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Nissan wants French State out of its alliance with Renault

While it's called the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the French side actually throws around a lot of weight in the relationship, and the government there is the largest shareholder. Meanwhile, the Japanese company generates about two-thirds of the sales. As leader of both automakers, Carlos Ghosn is reportedly now working to put more control into the Nissan side, according to insiders speaking to Reuters. The French State is expected to fight hard against losing sway. The government in France prompted Ghosn's distrust after buying up 19.7 percent of Renault's stock, from a previous 15 percent. Officials snubbed the CEO by giving him just a few hours notice, according to Reuters. Now, the boss is looking for ways to mitigate state control, but to make this plan happen Ghosn needs formal approval from the Renault board. If successful, the proposed plan would overhaul the close partnership between the automakers. Whereas the French side currently has the final say in decisions, this move would grant both of them equal power. In addition, Nissan would become the largest owner of Renault, but the French wouldn't have the same control over its Japanese ally. The French government isn't ready to just hand over power to Ghosn, though, because it reportedly wants to protect jobs in the country. The Alliance "must not be destabilized by governance changes or adjustments that could also lead to conflicts of interest," Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said to Reuters. Clearly, this fight is just beginning. Related Video:

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

Cadillac ELR, Nissan Resonance and Ford Atlas win Eyes on Design awards

This year's annual Eyes on Design awards were presented at the end of press days for the Detroit Auto Show on Tuesday. Given out for the best production and concept car designs that debuted at the show, and voted on by an esteemed panel of actual car designers, this year's award for best production vehicle design went to the 2014 Cadillac ELR. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, which was the show favorite among Autoblog editors, apparently did not impress the Eyes on Design judges enough with its all-new vent-festooned design.
The award for best concept design was actually split as a tie among the Nissan Resonance and Ford Atlas concepts. Last year's winners were the 2013 Ford Fusion and the Lexus LF-LC concept.
The Eyes on Design organization also presented a new honor this year called the Catalyst Award to Bob Lutz, former Vice Chairman of General Motors. Lutz is reported to have given a defense of design in his acceptance speech, arguing that advancements in quality across the industry as a whole have made good design a key differentiator for buyers.