• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Nissan announced today the pricing for its revamped Z, which starts at under $30,000. The 2009 370Z Coupe, featuring a shorter wheelbase, more horsepower, and a lighter, more aerodynamic body, has an MSRP starting at a reasonable $29,930, which includes the six-speed manual transmission. The new seven-speed automatic transmission will bring the price to $31,230. The 370Z Touring model, with an MSRP of $34,460 for the manual transmission, and $35,760 for the automatic, includes heated power seats, audio upgrades, and a Bluetooth phone system. 

The Sport Package is available for an additional $3000, and features larger brakes, 19-inch RAYS wheels dressed with Bridgestone Potenza tires, and the new SynchroRev Match for the six-speed. The Navigation Package adds $1850 and an iPod interface.

Along with the pricing, Nissan announced a revised marketing tagline, “SHIFT_the way you move.”

Scroll down to read the full press release.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

— Las Vegas, Nevada

Downshifting from third into second for an especially tight right-hander, Nissan’s 370Z makes a soaring, rev-matching howl that radiates through the desert like thrown-stone ripples in a quiet pool. It’s the sort of bellicose and randy whine that alerts motor-minded schoolboys to prick up their ears, setting the would-be racer’s heart to flutter. The uninitiated might assume that the sonorous growl of a lone sports car in the desert may simply evaporate into the vast distance, but our tour of the stark, southern Nevada moonscape in the newest Z proved that to be untrue, with the hard scrabble surfaces acting more like an echo chamber for the roaring V-6 and a sonic lodestar for anyone within earshot.

(Click through the jump to read on.)

The GT-R has become a standard against which drivers gage the practical value of other sports cars, often in the form of a drag race. What makes this video interesting, however, is the opponent the guys at Garage419 choose for the beloved Nissan. What happens when a nitrous-fueled Corvette ZHZ rented from Hertz takes on the Japanese beast over an eighth of a mile?

+ Garage419: NOS Rental Vette vs Nissan GT-R

When we originally reported that certain automakers would be pulling out of the 2009 North American International Auto Show, we wondered what the floor at Cobo Hall would look like without the absence of key players in our marketplace. However, in a late breaking change of plans, we have learned that local dealerships will be footing the bill to have Nissan, Infiniti, and Mitsubishi products make their way to the NAIAS floor.

To be clear, though, there won't be any models, fancy displays, or high-wattage lighting; but as Joe Serra, NAIAS co-chairman says, "The cars are going to be the stars." This will surely be a big hit with enthusiasts hoping to see some of their favorite Japanese products in the flesh. The extra space was originally going to be filled with displays from Chinese exhibitors, so we'll have to wait and see what this change of plans will do to the Detroit show's layout.

+ The Car Connection: Nissan, Infiniti, and Mitsubishi Back At Cobo Hall

Nissan is reportedly phasing out some of its aging larger vehicles, namely the Armada and Infiniti QX. These vehicles are currently produced in Nissan's Mississippi plant, but the production team down there will instead be focusing on a new large vehicle based on the NV2500 Concept. There's no official word that Nissan will be completely killing its full-size SUVs, but poor sales have caused the automaker to rethink their product strategies moving forward.

Nissan could be shifting production of these models to other plants, but Armada and QX sales are down significantly compared to last year's sales. We're not sure what's on the production front for the NV2500, but Nissan is looking forward to joining the commercial vehicle segment. Us? We're already plotting out our comparison test between the NV2500 and the Dodge Sprinter.

+ Motor Authority: Report: Nissan phasing out production of Armada and Infiniti QX56 SUVs

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Each year, a jury of well-seasoned automotive personnel give out the International Car of the Year awards in a big ceremony to kick off the North American International Auto Show festivities. This year will be no different, and the final nominees have officially been announced. The Dodge Challenger, Ford Flex, and Nissan GT-R will do battle for the International Car of the Year title, while the Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F-150, and Subaru Forester duke it out for the International Truck of the Year honors.

In addition, the jury will be presenting their first-ever Earth, Wind & Power awards, showcasing cars that help to reduce global warming and promote a cleaner environment. For this new award, the BMW 335d, Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and Jetta SportWagen TDI are the nominees for Car of the Year, and the BMW X5 35d, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec are in the runnings for Truck of the Year.

