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Nissan CEO Saikawa admits he was overpaid, in policy violation

TOKYO — Nissan Motor Co was embroiled in another scandal over executive pay on Thursday after Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa admitted to being overpaid in violation of internal procedures under a scheme designed by ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn. An internal investigation found that Saikawa and other executives had received improper compensation, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, raising doubts about Saikawa's pledge to improve governance in the wake of Ghosn's arrest last year for alleged financial misconduct. Saikawa apologized and vowed to return any improperly paid money as he admitted to Japanese reporters earlier on Thursday that he had wrongly received stock-related compensation under "a scheme of the Ghosn era." "I am deeply sorry for causing concern," Saikawa said, according to Jiji Press. In other comments reported by Kyodo news, Saikawa denied any direct role in the execution of a stock appreciation rights (SAR) scheme and said he thought "proper procedures" had been taken. The improper payments, including tens of millions of yen Saikawa received through the SAR scheme, were disclosed on Wednesday at a meeting of Nissan's audit committee, said the source who declined to be identified because the information is not public. Disciplinary action regarding the issue would be discussed at an upcoming board meeting, the source added. Nissan said in a statement that the findings from its probe including issues related to the share appreciation rights would be submitted to its board on Sept. 9. The company has been trying to strengthen governance, slash costs and boost flagging profitability amid persistent allegations of financial misconduct stemming from Ghosn's 20-year reign at Japan's second-biggest automaker. Ghosn is awaiting trial in Japan over charges including enriching himself at a cost of $5 million to Nissan. Kyodo reported that proceedings could start as early as March. He denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a boardroom coup. Confidence in Saikawa had already been shaken by accusations he was too close to Ghosn, whose arrest in November rocked the global auto industry and exposed tensions in the automaking partnership between Nissan and Renault SA.

Syrena Sport returns as rebodied Nissan 370Z

We wouldn't hold it against you if you'd never heard of the FSO Syrena Sport. FSO built the long-enduring Syrena for some 17 years nonstop, and while the machines were mostly plodding family sedans, engineers at FSO did create one version with a bit more zest. The Syrena Sport was a two-door coupe that borrowed design cues from Ferrari and was powered by a two-cylinder, air-cooled boxer engine. While originally intended for production, economic woes kept the machine from ever seeing the light of day.
Now, the Syrena Sport is back, though in a slightly different configuration. Entrepreneur Rafal Czubaj has resurrected the name for a special one-off creation designed by Pavlo Burkatskyy. This time around, there is no oddball boxer under the hood, however. Czubaj chose to use the underpinnings from the Nissan 370Z, complete with its 3.7-liter V6 engine. Buyers can choose between a 330-horsepower tune or a 450-hp iteration, and with a curb weight of 2,865 pounds, the car should be plenty quick. Expect acceleration to 60 miles per hour in around 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph.

Renault gets a 'wake-up call' — a record $8.6 billion loss

PARIS — French carmaker Renault said it had been given a wake-up call on Thursday with a record net loss of 7.29 billion euros ($8.6 billion) in the first half of the year, inflicted by the COVID-19 crisis and troubles at its alliance partner Nissan. Global automakers have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered factories and kept many customers away from car dealerships. But the Renault-Nissan alliance has been hit especially hard as it was already weakened by low margins and boardroom turmoil surrounding Carlos Ghosn, the architect of the alliance who was ousted in 2018. Renault shares were down 3.3% when trading opened in Paris. "Today's results will be a disturbing wake-up call," CEO Luca de Meo, the former Volkswagen executive who started at Renault this month, said on a call with analysts. "We are currently touching the bottom of a negative curve that started several years ago, and probably even earlier," de Meo added. "We are in a complex, difficult situation. We all are. But ... we were already, I would say, feverish. So for sure it is even harder for us." De Meo said the company would now double down on a previously announced turnaround plan, laying off thousands of workers, reducing the range of models, and improving cooperation between alliance partners on vehicle production. He said a team of 40 senior executives from across Renault was cloistered on the top floor of the company's headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, working on details of a strategic plan which will be presented in January at the latest. He said his focus would be pushing the Renault brands that can deliver profits — especially compact cars, SUV crossovers, and electric and hybrid vehicles — and shifting emphasis from volume to value. "We know what we need to do," de Meo said. "Better times are waiting at the end of this twisty road." Renault said group operating losses, factoring out the effect of Nissan's losses, reached 2 billion euros in the first half, compared with operating income of 1.5 billion last year. Sales slumped 34.9%, a result the company attributed mainly to the global COVID crisis and Renault burned through $6.38 billion in cash over the first half. Nissan Motor Co this week warned of a record $4.5 billion operating loss this year and its lowest sales in a decade. Its negative contribution accounted for 4.82 billion of Renault's net losses, the French firm said on Thursday.