1985 Nissan Zx Coupe 5-speed Manual T-tops California Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Nissan Rogue earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ [w/videos]

The 2014 Nissan Rogue has scored a Top Safety Pick+ award following positive crash test results by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The new crossover scored good results (the highest rating) in the group's five crashworthiness checks and a basic rating for front crash prevention.
The IIHS found that the Rogue also performed well in its small overlap front test with a low risk of injuries, and the driver's space maintained its structure well. It was an improvement over the previous generation, which received a marginal rating in that evaluation. The Rogue's optional forward collision warning system was enough for a basic rating in avoiding accidents.
To qualify as a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations, plus a good or acceptable result in the small overlap front test. To receive the additional Plus rating in 2014, it must also have a basic, advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention. The IIHS scores vehicles as good, acceptable, marginal or poor, and avoidance systems are scored basic, advanced or superior, depending on the type of system and its performance. Scroll down to watch the videos of the small and moderate overlap crash tests and read the full IIHS statement.

Who knew a 1,200-hp GT-R could be so lovely?

The proliferation of 4K cameras and displays is bringing the world some utterly fantastic automotive videos. If you like seeing Jeff Zwart powering up the Pikes Peak course in high-def glory but wish for some hugely powered Nissan GT-Rs in place of the turbocharged Porsche, then this clip shouldn't be missed. Japanese magazine Motorhead brought together a 1,200-horsepower, HKS-tuned R35 GT1000 and an earlier R32 GT-R Group A racer to send them through a tight, mountain road. The clip uses an augmented reality aesthetic to place little pieces of info about the car, driver, and emotions over the scenes, while the coupes are blasting through the forest. The real highlight here is the cinematography and sound. Turn up your speakers to get an earful of the GT-R's gasoline-fueled heart. The cameras mounted on driver Nobuteru Taniguchi turn the world outside the car into an impressionistic blur of green as the trees smear together at such high speeds. The combination of sight and sound offers a fantastic sense of speed. The only, tiny problem with this clip is that the preamble before the coupes thunder off is just a bit too long. If you need an extra minute in your day, skip straight to 1:15 to get immediately to the action. Although, missing the beginning means not seeing an inky black GT-R driving through the Japanese night. According to Speedhunters, the video is meant to promote the theme for Motorhead's latest issue – Japan Tuned. The magazine apparently comes even more video of the two cars playing on the mountain.

US approves extradition of Americans accused of arranging Carlos Ghosn's escape

In the latest chapter of ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's dramatic downfall, two Americans are about to face Japan's notoriously tough justice system. The US State Department has approved the extradition of Michael and Peter Taylor, who are accused of helping Ghosn flee Japan, reports the Associated Press. Ghosn was under house arrest in Japan, awaiting trial for alleged financial malfeasance during his tenure as head of Nissan and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. In December 2019, Michael Taylor (pictured), a former member of the US Special Forces, and his son Peter, allegedly smuggled Ghosn out of Japan in a musical instrument case on two charter flights, from Japan to Turkey, and then from Turkey to Ghosn's childhood home of Lebanon. According to the AP, the Taylors received two payments from the Ghosn family totaling $1.36 million (one to Peter Taylor's company and the other in cryptocurrency). Michael Taylor ran a business security firm after retiring from the US Army. The Taylors have been in jail in Massachusetts since their arrest in May. A Federal judge was attempting to block the extradition request from Japan, but on Wednesday, the State Department overruled her, the Taylors' lawyers said. Ghosn, for his part, maintains his innocence and says that he fled Japan because he didn't expect a fair trial in Japan's court system, which has a 99.9 percent conviction rate. Unless this saga takes another unexpected turn, the Taylors will now have to face that very system. Government/Legal Nissan Renault