Which cars will reign supreme? We'll have to wait until the official awards ceremony set to take place on January 10 at Detroit's MGM Grand casino. In the meantime, click through the above gallery to see all of the nominees and stay tuned for the winners.

+ ICOTY

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

Caption:

Toyota Prius
48 mpg city / 45 mpg highway / 46 combined

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

If there was one positive factor about 2008's energy crisis, it's that it forced consumers to put more weight on fuel economy when making car-buying decisions. And while we may have moved away from $4-per-gallon gasoline, fuel efficiency still places high on the "must have" list for a lot of new car shoppers. Now that we know how easily these price hikes can happen, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

We've seen major manufacturers expanding their ranges of hybrid offerings, and for the first time, clean diesels are starting to make their way onto American soil, proving that you don't have to sacrifice performance for the sake of fuel consumption. Scroll through the gallery above to see out list of the ten most fuel efficient cars for 2009.

Note: This information is based off of the 2009 FuelEconomy.gov listing.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 

Good news. Nissan is already on its way making the next Le Mans racer, building on the current GT-R R35. Even better news, the company is also working on a streetable version of the racer, dubbed the LM Edition and will be produced in very limited numbers.

Information on the GT-R LM Edition is rather scarce at the moment, but sources say that it will be powered by the same 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine as the standard model, but 'tweaked' some to produce a pleasant and gentlemanly 600 horsepower instead of the usual 480 horses. Harmonized with an arsenal of upgrades including larger brakes, lighter wheels, suspension and transmission adjustments, as well as aerodynamic improvements in the bodywork, the LM Edition should be able to whip around a track much, much quicker than its standard counterpart.

While special, this isn't the first time Nissan has built a LM Edition car. In the late 1990s, a limited run of R33 Skylines, also called LM Edition, were available to the public in a Competition Blue to commemorate the Skyline's participation in the 24-hours of Le Mans.

+ Carscoop: Nissan GT-R Le Mans Edition: Limited Production Model with 600HP!

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

Caption:

ACURA TL

Last Generation: 2004 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

A lot of controversy has been stirred over the contrasting chevron grille that Acura has put on most of its new models, and while the last-gen TL wasn't necessarily a huge step forward in sporty expression, we prefer its cleaner lines and less-contrived aesthetic.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Most of the time, when an automaker completely overhauls one of their models, it's a good step forward for not only the car, but for the brand it represents. However, there are other times where the design teams make some questionable decisions and the new products end up looking worse than their predecessors.

Thus, we present our list of ten cars that, from a design standpoint, we think looked better in their previous generation. Scroll through our gallery to see all of the contenders, and leave a comment with any cars that you think we may have missed, and/or maligned.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

We’ve been handed what appear to be the cleanest images yet of Nissan’s latest Z car, the sharply styled 370Z. Though previous leaks have given us a pretty good idea of what the 370 was all about, this last batch has us counting the days to the car’s probable debut at the L.A. Auto Show.

Photographers at CarPix managed to grab a lone interior image in this set as well, showing off a cabin that seems to have a higher level of surface refinement, as well as a more streamlined user interface. The car has got a paddle-shifted automatic transmission that will likely be a version of the system found on Nissan’s GT-R. Check out our full gallery of images above.

Nissan has teamed up with Sharp and NTT DOCOMO to create the world’s first combination cell phone and key fob, and made it quite attractive to boot. The three firms announced the slick little device jointly today, saying that it should go on sale in “early fiscal year 2009.” That’ll probably mean an April 1 start to coincide with the usual beginning to Japan’s fiscal year.

Nissan hopes that the combination of technologies will lead to a bit of simplification for its customers saying, "As mobile phones increasingly become a daily necessity, the integration of these technologies and the potential to further expand related functionality helped to bring together the three parties.”

Pricing for the phonefob hasn’t been released yet but we’re willing to bet that salivating GT-R owners will be willing to pay upwards of one bajillion dollars.

+ Edmunds Inside Line: Nissan and Partners Bundle Mobile Phone With Intelligent Key for Vehicles

Oh, the bittersweet joy of being a Nissan dealer these days. Many of the longsuffering auto sellers have by now taken delivery of their tiny allotment of GT-Rs, perhaps lived with them in their showrooms for a day, maybe two? And then are forced to hand over the keys for nothing more than hugely inflated sums of money. Not a fate we’d wish on anyone really.

