Nissan GT-R Power Bump, Spec R Version

Staying οn tοp demands constant imprοvement, and Nissan has certainly proven itself up tο the task with the current R35-generatiοn GT-R. Since its dοmestic introduction in 2007 and glοbal roll-οut in 2009, Nissan has launched successive improvements οn its flagship sportscar, and nοw word is coming οf another upgrade οn the way. According tο the fοlks at 7Tune, output frοm the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 is set tο increase from 530 hοrsepower up tο 560. And tο supersede the current Spec V mοdel, a Spec R is said tο be in the works, drοpping another 70 pοunds οr so fοr even more extreme perfοrmance.

Develοpment οf the new GT-R has reportedly been postponed in the wake οf the quake fallout in Japan, pushing the car's launch back by several mοnths. These are expected tο be the final iterations οf the R35 before its successοr arrives.

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Nissan Leaf Commercial Mocks the Chevy Volt for Using Gasoline

Electric carmakers are trying hard to promote their products, with the environmentally friendly nature of these vehicles being their most exploited feature in advertising. Nissan is going down the same path with a new campaign for the fully-electric Leaf entitled “Gas Powered Everything”, in which the company mocks the internal combustion engine by imagining a strange world where all appliances run on gas.

The result is a funny commercial in which people have to put up with gas-powered alarm-clocks, microwave ovens, computers and many more appliances. Even the Chevrolet Volt becomes a subject of joke for being a gas-electric hybrid. But we can't help but wonder: isn't Nissan's approach a little hypocritical? It's not like their range includes electric cars alone...

The full 60-second commercial will make its television debut during the NBA Finals on June 12. Scroll down to watch it and feel free to drop us a comment.

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Red Bull Racing To Tap Nissan`s Battery Tech Experts

Battery tech experts οver at Nissan will be tapped tο boost the performance οf vehicles fielded by the wοrld champion F1 Red Bull Racing team, accοrding tο What Car? Having recently signed a two-year spοnsorship deal with Infiniti, Red Bull is nοw seeking a cοllaborative agreement οn technical projects with Japanese autοmaker Nissan. According tο reports, members οf Red Bull Racing have already met with persοnnel at Nissan's UK technical center and will RBR engineers will soon gο tο Nissan's research and development facility in Japan.

Wοrd is that the Red Bull Racing team has struggled tο make its KERS system work and will likely turn tο Nissan for assistance with the perfοrmance-boosting setup. It's alsο believed that Nissan, with its extensive lithium-iοn battery know-hοw, may assist with developing a mοre powerful pack fοr the Red Bull Racing team.

Red Bull F1 bοss, Christian Horner, tοld What Car? that:

Our budget intο battery technology is minuscule cοmpared with Nissan's and they are working οn developments a lοng way in advance οf what's commercially available today. Hοpefully, they can help us, and then we can help them by effectively testing their prototypes in extreme cοnditiοns.

Sο, it looks like it's a twο-way deal, with Nissan gaining valuable time testing its prοtοtype vehicles.

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Nissan Leaf Car of the year 2011

The Nissan Leaf was named 2011 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show, taking the top spot ahead of the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A8. It is the second important award for the Japanese automaker’s all-electric car after being voted 2011 European Car of the Year.
Here's how the World Car Awards jurors justified their vote:
“The Leaf is the gateway to a brave new electric world from Nissan. This 5-seater, 5-door hatchback is the world's first, purpose-built, mass-produced electric car. It has a range of over 100 miles on a full charge claims Nissan, takes around 8 hours to recharge using 220-240V power supply and produces zero tailpipe emissions. Its low center of gravity produced sharp turn-in with almost no body roll and no understeer. The good news? It feels just like a normal car, only quieter.”
Launched in 2004, the World Car of the Year competition assesses cars with the help of a panel of automotive journalists from Asia, Europe and North America.
“This accolade recognizes Nissan LEAF, a pioneer in zero-emission mobility, as comparable in its driving performance, quietness and superb handling to gas-powered cars,” said Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “And it validates Nissan’s clear vision and the values of sustainable mobility that we want to offer to customers around the world.”
Currently available in Japan, the United States and select European markets, the Leaf will be launched in other global markets in 2012. The EV is built at Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan, with U.S. and UK manufacturing to follow in late 2012 and early 2013 respectively (in Smyrna, Tennessee and Sunderland).

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Honda, Nissan and Toyota Donate $3.75 Million Each for Japan

The massive earthquake followed by the even more devastating tsunami that struck the north-east coasts of Japan last week has brought together the country’s biggest automakers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which announced today that they will donate $3.75 million each for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.
In addition to the contribution in money, Nissan said it is also studying further relief efforts including complimentary provision of vehicles, such as trucks and forklifts, donation of medical supplies and daily commodities including blankets, antiseptics and masks, gift matching donation from Nissan employees, promotion, and support of blood donation activities.
Honda announced that it will donate a total of 1,000 power generators along with 5,000 gas canisters to the people left without electricity, while Toyota is considering the provision of goods and services as needed.
The three automakers have also announced the closure of some of their factories in Japan. From March 14 through March 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants in Sayama, Saitama, Ogawa, Tochigi, Hamamatsu and Suzuka, plus all facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious. From March 15 through 20, Honda will also suspend production at the Kumamoto factory.
Nissan announced that operations at the Tochigi and Iwaki plants are suspended until March 18, while the Oppama, Kyushu, Shatai and Yokohama plants will be closed until March 16. As for Toyota, officials announced that the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Miyagi and Iwate plants are closed, with all employees having been evacuated to safe areas. The factories will remain closed at least until March 16.
Other automakers affected by the earthquake include Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki, which have either suspended or slowed down production because of supply shortages.

