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Nissan to present Vision Gran Turismo concept at Goodwood?

Power up your PlayStation and pop in any edition of Gran Turismo and you'll have hundreds of cars to choose from. But arguably few have managed to bridge the gap between that virtual world and reality than Nissan.
The Japanese automaker is the one responsible for putting the best gamers behind the wheel of actual race cars with its GT Academy, co-sponsored by Nissan and Gran Turismo. Yet while the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi have already revealed their Vision Gran Turismo concepts specifically designed for the game, Nissan has been left behind. And as it is apt to point out in its latest infographic, that's not a position to which it's accustomed.
The graphic outlines all 148 Nissan vehicles you can drive in Gran Turismo, but leaves the last one under wraps, identified only by the date June 10, 2014. That's this Tuesday, when Nissan is hotly anticipated (thanks in no small part to the Tweet below from Nissan VP Andy Palmer) to reveal its own Vision Gran Turismo concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Williams developing hybrid system for next Nissan GT-R?

Back in June, Nissan announced a new partnership with Williams that would see the Formula One team's applied sciences division help develop a new line of Nismo performance models. It's not the only agreement Renault-Nissan has signed with an F1 team: Infiniti is the title sponsor for Red Bull and Renault powers four teams on the grid. It's also just the latest client Williams has signed a deal with to apply the lessons it has gleaned on the F1 circuit to other racing and sportscars. But now we've got some more info on how Williams and Nismo intend to collaborate on the next-generation GT-R.
According to Australia's Carsales, Williams Advanced Engineering is developing the hybrid powertrain that will boost the next iteration of the supercar-slayer known as Godzilla. Which may seem strange considering that the Renault-Nissan Alliance has plenty of experience with electric propulsion on its own, but then Williams has proven itself something of a leader in the field of performance hybrid powertrains: it supplies them to Porsche and Audi for their Le Mans racecars, and to Jaguar for the C-X75 concept.
Whether Williams and Nismo will settle on a flywheel-based energy recovery system or a more conventional battery-powered system remains to be seen, but brakeforce regeneration likely won't be the only element that Williams will develop for the next GT-R. Expect its expertise in aerodynamics and composites to come to bear as well, which can only mean good things for the replacement for a sportscar that's already one of the most capable on the road.

Nissan Altima and Sentra to get Murano-inspired design redo

The Nissan Altima and Sentra sedans are both very competent, economical, comfortable and well-equipped ways of getting from A to B. They're also both decidedly boring to look at, which is not a good trait in their increasingly style-driven segments.
To rectify this, Nissan is planning design overhauls for its mainstream, with the Sentra adopting the sportier, Euro-style looks of the Pulsar, according to The Car Connection. While that (sadly) won't mean the five-door Pulsar will come to the US market, fitting the European stylings to the Sentra should go a long way towards broadening the car's appeal.
That parcel of information comes from Nissan design boss Shiro Nakamura, who spoke to The Car Connection at last week's Paris Motor Show.