Personal Luxury Cars | Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle

As we get closer to seeing significant numbers of electric vehicles come to market, various standards are starting to emerge that cover things like how these vehicles are to be charged and how to measure range and equivalent mileage. One feature that remains up in the air is the sound signature of electric vehicles. For years, EV advocates have touted the silent operation of battery-powered vehicles as a bonus.

However, advocates for the blind and safety regulators are pushing for electric vehicles to produce some audible alert that indicates their presence. According to Just-Auto, beginning next week, Nissan will be bringing in 500 people including media, government officials and customers who have signed up to buy the Leaf to drive the car at its Oppama, Japan test track.

Among other things, they will be evaluating the "approaching vehicle sound" that will be used for the Leaf and Fuga (Infiniti M37) hybrid. Nissan is testing a system that produces external sounds that sweep across a range of frequencies to insure that almost anyone can hear it. The sound will also vary depending on whether the car is accelerating or decelerating.

[Source: Just-Auto]

2011 Nissan Versa gets priced, includes minor updates

The Nissan Versa hasn't received any substantial updates since its 2007 debut. It's a shame, since there's some pretty stiff competition on the market these days, especially from the likes of the Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta. Still, Nissan adds incremental updates annually, and the 2011 model year is no different. What's most important, though, is that pricing for the latest Versa has gone unchanged, meaning the bottom-end 1.6 Base sedan still rings in at $9,990, and the top-end 1.8 SL hatch commands $16,900, with a variety of models in both body styles in between.

Visually, nothing will change from the 2010 car (pictured), but some new standard equipment makes its way onto some trims. 1.8 S Versa sedans now benefit from an in-dash six-disc CD changer, and mid-grade 1.6 sedans now come with standard ABS (sorry, 1.6 Base, you still have to do without anti-lock brakes).

We find the Versa to be a rather pleasant little economy car, but with fresher, more attractive offerings on the marketplace, Nissan will be wise to accelerate the development of its next-generation car. Still, with an unchanged price and more standard equipment on deck, the Versa should continue to sell relatively well until a replacement crops up.

2010 NISSAN GT-R SpecV PICTURE

2010 NISSAN GT-R SpecV PICTURE

2010 NISSAN GT-R SpecV DESKTOP WALLPAPER

2010 NISSAN GT-R SpecV WALLPAPER

NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE (2010) WALLPAPER

NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE (2010) IMAGE
NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE (2010) PICTURE
NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE (2010) WALLPAPER

Daimler, Renault-Nissan alliance could be announced Wednesday

According to an unnamed source, the Renault board of directors has called an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, April 6th, to discuss plans to enter into an agreement with German automaker Daimler. As was the case when Renault teamed up with Japanese automaker Nissan, there will reportedly be an exchange of stock, but not nearly at the same level as Renault's 44-percent stake in Nissan.

If the board chooses to move forward – and all indications are that it will – an announcement could be made as early as Wednesday detailing the partnership. It's widely thought that Daimler is keenly interested in Renault's small car expertise for its less-than-wildly-successful Smart car division, and it seems increasingly likely that the two automakers could jointly develop new city car platforms. Might a more family-friendly ForFour be in the offing as rumored?

2010 Nissan 370Z

2010 Nissan 370Z

2010 Nissan 370Z

2010 Nissan 370Z

2010 Nissan 370Z

New York 2010: 2011 Nissan Juke

Attention all you small crossover fans out there, now is the time to get excited. Nissan pulled back the curtain on the 2011 Juke and although we've seen it (at the Geneva Motor Show), we're still glad it's here. We're being implored to mention that some of us think the front end has a Pontiac Aztek quality about it. Others ("Hi, Mom!") feel different. Yeah, it's... not normal looking, but we've seen worse. At least it's not derivative. The rest of the Juke's styling, however, is much less controversial. Especially that rear three-quarter view.

Sadly, Nissan has neglected to hold a press conference for the Juke, so we're still not sure exactly how much power this mini-ute is making. For now, we're stuck with the "180+ horsepower and 170+ lb-ft of torque" from its 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder turbo, figures that are cited in the car's press release. There's a manual option for the front drivers, but CVT-only for the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive versions. As soon as we can track down a Nissan employee with the details, we'll update the post. Until then, chew on this for more details. Also, while this here Juke is a right-hand driver, Nissan will be selling Jukes to us left-seat driving, high-rider loving Yanks come 2011.

