Nissan 350 Z Convertible Leather Sirius Fun Car Fast Needs Nothing Adult Owned on 2040-cars

Auto blog

MotorWeek checks out two sides of the '90s Japanese car scene

MotorWeek's Retro Reviews let you feel nostalgic about a huge range of classic cars, and the latest two releases offer a look at two very different sides of the Japanese car market in the 1990s. The video above shows off tuned examples of the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX. Check out the clip below to remember the 1997 Honda CR-V, if you want to reminisce about something a little more utilitarian. The RX-7 and 300ZX were among the era's best Japanese sports cars, and these examples' suspension and engine overhauls gave them an extra boost. Peter Farrel Supercars tunes the Mazda, and the vibrant yellow paint and body kit make it look ready for an episode of Initial D. The updated powertrain stands up to the mean styling and gets the RX-7 to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. The Stillen 300ZX GTZ sports a giant wing, and new turbos take the output to 465 hp. It sprints to 60 in 4.9 seconds. The CR-V sits on the opposite end of the automotive spectrum as the tuned RX-7 and 300ZX, but it's even more important in a historical sense. The Honda (along with the Toyota RAV4 and others) was among the progenitors of today's mega-popular compact crossovers. These early examples set the foundation for offering buyers a utilitarian vehicle in a comfortable package with good fuel economy at an affordable price. The CR-V had some quirky charm, too, like the removable picnic table hidden in the cargo floor. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf brake investigation, EV market will grow in China

Electric vehicles are expected to significantly cut into the gasoline-powered vehicle market in China. According to analysts at Frost & Sullivan, gas vehicles will drop to 94.9 percent of the market, while EVs will reach 4.2 percent by 2020. China's EV incentives, as well as a push in technology innovations, are credited for the rising popularity of plug-in cars. Despite awareness issues and supply shortages holding EVs back, "the Chinese powertrain market will remain buoyant, with increased customer purchasing power and self-esteem needs triggering vehicle sales," according to Frost & Sullivan researcher Ming Lih Chan. The big winners in this equation will be the suppliers of EV components in China. Read more in the press release below. The Canadian government is investigating possible brake failure issues with the Nissan Leaf. The Transport Canada investigation will look at 2013 to 2015 models, which could be experiencing brake malfunctions in severe cold weather. In the US, drivers have reported problems such as aggressive response to driver input and jerky braking, with some problems going away when the weather got warmer. NHTSA hasn't begun an investigation of its own, so far. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Sunspeed Enterprises has started an Indiegogo campaign to fund the installation of EV chargers along the Pacific Coast Sun Trail. As part of creating a 700-mile network of EV Infrastructure along the Pacific Coast Highway, this particular campaign is helping pay for a charging hub powered by renewable energy at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. Donors will receive rewards such as shirts and mugs, as well as charging credits and discounts. At the highest level, a $10,000 donation will net the donor free charging for life at any Sunspeed charging hub. Learn more at Indiegogo. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: Frost & Sullivan, Hybrid Cars, Transport Canada, Indiegogo Green Recalls Nissan Safety Electric recharge wrapup

Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles

It's not easy to earn an “EditorsÂ’ Picks” at Autoblog as part of the rating and review process that every new vehicle goes through. Our editors have been at it a long time, which means weÂ’ve driven and reviewed virtually every new car you can go buy on the dealer lot. There are disagreements, of course, and all vehicles have their strengths and weaknesses, but this list features what we think are the best new vehicles chosen by Autoblog editors. We started this formal review process back in 2018, so there's quite of few of them now. So what does it mean to be an EditorsÂ’ Pick? In short, it means itÂ’s a car that we can highly recommend purchasing. There may be one, multiple, or even zero vehicles in any given segment that we give the green light to. What really matters is that itÂ’s a vehicle that weÂ’d tell a friend or family member to go buy if theyÂ’re considering it, because itÂ’s a very good car. The best way to use this list is is with the navigation links below. Click on a segment, and you'll quickly arrive at the top rated pickup truck or SUV, for example. Use the back button to return to these links and search in another segment, like sedans. If youÂ’ve been keeping up with our monthly series of the latest vehicles to earn EditorsÂ’ Pick status, youÂ’re likely going to be familiar with this list already. If not, welcome to the complete list that weÂ’ll be keeping updated as vehicles enter (and others perhaps exit) the good graces of our editorial team. We rate a new car — giving it a numerical score out of 10 — every time thereÂ’s a significant refresh or if it happens to be an all-new model. Any given vehicle may be impressive on a first drive, but we wait until itÂ’s in the hands of our editors to put it through the same type of testing as every other vehicle that rolls through our test fleet before giving it the EditorsÂ’ Pick badge. This ensures consistency and allows more voices to be heard on each individual model. And just so you donÂ’t think weÂ’ve skipped trims or variants of a model, we hand out the EditorsÂ’ Pick based on the overarching model to keep things consistent. So, when you read that the 3 Series is an EditorsÂ’ Pick, yes, that includes the 330i to the M3 and all the variants in between. If thereÂ’s a particular version of that car we vehemently disagree with, we make sure to call that out.