Nissan to Release 9 All-New Models In 2008 Including 370Z and Cube

Nissan released an outline of its new five-year business plan called “Nissan GT 2012” (with “G” for growth and “T” for trust), which covers the period from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2013. Somewhere in-between its sales forecast and revenue outlook, the Japanese carmaker also revealed that it will launch nine all-new products during the 2008 fiscal year that ends in March 2009.

Apart from the Nissan Teana, Infiniti FX, Nissan Maxima and Nissan Qashqai+2 that we’ve already seen, Nissan said that in the next 12 months we’ll see the Bakkie successor, a mini SUV, the new Cube, the 370Z (pictured above) and the Infiniti G37 Convertible that we told you about earlier today. -Continued

Overall, the Nissan Group plans to unveil 60 all-new models in the next five years including an all-electric model specifically for the U.S. and Japan in 2010 and mass-market electric vehicles to consumers globally in 2012.

BMW Recalling MY 2008 X5 SUVs

The Bavarian automaker has announced that it will be sending a recall letter to 55 MY 2008 X5 owners in the States for problems with the SUV's rear axle stabilizer (anti-sway bar). These particular X5s were equipped with a sports-suspension stabilizer instead of the standard suspension stabilizer on the rear axle. According to BMW, under certain driving conditions, such as high speed fast lane changes, the vehicle could experience a dangerous 'over-steer' behavior. BMW dealers will replace the rear axle stabilizer free of charge.

Audi A5 Sport Package by JMS Tuning

JMS is the latest tuning firm to present a sport package for the new Audi A5 Coupe. The German company’s offerings include a front spoiler for 269 euros, side sills for 299 euros, a rear apron diffuser for 259 euros and a set of 20-inch OZ alloy wheels wrapped around in 255/30 R20 rubber for 5,699 euros. In case you still have some cash left, JMS will happily install an H&R suspension lowering kit for 239 euros. -Continued

Fuzzy Wuzzy Russian Lada Niva

Truth is, it gets pretty darn cold in Russia but to dress your entire vehicle in Astroturf is kinda far fetched. On the other hand, if you think about it, the owner of this texturized Lada Niva will never have to worry about the color fading or having his vehicle accidentally scratched or dented while parked on the road. -More pics after the jump





Via: Englishrussia

High Gas Prices: Greed and Unregulated Commodities Markets Are To Blame

We just finished reading an enlightening article written by Ed Wallace for BusinessWeek that pinpoints the true reasons behind the surge in gasoline prices that we’ve been experiencing for some time now. Wallace –rightfully in our opinion- blames the unregulated commodity markets and greed for the sharp spike in oil prices and not, as many media outlets support, due to huge demand combined with a supply crisis.

To support this, Wallace says that only in the U.S., oil reserves climbed by an amazing 11.9 million barrels in the month preceding the Energy Information Agency's (EIA) May 7 inventory report. Since January 2008, they have been up by nearly 33 million barrel! As for demand, MasterCard's May 7 gasoline report showed a 5.8% decrease at that period, while the government suggested that gasoline consumption might have fallen by slightly over 6%.

China, which is often blamed by media for the surge of gasoline prices, is expected to see its consumption rise this year by a mere 400,000 barrels a day (b/d). Just so you can get an idea, while the U.S. consumed around 20.7 million b/d in 2007, China imported 3.2 million b/d and its estimated total usage was around 7 million b/d.

And to top it all, on May 2, Bloomberg reported that Iran – a major oil producer- is once again storing its heavy crude on tankers in the Persian Gulf as the country has run out of onshore storage tanks while awaiting buyers… Via: BuisinessWeek

2010 Audi A3 Rendering Hits the Spot

This computer generated image depicting the next generation Audi A3 comes from a Greek car site named “Autotriti”. The artist has done quite a nice job with the rendering giving us a good indication to as what Audi is preparing for us with the 2010 A3 that will most probably be heavily inspired from the latest A4 and A5 Coupe models. Like the current generation A3, Audi's new premium subcompact is expected to come in three flavors: 3door and 5door hatchback, and a 2door convertible version.

Via: Autotriti

10 Millionth Opel Astra Rolls Off The Production Line

Today, nearly 17 years after the first Astra left Opel’s Bochum plant in Germany on August 12, 1991, the 10 millionth Astra rolled of the company’s production line at the same plant. The commemorative model is a Silver Lightning Astra Station Wagon 1.7 CDTI and according to Opel, it’s equipped with special features to celebrate this production milestone.

The Astra is currently produced in eight plants on two continents. In Europe, the current models are built in Bochum, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom and Gliwice, Poland. The Astra is also fully or partially assembled in Russia, the Ukraine, Brazil and Serbia. It's also Opel's first compact-sized model since the Kadett B that found it’s way into the USA where its sold with the Saturn badge. -Continued

The British buy the most Astras. Last year, 119,082 units were sold in the U.K. while the second-largest market is Germany (74,226), followed by Italy (43,128) and Spain (41,282). The most popular Astra in Western Europe is the 1.6 ECOTEC model Enjoy.

Infiniti G37 Convertible Officially Announced

The long-awaited convertible version of Infiniti’s G Coupe will be introduced during the fiscal year 2008 which started in April 2008 and ends in March 2009 according to an official announcement made by Nissan’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn during the unveiling of the company’s “GT 2012” mid term business plan (we’ll have more on that later on).

