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2013 Nissan Sentra
A few months ago, Nissan started its teaser campaign for the new generation Altima. Now, the same marketing strategy is being applied to the future Sentra that will be launched as the nameplate celebrates its 30th anniversary in the U.S. If Nissan follows the same rules as with the Altima, then the official debut will be made in about six weeks. According to the first details, the 2013 Sentra will bring a new level of refinement and innovation to the segment. "Sentra is the third of five all-new core models we’ll be introducing in a 15-month product onslaught," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, NNA. "The all-new Altima goes on sale this summer and will be followed closely by the all-new Pathfinder and Sentra. And when the next two new models launch in 2013, we will have refreshed 75 percent of our volume, rewarding our loyal owners and attracting new customers into Nissan showrooms." The 2013 Nissan Sentra will be unveiled in the United States later this summer and will go on sale in the fall. Video: Nissan Project 370z - Stage One
Back in February, Nissan announced it needed the help of fans everywhere to design and build the coolest 370Z ever. Called the "Nissan Project 370z," this project was an extremely successful marketing ploy as it caught the attention of many. After almost two months, Nissan has announced that Stage One of the project is now complete. In this stage, fans were able to choose the powertrain, turbo kit, exhaust, suspension, and brake setup for the Nissan 370Z. Stage Two is next and it will be all about the car’s design. The results of Stage One were not surprising; fans want more power! With that in mind, Nissan added a Greddy twin turbo kit that increased the total output to an impressive 500 HP. In order to support the extra power, the new 370Z was equipped with a Greedy Ti-C catback exhaust system. Next, the car was equipped with a KW suspension kit and a stop-tech big brake kit. That’s pretty much all the work done for right now, but more will follow, so stay tuned!
Behind the Smoke Season 2 Episode 2
Last week, we announced the debut of Behind The Smoke Season 2, as we watched Dai and the Falken team get ready for the upcoming Formula D season, after Dai took home the championship last year. Episode 2 just hit the web over at GT Channel and we have the video (above) here for you. In this episode, Dai is getting ready to take on qualifying for the first race of the season at the Streets of Long Beach circuit. His first run, netted Dai about an 81, which was where he wanted to be. On the second run, Dai pulled out a 90.5, which allowed him to qualify 6th for the upcoming race. In all, this episode is chock-full of all types of sideways action with tons of beautiful tire smoke. What’s really sweet is these guys put a camera inside the car, facing the front, so you can really see what Dai sees as he whips his 240SX around the track. You get some real kick-ass audio of the engine working away in those shots too. We also found out that even the reigning champ of Formula D gets scared sometimes. While you’re watching, keep an eye out for three quick cameos by the bearded and fearless drift fan, Bil Baldwin. Let us know in the comments if you see him and the times that he appears on the screen. Crank up those speakers and click "Play" on the above video. It’s 11 minutes of smoke and squeals that you won’t regret seeing!
Stock 2013 Nissan GT-R rocks the quarter mile in 10.87 seconds
The 2013 Nissan GT-R already made headlines days after its debut in November 2011 when Godzilla tore through the 0-60 mph sprint in just 2.72 seconds, slaughtering the previous year’s 3.5 seconds time. Now, DragTimes has launched their GT-R onto the Palm Beach International Raceway to do the dirty on the quarter mile. The team ran the car until the achieved the best time of the day: 10.87 @ 125.26 MPH. This was followed by a 0-60 MPH sprint of just 2.7 seconds and a 60-130 MPH time of 8.89 seconds (VBOX). Peak G forces on the launch were 1.3 G’s. As a reminder, the 2013 Nissan GT-R is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine found on the previous model, but with the output increased to 542 HP at 6,400 rpm - an increase of 12 HP over the current model - and 466 lbs-ft of torque delivered from 3,200 rpm all the way up to 5,800 rpm. Despite the extra 12 HP, Nissan is promising that the 2013 GT-R will be more fuel efficient.
