First Picture of Nissan’s Nuvu Concept is a… Remote Control

Earlier this morning we received an e-mail from the folks over at the Polish website ‘Moto.Onet’ informing that after intensive discussions with Nissan, they had obtained permission to release a picture of the Paris motorshow Nuvu Concept that they had shot during an official presentation of some sort. It sounded pretty cool so we decided to pay our Polish friends a visit. -Continued

Despite the promising e-mail and talks of harsh negotiations, the allegedly first official teaser shot of the Nuvu turned out to be a remote control unit of the 2+1 mini car concept. Now where’s that damn X button…

Via: Moto.Onet

Nissan 180SX with 1970’s 240Z Face Transplant

Some people think that the true successor of the 1970s Nissan 240Z /280ZX (Z30) which was also known in Japan as the Fairlady Z wasn’t the early ‘80s 300ZX (Z31), but the smaller and more nimble 180SX / 200SX / 240SX series that came in the late 1980s. A Japanese owner of a 1994 180SX took that belief a little bit too serious by performing a ‘surgical’ 240Z face transplant on his coupe. The funny thing is that, judging from the pictures, the well executed conversion doesn’t look half bad. But that’s our personal opinion so feel free to disagree. -Continued

The modified 180SX that’s equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is now up for sale on an Australian site with the price set $10,600 AUD including shipping, import duty, GST and the company’s service fee. However, potential buyers should be aware that the Japanese coupe is being offered for race or rally use only as it is not suitable for import to Australia as a road car.

Source: J-Spec , Via: Jpcn

Nissan Recalling MY’09 Altimas over faulty Alloy Wheels

Nissan has issued a recall for more than 3,400 MY’09 Altima vehicles equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some of the alloy wheels may not have been manufactured to the correct specification, something that could lead to one or more of the five lug nuts attaching the wheel to the vehicle to become loose. Nissan dealers will inspect the vehicles and if necessary, replace the faulty alloy wheels new ones. Owners can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan to Unveil ‘Nuvu’ Mini Car Concept in Paris

Apart from the revised 2009 Note and the all-new, Suzuki Alto based Pixo, Nissan will also bring a new concept car to the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the all-electric Nuvu. Even though the Japanese firm has yet to release any images of the Nuvu, Nissan said that its newest concept car features 2+1 seating car and is built on a unique platform. Powered by an all-electric drivetrain, the Nuvu measures 3 meters in length with a wheelbase of 1980 mm. Notable features include the dozen or so small solar panels on the roof that are shaped like leaves and the organic and recycled materials that are used in the cabin.

Nissan USA Hikes GT-R Prices by 10% or about $7,000

Blaming higher costs for raw materials, Nissan USA has announced a hefty price increase for the 2009 GT-R sportscar. In particular, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the base GT-R has been raised by $6,990, from $69,850 to $76,840. For the GT-R Premium model the MSRP has been increased by $7,190, from $71,900 to $79,090. Nissan said that the adjusted prices do not apply to customer orders already in dealer hands prior to September 5. -Continued

According to the Japanese automaker, to date, about 70 percent of the first year allocation of GT-Rs for the U.S. market have been sold as part of a pre-sale program that has been underway since February 2008. The first customer deliveries of the limited production Nissan GT-R supercar began in the States on July 7, 2008.

Nissan Pixo: New Affordable Mini Car Made in India to Debut in Paris

Along with the revised 2009 Note mini MPV –see photos and details here- Nissan will also stage the global debut of its all-new mini car, the Pixo at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Built in collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation in Delhi, India, the Pixo is essentially a rebadged and restyled version of the new Suzuki Alto. Although hasn’t released pricing yet, the Japanese carmaker supports that when the Pixo goes on sale in Europe in spring 2009, it will be offered at ‘an extremely accessible price’. -Continued

Measuring 3,565 mm long, 1,470 mm tall and 1,600 mm wide with a wheelbase of 2,360 mm, Nissan’s Pixo is roughly the same size as Fiat’s Panda mini car. According to Nissan, five-door hatchback can accommodate four passengers with comfort. he Pixo will be offered with an efficient three cylinder 1.0-litre engine matted to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox while buyers can also opt for a full four-speed automatic.

