2012 Nissan Frontier, Sv 4d Crew Cab. on 2040-cars

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Nissan considering Rogue Hybrid for US

If Nissan can pull 48 miles per gallon out of a hybrid version of the Rogue we say "go for it" to the rumored discussions it may be considering just such a vehicle for the United States. The Japanese automaker is already gearing up to start selling the X-Trail (the JDM Rogue) in hybrid form in Japan. So why not the US? Indeed, the compact crossover may soon get a hybrid version here, Automotive News says, citing comments from Rogue chief engineer Nobusuke Toukura. The X-Trail Hybrid, which goes on sale in Japan next month, cuts nitrogen oxide emissions by 75 percent compared to the gas-powered version while offering more torque from of a smaller gas engine. The model, which sells in the $23,000-to-$27,000 range, also gets an impressive 48 mpg (on the more lenient Japan driving cycle). NIssan USA spokesman Brian Brockman said the company hadn't made any announcements regarding a possible Rogue Hybrid for the US and declined to comment further. The Rogue is Nissan's second-best-selling model in the US, behind the Altima. Through March, Rogue sales were up 28 percent from a year earlier to more than 64,000 units. While hybrids account for a far higher percentage of new vehicles in Japan than in the US, increased US fuel-economy standards combined with the model's popularity make the Rogue Hybrid a fairly logical next step for the model.

Nissan teases crossover concept for Frankfurt

Nissan released a teaser shot on Monday of a crossover concept that will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it's quite the tease. Nissan literally gave us no further information. Speculation is rampant as to the vehicle's identity. Autocar suggests it could wear the famous Z badge, which would be a stunning departure from the Z's sports-car heritage. Other theories indicate it could be the next-generation Juke. The photo does show off Nissan's latest design language which is used by the Murano and Maxima in production. The only other info we have is a cryptic line from Nissan's press release: "So can Nissan continue to innovate and move the bar higher? What if Nissan created a new way to feel driving excitement? The answer will come at the Frankfurt Motor Show." Expect more information and images to dribble out and or/leak this week in the run-up to the show. Related Video:

Panoz and DeltaWing suing Nissan over BladeGlider concept

Similarity is bound to occur in an industry where most of the products follow the same basic formula. But once in a while a new design comes along that doesn't quite reinvent the wheel, but comes pretty damn close. The DeltaWing project was one such design - and Nissan, the car's designers allege, stole that design.
After the DeltaWing proposal was rejected by the IndyCar series, its creators took it to Le Mans and brought Nissan on board to supply the power. Nissan subsequently pulled out of the program and came out with the ZEOD RC hybrid racer (right), bearing a suspiciously similar design with an unusually narrow front track at the end of a long nose cone, and a wider track at the back. The Japanese automaker then displayed the BladeGlider concept (below, right) at the Tokyo Motor Show, envisioning a translation of the same formula into road-going form.
The similarity did not escape Don Panoz, who - after making sports and racing cars under his own name and founding the now-defunct American Le Mans Series - was a central figure in bringing the original DeltaWing to life. Now Panoz has filed a lawsuit against Nissan, soliciting the courts to issue a cease-and-desist order on both the ZEOD RC and BladeGlider projects, naming Nissan motorsport chief Darren Cox and Ben Bowlby (who defected to Nissan from the DeltaWing program) as part of the suit.