2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S on 2040-cars

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Nissan Qashai gets the Juke R treatment

It would appear that we're a little behind the times on this one, but a UK-based tuner of the Nissan GT-R is creating its own take on the lustworthy Juke-R starting with the Nissan Qashqai crossover. Severnvalley Motorsport claims to be the leading authority for tuning of the current GT-R in Europe. The outfit is now turning its attention to stuffing the drivetrain of a GT-R under the body of a Qashqai+2 - a seven-passenger compact crossover similar in size to our Nissan Rogue - resulting in the Qashqai-R.
The project started back in March when Severnvalley took delivery of a new Qashqai. After stripping the crossover down to its bare essentials and building a custom jig to support the body shell, it was then transferred onto an awaiting GT-R chassis. The crew aimed to keep Qashqai's appearance as stock as possible, but fender extensions and hood vents were required to accommodate the sports car underpinnings.
The white Qashqai-R seen above will be tuned to produce 900 horsepower, while a black version will get bumped up to 1,000 hp. And, looking at the build photos, we surmise that this project will take nothing less than a herculean feat of supercar determination before it's through.

Nissan tells Renault it is 'not opposed' to Fiat Chrysler merger plan

TOKYO – Nissan on Wednesday told Renault it wasn't opposed to its partner's potential $35 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler, the Nikkei newspaper said, as the two met to hash out the future of their alliance amid a deal that could upend the auto industry. The leaders of Nissan Motor Co, France's Renault SA and junior partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp gathered at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama for a scheduled alliance meeting - one overshadowed by Fiat Chrysler's proposal this week for a merger-of-equals with Renault. The plan, which would create the world's third-largest automaker, raises difficult questions about how Nissan would fit into a radically changed alliance. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard arrived in Japan on Tuesday to discuss the proposed tie-up with Nissan, 43.4% owned by the French automaker. "We are not opposed," the Nikkei quoted an unnamed Nissan source who had attended the meeting as saying. The person also said "many details need to be worked out" before the Japanese automaker solidifies its position on the issue, the Nikkei reported. In a statement, the alliance members confirmed that they had "an open and transparent discussion" on the proposal. The deal looks designed to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes, including the drive toward electric vehicles. Nissan, which has rebuffed overtures by Renault for a merger of their own despite their 20-year alliance, was blindsided by the discussions, sources have told Reuters, stoking concerns that a deal with Fiat Chrysler could weaken Nissan's relations with Renault. The tie-up also poses an additional challenge for Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, already grappling with poor financial performance and an uneasy relationship with Renault after Nissan led the ousting last year of long-standing alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn. There have long been tensions between Nissan and Renault over the imbalance of power in their alliance. Nissan, the bigger company, holds a 15% non-voting stake in the French automaker, while Renault owns 43.4% of Nissan. Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, Japanese media quoted Saikawa as telling reporters that he would look at the potential opportunities afforded by a Renault-FCA merger. Credit ratings agency Moody's said it was vital for Nissan to stabilize its partnership with Renault to expand operational synergies and improve margins.

Nissan recalls 2015 Murano over ABS actuators

A problem discovered with its anti-lock brakes has prompted Nissan North America and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for the 2015 Murano crossover. The problem revolves around the actuators for the ABS, whose solenoid valves may be contaminated. That could, according to the recall notice below, cause the hydraulic brake pressure to either build up or drop completely, potentially destabilizing the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash. The issue affects an estimated 9,614 units in the United States - plus another 116 in Puerto Rico and 839 in Canada - specifically those built between December 4, 2014, and March 17, 2015. The owners of those vehicles will need to take their Muranos in to their local dealers to have the ABS actuators inspected, and if necessary, replaced. The recall is slated to commence in early August, but in the meantime, dealers have been ordered to stop selling those vehicles affected until they can be attended to. Nissan spokesman Dan Passe confirmed to Autoblog that no accidents or injuries were reported to have resulted from the issue being addressed. At the same time, Nissan has also announced a second, much smaller recall for another of its crossover models. This one affects the 2015 Rogue Select – specifically those manufactured between November 17, 2014, and December 12, 2014, and fitted with 17-inch wheels. That, according to NHTSA, amounts to just 110 units, whose tires may be incorrectly labeled. To fix it, Nissan will be sending owners new labels with the correct payload information in compliance with federal regulations. Related Video: RECALL Subject : ABS Actuator may Malfunction Report Receipt Date: JUN 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V364000 Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Potential Number of Units Affected: 9,614 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Murano vehicles manufactured December 4, 2014, to March 17, 2015. These vehicles are equipped with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) actuators which may have contamination in the solenoid valves, potentially affecting the valves' ability to completely close and allow a build up of hydraulic brake pressure, or fully open and allow the hydraulic brake pressure to completely drop.