Nissan auto news

Nissan shows off new Versa-based electric vehicle prototype

A week before it shows the world what its new dedicated electric vehicle will look like, Nissan is showing off its latest-generation prototype. The company's previous iteration was based on the original Cube, but the new test units are based on the Versa/Tiida. A 108-horsepower / 206 pound-feet electric motor designed in-house at Nissan drives the front wheels, while a lithium ion battery pack created by Automotive Energy Supply Corp. stores electricity. The 24 kWh pack is fitted under the floor and is expected to yield a 100-mile range.

Nissan is aiming to make life as stress-free as possible for its EV drivers. To that end, the navigation system will automatically display the driving radius that the current battery state of charge will support. It can also download information about currently available charging stations. Drivers can also access the charging status of their cars remotely via a cell phone, so no doubt an iPhone app will be on the way. More details after the jump.

Gallery: Nissan EV-11 prototype

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Jonny Lieberman joins the Autoblog crew

If you've spent any amount of time reading car news and reviews on the Interwebs, you're undoubtedly familiar with Jonny Lieberman. He began his auto journo career writing for Portland's Too Much Coffee Man and later joined The Truth About Cars where his Audi RS4 review thrust him onto the main stage.

After meeting Jalopnik veteran Davey G. Johnson at LA's premier gutter club, Jumbo's Clown room, Lieberman hopped on board with Jalop, enjoyed a long run with our Car Culture-obsessed friends and then left for greener pastures at Edmunds Inside Line - for 4.5 days. He returned to Jalop and TTAC where he injected his patented blend of wry wit and blistering commentary, particularly in Jalop's Fantasy Garage series. Since then, he's written for 0-60, Speed Sport Life, Clunkbucket, Autofiends and WebRidesTV while playing the role of chief justice for the 24 Hours of LeMons.

We're thoroughly thrilled with Lieberman's induction into the Autoblog ranks, and we suspect his first review (due in 5... 4... 3...) is a sign of epically good things to come. Welcome aboard Jonny!

Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R - Does Godzilla Have A Soul?

Being an automotive journalist is like being a male porn star. We're little more than Piloti-shoed buffers between the reader and the objects of their lust, and really, no one cares about us. Still, you only get one chance to make an initial impression, so my first review here on Autoblog had to be big. As luck/fate would have it, I got a phone call a few weeks back that went a little something like this: "How'd you like to drive the first 2010 Nissan GT-R on the West Coast, before the buff books get it?" Needless to say, the answer was obvious. But what to do with the brand-new R35, one of the most heavily and relentlessly covered car-stories of the past year? This takes us right back to that porno metaphor: How do I give the people what they want?

Gallery: Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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New CVT coming from Nissan and JATCO with auxiliary gearbox

However, the automaker and transmissions builder have developed a novel solution that essentially creates a hybrid transmission. It's not a transmission that transfers electrical and mechanical power, however. Rather, it's a combination belt CVT and conventional geared transmission. A small auxiliary gear-set is added to the CVT to provide extra range to the ratios. In spite of the new hardware, Nissan says this new unit is 10 percent shorter in length and 13 percent lighter than other comparable CVT transmissions.

At this point, Nissan has not announced which vehicles will get the new unit. Check out the official press release after the jump.

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New Nissan driver-assist tech helps the James May in you find his inner Stig

For the last century, automotive engineers have worked diligently to send Charles Darwin's concept of natural selection into obsolescence. It appears that we're inching closer to the time when any fool with a pulse may be able to climb behind the wheel of car and traverse a series of curves looking much more like the white-helmeted mystery driver from Top Gear than Captain Slow. The new Nissan Fuga (known here as the Infiniti M), debuting this fall at the Tokyo Motor Show, will feature fresh technology including new driver assistance systems.

In this case, Infiniti has integrated the GPS navigation system (hope those satellites hang in there) with the M's electronic stability control. As always, ESC uses inertial sensors to detect what the car is actually doing and compares that information to the actual driver inputs to see if they match. If not (i.e. understeer or oversteer) the brakes are individually applied at each wheel and engine torque may be reduced to help make the car go where the driver intended.

The GPS integration allows the system to detect where the road is going ahead and further manipulate the car, while alerting the driver to slow down by pushing the throttle back against his or her footn. Maybe it's all just a part of Nissan's master plan to save trees by preventing cars from being wrapped around them. Or perhaps we're just seeing the evolution of the Idiocracy. You can read the official PR from Nissan after the jump.

