Video: Why You Shouldn't Buy a Fake Nardi Steering Wheel

An online aftermarket shop in Britain named Driftworks released a humorous video to inform consumers on why they should avoid buying cheap knockoffs from the internet.

After buying a fake Nardi-style steering wheel for about £70 (US$108 / €80) on eBay, compared to around £220 (US$338 / €252) for a genuine, made in Italy Nardi wheel, they put it to the test fitting it on a Nissan 200SX laying around in their garage.

As for the results, well, let's just say the faux Nardi wouldn't make the cut for a replacement on your Logitech G25 wheel, let alone your car… Video follows after the break.

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Mitsubishi to Sell Rebadged Infiniti M as its New Flagship Sedan in Japan

Mitsubishi may have a wide range of vehicles, but it lacks a flagship model since it stopped production of the Diamante back in 2005. However, that will change soon.

Today, the troubled automaker announced that, as a part of cooperation agreement signed with the Nissan Group in December 2010, it begin selling a rebadged Fuga, which in the rest of the world is known as the Infiniti M, from next summer.

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Nissan Introduces 2012 Juke with Improved Fuel Economy in Europe

Nissan continues to fine-tune its Juke small crossover, which has received some mechanical tweaks in Europe that promise to further reduce emissions and lift fuel economy.

The Japanese company says both the 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre dCi diesel drivetrains have undergone an optimisation programme that includes revised gear ratios for the manual transmission models.

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The Flying Dutchman: Nissan GT-R Lands into a Water Ditch

There's something about sports cars and…water sports this week. Following the story on the Ferrari Enzo that took a quick dip into the Atlantic Ocean a couple of days ago, we now have a Nissan GT-R that was flogged into a water ditch in Amsterdam, Holland.

According to press reports from The Netherlands, the driver of the Nissan GT-R was returning from a close-by race track event when he lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons, sending it straight into the swamp-like ditch.

A messy situation indeed, but fortunately, nobody was injured. Hop over the break to wash...err..watch the aftermath in the two video clips.

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Video: Nissan GT-R Pwns Competition in Mega Drag Race with 11 Sports Cars

The latest Nissan GT-R has put another victory under its belt, this time in a drag race against ten of some of the world's most wanted sports cars at an empty airstrip.

The quarter-mile duel was organized by Motor Trend magazine. The eleven cars assembled were worth more than $1.5 million, and featured a combined 82 cylinders delivering over 5,000 horsepower and 4,000 lb-ft of torque.

The $89,950 and 530HP Nissan GT-R passed through the finish line first with a time of 11.2 seconds and an exit speed of 121.8mph (196km/h). It was followed by the $225,325 and 557HP Ferrari 458 Italia (11.3 seconds and 125.6mph or 202km/h) and the $198,600 and 560HP Audi R8 GT (11.5 seconds and 125.1mph or 201km/h).

The other cars that participated in the race were the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Lexus LFA, Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, Porsche Cayman R, BMW 1-Series M Coupe and the Lotus Evora S (click on the image on your right to see the results).

Nissan, of course, was quick to issue a somewhatpompous press statement on the GT-R's win:

“We applaud Motor Trend’s editors for pulling off the automotive equivalent of the running of the bulls,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America.

“Win or lose, it’s great fun and a great video – especially since we won. In all fairness, if we were running for pink slips, we would have had to bring at least two GT-Rs to match the cost of the competitors. We’ll settle for the title of baddest of the bad," he added.

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Nissan GT-R Pwns Competition in Mega Drag Race with 11 Sports Cars [Video]

The latest Nissan GT-R has put another victory under its belt, this time in a drag race against ten of some of the world's most wanted sports cars at an empty airstrip.

The quarter-mile duel was organized by Motor Trend magazine. The eleven cars assembled were worth more than $1.5 million, and featured a combined 82 cylinders delivering over 5,000 horsepower and 4,000 lb-ft of torque.

