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2014 Nissan Leaf EVs recalled for missing welds

The Nissan Leaf has been recalled before, for problems with the passenger-side airbags. Early models of the car has also had start-up issues, but those did not lead to a recall. Today, we're learning about another problem with the world's most popular electric vehicle. In April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall of a small number of 2014 model year Leaf EVs - just 211 units that were made between February 28 and March 12 of this year – and reminded the world about it this morning with a Tweet. The problem, NHTSA says, is that, "the front structural member assembly may be missing welds," and that means that the car's structural integrity could be compromised in a crash. You don't say. Starting in the middle of June, Nissan will look at the vehicles that could be missing welds and offer replacements for free. If you have a potentially affected vehicle, Nissan should be contacting you soon, or you can call the automaker at the number listed below. Report Receipt Date: APR 16, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V192000 Component(s): Potential Number of Units Affected: 211 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 28, 2014, through March 12, 2014. The front structural member assembly may be missing welds, which could reduce the structural integrity of the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 305, "Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection." CONSEQUENCE: Missing welds may effect the vehicle's integrity in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the vehicle's occupants. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect to see if any of the welds are missing. Any vehicle missing welds will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by mid-June 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Watch a Nissan GT-R make up 17 spots on the first lap

By now, enthusiasts should be plenty used to seeing the Nissan GT-R passing "lesser" vehicles on the road - and let's face it, that accounts for a good 99-percent of other cars out there. But what about on the racetrack, where GT racers are all homologated to the same general specifications and tuned with an eye toward fairer competition?
Turns out Godzilla is just as formidable an adversary on the track, as demonstrated by this latest video. Shot from inside the cabin of British driver Alex Buncombe's GT3 racer during the Blancpain Endurance Series race at Monza, the video shows what happens (or at least happened this time) when a well-driven GT-R is relegated to the back of the grid - even when that grid is populated by the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and McLaren.
Buncombe and his teammates in the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN ultimately finished the race in 13th place, but what's remarkable is that they started way back in 32nd, making up 17 places on the first lap alone. Scope out the frenetic action in the video below.

Watch these Nissan 350Zs set a record for world's longest twin drift

In July, Harald Muller notched a Guinness World Record by drifting longer than any lone tire-burner ever had: 89.55 miles. This month, Nissan Middle East broke the Guinness World Record for the longest twin drift when two drivers slithered through a figure eight for 17.7 miles. The feat came about to commemorate the opening of the Nissan 370Z Drift Experience in Dubai, which will teach eager punters how to abuse slip angle, but the actual drifting was done with two 350Zs. Nissan opened the center in partnership with ProDrift Academy, a European school for wannabe drifters, and when it comes time for actual instruction that will be done in the eponymous 370Z. You can check out a video snippet from the event and a press release from Nissan Middle East below. Nissan Middle East sets a new Guinness World Records title for the "Longest Twin Vehicle Drifting" Record set during the "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" launch event DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 15, 2014 – Nissan Middle East today has set a new Guinness World Records title for the longest twin vehicle drifting. Two Nissan Z cars drifted around a track at the same time without stopping for 28.52 kilometers. The record was set in the second attempt during the launch of the "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" which will offer anyone the opportunity to learn and perfect the art of drifting. Speaking at the event, Samir Cherfan, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East, said: "With today's accomplishment of setting a new Guinness World Records title, we have proven again the strength of our vehicles by adding another Guinness World Records record to our list. The Nissan Z is a very popular car in the drifting scene, and this new record is yet another proof on the ability of this car to make drifting look so easy." "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" is a partnership between Nissan Middle East and the Prodrift Academy, which is carried out using Nissan 370Zs alongside the Prodrift Academy's professional drift instructors in a safe and controlled environment. "Nissan has a strong focus on motorsports in the Middle East. Since safety is our priority at Nissan, we have partnered with the Prodrift Academy to provide a legal and safe platform for drifting fanatics in the region," Cherfan added. Nissan Motorsports History For nearly 80 years, Nissan has been pushing the boundaries of innovation within the Motorsports industry.