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Yutaka Katayama, 'father of the Z,' dead at 105

Yutaka Katayama, a former Nissan executive credited with being the "father of the Z," has passed away at the age of 105. He died in a Tokyo hospital Thursday as a result of heart failure, his son, Mitsuo, confirmed to the Associated Press. Katayama retired from Nissan in 1977, and for a time, ran the company's US division. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in both the US and Japan, and is most notably remembered as being the man who gave life to the original Datsun Z sports car. Within the Z fan club community, where he is known simply as "Mr. K," Katayama is widely revered and respected. "With a love of cars and a flare for promotion, he built the Datsun brand, Nissan's initial brand name in the US, from scratch," the Japanese automaker said on its website last year, according to the Associated Press. Katayama is survived by his wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. Our hearts go out to Mr. K's family, and the entire Z community. News Source: Associated PressImage Credit: Joe Wilssens / AP / Nissan Nissan Automotive History datsun nissan z

Ghosn: Nissan, Renault going for 'mini alliance' with 'reduced scope'

TOKYO — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn said on Tuesday during a news conference at the Foreign CorrespondentsÂ’ Club of Japan in Tokyo that the Japanese automaker and Renault are trying to go for less cooperation between them with a deal to overhaul their long-standing alliance. "With the latest agreement, they're trying to go for a mini alliance with a very reduced scope of cooperation," Ghosn told reporters in Tokyo via video stream. Nissan and Renault are holding discussions about a final agreement to overhaul their alliance, after announcing in January that the deal will see Renault bring down its stake in Nissan to 15% from about 43% to put them on an equal level. Earlier this year, Ghosn filed a lawsuit against Nissan and a handful of individuals seeking $588 million in lost remuneration, and a further $500 million in moral damages. “Nissan will have to pay for what they did to me and my family,” Ghosn said. “Nissan created a lot of damage Â… damage that can not be repaired.” “What IÂ’m looking for is not revenge,” Ghosn added. “I just want to make sure that all the criminals and the plotters cannot sleep quietly in their beds after what they have committed.” Material from Reuters was used in this report. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Nissan takes over naming rights for Tennessee Titans stadium [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Nissan has released a pair of renderings showing how the stadium could look when the transformation is complete. Check them out in the gallery above. Nissan looms large in Nashville. That's where its North American headquarters are based, and just 25 miles down the road in Smyrna is its massive assembly plant. But it's about to become an even bigger part of the Tennessee metropolis as the Japanese automaker has acquired the naming rights to the stadium where the Tennessee Titans play. The deal, confirmed by Nissan in correspondence with Autoblog this morning, will see the sports complex switch names from LP Field (currently named for building materials firm Lousiana-Pacific Corp.) to Nissan Stadium. The arrangement will be valid for the next 20 years. What's more, the deal will be in place in time for Nissan to introduce its new Titan pickup that shares its name with the football team, despite being built in Mississippi. The contract will also see Nissan become the official automotive partner of the Titans. Aside serving as the NFL team's home, the Nashville stadium also plays host to Tennessee State University football, the Music City Bowl, and numerous other events. Country music fans may be more familiar with the CMA Music Festival, held every year at the stadium and nearby Riverside Park, but we're most looking forward to a Rams-Titans showdown to determine who plays the best ball and makes the best truck. Of course, Nissan isn't the only automaker to have its name on a major sports complex in America. In fact Nissan Stadium won't even be the only NFL stadium named after a car company: Mercedes has the naming rights for the Louisiana Superdome that the New Orleans Saints call home, and the Detroit Lions play at Ford Field. (Sorry to break it to you, but Tiger Stadium had nothing more to do with Sunbeams than New York's Polo Grounds did with little Volkswagens or Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field has to do with leasing Town Cars.)