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Video: Canadian Police Confiscate 13 Supercars after Youngsters Speed Race

Ocean’s 13 got away with stealing diamonds, earning millions of cash and ruining their adversary’s life. British Columbia’s 13, 12 young men and one woman, all under 21 years old, got away with racing each other, reaching speeds of over 125 mph (200 km/h) on a metro Vancouver highway with a $196 fine each.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced that the cars impounded had a combined value of $2 million. These are the supercars that were temporarily seized: 

2007 Ferrari 599

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo

2009 Lamborghini Gallardo

2009 Audi R8

2012 Nissan GT-R

2010 Nissan GT-R

2010 Nissan GT-R

2010 Maserati Turismo

2010 Maserati Turismo

2011 Mercedes SL63

2011 Mercedes SLS

2005 Aston Martin DB9

According to a police report, two drivers would block traffic behind them by running side-by-side clearing the road ahead, while the rest would race each other.
“These drivers seemed to be looking for attention. Well, they definitely got the attention of the police” commented Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service spokeswoman, Cpl. Holly Marks.
However, the 13 offenders, of which only was the registered owner of the vehicle he was driving, will get away just with the ticket after being charged with “driving without reasonable consideration.” That’s because they didn’t actually get caught on the act, but the police acted on reports based from eye witnesses.
According to the Vancouver Star, if the police had been able to charge them with more sever offenses, they could have forfeited their vehicles!
Now, the young drivers will only have to pay the ticket and the costs of towing and storing their cars, which were impounded for seven days.
Guess when you drive a 599 Fiorano, a Gallardo or an SLS AMG, after this punishment you’ll just laugh your way to the impound yard…

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2012 Nissan Versa Sedan Outsells Competition in Sub-Compact Segment

While it may not be the car most dream to own, the low $10,990 ($11,750 including destination) entry level price tag of the 2012 Nissan Versa sedan seems to have piqued the interest of U.S. buyers looking for a cheap new ride.

According to data released by Nissan today, in August, the first full month of availability of the new Versa sedan, the subcompact model sold of 8,566 units beating all of its theoretical competitors, including the Chevrolet Aveo, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mazda 2 and the soon to be replaced, Toyota Yaris.

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Nissan Replaces 150HP 2.0L Diesel with New 130HP 1.6L Diesel in Qashqai

A new and more fuel-efficient but also less powerful 1.6-liter turbo diesel engine is taking the place of the 2.0-liter diesel in the European lineup of the Qashqai and its longer, seven-seat sibling, the Qashqai+2.

The new 1.6-liter diesel delivers 130-horsepower and 320Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque from 2,000rpm to only 1,750rpm, compared to 150HP and 320Nm at 2,000 rpm of the outgoing 2.0 dCi engine.

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NISMO-developed GT-R Makes its Debut in GT3 Racing Series

Nissan’s GT-R GT3 entered its maiden race in the fourth round of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Developed by Nissan's tuning and racing division, NISMO, and JR Motorsports, the GT-R competes in the GT3 series which includes production-based models such as Audi's R8, the Porsche 911 and the McLaren MP4-12C. Read more »

2012 Nissan Maxima Receives a Barely Noticeable Refresh, Prices Remain the Same

Nissan's product-redesign blitz continues with the Maxima sedan, which receives a very modest refresh for the 2012 model year.

The cosmetic tweaks on the outside include a different front grille design, restyled rear combination lights, and new 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels plus the addition of two new exterior colors named Java Metallic and Dark Slate.

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Evatran Presents Wireless Charging Station for Electric Vehicles!!!

Plug-in hybrids seem to be all the rage these days, from Chevrolet’s Volt to Nissan’s Leaf and the soon to be launched in the U.S. market, Toyota Prius Plug-In. And there are many more vehicles capable of running on electric power to follow.

However, their owners must not forget to charge them, usually overnight, or they’ll wake up next morning and discover they’ve run out of electric juice. In addition, they need to know their way around with the charging cords –not an easy task as any computer geek knows very well.
Evatran says it has the perfect solution for this problem: it’s called Plugless Power and it is a wireless charging system for EVs that is very simple to use (according to the company, that is). Evatron claims it can easily be installed in your garage and requires no serious modifications to the car itself other than a 10-pound adapter bolted to the undercarriage.
Here’s how the Evatran wireless system works:

Plugless Power recognizes your EV as it approaches and provides parking guidance.

Once the car is over the parking pad, the system communicates with your EV based on the SAE J1772 protocol used in corded systems, and automatically starts charging.

The indicator panel communicates charging status.

When your car is fully charged, the system turns off. And if you need to leave before charging is complete, simply back up and charging stops.