Nissan Patrol-based Infiniti QX56 leaked ahead of New York

Here are some leaked low-res images of the 2011 Infiniti QX56, which will make its debut at the New York Auto Show. The largest of Infiniti’s 4X4s is meant to be a rival to the Lexus LX, and is based on Nissan’s new Patrol that was unveiled in the Middle East last month.

The latest Patrol is powered by a 5.6-litre direct-injected V8 with 400 bhp and 550 Nm paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission, and it’s most likely that the QX56 will sport the same drivetrain. The Infiniti should also come with the Patrol’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control System, All Mode 4X4 system with four selectable presets, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control. While the Patrol name conjures up images of UN peacekeeping forces in hostile terrain, the latest version is positioned upmarket – kit includes a new multi-screen DVD entertainment system and “curtain vents”.

Here, the designers fused Infiniti-style headlights, rear lights and the wavy rear window line into a big, boxy SUV. And while all these cues work well on the marque’s smaller “coupe style” crossovers, we think that this is one of the most awkward looking 4X4s on sale. The current QX isn’t pretty, but at least it looks consistent.

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z

Nissan Skyline pictures

Nissan Skyline

Nissan Skyline Wallpapers

Nissan Skyline Images

Nissan Skyline Photos

Qazana-based Nissan Juke crossover revealed

What you see above is the 5-seater Nissan Juke crossover. It looks familiar because it is based on the Nissan Qazana concept that was previewed in Geneva last year. This crossover is underpinned by Renault-Nissan’s B-Platform and measures 4 meters long, 1,765mm wide and 1,570 meters tall. Its wheelbase measures 2,500mm. This makes it a size smaller than the Rogue/Qashqai/Dualis.

The crossover (which looks a little weird if you ask me) will be sold in Europe, Japan and in the United States. There are several engine options including a 1.6 liter normally-aspirated engine with 117hp and a turbocharged version of the engine that can output 190hp and 240Nm of torque. Diesel fans don’t worry as Nissan also has a 110hp 1.5 liter dCi unit for the Juke. This unit also produces 240Nm of torque.

Transmission wise potential buyers can choose between a 5-speed manual cog box or a continuously variable transmission. Apart from a standard front wheel drive setup buyers can also opt for an ALL-MODE 4×4-i system. The Juke will premier at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, till then you can feast on some images after the jump.

Chicago 2010: Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition unveiled with no added performance

Nissan just unwrapped a 40th Anniversary gift to itself at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. More specifically, it's celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of its most iconic vehicles, the Z car, with a special edition version of the latest in a long line of formidable sportscars to wear that badge. The limited edition 2010 Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary model is actually a bit late to the party since the original 240Z technically debuted in North America on October 22, 1969... but who's counting.

Whereas the 1970 240Z was a revolution in the affordable sportscar scene with a sticker at just $3,626, the 40th Anniversary Edition will start at $38,860. That represents a premium of about $1,200 over Touring Coupe with Sport Package on which it's based. So what do you get by checking off that 40th Anniversary box? Nothing under the hood, in case you were wondering.

That's okay, we guess, as the Touring is already a hot car and the Sport package adds SynchroRev Match for the six-speed stick, a front chin spoiler, rear spoiler, Nissan Sport Brakes, 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels and the limited-slip diff. Basically it's a sticker package with a unique "40th Graphite" paint job, red leather interior, a "high-luster smoke wheel finish," red brake calipers and 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and the front shock tower brace. The gray color and smoked wheels do look great in person, though.

There are also additional changes inside, like red door panel inserts, 40th Anniversary logos in the seatbacks and on the floormats, red stitching on the center stack, shift boot and kneepads, red-stitched leather on the steering wheel and a 40th commemorative plaque. It even comes with a commemorative "premium satin car cover."

[Source: Nissan]

Nissan 370z Reviews and Pictures

Nissan 370z Images


Nissan 370z Photos


Nissan 370z Pictures


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Nissan Skyline

Nissan Skyline Car

Nissan Skyline

Nissan Skyline Wallpaper

Nissan Skyline

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Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z Car

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z Wallpaper

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z Image

New Nissan 370z