Luckily, it looks as if a few enterprising Midwestern dealers have managed to squeeze a little time in behind the wheel, at least if these photos from Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, Wisconsin can be believed. It seems as if two spanking new GT-Rs showed up at the Wisconsin drag strip recently ready to throw some rubber around. One of the cars was allegedly piloted by a newly minted GT-R owner feverishly anxious to find out what his prize was capable of, while the other was a pre-delivery model being driven by a dealership employee who just couldn’t help himself.

While it must really be tough to say "no" in a situation like the one pictured here, we’d like to shout a bit of a warning to anyone ready to take GT-R delivery in the greater Chicago area in the near future. Keep a close eye on tire wear, mileage, and maybe just a little bit of throw-up near the driver’s seat. Caveat Emptor and everything.

+ GTRBlog

New reports indicate that Nissan is preparing to add a convertible version of its popular Murano crossover to its lineup. Strange as it may sound, insider sources seem to believe that Nissan plans to target empty-nesters who are looking for a fun drive that still has room for a grandkid or three. The company is reportedly not targeting the only other vehicle to compete in this segment (if you can even call it that), the far more rough-and-ready Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

The Murano convertible will eschew the popular folding hard top option for a more traditional soft top, most likely as a means of weight saving and in attempts to keep the standard car’s mileage ratings. The current Murano’s 265 horsepower V-6 and CTV will stay, and both front- and all-wheel-drive options should be on the spec sheet. Look for the model year 2011 convertible to start above the current top-of-the-line LE’s price of $39,080.
 
Inside Line has put together a conceptual rendering of what the Murano vert could look like and the result is, to say the least, strange. Should this strange vehicle come to light we’d hope that the Nissan designers could come up with something better than cribbing the “Easter basket” look from the PT Cruiser convertible. Here’s hoping anyway.

+ Edmunds Inside Line: Future Drop Top: 2011 Nissan Murano Convertible

So far, use of the lightweight material carbon fiber is generaly reserved only for the high-end production models. Cars such as the BMW's M-series, Nissan's GT-R, and even General Motor's ZR1 supercar use it, but the relatively high expense prevents the material from being used in more conventional models.

Though automakers admit that they are still several years away from mainstream use of carbon fiber, a few Japanese companies, including carbon-specialist Toray Industries and Mitsubishi Rayon, are working with Nissan and Honda to develop a new type carbon fiber for use in mass-produced vehicles. The goal is to produce the material by the mid-2010s, allowing vehicles to be 40 percent lighter than the current models.

The Japanese government has supported the idea and will provide close to $20 million in support over the next five years. This will hopefully allow the next-generation of vehicles to be both lighter and more fuel efficient.

+ Motor Authority: Report: Japanese firms developing carbon-fiber for mass production

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Even though we are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of the upcoming Nissan 370Z, we must not forget that the current 350Z in both coupe and roadster forms are lovely cars. We recently tested a drop-top Z and didn't find much in the way of complaints for Nissan's rear-drive sports car.

Click through to read our full impressions about our time with the Nissan 350Z Roadster.

We’ll have to wait until this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show to see Nissan’s official unveiling of its new 370Z sports car. But it seems as though more than a few lucky drivers on highway 60 running through Phoenix, Arizona have gotten a sneak peak. One savvy motorist was able to capture the Nissan mule on video, giving us a quick first glance at the 370Z.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

As if they couldn't wait for the release of the 2009 Nissan 370Z, the Japanese magazine "Best Car" went ahead and ordered a replica of the upcoming coupe. The replica was built by Mad House in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture and is based on the current 350Z. With leaked photos as reference, the company was able to create a 1:1 scale replica of the car using fiberglass to mold the front and rear end of the car. Because the headlights were much too difficult to replicate, Mad House instead used custom-printed stickers.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

For the lucky 1,700 or so Nissan GT-R owners who pre-ordered their cars, Monday July 7 is going to be a good day. For on that day, the long awaited GT-R finally goes on sale in the U.S. Of the cars that were destined for the States, 70 percent were spoken for when the cars became available for advanced order last January.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Godzilla has arrived. In tidy rows of primary colors—red, white, black, and silver—topped in protective plastics. They’re arranged at a port