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Bathurst 12-hour gallery is GT3 heaven [w/video]

The 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour race was run this weekend at the Mt. Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Australia. Race photographer Joel Strickland sent us a huge batch of photos, all of which make us salivate for the switch to GT3 rules in the United SportsCar Championship; the top seven finishers at Bathurst were of seven different makes: Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, Audi R8-LMS Ultra, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, Ferrari F458 Italia and Lamborghini Gallardo. It was a sweet victory for the No. 35 car driven by the NISMO Athlete Global Team after it crashed in Saturday qualifying, and then was only in third place on the penultimate lap. The three-man driving team included two GT Academy winners, one of whom, Florian Strauss, has only been a professional race car driver for 18 months. It's the first time the GT-R has won at Panorama since the original R32 "Godzilla" took back-to-back wins in 1991 and 1992. Second place went to the No. 15 Phoenix Racing Audi R8-LMS Ultra, 2.4 seconds behind the winners, third to the Craft Bamboo Racing Aston Martin Vantage not even half a second behind the Audi. The Bentley Motorsport team, in its first Bathurst 12-Hour with two cars, had its No. 10 Continental GT3 in the lead until the penultimate lap and in second place until the final corner, but crossed the line in fourth after some rubbin'-is-racin' action from chasers. And if pictures aren't enough, as of writing you can still watch the live stream of the entire race at the Bathurst 12-Hour site. Or, if you don't have the time, at least be sure to check out the last five minutes, below. Enjoy. Featured Gallery 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour View 118 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Joel Strickland / AOL Motorsports Aston Martin Audi Bentley Nissan Coupe Racing Vehicles Videos aston martin vantage gt3

Nissan's Le Mans-bound ZEOD RC electric racecar nearing completion [w/video]

Nissan is working away on its ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car) which is still on pace for a Le Mans arrival in 2014. As of right now, the DeltaWing-shaped car's carbon-fiber tub and chassis have been completed. The next step will be installing the twin electric motors and fitting the seat of driver and GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez. If the current schedule sticks, the zero-emissions racer will hit a UK track for test laps in September.
But while those initial shakedown laps will be under full electric power, it's unclear whether the setup fielded in the UK will survive until Le Mans. Nissan itself says that it will be testing a number of "electrified" drivetrains ahead of the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is a significant departure from race car design - usually, the teams know what's powering their car before they start building it.
"Just developing a single powertrain option in only 12 months would be a mammoth task but we're looking to carefully examine a number of options to ascertain which will be best suited for Le Mans," said Darren Cox, Nissan's global motorsport director. Take a look below for a video and press release from Nissan documenting the ZEOD RC's build process.

2016 Nissan Maxima offers 300 hp and 30 mpg for $32,410* [w/video]

After a surprise debut during the 2015 Super Bowl, Nissan has finally divulged the details on its latest Maxima sedan at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Starting at $32,410 (*not including a $825 destination charge), the Maxima retains the current car's powertrain, featuring a 3.5-liter V6 and a continuously variable transmission. Unlike its predecessor, though, the new fullsizer boasts 300 ponies, up from 290. While the power figures and displacement of the new V6 are similar to last year's model, Nissan claims over 60 percent of the parts in the new 3.5 are new. That means not only more power, but a 15-percent improvement in highway fuel economy, with the Maxima estimated to hit 30 miles per gallon. The CVT is also new, with Nissan claiming it's now "performance oriented." Beyond the oily bits, the cabin is home to an eight-inch touchscreen, while drivers will enjoy a seven-inch display in the instrument cluster. In terms of safety tech, Nissan installed the standard alphabet soup of acronyms, offering up Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), adaptive cruise control, Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), and blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert. As we said, the Maxima will start at $32,410, and will be offered in four grades, with the Platinum trim remaining at the very top of the line. It's not clear, however, how those prices will break down, nor when the Maxima will arrive in dealers. 2016 Nissan Maxima "4-Door Sports Car" makes global debut at New York International Auto Show President and CEO Carlos Ghosn unveils Nissan's totally redesigned flagship Maxima "4 Door Sports Car" All-new Maxima features a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and new lighter, yet more rigid chassis, bringing sports car-like acceleration and handling to large sedan segment 2016 Maxima is set to arrive in U.S. Nissan showrooms with a starting M.S.R.P. of $32,410* NEW YORK – Nissan today unveiled the all-new Nissan Maxima during a press conference at the New York International Auto Show. Making the presentation was Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, who addressed a range of topics including Nissan's $10.1 billion investment in the U.S. in the past three decades. The dramatically styled 2016 Maxima, created by driving enthusiasts for driving enthusiasts, looks like nothing else on the road today – and drives like nothing in the segment.