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Nissan Forest air-con utilizes aromatherapy, 'natural' breezes to reduce fatigue

Rolling down your vehicle window to get a breath of fresh air may be unnecessary in your next Nissan. The Japanese automaker just announced the development of its new "Forest AC" air conditioning system, an automotive climate control setup designed to control humidity, aroma, and other ambient factors in addition to the temperature and air cleaning features found with current systems. According to Nissan, the Forest AC is the first automotive system in the world created to make driving more comfortable based on the driver's mental activity.

The development of the optimal artificial atmosphere for driving was based on Nissan's studies of how surroundings influence the physiological state and senses of test subjects. Researchers found that when humans were exposed to certain aromas (e.g., fragrant wood and leaves) combined with ventilation simulating natural breezes, they were alert and focused yet free from unnecessary tension. While there is no word if the scent of freshly baked waffle cones has the same effect, Nissan says we'll see Forest AC on the new Fuga scheduled to debut in Tokyo later this year. Check out the fragrant details in the press release after the break. Thanks for the tip, Richard!

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VIDEO: The Quick and the Dead - Bugatti Veyron vs. Nissan GT-R

Bugatti Veyron vs Nissan GT-R - Click the image above to view the video after the jump

The Nissan GT-R is a quick car by most standards. In fact, with all-wheel drive and traction control system, it's frighteningly fast. Pull up next to just about any other car at a stoplight and you'll undoubtedly come out ahead. That is, of course, unless you happen upon a Bugatti Veyron. The Bug matches the Nissan's AWD system and doubles the number of turbochargers and horsepower. As our man Jonathon put it in his first drive of the Bugatti Grand Sport, you don't accelerate in this car, you evaporate.

While a heads-up drag race between the GT-R and Veyron is an unlikely occurrence in the real world, Evo Magazine took it upon themselves to pair the two cars on an open airfield. Just how much faster is the Bugatti than the Nissan? Watch for yourself after the jump.

Review: 2009 Nissan Frontier continues to blaze the small truck trail

Small pickups occupy an odd and oft forgotten spot in the over-hyped, Biggie-Sized truck segment, but making a case for their existence remains easy. Not everyone needs a larger vehicle or has the space for a full-size truck, and small pickups offer the utility weekend warriors require without necessitating an organ exchange at the pump. Although not as diminutive as their forebears, today's more compact dimensions are easier to cope with behind the wheel, and in this economy, moving down a rung in the pickup hierarchy is sure to save you a few dollars in monthly payments and insurance premiums. But is it just about a small footprint and an easy to swallow sticker? Or is just best to bite the bullet and option up for what some consider to be a "real" pickup? We test the 2009 Nissan Frontier to see if this squat truck has more than just measurements on its size to woo punch-drunk pickup buyers away from the latest and greatest in the full-size segment.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan Frontier

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

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Hyundai trumps BMW and Jaguar in J.D. Power 2009 APEAL study

Porsche grabs the top spot for the fifth year in a row in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. For this year's study, the team at JDPA gathered information from more than 80,900 purchasers and lessees of new 2009 model-year cars and questioned them on more than 90 vehicle attributes. Their studies examined "how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive," based on those evaluations.

While the APEAL nameplate ranking is significant (Porsche, Jaguar, and Cadillac round out the top-three), the segment winners offer more insight into what today's buyers are seeking. This year, it appears to be the newly launched models including the Volkswagen CC, Nissan Maxima, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Flex... each took top honors in their respective category. This year's biggest upset comes in the "Midsize Premium Car" segment as the all-new Hyundai Genesis (sedan) knocks the BMW 5 Series from the podium. Check out the gallery for the graphics, and read the full press release after the break.

Gallery: 2009 J.D. Power APEAL Results

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Nissan unveils new Dual Injector System to boost efficiency

We've said it before and we'll say it again - the internal combustion engine has a lot of life left in it. While we fully expect electric cars to make an impact in time, the reality is that the ICE's reign as sales leader won't be coming to an end for at least the next several years, possibly with a little assistance from biofuels. With that in mind, even mild efficiency improvements are always welcome to Otto's good old four-stroke engine.

Nissan believes its new Dual Injector System will offer a fuel mileage increase of roughly four percent, a small but important improvement. While larger displacement powerplants will be blessed with direct injection, small-bore motors will get the Dual Injector System. The Japanese automaker says the technology, which splits the fuel squirting duties through twin intake ports, reduces the diameter of fuel droplets by a substantial 60%, thereby improving vaporization.

Besides the obvious benefit of improved efficiency, Nissan claims its Dual Injector System costs 60% less than comparable direct injection technology. Plus, the system allows for a 50% reduction in the amount of rare precious metals in the catalytic converter. Check out the press release after the break for all the techy details.

Gallery: Nissan Dual Injector System

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