2009 Nissan Note: Facelifted Model to debut in Paris

These are the first official photos of the revised Nissan Note that will make its global premiere at next month’s Paris Auto Show. The most obvious changes on Nissan’s Honda Jazz / Fit adversary can be found to the exterior design, where the front end benefits from a completely new design of grille, bumper and headlight while at the rear, the mini MPV’s signature ‘boomerang’ lights are now darker. A new pale green exterior colour along with two new designs of alloy wheels compete the exterior changes. Moving on to the Note’s interior, the 2009 model features a new combi-meter that promises to offer improved legibility and clarity while there is also a new central instrument panel. -Continued

Moreover, from January 2009 the revised Note will be offered with be offered with Nissan’s all-new combined satellite navigation, audio entertainment and communication system. Integrated into the centre console and with touch-screen technology, Nissan Connect combines a satellite navigation system (in nine languages), with an audio system capable of playing CDs (including MP3 and WMA CDs), as well as music via an auxilliary input, USB plug and Bluetooth streaming.

Under the skin, Nissan says that it has tweaked the Note’s suspension to improve ride comfort while the range will be extended with the introduction of a 1.5-litre dCi diesel powered Note which produces CO₂ of just 119g/km. This follows the introduction of a diesel particulate filter on the 1.5-litre diesel engine earlier this year.

Nissan X-Trail Clean Diesel Released in Japan

With the market launch of the new clean diesel X-Trail "20GT" on September 18, Nissan will become the second automaker to sell a diesel-powered vehicle in Japan. Up until now, the only brand offering a diesel car in Japan is Mercedes-Benz with its E320 CDI. The X-Trail is powered by the 2.0-liter M9R diesel equipped with a particulate filter and lean NOx trap catalysts delivering an output of 173 PS and maximum torque of 360Nm or 265-lbs/ft. Nissan says that the ‘20GT’ achieves a fuel-efficiency 35.7mpg US or 6.5 lt/100km representing an increase of about 30% in fuel economy over a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with the same output. -Continued

Moreover buyers in Japan will benefit from the lower price of diesel versus standard gasoline. The new clean diesel X-TRAIL 20GT is offered in Japan with standard ALL MODE 4x4i and 5-speed manual transmission with prices (including consumption tax) starting from 2,999,850 yen which is about $27,730 or €19,100.

U.S. Auto Sales Drop 15.5% in August

Falling gasoline prices didn’t seem to help automakers avert the downturn as U.S. light vehicle sales plunged for a tenth consecutive month in August. Overall sales for the month were 1.25 million vehicles, down a hefty 15.5 percent from August 2007 while for the first eight months of the year, sales are down 11.2 percent to 9.8 million vehicles, according to Autodata Corp.

Among the mainstream automakers, Chrysler LLC took the worst beating as it sold 110,235 vehicles, down 34 percent compared to last August. From the beginning of the year, Chrysler LLC’s sales have fallen 24 percent. GM’s August sales tumbled 20.4 percent to 308,817 units and are down 18.1 percent for the year to date compared to 2007. Same goes for Ford that sold 155,690 vehicles in August, down 26.6 percent, while year to date sales have slipped 15.8 percent compared to 2007. -Continued

Toyota didn’t do very well either as the Japanese reported August sales of 211,533 vehicles, a decrease of 9.4 percent from last August while for the first eight months of the year, Toyota’s sales have fallen 7.8 percent.

Among the big players in the U.S. market, only the Nissan group managed to show growth with August 2008 sales of 108,493 units versus 95,527 units a year ago, an increase of 13.6 percent. From the beginning of the year, the Nissan group’s sales are up 1.0 percent.