Video: A Garage Chock-Full with Classic Nissan and Datsun Vehicles
Not many Japanese automakers quite have the storied history of Datsun and Nissan. Even the now dominant Honda lineup is little more than a teenager in comparison to Nissan’s worldwide presence. With all of this history comes a lot of heritage, and it is obvious that Nissan and Datsun took and still do take this heritage very seriously, as they have over 400 various Datsun and Nissan vehicles dating back to the 1933 Datsun 12. Recently, Nissan and Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn, got to pay this warehouse turned pseudo museum a visit. He didn’t just waltz in and take a quick look at cars, as most of us do when we go to car shows. Nope, he hopped into a nearly 75-year-old, mint condition Datsun 17 Phaeton and went for a spin around the entire facility. Seeing this warehouse full of classic cars that we rarely get to see is amazing in itself. The fact that Nissan takes special care to make sure these cars remain in impeccable shape truly shows how much Nissan respects its past. We all know that manufacturers hold back special models and keep them in good condition to show them off at later dates, but to see it on this scale and not dealing only with special models is impressive. Nissan actually houses a staff full former staff and volunteers to keep about 70 percent of these classic imports operating. The warehouse also houses several classic Nissan rally cars and a wide array of Nissan-produced police cars. The coolest thing about this whole visit is that Nissan filmed it and posted it online for all to see (the video is above). This is extremely unique, given the fact that the general public does not have access to this extravagant collection. This lack of access may soon change, as former Nissan SVP, Kenichi Sasaki, stated that he hopes to see a Nissan Museum built so the public can enjoy these classic models. Our collective hats go off to Nissan for keeping these cars in this great of condition and allowing us a sneak peek into this restricted warehouse.
2013 Nissan GT-R Track Pack
 
When Nissan launched the new 2013 GT-R, they also released minor details on an additional Track Pack model that would add an "an extra edge on the race track." Now, Nissan has finally offered up the official details on this racing package, including the fact that it is already available for order. Customers on the British market will need to tack on an extra £10,000 ($15,600 at the current rates) to the £74,450 ($116,150 at the current rates) price tag of the standard GT-R, for a grand total of £84,450 ($131,750 at the current rates). The new Track pack version will be distinguished by lightweight six-spoke RAYS alloy wheels with gloss black painted centers. The new wheels will be combined with brakes cooled by additional cooling ducts built into the front bumper. These reduce the operating temperature of the front brake discs by as much as 100 degrees during track use, improving the stopping performance. Similar ducts, hidden behind the rear wheels, channel cooling air over the rear discs. The suspension system has also been revised to be optimal for track use, while adjustable dampers offer more comfort when the car is being used on the road. This will be one of the lightest GT-R models offered due to the fact that it comes in a two-seat configuration: the rear buckets have been removed to save weight and the front seats have been replaced with lighter Recaro racing seats trimmed with blue bolsters in a high-grip fabric. UPDATE 04/26/2012: Nissan has unveiled a new set of images for their latest GT-R Track Pack edition. The images were taken at the Nissan’s 22 High Performance Centers where the car was taken for a testing session. Nissan GT-R preparing for Nurburgring 24 Hours
A few weeks ago, Nissan announced that the standard GT-R Club Track Edition would race the famous 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May 2012. Now, we have the first spy shots of the car as it takes a few spins on the famous German track. Guess Nissan will be keeping their promise. As you can see, the GT-R caught testing is slightly camouflaged, most likely hiding some larger air intakes. It also comes with a larger rear wing in order to provide an improved stability at high speeds. Nissan official stated that the GT-R will compete in the race in order to collect much-needed data and information on how to help improve Godzilla’s overall mechanics in the coming years. "Nissan will assess its endurance capability in the toughest environment (24 hour race) at the world’s toughest circuit (Nordschleife) against strong competitors-European sports/super car manufacturers’ factory racing cars," said Nissan in an official press release. We’ll have to check out the 24h of Nurburgring on May 17th-20th, 2012 to see if the GT-R has what it takes.
