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Porsche wins the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans

The question going into this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was whether or not the Porsche 919 Hybrid would be able to combine its qualifying pace with race reliability. After battling neck-and-neck with Audi's R18 for most of the race, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only did Porsche drivers climb the first two spots on the podium, they did so without any major mishaps on track. This win is the first overall trophy for Porsche since 1998. Audi previously won the last five races, and 13 of the last 15. Corvette also returned to the winner's circle, with the No. 64 C7.R taking winning the GTE Pro division. The victory is the first class win for Corvette since 2011. KCMG won the LMP2 class in ninth overall. With 45 minutes to go the No. 98 Aston Martin crashed out of first place in GTE Amateur, giving the class win to SMP Racing's Ferrari and second place to the Patrick Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 RSR. For the full list of official results, click here. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. For most of the race, the battle at the top went back and forth between the two German manufacturers. An tire puncture in the No. 7 Audi gave up the lead to Porsche, and moments later a crash forced the No. 8 into the garage. But a three-minute replacement of the front and rear bodywork kept the Audi in contention. As the race wore into the night, Porsche maintained a slightly faster pace than Audi. Nick Tandy took the lead on Lap 253 early Sunday morning, and car No. 19 never gave up the top position. The win is the first for all three drivers of the No. 19 – Nico Hulkenberg, Earl Bamber, and Nick Tandy. A lap behind in second was the No. 17 Porsche. The Audis fought reliability problems late in the race but still finished third with the No. 7 R18. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. As the Aston Martin cars dropped away, the lone Corvette Racing entry took over, followed by a charging AF Corse team Ferrari 458 Italia. The Corvette and Ferrari continued to trade places in the final hours until gearbox trouble forced the No. 51 Ferrari out of contention. It was eventually passed by the other AF Corse car, No. 71. Nissan experienced all the pain of a first-year effort with its front-wheel-drive GT-R LM Nismo.

Carlos Ghosn in Twitter debut vows to 'tell the truth about what's happening'

TOKYO — Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's sudden appearance on Twitter on Wednesday was a surprise move by the businessman that perplexed people and sent journalists scrambling, and not for the first time. The first tweet from the @carlosghosn account on the social network read, "I'm getting ready to tell the truth about what's happening. Press conference on Thursday, April 11." It did not specify a time or place. Featuring a photo of a smiling, grey-haired Ghosn standing in front of a tree with seasonal cherry blossoms, the account initially lacked the blue tick mark to show it had been verified by the social network. That left journalists unsure of its authenticity — particularly as the conditions of Ghosn's $9 million bail preclude him from using the internet. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Forty minutes later, when the blue tick appeared, the tweet swept across social media and the account's followers swelled to almost 20,000, from just a handful earlier. Some of the replies appeared sympathetic to Ghosn, with others carrying photos of his now-famous exit from a Tokyo detention center last month. "Stood right alongside you with #GiveGhosnBail. Looking forward to hearing your side," wrote one Twitter user with the name @highmileage. Ghosn had also caught media off guard when he disguised himself in a workman's uniform, cap and face mask to try and give waiting reporters the slip on leaving the detention center after his release on bail. The architect of the Nissan and Renault SA global alliance was then pursued by media as he rode away in a small work van, a Suzuki, topped with a ladder. Ghosn's dramatic fall from grace began with his arrest in November after getting off a private plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. He has since been charged with financial misconduct and aggravated breach of trust. On Wednesday, the Yomiuri newspaper said Tokyo prosecutors will soon decide whether to prosecute Ghosn on further charges. A further arrest could jeopardize the planned news conference. It remains unclear if Ghosn sent the tweet or it was sent on his behalf. His bail conditions allow him to access a computer at his lawyer's office but forbid him to use the internet. Government/Legal Mitsubishi Nissan Renault renault-nissan

Nissan testing experimental dealer with no desks or offices

Nissan thinks it has found a better way to sell cars, and it involves stripping showrooms of everything but the cars and sales team. The brand calls the experiment the Nissan New Retail Concept, and it might get tested in the US in a few years.
The concept is relatively simple. Showrooms ditch offices, reception counters, cubicles and desks. Instead salespeople walk around inside and outside the dealer with mobile devices to assist customers and even complete sales. Associates are trained to take immediate responsibility for each visitor they encounter. For example, if owners comes inside with a problem with their vehicle, the employee escorts them to the service department and introduces them.
A dealer in London has been testing the new layout for the last nine months, and so far it reports better customer satisfaction, loyalty and most importantly higher sales. Nissan next plans to launch test stores in Moscow and Stuttgart. Then it will broaden out to more of Western Europe and finally will be tested in the Japan, the US and the Middle East, according to Automotive News.