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Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet 2011

Having been invited out to the seaside town of Del Mar in California for the presentation of the new Murano CrossCabriolet, we were intrigued at the chance to take Nissan's polarizing convertible out for a spin. That's right, the Murano convertible. How did things play out in California? Interesting, to say the least. 
With the Murano CC, Nissan has gone outside the box to create its own niche. Looks aside, the Murano CC has done what it set out to do: garner interest, spur conversation, expand the model range, and change (not necessarily raise) the bar for mid-size crossovers. For all the ups and downs, read on.

It's a crossover...convertible

Nissan's Murano CC is a two-door convertible crossover that sits at the top of the Murano heap, creating a unique halo vehicle for the brand's crossover segment. While the CC's design is a love-it or hate-it affair, there's no doubt that we can all agree on one aspect: it doesn't come off nearly as badly as those photoshops which alluded to an aftermarket convertible conversion.
This proper execution is thanks to a significant redesign of everything from the windscreen / A-pillar back, while keeping external dimensions similar to that of its hardtop counterpart. Nissan has also found a way to retain the Murano's "J-Motion" belt line that, with the top down, adds a sense of continuity when following the invisible roofline back from the A-pillar.
Revisions to the standard Murano include cutting out the rear doors while infusing the front units with a healthy dose of Enzyte to the tune of 7.9 inches. Surprisingly, ingress and egress weren't too hampered even with more than half a foot of metal added on (although that may have simply been due to this writer’s lankiness). Losing all that rigidity meant that Nissan had to reinforce the body architecture...a lot. Locations deemed essential bracing points were the area formerly known as B-pillar, the floor, and the sills.
The fully automatic top, available in black or beige, drops in approximately 25 seconds; however, unlike many modern drop-tops, it can only be operated when the vehicle is parked. That means no slow-rolling raising/lowering should rain decide to ruin your day while puttering in traffic.

The Murano CC on the road 

Under all the new fuss is Nissan's familiar 3.5-liter V6 - now rated at 265 horsepower and 248 lb-ft - and an Xtronic CVT, both of which do their part to scuttle the all-wheel drive CC around with relative ease. It's no rocket, but then again it's not supposed to be.
Under normal driving conditions, the CVT works like a dream, still prompting a grin at mankind's technological advances; unless putting the pedal to the proverbial metal, acceleration is smooth and uninterrupted.
Ride quality may have been a tad fluttery when rolling over some of San Diego's not-so-well-paved roads in a convertible crossover on 20-inch alloys, but this is to be expected when lobbing off a vehicle's roof, B-, and C-pillars. On the boulevard, however, the ride was smooth and relaxing as expected.
Top-up motoring is fairly standard for a convertible, meaning there are compromises to be made in sound quality due to the soft top and lack of bulletproof glass. With the top down, all that has to be said is this: turbulence mitigation is lacking. One cohort expressed that she was "swimming in [her] hair", but the most noticeable issue was the lack of rear seat belt retainers, which led to an unsophisticated flapping at highway speeds. Other than a bit of buffeting, though, sky-filled driving was a pleasure.
Steering feedback is a different story. Even in the premium market, where ease of use and lack of effort are lauded incessantly, the electronically assisted steering of the CC was beyond feather-light. TOO beyond feather-light. When maneuvering around a parking lot, it was almost impossible to feel any communication between the driver and the tarmac. Not until reaching cruising speeds did it feel like anything was actually happening. Some would say that's the point, but what's steering without feedback?

What's the point? 

As Nissan puts it, the Murano is a car for empty-nesters. With the Murano CrossCabriolet, the brand hopes to appeal to higher income ($125,000+ / year) Murano-esque consumers who are slightly younger, "savvy" and adventurous, but with kids in high school.
The CC is a crossover convertible, meaning this Murano looks to kill two birds with one stone: owning a convertible and maintaining utility, meaning offering a usable convertible as a second household car instead of a third. Whether or not that is truly the case, only time will tell.
Either way, with over 900 pre-orders and significant interest, the response is there. As for whether or not we'll see another generation, well, that depends on if there are enough Beetle convertible owners and middle-age moms out there who want to keep their car, possibly get some sun, and increase utility.
At $46,390 (plus $810 D&H) is it the car for me? No, but it could be for some people. The bottom line is this: nit-pickery and little flubs aside, kudos to Nissan for being brave enough to break the mold and then put the result into production. 


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