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Arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife a 'pathetic' move by Japan, spokeswoman says

BEIRUT — A decision by Japanese prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn's wife shortly before the fugitive car boss was due to speak publicly about his case was "pathetic," a spokeswoman for Ghosn told Reuters on Tuesday. The ousted Nissan Motor and Renault chairman fled to Lebanon, his childhood home, in late December from Japan, where he faced trial for alleged financial misconduct. Ghosn is expected to speak on Wednesday at a news conference in Beirut and detail some of the claims he has made against Nissan since his arrest in November 2018. He has alleged there was a Japanese government-backed coup to oust him. It's his first such appearance since his arrest in November 2018. "Last time Carlos Ghosn announced a press conference and got re-arrested. This time, the day before he is announced to speak out freely for the first time, they issued an arrest warrant for his wife Carole Ghosn," the spokeswoman said. Japanese prosecutors issued the warrant for Ghosn's wife Carole for perjury, Japanese media reported. The spokeswoman said Carole Ghosn voluntarily went back to Japan nine months ago to answer prosecutors' questions and was free to go without any charges. "The issuance of this warrant is pathetic," she said. Japan is looking for a way to extradite Ghosn, but Lebanon and Japan have no extradition agreement and Lebanon does not normally extradite its own citizens. The perjury arrest warrant accuses Carole Ghosn of falsely claiming not to know, or to have met, people connected to a company that received payments from Nissan Motor, part of which it subsequently transferred to a firm owned by Ghosn. Separately, a senior Ministry of Justice official said staff were poring over Lebanese laws to find a way to return Ghosn and that Japan "will do whatever it can" to have him face trial.   Naming names at Nissan Ghosn is expected to detail some of the claims he has made against Nissan since his arrest. Citing an interview with Ghosn, Fox Business reported that he said he has "actual evidence" and documents to show there was a Japanese government-backed coup to "take him out." He plans to identify those he believes responsible, the broadcaster said.

Datsun reveals new On-Do budget sedan in Russia [w/video]

When Nissan revived the Datsun brand name, it essentially hit the "undo" button on the rebranding it undertook decades ago. But this time, the Datsun name is being used solely as a budget brand for developing markets. The reborn marque launched in India this past July with its Go hatchback, returned in September with the Go+ minivan and revealed the Redi-Go concept just last month. And now it's back again with the new On-Do sedan.
Launched in Moscow by CEO Carlos Ghosn, the On-Do was designed and engineered in Japan specifically for the Russian market - Nissan's fifth largest worldwide - where it will be built at the AvtoVaz plant in Togliatti. Decidedly budget-oriented, the Datsun On-Do is a four-door, five-seat econo-box measuring 172 inches long, 67 inches wide and 60 inches tall with an 18.7 cubic-foot trunk which Datsun describes as class-leading. Punctuating an otherwise bland shape is a large front grille and lighting front and rear that looks (and very well might be) bigger than the wheels.
Not that the Datsun On-Do needs a big contact patch to transfer power to the road: motivation is provided by a 1.6-liter engine with a grand total of - wait for it... wait a little longer - 87 horsepower. Which might strike you as a reasonable amount of muscle, considering the 400,000 rubles Datsun is getting for the On-Do (but consider that translates to about $11,300). That's a couple grand more than what Nissan gets for the Micra in that other giant northern country, or about the same amount it gets for the Versa in the US (which sells in Russia for 499k in rubles) - both of which are powered by what is in all likelihood the same 1.6-liter four but producing 109 hp. Of course Russia has different tax rates than the United States or Canada, but with such little power, the Datsun would fall into Russia's lowest tax bracket.

On Location: 2015 Nissan Micra Cup racecar at Mont-Tremblant

Circuit Mont-Tremblant has an almost mythical aura for North American road racers, and it was the setting for our high speed test of the 2015 Nissan Micra Cup racecar. Nestled in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, the course hosted Formula One races in 1968 and 1970, Trans-Am and Can-Am competition in the 1960s and '70s, and more recently a Champ Car event in 2007. In its current configuration, Mont-Tremblant has 15 turns and covers 2.65 miles of rural Quebec about 90 minutes northwest of Montreal. Put simply: It's an excellent venue to test the Micra Cup racer, which is underpinning a spec series in Canada this summer and fall. The cars are outfitted with a Nismo suspension kit, FIA-approved racing seat with a five-point harness, safety cage, upgraded brakes, modified exhaust, and Pirelli low-profile performance tires. The stock 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 109 horsepower mated to a five-speed manual is unchanged. It's a cool, misty day when we get behind the wheel of the Micra Cup car. Though we're nervous, Nissan is billing the Micra Cup as a series for nearly anyone, calling it the bridge between karting and more serious racing. We believe that – the Cup car is fairly easy to drive – and our instructor is helpful with tips on the gearing and setting up corners. We finish our laps feeling excited, challenged, and wanting more. As the video above shows, the car is eager to please, and it's a lot of fun to toss around an iconic track.