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Nissan withdraws from two races to focus on Le Mans

Nissan is making a huge bet and putting all of its chips on the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the race debut of the GT-R LM Nismo. The team will now skip the World Endurance Championship test at Paul Ricard in France later this month and also won't compete at the first two races of the season at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The team made the announcement through two tweets (embedded below). "Our main aim for this year was always Le Mans and we have decided to re-focus on that race," Darren Cox, Nissan Motorsport boss, said to Autosport. In the meantime, the company will keep testing the car in the US right up until the big race. The driver lineup and a GT-R Nismo for display will make an appearance at the season-opening round at Silverstone on April 12, though, according to Autosport. This isn't the first setback for the team. The GT-R LM suffered a failure of a "very minor" part during testing in early March at Sebring, and the team didn't have a spare with it. The car had run 68 laps over the preceding two days. The GT-R LM uses a powertrain unlike any other vehicle in its class. A twin-turbocharged V6 has front-mid-engine placement, and it's combined with electric motors making over 700 horsepower. In total, the system generates a claimed output of over 1,250 horsepower. With no competitive racing under its belt before Le Mans, the Nissan is definitely going to be a car to watch in the big event this year. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video:

What to expect from the Japanese trial of Nissan and Greg Kelly

TOKYO — The criminal trial against Japanese automaker Nissan and its former executive Greg Kelly will open in Tokyo District Court on Tuesday. ItÂ’s the latest chapter in the unfolding scandal of Carlos Ghosn, a superstar at Nissan until he and Kelly were arrested in late 2018. Five questions and answers about the trial: Q: WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS? A: The charges center around KellyÂ’s role in alleged under-reporting of GhosnÂ’s future compensation by about 9 billion yen ($85 million), a violation of financial laws. Kelly says he is innocent. Nissan, which is also similarly charged, has already acknowledged guilt, made corrections to the compensation documents submitted to the authorities, and has started paying a 2.4 billion yen ($22.6 million) fine. Q: WHAT HAPPENS TO GHOSN? A: Probably nothing. He skipped bail late last year and is now in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor are being held in Massachusetts without bail, suspected of having helped Ghosn escape by hiding in a box on a private jet. A U.S. judge recently approved their extradition to Japan. The case is now before the U.S. State Department. Q: HOW DO CRIMINAL TRIALS PROCEED IN JAPAN? A: The trial, before a panel of three judges, is expected to take about a year. There is no jury. Juries are selected only for extremely serious cases in Japan, such as murder. In principle, there are no plea bargains although backroom deals are made all the time. Closed pre-trial sessions are held ahead of the trialÂ’s opening, often for months before the real trial begins. Japan's legal system has come under fire from both within and outside the country as “hostage justice” because suspects often are held for months and interrogated without a lawyer present, often leading to false confessions, according to critics. Q: WHAT ARE KELLYÂ’S CHANCES? A: More than 99% of criminal trials in Japan result in a conviction. Japanese Justice Minister Masako Mori, in an online presentation in English hosted by the Japanese Embassy in the U.S., argued the conviction rate is so high because Japan prosecutes only about a third of the cases that come up, choosing only those that “result in guilty verdicts.” She insisted there is a “presumption of innocence.” She declined comment on KellyÂ’s case.

Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors unveil light EVs for Japan

KURASHIKI, Japan — Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Nissan Motor Co unveiled their first jointly developed light electric vehicles (EVs), aiming to draw more Japanese drivers to battery-powered cars by offering low-priced micro models. The two Japanese automakers, part of an alliance with French carmaker Renault SA, were once considered trailblazers in Japan's EV market but have struggled to attract customers and face challenges from fast-growing newcomers such as Tesla. "I'm confident that (the new vehicles) representing the alliance will be a game changer for electric vehicles in Japan," Nissan Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida said at an unveiling of the new models in the western Japan city of Kurashiki. The automakers are hoping to leverage their presence in Japan's unique market for micro "kei" cars, which account for nearly 40% of cars on the road in Japan. The three companies' alliance early this year detailed a five-year plan to invest $26 billion on EV development, including kei cars. Nissan, which produces the Leaf and the Ariya electric vehicles, will offer its first light EV, the Sakura, starting at about 1.78 million yen ($13,891) after factoring in a government subsidy, and with a range of 180 km (112 miles). Mitsubishi Motors, maker of i-MiEV electric cars, will release the "eK cross EV" starting from about 1.85 million yen including the subsidy, also with a range of 180 km. Both automakers said they would start selling their new line-up of electric "kei" cars this summer. "People who used to think that EVs are too expensive will become a little more interested in EVs and will be willing to give them a try," said Riho Suzuki, Nissan regional product manager. ($1 = 128.1400 yen) (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Edmund Klamann) Green Mitsubishi Nissan Hatchback Economy Cars Electric