in the near future. Avtovaz recently finished a new production facility in Togliatti where the three brands plan to produce up to 1.6 million units per year. That move would make the Togliatti plant one of the largest automotive manufacturing facilities in the world. The companies expect the agreement to become final by 2014.
Technically, the deal is structured under a joint venture between Renault-Nissan and Russian Technologies, a state-owned corporation. Under a recently-signed memorandum of understanding, Renault-Nissan will own 67.13 percent of the venture, which will own 74.5 percent of Avtovaz. The alliance already holds a 25 percent stake in Avtovaz.
Under the MOU, Renault will invest around $300 million in the joint venture, while Nissan will put in $450 million.
Renault-Nissan moves to take control of Russia’s largest automaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Crossover, Nissan, UK, Middle East
It’s a rare thing, but every now and then, our automotive wishes come true. Nissan has announced that it will produce the heinous Juke-R in very limited numbers after a warm reception in Dubai. The company has already received three orders so far, and Nissan says it will begin taking additional orders in the next four weeks.
Each model will be built to order using model year 2012 drivetrain components, meaning there’s a modest bump in power – 545 horsepower versus the original Juke-R’s 480. As you may recall, the first Juke-R used bits cannibalized from a 2010 GT-R. How much will the machine cost? Nissan isn’t saying, but we’d be willing to bet the Juke-R will carry an MSRP a bit higher than the GT-R.
With 545 horsepower crammed into the quirky lines of the Juke, the machine is unlike anything else on the road. Nissan has also worked up a quick video to commemorate the production announcement. The clip focuses on the showdown between the Juke-R and several supercars in Dubai. Scroll down to check it out alongside the full press release.
Continue reading Nissan Juke-R to get limited production run [w/video]
Nissan Juke-R to get limited production run [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Japan, Nissan
There are plenty of ways to test a vehicle’s durability. You might hand the keys to your average teenager for a week or plop a journalist behind the wheel for an hour. Or you could simply enter the machine in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Nissan has opted for the latter option for the company’s upgraded-for-2012 GT-R. The automaker’s development team want to fully stress the supercar’s systems by putting it through one of the world’s most grueling endurance races. Of course, the fact that Nissan wants to one-up Porsche in its own backyard certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Nissan has thrown a bit more downforce at the vehicle’s front end and the factory wing has been replaced as well, but the engine, transmission and suspension all remain unaltered from the factory Club Track edition. The competition vehicle will wear slightly wider tires, as well as safety cage and a larger fuel cell to accommodate the race regulations. The factory brakes have also been swapped out for more aggressive hardware.
Nissan says some of the changes may make their way to production in the near future as the company pushes the vehicle to break the seven minute lap time barrier at Germany’s most famous track. Scroll down to see the video for yourself.
Continue reading Nissan entering stock GT-R in 24 Hours of Nürburgring
Nissan entering stock GT-R in 24 Hours of Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota
Consumer Reports has just wrapped up an evaluation of subcompact sedans, and the Kia Rio EX has rolled out ahead of the class. The four-door beat out its corporate clone, the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Sonic to take the top spot. Evaluators pointed to the sharp handling and well-optioned interior in the Rio as reasons for the vehicle’s win. The newly redesigned Nissan Versa and unloved Toyota Yaris filled out the top five sedans. And what of the baby hatchbacks? CR once again credited the Honda Fit as leader of the pack, followed closely by the Versa Hatchback and Rio Hatchback.
The organization found fault with the base Chevrolet Sonic’s fuel economy, and found the turbocharged LTZ model to be too expensive. Evaluators also felt the Sonic Turbo “didn’t live up to its sporty aspirations.”
We’ll politely agree to disagree on that one.
All of the vehicles in the evaluation are either too new or scored too low in CR evaluations to earn a coveted Recommended rating. Hit the jump for a look at the full press release and debate amongst yourselves in Comments.