You can still use your normal plug-in system when you are away from home.

Evatran is cooperating with automakers to make the Plugless Power system available as a dealer option on new EVs or as a retrofit to existing vehicles. Demo systems are already available to them for testing performance and functionality.
For new cars, the price of the system can be incorporated in the vehicle’s price or lease scheme. Moreover, Evatran promises that within 24 hours of ordering, you will be contacted to arrange an appointment for the installation.

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Carlos Ghosn Hints at a GT-R Based Infiniti

Nissan’s luxury offspring, Infiniti, already has a sports car, the G37 coupe. But lately there has been a lot of talk about cooperating with Red Bull now that the latter is considering entering the car-making business.

In addition, Nissan’s boss, Carlos Ghosn, is teasing us with a rather exciting prospect: an Infiniti version of the amazing Nissan GT-R. At least that’s what he hinted at during an interview in CAR magazine.
The two companies belong to the same group, so platform and parts sharing is common practice these days and Infiniti could definitely use a halo model to combat the M’s and AMG’s of this world. The Essence concept would be a great idea for coating the GT-R's hardware with a sexier outfit.
Like all CEOs, Ghosn was being coy: “If you ask me ‘are we going to do that’, I would say ‘no, I don’t think so’. But if your question is ‘could we do that, I would say ‘yes’. The idea of using existing technologies on the body of an Infiniti… All technologies developed for Nissan are available to Infiniti”.
So, he didn’t say they will do it, by he didn’t deny it either. Chances are they won’t, at least not now, as Infiniti has other priorities: “I think we need to go step by step” says Ghosn. “We have the FX, the M, the G. Then we have the high-end 4x4 QX in the US. We have the electric car and a sub-G smaller car coming”.
No GT-R Infiniti dreams, then? “The idea makes sense. The technology and platform are readily available. The GT-R is a great car. Is it a project now? No. But I don’t want to give you the impression we’ll never do that. But don’t think it’s coming in the next two or three years”.
It’s okay, Mr. Ghosn. We can wait a little longer…

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VIDEO: AMS Performance’s 1,309WHP Nissan GT-R Completes ¼ Mile in 9.05 Sec!

We’ve seen some insanely modified Nissan GT-R R35s, but Chicago-based tuning house AMS Performance, has really lifted the bar with its newest creation, the ALPHA 12.
The heavily tuned Nissan GT-R ALPHA 12, which is still in the development and testing phase, was placed on a dyno where it produced an incredible 1,309-horsepower and 994 lb-ft (1,384Nm) of peak torque at all four wheels!
The team over at AMS Performance took the real Godzilla over to a local drag strip, and despite the unfavorable conditions (90 degrees track temperature), the ALPHA 12 managed to return a record quarter mile time of 9.052 seconds with a top speed of 166.7mph (268 km/h). The V-box also recorded a 60-130mph time of 3.46 seconds.
The tuning company said that it plans to return to the drag strip under “better track and weather conditions” to further improve the GT-R ALPHA 12’s time.
AMS Performance hasn’t released details and pricing on the ALPHA 12 package, but for comparison, the ALPHA 10 kit that pushes the GT-R’s output to 1,000 horsepower on 93 octane and over 1,100 ponies on race fuel, is priced at $63,995.

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Nissan Raises 2012 Leaf Prices Between $2,420 and $3,530!

Well, that didn’t take long did it? Only a year after launch and while the Leaf is leading the eco-friendly sales race against GM’s Chevrolet Volt, Nissan today announced that it is lifting the base price of the 2012 model year version of its pure-electric hatchback between 7 and 11 percent, depending on the trim grade!
In particular, the entry-level 2012 Leaf SV is now priced at $35,200, or 7.38% more than the 2011MY’s $32,780 sticker. The higher grade Lead SL enters the 2012MY priced at $37,250, an increase of $3,530 or 11.3% more over the 2011MY.
Neither price includes an $850 destination and handling fee. Notably, US buyers can cut $7,500 off the sales price via a federal tax credit.
The monthly lease price for the 2012 Leaf has also been increased and now starts from $369, up from $349.
Nissan justified the price hike by saying that the 2012 model comes with additional standard equipment including quick charging and cold-weather features.
In Nissan’s own words, the 2012MY Leaf's added features include:

