1998 Nissan Sentra Gxe Sedan 4-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Nissan wants French State out of its alliance with Renault

While it's called the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the French side actually throws around a lot of weight in the relationship, and the government there is the largest shareholder. Meanwhile, the Japanese company generates about two-thirds of the sales. As leader of both automakers, Carlos Ghosn is reportedly now working to put more control into the Nissan side, according to insiders speaking to Reuters. The French State is expected to fight hard against losing sway. The government in France prompted Ghosn's distrust after buying up 19.7 percent of Renault's stock, from a previous 15 percent. Officials snubbed the CEO by giving him just a few hours notice, according to Reuters. Now, the boss is looking for ways to mitigate state control, but to make this plan happen Ghosn needs formal approval from the Renault board. If successful, the proposed plan would overhaul the close partnership between the automakers. Whereas the French side currently has the final say in decisions, this move would grant both of them equal power. In addition, Nissan would become the largest owner of Renault, but the French wouldn't have the same control over its Japanese ally. The French government isn't ready to just hand over power to Ghosn, though, because it reportedly wants to protect jobs in the country. The Alliance "must not be destabilized by governance changes or adjustments that could also lead to conflicts of interest," Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said to Reuters. Clearly, this fight is just beginning. Related Video:

A journey to our driving future | Autoblog in Japan

TOKYO — We here at Autoblog recently went to Japan to drive cars, ride trains and talk to people about the past and future of mobility. In 1964, Japan hosted the Summer Olympics. To showcase to the world how far they had come since WWII, Japan launched its latest marvel in mobility, the Shinkansen (or as we call it, the Bullet Train). In 2020, Japan is hosting the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and this time the nation is prepared to showcase a huge push toward autonomous cars. Green Editor John Beltz Snyder, Senior Producer Christopher McGraw and Associate Producer Alexander Malburg traveled there to get a sense of the country's transportation ecosystem with the 2020 Games on the horizon, and we filmed the experience along the way. In this series of videos, you'll see us try out car features that aren't yet available in the U.S., talk to an expert at Nissan about electric and autonomous mobility, ride the incredibly fast Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto, pay homage to Soichiro Honda — and Ayrton Senna — at the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi, and see some beautiful and historic sites along the way. Here's what we'll be showcasing from our trip to Japan. Check back here as we update the list with links to all the videos: Driving a Subaru WRX equipped with EyeSight with Touring Assist Reviewing the 2018 Nissan Leaf on the roads of Japan Testing ProPilot Park on the Nissan Leaf Talking with Nicholas Thomas, Nissan's director of electric vehicles How to ride the Shinkansen in Japan (We love trains!) Touring the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi Check out the travelogue video at the top of this page for a taste of what's to come, then join us for a journey to Japan, Autoblog style. Related Video: Auto News Green Honda Nissan Subaru Green Driving Technology Autonomous Vehicles Electric Videos Original Video

The birth of a drifter, meet James Deane

Drifting is sometimes a maligned from of motorsport because it's scored by judges rather than the outcome of shedding tenths off of lap times. But that doesn't mean the people behind the wheel are lacking in skill. In a new documentary series XCar Films interviews European drift champion James Deane, and of course he also shows off his abilities with some smoky slides. Amazingly, Deane got started drifting at just 15 in a Ford Sierra, and a year later, he was already winning championships in a Nissan S14. His current competition weapon combines a Nissan chassis with a turbocharged Toyota 2JZ engine and a NASCAR four-speed gearbox. Deane reckons the setup makes around 650 horsepower. As this video shows, Deane is a master of getting the car to slide just where he wants it to be. Coupled with Xcar's consistently fantastic cinematography, there's an interesting story here of a racer stepping up the ladder of competition. Related Video: News Source: Xcar Films via YouTube Motorsports Nissan Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos drifting xcar xcar films drifter