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Daimler and Nissan to build luxury cars at new plant in Mexico

A few years back, when Daimler was looking for a partner to spread the cost of development of small cars, it agreed to collaborate with Nissan on future products, such as vehicle platforms and drivetrains. The latest development in the collaboration concerns the assembly of small luxury cars for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz at a Nissan plant in Mexico, two unnamed sources told Reuters.
The plant in question, Aguascalientes, is a $2 billion project that will open later this year next to an existing Nissan factory. The upcoming Infiniti Q30 four-door hatchback is expected to be built there, possibly alongside the Mercedes GLA-Class, which is one of several candidates Mercedes is considering to build at this facility, Reuters reports. The GLA will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month, and initial production of the model will take place in Germany. The Q30 could follow a similar path, with assembly starting at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK, and then expanding to Aguascalientes later on.
The underlying platform of the Q30 and GLA, codenamed New Generation Compact Car (NGCC), was developed by Daimler. The Q30 would be the first Infiniti produced under the automakers' agreement. Last year, Nissan agreed to make engines that would find their way into Mercedes and Infiniti vehicles.

Car theft skyrockets thanks to rising parts prices

Cars and trucks today have achieved a high level of average quality, with safety and technology features that keep occupants safer than ever and meet consumers' high expectations. But the National Insurance Crime Bureau finds that those components come with a rising price tag, leading to expensive repair bills — and rising vehicle thefts to support a thriving black market for parts. The nonprofit NICB said it looked at the cost of replacement parts for the top 10 stolen 2016 models, with average OEM part prices pulled from a database of more than 24 million vehicle damage appraisals generated for 2016 and 2017 insurance claims. The list did not include major components like engines or transmissions, only easily-stripped components like bumpers, doors, hoods and headlights. It found that: The 2016 Toyota Camry, which had a used market value of around $15,000, had 15 commonly replaced parts that added up to almost $11,000, not including labor, with quarter panels alone costing almost $1,600 a pair and a set of alloy wheels tallying more than $1,600. The Camry was also the top stolen vehicle in 2016 at 1,113 thefts. A 2016 Nissan Altima had 14 standard parts worth more than $14,000, including a single headlamp assembly that costs just over $1,000. The Altima was the second-top stolen vehicle in 2016 at 1,063 vehicles stolen. And the 2016 GMC Sierra pickup, which was No. 7 on the 2016 top-stolen list, rang up $21,000 from 20 standard components, including an $1,100 headlamp assembly and an $1,100 rear bumper. "For the professional theft ring, stealing and stripping vehicles for parts has always been a lucrative business," Jim Schweitzer, NICB's senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. "On today's cars and trucks, the parts are often worth more than the intact vehicle and may be easier to move and sell. That's why we see so many thefts of key items like wheels and tires and tailgates ... there's always a market for them." Check out the NICB infographic below. Vehicle thefts in the U.S. rose by more than 4 percent in 2017, based on preliminary FBI data, after rising 7.6 percent in 2016, though the overall trend has been down since vehicle thefts peaked in 1991, according to the NICB. Related Video: Image Credit: National Insurance Crime Bureau Aftermarket GMC Nissan Toyota Auto Repair Insurance Ownership auto parts car values stolen car nicb national insurance crime bureau components

Nissan to run two GT-R GT3 cars in 2015 Pirelli World Challenge series

Nissan will be lining up two FIA GT3-spec GT-Rs on the start line of the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge at the Circuit of the Americas March 6-8. Sponsored by Always Evolving, Replay XD cameras, and Nismo, the two entrants will be driven by American GT Academy winner Bryan Heitkotter and Australian racer James Davison. AIM Motorsport, the Canadian race shop founded by Roger Rodas and Erik Davis, will handle preparation of the car. It will be the first time the GT3 GT-R has come to race in America. It will race in a highly varied field, with Audi, Ferrari, Dodge, and Aston Martin among the series runners. Check out the press release below for more details. NISSAN ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ALWAYS EVOLVING TO CAMPAIGN TWO NISSAN GT-R GT3 CARS FOR 2015 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE - 2011 Nissan GT Academy Champion Bryan Heitkotter to pilot #05 GT-R GT3 - IndyCar, Prototype and GT racer James Davison to Campaign #33 GT-R GT3 - First U.S. Appearance of Nissan GT-R Built to FIA GT3 Specifications - Debuts in Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas March 6-8 NASHVILLE, Tenn. 19/02/15 – Nissan Motorsports announced today a partnership with Always Evolving (AE) to campaign two GT Academy-NISMO Nissan GT-R GT3 racing cars for the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge season. Nissan GT Academy North America 2011 winner Bryan Heitkotter will drive one of the team cars, while Australian open wheel and GT star James Davison will pilot the second car. Featuring logos from the GT Academy program, the two cars will be co-sponsored by Replay XD and NISMO. AE will utilize AIM Autosport for much of the car preparation and on-track support during the season. Based in Los Angeles, the team was founded in March 2013 by friends Roger Rodas and Erik Davis as a platform combine their passion for cars and their desire to support their favorite charitable organizations. Following Rodas' tragic passing in November 2013, the team has established "Racing in Honor" as their internal mission for the 2014 season in his memory. AIM won the 2012 IMSA GTD team, driver and manufacturer championships, as well as the 2013 manufacturer title while campaigning a Ferrari. "Nissan couldn't be happier to have Always Evolving and AIM as Nissan's partners to campaign the first GT3 spec GT-Rs in the U.S. in Pirelli World Challenge," said Rick Kulach, Nissan North America Motorsports Manager.