All-new Nissan Patrol unveiled in Abu Dhabi

All-new seventh generation Patrol has been unveiled in Abu Dabi, UAE, incorporating a new platform, a radical new design direction, enhanced interior comfort and luxury, powerful new V8 engines, a 7-speed automatic transmission and a new 4WD system.

According to Nissan, the new Patrol has been tested very extensively in Middle East where they were exposed to every imaginable challenge; desert, rocky surfaces, highways and inner-city traffic.

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Nissan Juke unveiled ahead of Geneva debut

Nissan Juke is a new Crossover that according to the automaker is part SUV and part sports car. Producion will take place in Britain at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and world premiere is next month in Geneva.

“It takes the best elements of an SUV and sports car and combines them,” says Pierre Loing, Vice President, Product Planning, Nissan Europe.

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Mitsuoka launches updated Viewt in Japan

Mitsuoka is a Japanese company best known for transforming existing cars into classic British-style rides from the 50s and 60s. Their latest offering is Viewt, that is based on the Nissan March/Micra and resembles the Jaguar Mark 2.

Viewt was first introduced back in 1993 and the latest version comes with changes to to the body to comply with new Japanese safety regulations. For example bumpers are integrated into the front end panels.

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Happy Birthday! Limited Edition Nissan 370Z “40th Anniversary” model

October 22 marks the 40-year anniversary of Nissan’s Z car. Forty years ago the original Datzun 240Z was revealed to the automotive world. It was an affordable everyday sports car packing a 150 horsepower 2.4-liter single overhead cam inline 6-cylinder engine.

Times have changes and today the sixth-generation 370Z comes with a 332-horsepower 3.7-liter dual overhead cam V6 engine. New 370Z is available both as a coupe and Roadster.

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Nissan previews Land Glider Concept before Tokyo Motor Show (video)

Upcoming Tokyo Motor Show is all about domestic carmakers who are all introducing tens of different zero emission concept. In addition to the four-door all-electric Leaf, Nissan will be showing there a zero emission concept called Land Glider.

Land Glider is a two seat very narrow all-electric urban vehicle, that should be perfect for tight parking spots.

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Honda’s electric car slated for the US market

Nikkei reports that Honda Motor Company will be launching its battery operated electric car in the US probably by 2015. A prototype of this vehicle will be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October this year.

The mini-car EV will be Honda’s answer to the new environmentally friendly specifications introduced by the US government to curb carbon dioxide emissions by traditional gas guzzlers in the country.

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Toyota not coming out with an electric car too soon

According to a story in The New York Times, Toyota is not planning to manufacture an all electric vehicle any time soon. According to Masatami Takimoto, Toyota’s executive vice president, ‘The time is not here.’ Currently ‘to commercialize pure E.V.’s, we need a battery that far exceeds the current technology, he said.

While Toyota has doubts about the commercial viability of electric vehicles, other automakers are not so hesitant. Mitsubishi came out with its iMiEV, Nissan is releasing the Leaf, but Toyota is still sitting on the fence despite its green credentials and its winning Prius.

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Nissan introducing wireless charging for its electric cars

Electric cars are normally charged with a plug in charger, but Nissan has shown its distinctive innovative technology by doing away with the plug in charger. The auto maker is going in for wireless charging for its new electric cars.

The electric cars will be charged through inductive charging which will use electromagnetic fields and coils which can interact without actual contact. This technology is being used in electric toothbrushes and artificial hearts, but Nissan has successfully upgraded it to charge electric vehicles.

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Nissan to make zero-emission vehicles in UK

Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, has ambitious plans to make Britain the green car capital of Europe and keep a boost to car sales and the environment at the same time. The north east of England, where Nissan is based, has been selected as UK’s second Low Carbon Economic area.

He would like Nissan to make zero emission vehicles at its plant in Britain rather than in Spain. Mandelson is trying his best to convince the auto maker to do this by offering a special research and development center which will coordinate work from five universities in the area as well as a technology park for an easier supply chain for electric vehicles.

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Nissan plans on dominating the ZEV market

While many auto makers are in the process of making zero emission vehicles, none has entered the market in a big way. Nissan is hoping to dominate this market by rolling out 100,000 cars every year when it starts production in its Tennessee plant in the US. According to Nissan, the market will see ZEVs as early as next year but in 2012, there will be a lot more vehicles available.

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Government loans for Ford, Nissan and Tesla

President Obama is going all out to give a boost to the auto industry particularly where energy efficient vehicles are concerned. The Obama administration said onTuesday that it would lend $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Co. and about $2.1 billion to Nissan Motor Co. and Tesla Motors Inc. in a government-industry partnership to build green cars.

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Nissan makes a loss for the first time in a decade

As the quarterly reporting season winds down, another car manufacturer - this time Nissan, Japan’s No. 3 automaker -  has reported a huge net loss of $2.3 billion, a loss for the first time in the last 10 years. Nissan says that the loss is due to the US financial crisis, the global slowdown and the strong yen – all cumulative factors for the loss.

However, Nissan is optimistic for the future. The company aims to return to a positive free cash flow position in the year ahead. Based on the company’s outlook and assuming foreign exchange rates of 95 yen/dollar and 125 yen/euro, Nissan filed the following forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, with the Tokyo Stock Exchange:

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Nissan announces U.S. pricing for 2010 GT-R

We already know that 2010 MY GT-R packs five additional horsepower(now 485 horsepower) and the rumor is that 0-60 mph takes just 3.3 seconds.

Horsepower is not the only number that is bigger compared to the 2009 MY. Suggested retail price for the new GT-R is now $80,790.

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Sports Illustrated swimsuit models go drifting in the new Nissan 370Z

New Nissan 370Z is on sale since the December with a base price of $34,460. Power comes from a 332 horsepower 3.7-liter V6.

To get sales started Nissan has produced a new commercial together with Sports Illustrated and the city of Los Angeles. It shows Melissa Haro, Jessica Hart and Damaris Lewis from the recent swimsuit issue and of course we get to see the all-new Nissan 370Z.

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2009 Nissan GT-R does 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds!

Nissan GT-R with with its official 0-60 mph time in 3.5 seconds has been a very impressive number. Lets face it, 0-60 mph time is always the number people talk about when it comes to supercars and their performance.

MY2009 (US MY2010) will come with increased horsepower, changes to handling and revised software in the transmission control unit.

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