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Bug-eyed next-gen Nissan Titan spied testing

It's no secret that the fullsize pickup truck market is dominated by offerings from Detroit's Big Three automakers, the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra not able to outdo the Ford F-150, Ram 1500 or Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra twins. A great deal of that has to do with the fact that, while the American trucks have all undergone evolutionary updates that include a range of body styles, fuel-efficient engines and excellent technology, the Japanese offerings are, well, really old. Toyota is offering an updated Tundra for the 2014 model year, and while we haven't driven it yet, we're already betting that it's still behind the pack in terms of competitiveness - the 2013 model placed fifth out of sixth in a recent PickupTrucks.com comparison test.
At the bottom of the pack lies the Nissan Titan, a truck that hasn't received any sort of substantial update since its introduction nearly ten years ago. But that's going to change - a new truck is slated to debut for the 2015 model year, and these spy shots of a Titan mule clearly show that things are moving forward.
While this tester relies heavily on the current truck's bodywork for testing purposes, the new Titan will have a revised design, some of which is evidenced by the bug-eyed front fascia of this mule. No, the production model isn't going to look all weird (we hope), but the higher, more outboard headlight placement suggests that the new truck will be a bit wider than the current model.

Watch Nissan prank unsuspecting test drivers with GT Academy

Nissan's reality show/motorsports program, GT Academy, is set to return to Spike TV for its fourth season on Friday, and in anticipation, the Nismo team has issued a new video that gives some of its fans a taste of the racing lifestyle.
It all starts innocently enough, with fans test-driving a 2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo, only to have a sudden stop quickly transforms things into something a bit more exuberant and special. We won't spoil the details, so take a look at the video for yourself, and then head into Comments and let us know what you think.
GT Academy will air on Spike TV, Friday nights at 11:30 PM Eastern.

New world record set with 507 EVs in parade [w/video] *UPDATE

Let's be honest, with more and more electric vehicles out in the world, it's getting easier to bring more and more of them together in one spot. Still, the work that goes into convincing over 500 EV owners to show up at one place at one time should be rewarded. And, in the case of the San Francisco Bay Leafs and Electric Auto Association Silicon Valley Chapter efforts yesterday as part of this year's National Drive Electric Week celebrations in in Cupertino, CA, the reward is a new Guinness World Record for the most electric vehicles in a parade. The number? 507 pure EVs gathered (sorry, plug-in hybrids). Recent similar records were set with now-small-looking events that had 305 cars or 431 EVs. The most recent target that the groups were trying to beat was a record originally set at the WAVE rally in Stuttgart, Germany earlier this year, where organizers also claimed to have 507 EVs. Plug In America (PIA) now says that the Stuttgart number was actually 481, giving California a 26-vehicle lead. The most unusual EV at the event was Stella, the solar-powered EV that is touring the world. PIA says that this four-person EV "can produce twice as much energy as it needs in a day," so it should feel right at home in the Golden State. *UPDATE: A previous version of this article said that the parade was organized directly by PIA. We have corrected the error. We've also added a video from Nissan about the parade below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR NUMBER OF EVS IN A PARADE SET TODAY DURING NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK IN CUPERTINO World Record set with 507 EVs, beating previous record by 26 CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2014-Philip Robertson, a judge with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS®, today pronounced a new world record for most electric vehicles in a parade: 507. The record-breaking EV procession took place at the National Drive Electric Week event in Cupertino, Calif. Every vehicle was zero-emission, all-electric. No hybrid-electrics were allowed. 399 Panoramic view taken by Bruce Southwick. Stuttgart, Germany held the previous world record for a 481-EV parade in May 2014. "Congratulations on helping to drive the future of automotive technology," Robertson said upon presenting the Guinness certificate to a cheering crowd of thousands.