German Taxi Driver and Spanish Student win Nissan’s GT Academy

Lars Schlomer, a 28-year-old taxi driver from Bonn, Germany and Lucas Ordonez, a 23-year-old MBA student from Spain are the winners of the GT Academy, an international driving competition organized by PlayStation and Nissan. The pair beat 20 other competitors from across Europe during the five-day GT Academy international final at the British racetrack Silverstone. Now both winners will have to put their lives on hold as they face a four-month intensive training program with Nissan’s race team to earn their racing license and compete in the Dubai 24hr endurance race in January 2009. -Continued

“I can’t believe it. This is a dream come true,” said Lucas Ordoňez after his. “I knew this would be difficult and I did not expect to win, but I just took each day as it came and tried to push to my maximum,” he added.

Lars Schlomer said: “I have wanted this for the last ten years of my life but I just never had the chance. This is amazing. I truly would have been heartbroken if I hadn’t won. I would not have entered this competition if I did not believe I could win because coming to Silverstone and not winning would have been like giving a dog a bone and then taking it away again!”

Nismo Launches Club Sport Package for new Nissan GT-R

Nissan’s official motorsports and performance division, NISMO has finally released a new range of performance accessories for the 2009 GT-R under the name ‘Club Sport Package”. Starting with the chassis enhancements, Nissan’s in-house tuner offers a set of race-spec Bilstein Damptronic adjustable dampers, stiffer front (18.5kg/mm) and rear springs(9.6 kg/mm) and new 20-inch Rays forged aluminum wheels wrapped around in Bridgestone RE070R run-flat tires, sized 225/40 and 285/35, front and rear. -Continued

For those wanting to shave off a few extra pounds, NISMO’s new lightweight exhaust system that comes with a carbon fiber under-tray designed to reduce drag will remove 11 pounds from the GT-R’s overall weight while the carbon fiber backed and leather trimmed bucket seats that retain the side airbags but ditch the electronic adjustments, will save you an extra 13 pounds.

If you go for the full Monty, the Club Sport will cost you ¥5,460,000 or about $50,000 / €34,000. For the time being, the NISMO’s tuning parts for the GT-R are available only in Japan.

Via: Autoblog.com , Source: NISMO

2011 Nissan 240SX – Silvia and 2010 Micra Turbo Renderings

We’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve seen renderings from Japanese publications showing what the Nissan 240SX / Silvia might look like when it debuts sometime in 2010/2011. In its forthcoming October issue, Japanese car magazine ‘Best Car’ takes another shot at the forthcoming 240SX / Silvia replacement that is said to be based on a modified version of the 350Z's FM rear-wheel-drive platform. Additionally, along with the new 240SX / Silvia photoshop, Best Car also shows a rendering of the next-generation Micra (March in Japan) and in particular, the range-topping sport version. Speculation is that the sport Micra will be equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine powering the front wheels. -One more pic after the jump

Source: Best Car

Datsun 240Z - Fairlady Z Retro Concept with a Touch of GT-R

Looks like the Datsun XLink concept that was created by Benjamin Nawka at Nissan’s Yulon Design Center (see here) has given birth to a newly found interest for the long-gone Japanese brand. This modern interpretation of the iconic Datsun 240Z / Fairlady Z of the 1970s is the work of a Polish designer Jacek Kolodziejczyk who goes by the alias 'Iacoski. The Fairlady Z Concept study combines the classic lines of the original 240Z with several design elements from the new Nissan GT-R such as the front grille, the side air vents and the headlamps. And while it may never go into production, the end result is pretty dang cool. What do you think? -Image gallery after the jump

Source: Iacoski , Via: Jpcnews

Nissan Recalling 169,202 MY 2007-2008 Sentras Due to Brake Problems

Nissan has issued a recall on 169,202 MY 2007-2008 Sentra sedans to address a problem with the brake cylinders. According to Nissan, due to the machining irregularity by the supplier, the internal seal groove in the body of some brake master cylinders may allow for a gap in the groove contact area of the seal resulting to a leak of the brake fluid from the master cylinder into the brake booster assembly. If left unaddressed, the leakage could lead to a brake failure. Nissan said that dealers will inspect the master cylinder/brake booster assembly and if brake fluid leakage is detected, the master cylinder will be replaced with a new one. For more information owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

