Nissan

One of the most frequently aired concerns when discussing electric vehicles (EV) is what happens when you run out of juice. Of course the obvious answer is that you break down, just like with a normal car - but with some forethought, you're not likely to let that happen. Should the unthinkable happen, however, some news from Japan may bring a little comfort to existing and prospective EV owners. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and Nissan have just started testing a roadside service vehicle that's equipped with a charger to assist EVs.  Read More

By now most people have heard the first installment of the remarkable rise to prominence of Spanish virtual-to-real racing driver Lucas Ordonez. Four years ago, Lucas was an MBA student who liked playing Gran Turismo on his Playstation. He entered a contest among Gran Turismo's 60 million players, won the opportunity amongst 20 others to drive a real race car and try out for a spot in the Dubai 24 Hour race. He won the challenge, and he's been on the podium in almost every race since, leveraged his opportunity into a full-time racing career. As I write this, they're warming up his car for the first practice session of the world's most famous race - the Le Mans 24 Hour. Whatsmore, based on his recent results, he stands a good chance of winning! That's him in the centre, with the big trophy. Geeks interested in following the fortunes of one of their own can follow the links to track Lucas in the weekend's big race.  Read More

Nissan has given its 370Z Coupe a makeover for the European market. Citing the higher average speeds offered in Europe - most notably Germany - and the wide variety of road surfaces that range from super smooth to badly pitted as reasons for the changes, the new 370Z GT Edition sports revised chassis settings and suspension modifications that are designed to improve the handling and ride comfort of the sixth-generation of Nissan's Z-car line.  Read More

Nissan has called upon its motorsport division NISMO to help give its all-electric LEAF some racing cred. The result is the new LEAF NISMO RC, and despite the fact it's unlikely to be trading paint on the racetrack in the near future, Nissan says it's been designed and constructed as a real racing machine. By cutting the weight and giving it a new aerodynamic body the NISMO RC makes 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.85 seconds on its way to a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).  Read More

Everyone who has ever played a video game knows that the skills required for success are essentially the same as a racing driver. Anyone who has raced knows different. So setting up the Nissan/Playstation GT Academy was bound to yield some interesting results. Essentially, they run a national contest and the best guys get tested in real cars and given an intensive program and then given a chance at the real thing, at a very high level. This is the inevitable fairy story – a fellow who played Playstation for fun until May 2008 has since established a successful international racing career entirely due to the series. Every time Lucas Ordoñez has been given the opportunity, he has performed, and his international racing career is living proof that you can turn virtual racing into the real deal.  Read More

While electric, hybrid and diesel power trains have been grabbing headlines in recent times, work continues unabated on the good ol’ gasoline internal combustion engine and some significant headway has been realized with the news of a new Nissan Micra which will run a supercharged, direct injection 1.2 liter power-plant. The lightweight, low-friction, three-cylinder engine emits just 95g/km, produces 72kW (98PS) and 142Nm, and delivers combined cycle fuel economy figures of a staggering 68.9mpg. The car will debut in Geneva, will be available in both manual and CVT transmissions and will have a healthy top speed of 112mph.  Read More

With a track record including the time-honored Z series and the extraordinary GT-R supercar, Nissan’s credentials for producing affordable sports car exotica is without equal – which makes the company’s latest showing even more exciting. Nissan will use the Geneva Motor Show to debut an electric sports car based closely on technology pioneered in the production Nissan LEAF. The ESFLOW is a two-seater with its two electric motors each driving a rear wheel. It will hit 100km/h in under five seconds and run 240kms between powerpoints.  Read More

Nissan has provided a peak at the goodies it has in store for January's Tokyo Auto Salon aftermarket show. The vehicles from Nissan and its subsidiaries Autech and NISMO range from styling concepts to production racecars and includes makeovers for the just-out-of-the-blocks all-electric LEAF and mini-crossover JUKE.  Read More

San Francisco Bay Area resident Olivier Chalouhi has become the first person in the world to take delivery of a Nissan LEAF all-electric vehicle. At a special presentation on Saturday at North Bay Nissan of Petaluma in California, Chalouhi, a 31-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur who was the first person in the U.S. to place a LEAF order, took possession of a black LEAF SL in what Nissan described as an historic event representing “the first delivery of an affordable, mass-market, all-electric car since the first days of the automotive era.”  Read More