• DC Fast Charge capability standard on Nissan LEAF SL: The vast majority of MY11 consumers have opted for the DC fast charge port, which allows the vehicle to be charged at 480V – reducing charging time to under 30 minutes for charging the vehicle to 80 percent from a fully depleted state. As DC fast charge stations proliferate across the country, Nissan expects this feature to become even more popular. For 2012, fast-charging capability will be standard on the SL trim level.
• Cold weather features standard on Nissan LEAF: As the Nissan LEAF rolls out to U.S. markets with colder climates, cold weather features become standard equipment on all trim levels of the Nissan LEAF. These include a battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and heated seats in both the front and rear.

With the introduction of the 2012MY Leaf, the Japanese company is also expanding the availability of its all-electric car that will now be available for order in the Southeastern United States and Illinois.
“In the fall, orders from existing reservations and new reservations will begin in Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York,” Nissan said in a statement.
“By the end of the year, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island will be added as markets where the Nissan LEAF will be available for order,” the company added.

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Nissan Versa Hatchback Enters 2012MY

After revealing prices on its low-cost 2012 Versa sedan, today Nissan announced pricing on the five-door hatchback version of its sub-compact series. Even though the Japanese company has launched a newer version of the hatchback model in certain markets including China, in the States, the five-door variant continues in the new model year with its first-generation design.And just to add to the confusion (…), we’ll note that the U.S. market 2012 Versa sedan is based on a smaller platform architecture than the hatchback, and in particular, the Micra supermini.
With that out of the way, let’s see what’s new for the 2012 Versa hatchback. Refinements for are limited to equipment changes that include the addition of the previous Premium Package content as standard equipment on the SL model and the presentation of four new packages for the S model.
These include the Convenience Package, the 15-inch Aluminum-Alloy Wheel Package, the Nissan Navigation Package and a “Special Edition” Package that combines the three previous packages at a savings of $900 if ordered separately.
Furthermore, the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system is now standard on all models (previously SL only).
Both the 1.8 S and 1.8 SL models are motivated by a 122-horsepower 1.8-liter engine. The S is offered with a choice of 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic, while the SL is available solely with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT transmission.
Prices, including a $760 destination and handling fees, are set at $15,140 for the 1.8 S 6MT, $16,140 for the 1.8 S 4AT and $19,150 for the 1.8 SL CVT.

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New Generation Y Buyer Survey Spells Trouble for Detroit

Auto pricing website TrueCar studied the car buying behaviour of four million Gen Y (18 to 27 year-old) over a twenty-four month period and here’s what they found.

Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).

Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.

American carmakers secured fifth place in the model line-up with the Ford Focus Coupe, even though Ford only scored a mere 5.1% of the market overall.

Nissan and Toyota scored big on Gen Y appeal, with Hyundai and Honda following close behind. Kristen Andersson, one of TrueCar’s automotive analysts describes the generation thusly:

“Generation Y buyers want vehicles that look distinct and can be tailored to their individual tastes. Buyers from this generation are also looking for vehicles that have the technology features they are accustomed to built into the vehicle at an affordable price.”

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2012 Nissan Versa Price

According to Nissan, the second generation of its Versa sedan features “the lowest MSRP in America” at $10,990 (not including a destination fee), with the sub note that the company’s aforementioned assessment is based on “MY12 competitors at time of print”.

Some of you will say, and you’re right. But what we did learn today is the pricing of the entire Versa range that includes three more models aside from the cut price, entry-level S trim.

The 2012 Versa, which was introduced to America at the New York Auto Show this past April, is based on the latest Micra’s platform with all four variants powered exclusively by a 1.6-liter gasoline engine delivering 109-horses at 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft of peak torque at 4,400 rpm.

For those of you not lured by the $10,990 price tag of the based 1.6 S model that comes with a five-speed manual gearbox returning a fuel economy of 27mpg city, 36mpg highway and 30mpg combined, Nissan offers the same trim with a Xtronic CVT transmission priced at $12,760. The latter is rated at 30 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined.

The two other available and better equipped versions are the Versa 1.6 SV CVT and 1.6 SL CVT priced at $14,560 and $15,560 respectively. All the aforementioned MSRPs exclude applicable tax, title, license fees and destination charges.

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