2009 Nissan 370Z Spied on the Road

Even though the new 370Z is just around the corner as Nissan is planning to unveil its next-generation sports car at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, camouflaged prototypes are still making their appearance on U.S. highways. This particular 370Z prototype was scooped by VWVortex forum member “LivingVoice” somewhere in the States. As you can see in the photos, the new 370Z seems to have retained the 350Z’s basic design, which is something totally okay with us. Hopefully Nissan won’t replicate the current Z’s interior in terms of the low-quality materials that seemed out of place in a car like the 350Z. -One more image after the jump

Via: Autoblog.com , Source: VWVortex

Nissan Preparing Convertible Version of Murano SUV?

If we are to believe a report from Edmunds Insideline, Nissan is preparing to enhance its Murano crossover line-up with a niche convertible version. Inside sources that are involved with the project -and of course remain anonymous- told Edmunds that the four-door convertible crossover won’t be equipped with a retractable hardtop as the designers preferred to use a more traditional canvas top in order to keep weight down.

The Murano Convertible, which will apparently be equipped with the same 265 HP 3.5-liter V6 engine as the conventional version, is said to arrive in the market during the first quarter of 2010. Assuming Edmund’s sources are accurate, we can expect to see a concept version sometime in 2009.

Photo Illustration: CarScoop , Source: Edmunds

New Infiniti G Sedan Hybrid Prototype

Following in the footsteps of Lexus, Nissan is testing a high-performance rear-wheel drive hybrid system on the Infiniti G35 / G37 Sedan. Developed in house by Nissan, the parallel-powertrain system comprises a system with two clutches, where one motor is directly connected to an engine and transmission via two separate clutches. Depending on the driving conditions, the motor switches between the two clutches to optimise and conserve energy utilisation as well as improve fuel-efficiency. -Continued

Interestingly, Nissan has equipped the Infiniti G Hybrid with lithium-ion rather than nickel-metal hydride batteries which are charged by the engine or via the energy created from braking.

Nissan Unveils All-Electric Cube Prototype

Nissan released details of a prototype electric vehicle based on the Japanese market Cube minicar. The prototype features a front-wheel drive layout and uses a newly developed 80kW electric motor that’s powered by a stack of laminated compact lithium-ion batteries installed under the floor without sacrificing passenger or cargo space.

According to Japanese carmaker, the EV’s laminated lithium-ion batteries deliver twice the electric power compared to conventional nickel-metal hydride batteries with a cylindrical configuration. The prototype Cube is used by Nissan as a test bed for the compnay's forthcoming all-electric production vehicle that will be introduced into the market in 2010. The production EV will have a unique bodystyle and won’t be based on any existing Nissan model. -More pics after the jump

Nissan Reveals Prototype with Side and Back-up Collision Prevention Systems

Nissan is stepping up its efforts to create safer cars with the All-Around Collision Free prototype that incorporates two new technologies – Side Collision Prevention (SCP) and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP) that promise to protect the vehicle and its occupants from potential risks coming from multiple directions. Interestingly, both technologies utilize the already available Distance Control Assist (DCA) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) systems. -Continued

According to Nissan, when the driver decides to change lanes, the side-mounted sensors activate a warning if an approaching vehicle is detected in the driver’s intended lane. Then a yaw mechanism is activated through brake control of individual wheels, helping to prevent a potential collision.

Likewise, during a reversing manoeuvre such as when a car is backing out of a parking space, rear and side-mounted sensors detect objects in the path of the vehicle. Once an object is detected an alarm sounds followed by the activation of the brakes.

2009 Nissan GT-R Transformers Prototype

This past weekend we reported that Japanese toy maker Takara-Tomy is preparing a new Transformers series called Alternity that will include a Nissan GT-R figure. Well, we managed to discover a set of photos from a Japanese site called Fantofan that snapped the prototype Nissan GT-R at the Takara Tomy’s 2008 Tokyo Toy Show stand. According to company sources, the Transformers’ version of the 2009 Nissan GT-R will be available in two colors, red and silver. Sales of the 1/32 scale model are excepted to begin this November. -Continued

Photos via: Fantofan