2008 Nissan 350z Grand Touring Coupe 2-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept [w/video]

Nissan took the wraps off its Leaf Nismo RC Concept at the New York Auto Show more than two years ago. As inferred, the vehicle shares many of its pure-EV components with the production Leaf currently sitting in your dealer's showroom. But don't assume the concept is a placid, family friendly, four-place, front-wheel-drive plug-in for grabbing groceries - the RC (as in "Racing Challenge") is a purpose-built, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive prototype race car tuned for the short track.
The RC Concept is fitted with an 80-kW AC synchronous motor driving the rear wheels and drawing power from a 48-module lithium-ion battery. While the motor and battery are nearly identical to the consumer-friendly Leaf, a sleek full carbon-fiber monocoque body shell and a slew of other enhancements mean the RC is 40-percent lighter, a foot shorter in overall height and nearly seven inches wider than its commuter namesake. Nissan says the RC Concept will hit 62 miles per hour in about 6.8 seconds, top out at 93 mph and run for about 20 minutes under race conditions (it will accept an 80-percent charge in 30 minutes with a quick-charger). Understandably, if a zero-emissions motorsport series comes to fruition, the races would be short and nearly silent.
We caught up with the Leaf Nismo RC concept in Southern California, where we were offered the opportunity to zip it around a tight autocross at the former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro.

Feds Probe Nissan Cars For Unintended Acceleration

DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that a trim panel can cause unwanted acceleration in Nissan Versa small cars. The probe covers about 360,000 Nissan Versa and Versa Note subcompacts from the 2012 through 2014 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Saturday on its website that four drivers have complained that a trim panel near the gas pedal can trap the edge of a driver's shoe. This can stop the driver from releasing the gas pedal quickly and delay braking. There are no reports of crashes or injuries, although one driver complained of a close call at an intersection on June 9. As the driver accelerated to make a left turn, a plastic trim panel that covers the center console trapped the driver's shoe and stopped it from moving off the gas pedal, the complaint said. "I used my right hand to grab my leg and pulled harder, immediately braking hard, then backing my foot off the brake as I squealed and skidded around the corner, almost going over the curb and crashing," the driver wrote. The driver reported that the edge of the trim piece wasn't secured and trapped the sole of a leather work boot. Drivers who file complaints are not identified by NHTSA. Two of the four complaints were from drivers of rental cars, the agency said. A fifth complaint was filed in an unidentified foreign country, according to NHTSA. Investigations can lead to recalls but so far there are none in this case. Messages were left seeking comment Saturday from a Nissan spokesman. Related Gallery AOL Autos Test Drive: 2014 Nissan Versa Note Recalls Nissan unintended acceleration nissan versa nissan versa note

France tries to dodge blame for blowing up FCA-Renault merger deal

PARIS — France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced. Shares in Italian-American FCA and France's Renault fell sharply in early trading after FCA pulled out of talks, saying "the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, which has a 15% stake in Renault, had engaged constructively, but had not been prepared to back a deal without the endorsement of Renault's current alliance partner Nissan. Nissan had said it would abstain at a Renault board meeting to vote on the merger proposal. However, a source close to FCA played down the significance of Nissan's stance in the discussions, believing French President Emmanuel Macron was looking for a way out of the deal after coming under pressure at home. Context The FCA-Renault talks were conducted against the backdrop of a French public outcry over 1,044 layoffs at a General Electric factory. The U.S. company had promised to safeguard jobs there when it acquired France's Alstom in 2015. The collapse of the deal, which would have created the world's third-biggest carmaker behind Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen, revives questions about how both FCA and Renault will meet the challenges of costly investments in electric and self-driving cars on their own. The merger had aimed to achieve 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual synergies, with FCA gaining access to Renault's and Nissan's superior electric drive technology and the French firm getting a share of FCA's lucrative Jeep and Ram brands. FCA has long been looking for a merger partner, and some analysts say its search for a deal is becoming more urgent as it is ill-prepared for tougher new regulations on emissions. It previously held unsuccessful talks with Peugeot maker PSA Group, in which the French state also owns a stake. French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said the door should not be closed on the possibility of a deal with Renault, adding Paris would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from FCA. "Talks could resume at some time in the future," he told FranceInfo radio.