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'Gran Turismo' movie trailer: No surprises, but more cars onscreen is a good thing

More movies about cars and racing is always a good thing in our book. The first trailer for the "Gran Turismo" movie dropped today, and while it focuses a lot on the gaming backstory, it looks like there will be a decent amount of actual wheel-to-wheel action as well. The movie is, of course, based on the hugely popular PlayStation series of video games. Now in its seventh installation, it revolutionized the racing game world with its massive library of playable cars, digitization of real tracks, and sound effects recorded from actual exhaust notes. Unlike other recent video games that have been adapted into blockbuster movies or TV shows with actual depth, "Gran Turismo" the game doesn't have a plot.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The movie follows the real-life story of Jann Mardenborough, a British "Gran Turismo" player who in 2011 became the youngest winner of the Nissan GT Academy. The program funnels gamers into real driver's seats, and Mardenborough beat out 90,000 global contestants. He's gone on to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the British GT Championships, and Formula E.  In the trailer we see what is likely a heavily dramatized version of the events. Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) faces skeptical parents, skeptical driving instructor Jack Salter (David Harbour of "Stranger Things''), and a skeptical rival who doesn't believe gamers can really race (Josha Stradowski). About the only one who does believe in him is Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom), a marketing exec based on GT Academy head honcho Darren Cox. An obligatory love story is also wedged in there.  Since the real GT Academy was sponsored by Nissan, when Mardenborough graduates to real cars we see plenty of R35 GT-Rs, a 370Z NISMO, and a Ligier-Nissan LMP racer. Mardenborough's rival's car is perfectly cast as a chrome gold-wrapped Lamborghini Huracan. Background cars include an Audi R8, Porsche 911, Ferrari 458, and more. Surprisingly, there's no new Nissan Z, even though it seems like it would be the perfect car to include in a movie like this. The trailer reveals almost entirely how Mardenborough will overcome the odds, not that the end would have taken a genius to guess. At the same time, motor racing is an inaccessible sport for the average consumer.

Nissan Leaf's No Charge To Charge now available in Boston

Depending on where you buy your all-electric Nissan Leaf, there's a pretty sweet deal attached. In some parts of the US – most recently, now also in Boston, MA – new Leafs come with the "No Charge To Charge" program, which allows drivers to recharge their batteries at some public charging stations for free. Today's announcement that Boston will join the program brings the total number to 17 area, and Nissan has said it will eventually expand No Charge To Charge to at least 25 markets in the US by the end of the year. As Nissan representatives explained when the program was first announced at the 2014 New York Auto Show, there are limits on the program. Without paying, you can plug your new Leaf into a public CHAdeMO DC fast charger for a maximum of 30 minutes and just one hour at Level 2 stations. You can find a list of No Charge stations from companies like ChargePoint, Blink, AeroVironment, and NRG eVgo here. Related Video: CALLING ALL BOSTONIANS: NISSAN'S "NO CHARGE TO CHARGE" PROGRAM ARRIVES IN BEAN TOWN BOSTON (July 6, 2015) – Nissan is launching its "No Charge to Charge" promotion for Boston-area Nissan LEAF buyers, providing two years complimentary public charging with the purchase of the all-electric car from LEAF-certified dealers in the Boston market. "Nissan LEAF is an attractive option for Boston car buyers because it is fun to drive and offers significantly lower operating costs when compared to a gas-powered car," said Andrew Speaker, director, Electric Vehicle (EV) Sales & Marketing, Nissan. "EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Boston, and access to free public charging for new LEAF buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient." "No Charge to Charge" launches at Nissan LEAF dealers in the Boston market on July 1. The promotion includes access to fast chargers that can charge a LEAF battery pack from empty to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, as well as level 2 (240V) chargers spread throughout the Boston area. Nissan now offers "No Charge to Charge" in 17 U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Fresno, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Denver and Washington, D.C. Nissan plans to offer the "No Charge to Charge" program at LEAF dealers in a total of at least 25 U.S. markets later this year.

PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.
Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment's newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.