Although Nissan didn’t release any more details, it is rumored that the G37 convertible may get an electric folding hard-top like its main competitor, the BMW 3-Series Cabriolet. What’s for certain is that the G37 Convertible will come equipped with the same 330H 3.7-liter V6 engine as its coupe sibling.

UPS Orders 500 Hybrid Electric and Natural Gas Powered Vans from Daimler

Deemed as the largest order of alternative-fuel and drive-train commercial vehicles to-date, UPS has placed a request of 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and 300 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to Daimler’s (Mercedes-Benz’ mother company) Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC).

These environmental friendly vans will be used by UPS for daily delivery operations across the United States and will function in along with the company’s current fleet of conventional diesel-powered vehicles. According to Daimler, the hybrid-electric power train that combines a diesel engine and an electric motor, will improve fuel economy by over 40% and reduce emissions by over 90% compared to baseline non-hybrid vehicles.

The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 joining the 25 FCCC HEV delivery trucks already in operation at UPS. Daimler says that the 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,786 tons each year.

Lancia to Introduce Range-Topping Musa Poltrona Frau in June

Lancia has joined forces with the high-end Italian furniture maker “Poltrona Frau” to create a top-of-the-range version of its recently revised Musa minivan. Set to be unveiled in early June, the Musa Poltrona Frau’s seats and dashboard will be covered entirely in special upholstery called “Pelle Frau”. This version will be available in 11 exterior colors (including 4 two-tone) and 3 interior shades (grey, leather, red) while the Poltrona Frau logo will also enhance the Musa’s central pillar.

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Lancia

Spada Codatronca TS: Details and High-Res Image Gallery

The Batmobile-esque Spada Codatronca was officially unveiled last month at the “Top Marques Monaco” supercar show. Born by the pencil of car designers Ercole and Paolo Spada, the Codatronca will be built in ultra limited numbers –up to 20 copies a year. There will be two available versions, the base TS that is powered by a Corvette-derived 7.0-liter V8 engine that runs on Biofuel E85 delivering 630hp at 6500 rpm and 668Nm of torque at 4800 rpm, and the even more powerful TSS, details of which will be released at a later date.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a 6 gear close ratio transmission and according to Spada, the TS sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.4 sec and goes on to a top speed of 340 km/h or 211 MPH. The Codatronca utilizes an aluminum (tubular) chassis combined with a roll bar cage while the bodywork is made of lightweight composite materials -Continued.

The Italian supercar also features a completely adjustable suspension and a high-performance braking system from Brembo with 8 pistons aluminum calipers (380mm discs) on the front and 4 pistons aluminum calipers (355mm discs) on the rear. The Codatronca comes equipped with 19-inch OZ alloy wheels wrapped around in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires (285/35 R19 front and 345/35 R19 rear).

Via: Autoblog.it , Source: Spada

Nissan 370Z Unveiled During Presentation!

Thanks to a vivid Carscoop reader who wishes to remain anonymous, we now have the first (semi) official shot of the forthcoming Nissan 370Z. From what he told us, the camera-phone picture was shot during a recent Nissan event. Although the picture isn't of the best quality, it's apparent that the 370Z's design is more of an evolution of the current 350Z, albeit a bit more muscular.

Power will come from a revised version of the Infiniti G37's 3.7-liter V6 engine (hence the name 370Z), which should deliver somewhere in-between 330 and 350Hp. The rear-wheel-drive 370Z will be offered with both manual and automatic transmissions. The unveiling of the 370Z is expected to take place this fall at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19. -Thanks for the pic "T"

Video: 2009 Subaru Forester Gets Sensual Wash From Sumo Fighters

Unconventional to say the least, Subaru’s TV advert for the all-new 2009 Forester crossover substitutes your usual sexy, big “airbaged” gals with a bunch of overweight yet freakingly playful Sumo fighters. Check out the video right after the jump.

Via: Le Blog Auto , Source: Subaru

$10,000 Used SportsCar: Help Us Choose!

Time’s up for this old lad to get a new ride but while it would have been great to be able to buy a brand new set of wheels, this month’s (and the previous…) bank statement has set a limit on the budget: under $10,000. In most parts of the world, that wouldn’t buy you much of car but luckily here in the States, there are plenty of sub-$10k sportscars to choose from.

A couple of days ago we started our sportscar-hunt in the greater Boston area searching simultaneously on eBay, Craigslist and Autotrader. Up until now, we’ve found a few presentable BMW E36 M3s, one or two 1990’s Corvettes and, the one we liked the most, a mid 1990s Nissan 300ZX –albeit overpriced at $11k especially for a non-turbo model.

We’re going to keep you updated as we continue our search, but we’d like to hear what sub-$10,000 sports car -or GT for that matter- would you propose we’d search for. Give us your answers in the comment section.

Smart Fortwo Gets Hit by Two Trucks, Makes It Out Alive

This previous generation Smart Fortwo (it’s not the one coming to the U.S.) was involved in a “double whammy” accident somewhere in the States when a large delivery truck decided to play a little snooker with the German mini hitting it from behind and serving it onto a bypassing GMC van.

The pictures, courtesy of Jalopnik and their reader “Polar” whose friend was behind the Smart’s wheel, show that the Fortwo received quite a battering. However, the driver managed to walk away from the accident with minor abrasions from the airbags. Having said that, the first-gen Fortwo did its job by protecting its passengers. We’re not aware of the extent of damages, but bear in mind that the Fortwo’s exterior body panels are made from (interchangeable) plastic. -More images after the jump

Via: Jalopnik