The Altima Experience: Driving the All-New 2013 Nissan Altima

	The Altima Experience: Driving the All-New 2013 Nissan Altima Five Facebook fans won an exclusive opportunity to test drive the All-New 2013 Altima at Nissan's Arizona proving grounds. The Altima AND the experience exceeded their expectations.Join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/nissanaltimaSubscribe to get latest 2013 Altima videos from Nissanhttp://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=nissanusa	From:nissanusa Views:196 21ratings
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Nissan GT-R future in doubt?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Nissan, Luxury

Next up in the "Whoa, what?!" department is a report on Inside Line wondering whether the current Nissan GT-R will be the last Nissan GT-R. The website's sources have learned that Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has yet to sign off on a next-generation car, which suggests the future model hasn't even begun development. And those same sources say they're not sure Ghosn will ever give the green light.

We're only speculating, but perhaps the problem - if there really is a problem and this isn't Ghosn machinating - has to do with this tidbit taken from the IL story: "Ghosn approved the original GT-R only after being assured that it would make money for the company even at low volumes." We wouldn't be suprised if the shade under 6,000 sales in four years is quite a bit lower than the "low volumes" predicted in Nissan's original cost/benefit calculus.

At launch, the 480-horsepower GT-R MSRP was $69,850, or $71,900 if you wanted the Premium model. Peanuts are cheaper, which is probably why the GT-R has cost substantially more every single year: after its first year, the price jumped to $76,840 for the base model and $79,090 for the Premium; the next year brought a price bump to $80,790 or $83,040 for the Premium; the following year, the base model disappeared and the Premium rose by a premium of $1,020 to $84,060; in 2012 the price took another leap to $90,950; and for 2013, it was another gulp-worthy price boost to $96,820. Yes, the 2013 iteration has 55 more horsepower than the original model and a 2.7-second 0-to-60 time, and yes, you'd look a long time for a sub-$100K car to match its performance, but at that price, the GT-R is mixing with the kinds of sexy metal that can bring attributes to the table that the GT-R can't match.

But of course, along with not knowing if Ghosn will approve a followup to the current car, we don't know why he hasn't done it already - maybe he's changed his mind about that Infiniti GT-R after all, or maybe he hopes you'll be satisfied with the Juke-R. If this car is a "one-hit wonder," though, it was certainly a wonder, if perhaps not enough of a sales hit.

Nissan GT-R future in doubt? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan will start building Rogue in Korea to meet U.S. demand

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Nissan, South Korea

Nissan already announced that production of the next-generation Rogue crossover will shift to its Smyrna, Tennessee facility, but apparently, that won't be enough. In a new statement, the Renault-Nissan Alliance confirms that Rogue models will also be built at the Renault Samsung facility in Busan, South Korea.

The current Rogue, pictured above, is built in Japan. The next-generation Rogue is set to launch sometime in the next year as part of Nissan's new-product onslaught.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance plans to invest $160 million in its Busan facility to accommodate production of the new Rogue. According to the company, Busan will produce around 80,000 Rogues annually - that's in addition to the estimated 100,000 to 120,000 Rogues that will come out of Tennessee.

Rogue production in Korea is scheduled to start in 2014, while Smyrna starts building the new crossover next year. The company's official statement is posted below.

Continue reading Nissan will start building Rogue in Korea to meet U.S. demand

Nissan will start building Rogue in Korea to meet U.S. demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Nissan, Design/Style

Nissan is reportedly hard at work on its next-generation Z. According to Inside Line, designers are already churning away on a concept version of the 2015 Z that may bow at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. The report notes that Shiro Nakamura, head of design for Nissan, says the new Z will be both smaller and lighter than the current 370Z.

The model will also be geared toward a wider audience, and Nissan may be investigating the possibility of ditching the tried-and-true 3.7-liter VQ V6 for a turbocharged four-cylinder, a move that would almost certainly help fuel efficiency. The current Z is saddled with a lackluster 26 mpg highway, and strong early sales of cars like the Scion FR-S certainly indicate certain buyers are willing to drop a few ponies for a machine that's engaging to drive and at least somewhat fuel efficient.

Blasphemy? Maybe, but the thought of an engaging, lightweight turbo four sports car is the stuff dreams are made of - it's the "wider audience" part of the discussion that has us concerned as enthusiasts. A smaller Z would likely mean abandoning the Z's FM platform which also underpins machines like the Infiniti G Coupe and Sedan as well as the FX softroader. Inside Line says Nissan may turn to its corporate partner Daimler for some help in the chassis department.

Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/12/next-nissan-z-will-be-smaller-lighter/

Nissan Leaf gets badged for police duty in Portugal

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Plug-in vehicles perform police duties for Scotland Yard (Vauxhall Ampera) and the NYPD (Chevrolet Volt) and we've all seen the little EV parking-enforcement vehicles, so today's announcement that the Nissan Leaf will be used as a police vehicle in Portugal isn't surprising. What's interesting is that the eight patrol EVs are touted as a way for the fuzz to "arrive at the scene of a crime in near silence."

Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) will use the all-electric hatchbacks mostly for the Safe School Program, Nissan said in a statement, but they are decked out and ready "to perform other police duties at any time" should the need arise. We'd assume chases won't be part of the mission, but other than that, we don't see any reason the eight electric Nissans will be treated much differently than the other 5,000 cars in the PSP fleet, especially since Portugal has been implementing a network of EV chargers, Level 2 and quick chargers among them.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf gets badged for police duty in Portugal

Nissan Leaf gets badged for police duty in Portugal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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