2.5 S 2.5l Cd Keyless Start Front Wheel Drive Power Steering 4-wheel Disc Brakes on 2040-cars

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Ghosn: 'We are getting there' on making Nissan Leaf profitable

After 19 months in a row of record sales in the US, the money picture for the Nissan Leaf is steadily improving. To date (well, until the end of September), Nissan has sold 63,944 Leaf EVs in the US and a total of around 140,000 globally. The company produces the electric vehicle in three countries: Japan, the UK and the US and has sold more standard passenger EVs than any other automaker. Add all that up and you get to an EV that is just about to be profitable. "We are getting into positive, which is good for this technology." – Carlos Ghosn At least, it is according to Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Renault-Nissan, who spoke to reporters at that Paris Motor Show this week. "We are getting there [to Leaf profitability]," Ghosn told Automotive News. "Are we amortizing and depreciating everything we have spent? No. But if you look at margin of profit – the direct cost of the car and the revenue of the car – we are getting into positive, which is good for this technology." Automakers are notoriously closemouthed when it comes to sharing specifics about the higher cost of alternative vehicle technologies compared to standard ICE vehicles. Still, statements like this – as well as a knowledge about how long it took Toyota to make money from the Prius and overall industry amortization – show that Nissan could well be sitting pretty when it comes to keeping EVs around for the long term. Given some of the other news we've heard recently, it's got to be nice to have some stability.

Nissan Rogue Detour uses Google Maps to go create virtual test drive from your doorstep

The best way to evaluate a new car before you buy it is to test drive it. All of the specs and reviews in the world cannot communicate how a car suits you as well as a few minutes behind the wheel. Interesting, then, that according to Nissan, the average buyer spends twice as much time researching new cars online than they do at dealers.
To market its new 2014 Rogue, Nissan has launched an online marketing experience aimed at bridging that gap. Called The Detour, it combines Google Street View and Google Maps to give you a custom-tailored virtual test drive. The neat, uniquely interactive part about Detour is that it allows you to specify a starting and ending location. Thus, you can use the microsite to 'show' the Rogue on your commute, or your favorite stretch of tarmac. To spice things up, Nissan has added some digital effects and set the experience to a song by British rapper M.I.A.
Detour seems to work better on shorter journeys, because it snips out some portions of the route in order to keep the experience from running too long. If you're going to try it out, we suggest using a crosstown journey rather than going cross country. Scroll down to get all of the details on the Rogue's latest marketing campaign, or click here to try it out for yourself.

Nissan reveals updated 2015 370Z Nismo among the faithful

Well before quick Honda Si models of the '80s or the performance juggernaut that the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 became in the 90s, the Datsun 240Z was an early stake in the ground for Japanese sports cars. It was affordable, but the original Z-car was also a capable coupe that could show its tail to European and American rivals. Today, Nissan celebrates the car each year with fellow enthusiasts at its ZDAYZ event, and this year in North Carolina, it's surprising fans by launching the 2015 370Z Nismo there with some significant upgrades.
The biggest change is that the 370Z Nismo is available with a seven-speed automatic transmission for the first time. The six-speed manual is still standard, of course. But for those who don't want to use a clutch, Nissan is offering the new automatic with Downshift Rev Matching and a manual mode via paddle shifters. Power is still provided by the same 3.7-liter V6 as last year, producing 350 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque with a limited-slip differential at the back for added traction.
This hottest 370Z model also receives a brand-new GT-R-inspired bodykit that features a deeper front fascia, LED running lights and blacked-out headlight bezels. It also sports a new chin spoiler bearing the Nismo emblem and red accents that flow from the front, down the side sills and all the way to the rear bumper. At the back, there is also a smaller ducktail spoiler for a more mature look. The 2015 also wears cool 19-inch forged aluminum wheels by Rays with a new twin-spoke design and charcoal finish. Compared to last year's model, it's a much more mature-looking coupe.