2012 Nissan GT-R by CoverEFX
The Nissan GT-R was officially unveiled back in 2008 and since then, the car has seen numerous updates. The original model came with a 485 HP V6 engine which was then updated to 530 before finally getting to 550 HP. These are certainly impressive numbers, but engines can always see an added boost thanks to tuners willing to put in some extra time. Mcchip-dkr and CoverEFX have developed a very impressive package for the Nissan GT-R that increases the total output to 596 HP and 553 lb-ft. of torque. In order to obtain the extra 46 HP, the tuners installed a new sports exhaust system and optimized the power software. Next to these updates, CoverEFX also added a a spectacular racing-style film-coating to match the dynamic body of the GT-R. The foil combines Cardinal Red, Raven Black, and Pina Colada White. The GT-R’s ride height was also lowered by 30 millimeters thanks to new lowering springs from H&R. However, the best accessory is the brunette they have posed with the Nissan GT-R. We have to wonder if she’s part of the package because they would definitely sell out quick!
Video: Behind the Smoke Season 2 Debuts
It’s funny to think how drifting morphed from something teenagers used to do in vacant parking lots to look cool to one of the most popular racing series in the world. Formula DRIFT, or Formula D as most know it, is just getting its ninth season ramped up after Daijiro Yoshihara dominated the series last year, taking home the overall points championship. We even got a behind the scenes peak at how he did it via the Behind the Smoke series on GT Channel. The ninth season of Formula D started earlier this month, so as expected, Dai and the guys are back for season 2 of their Behind the Smoke series. Episode 1 (posted above) gives us an inside look on the testing process Dai and his drifting machine, a 1993 Nissan 240SX, go through in getting ready for the season. There’s tons of sideways and smoky action throughout the video, and even a little brotherly taunting between team members. Ultimately, Dai and his team must have gotten something right, as they pulled in a nice second place finish at the debut Formula D race this season, which was held at the Streets of Long Beach circuit. There is not much that’s more adrenaline pumping than watching a nearly 3,000-pound machine careening sideways down a track only to have the driver flick it back under his control, using careful throttle control and counter-steering. So skip the coffee this morning, folks, and crank up the speakers for this one. Also you get to see that even professional drivers forget the most basic items, as Dai breaks a cardinal rule of driving a manual transmission at the 7:35 mark. The car dies and he has no idea what happened. Watch as the guys all get a good laugh at this professional driver’s expense.
Video: Angry Customer Snaps and Drives his SUV into a Car Dealership
We have all had bad experiences at car dealerships and car repair shops. Heck, being a former service manager, I have had to attempt to repair these bad situations at times. Typically, when customer service turns sour, you simply express your anger, go home, call the corporate office, and eventually get a resolution. Well, apparently this is not the way the customer service flowchart goes in some countries. In a Nissan and Suzuki dealership in what looks to be Russia, if I am seeing the sign correctly, a customer decides to take part in creating his own resolution for a customer service issue. According to the story that we read, this customer took his Suzuki SUV, which he bought new, back to the dealership to have a faulty shock replaced. The dealership refused to replace the shock under warranty, which really isn’t that uncommon, and from there the customer bypassed calling customer service, and chose to take his frustrations out on the dealership, by way of ramming his Grand Vitara through the dealership’s window. That’s not where it stops, this driver then smashes up a few brand new floor model vehicles, using his SUV as a battering ram, then eventually disappears from the screen – likely to do more damage on the other side of the dealership. I used to have pretty nasty road rage, but mine mostly consisted of laying on my horn and flashing the occasional one-fingered salute. This guy really needs to get his anger issues under control. I hope his car insurance company is prepared to pay out to fix his now-smashed SUV, or their office may receive the same “redecorating.” Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face, sheesh. Check out the above video to see all of the craziness, pay close attention to the brave guy that goes knocking on this lunatic’s window at the 1:57 mark. What’s he gonna do, ask him for some Grey Poupon?
| featured reviews:Nissan cars reviews2013 2012
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