Continue reading Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Chevy Sonic top Consumer Reports subcompact shootout
Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Chevy Sonic top Consumer Reports subcompact shootout originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Nissan
It turns out the rumors were true: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has officially announced the resurrection of the company’s storied Datsun nameplate. The company will use the brand to strengthen its foothold in emerging markets from Indonesia to India and Russia, offering buyers inexpensive, fuel-efficient vehicles with loads of content ride out of the box. Last year, Nissan sold 60,000 units in the quickly growing Indonesian market, and the company aims to see that number swell to 250,000 units by 2014. That may seem ambitious, but total industry volume is set to balloon to nearly double its current size 890,000 units per year by 2017 according to analysts.
Datsun now marks the third brand in the Nissan stable alongside Infiniti. The automaker retired the Datsun nameplate in 1981 after reestablishing itself in the States as Nissan. With a new focus on low cost, small-displacement hardware geared toward emerging markets, we sadly don’t expect to see the Datsun name reemerging on our shores any time soon. Hit the jump for the brief press release.
Continue reading Nissan confirms return of Datsun
Nissan confirms return of Datsun originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Nissan, Specialty, Design/Style, Racing
Nissan took the new DeltaWing racer out for a quick parade lap at Sebring last week. The funky-looking car wasn’t exactly tackling each apex at competition speeds, but the demonstration suggests development is on the right path. Nissan says the design weighs half as much as a typical competition vehicle and has half the aerodynamic drag as well, making it far more efficient. Likewise, the car requires less power to maintain the same level of performance (Nissan has fitted the DeltaWing with a turbocharged, direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine). Despite the way it looks, it even appears to go around corners.
According to the press release that accompanies the footage after the jump, the DeltaWing won’t run as a classified entrant in this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but will be present as a demonstration of what the design has to offer the world’s race teams. Hit the jump for a look at two videos; one (sadly audio-free) clip from the public display at Sebring and another look from testing at another facility from inside the car.
Continue reading Watch Nissan’s crazy DeltaWing racer test at Sebring
Watch Nissan’s crazy DeltaWing racer test at Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Nissan, Design/Style
Nissan has given the world another glimpse of the upcoming 2013 Altima in the form of the video after the jump. While we’ve already seen a quick glimpse of a test vehicle thanks to a previous clip and an overhead shot via the very first official teaser, the newest video gives us our best look yet at the front fascia and headlight array. Judging by the quick peek, the 2013 Altima will rock a much more stylized front end than in the past, complete with design elements borrowed from the likes of the Maxima and 370Z.
Word has it Nissan will also make use of the same character line we’ve seen on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Look for the next-generation Altima to debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month. In the meantime, see below for the newest, albeit brief, teaser.
Continue reading Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille
Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Nissan, Design/Style
It looks as if Nissan may have inadvertently revealed part of the 2013 Altima ahead of its debut. The keen-eyed crew over at Inside Line spotted a completely undisguised version of the four door in a promotional video on Nissan Japan’s YouTube channel. While we’ve seen test vehicles in various states of disrobe for a few months now, this is the clearest view yet of the next-generation Altima. We can clearly see the vehicle’s 370Z-inspired headlights and the hint of a more pronounced grille as well as more emotive bodywork.
You may recognize that character line as the similar to the one found on the 2013 Pathfinder. Were we the betting types, we’d say we can expect to see that detail crop up on other Nissan offerings soon as well.
Will the new lines be enough to help the Altima keep its momentum up in the family sedan marketplace? We’re going to hold off judgement until we see the final product in the flesh, but we will say the vehicle will find itself nose to nose with some increasingly threatening competition. With redesigned versions of the Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Camry intent on carving out larger slices of the mid-sized pie, the 2013 Altima will have its work cut out for it.
As you might expect, Nissan has since nixed the video with the Altima in it, but Inside Line was quick enough to grab a few screen shots. Head their direction for a closer look.
2013 Nissan Altima accidentally revealed in official video originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
