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Watch these Nissan 350Zs set a record for world's longest twin drift

In July, Harald Muller notched a Guinness World Record by drifting longer than any lone tire-burner ever had: 89.55 miles. This month, Nissan Middle East broke the Guinness World Record for the longest twin drift when two drivers slithered through a figure eight for 17.7 miles. The feat came about to commemorate the opening of the Nissan 370Z Drift Experience in Dubai, which will teach eager punters how to abuse slip angle, but the actual drifting was done with two 350Zs. Nissan opened the center in partnership with ProDrift Academy, a European school for wannabe drifters, and when it comes time for actual instruction that will be done in the eponymous 370Z. You can check out a video snippet from the event and a press release from Nissan Middle East below. Nissan Middle East sets a new Guinness World Records title for the "Longest Twin Vehicle Drifting" Record set during the "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" launch event DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 15, 2014 – Nissan Middle East today has set a new Guinness World Records title for the longest twin vehicle drifting. Two Nissan Z cars drifted around a track at the same time without stopping for 28.52 kilometers. The record was set in the second attempt during the launch of the "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" which will offer anyone the opportunity to learn and perfect the art of drifting. Speaking at the event, Samir Cherfan, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East, said: "With today's accomplishment of setting a new Guinness World Records title, we have proven again the strength of our vehicles by adding another Guinness World Records record to our list. The Nissan Z is a very popular car in the drifting scene, and this new record is yet another proof on the ability of this car to make drifting look so easy." "Nissan 370Z Drift Experience" is a partnership between Nissan Middle East and the Prodrift Academy, which is carried out using Nissan 370Zs alongside the Prodrift Academy's professional drift instructors in a safe and controlled environment. "Nissan has a strong focus on motorsports in the Middle East. Since safety is our priority at Nissan, we have partnered with the Prodrift Academy to provide a legal and safe platform for drifting fanatics in the region," Cherfan added. Nissan Motorsports History For nearly 80 years, Nissan has been pushing the boundaries of innovation within the Motorsports industry.

Renault to propose joint holding company with Nissan, Nikkei reports

TOKYO — Renault SA will propose to Nissan Motor Co a plan to create a joint holding company that would give both firms equal footing as the French automaker seeks further integration with its Japanese partner, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. Under the proposal, both firms would nominate a nearly equal number of directors to the new company in which ordinary shares in both Nissan and Renault would be transferred on a balanced basis, the newspaper said, without citing sources. This would effectively dilute the stake held by the French government in Renault to around 7-8 percent, from its current 15 percent, it added. The new company would be headquartered in a third country, such as Singapore. Renault plans to make the proposal to Nissan soon, the Nikkei said, having modified an earlier merger idea that Nissan rejected on April 12. Nissan declined to comment on the issue. The Financial Times newspaper reported that both Nissan and the Japanese government have refused to engage in merger talks with Renault. The report of the proposal comes as the outlook for the alliance — one of the world's top automaking partnerships — has clouded since the arrest in November of its main architect, Carlos Ghosn, for suspected financial misconduct. It also comes as Nissan's financial performance struggles following years of focusing on volume sales over building its brand, particularly in the United States, its biggest market. Nissan slashes its forecast This week, the Japanese automaker slashed its profit forecast for the year just ended to its lowest in nearly a decade, citing weakness in its U.S. operations. Renault for years has been vying for a closer merger with Nissan, which it rescued from the brink of bankruptcy two decades ago. Ghosn had been working to achieve a deeper integration before his arrest on financial misconduct charges in November last year. While the automakers have been consolidating many of their operations over the past decade, including procurement and production, many executives at Nissan have opposed an all-out merger with Renault. Instead, Nissan has argued for a more equal footing with Renault, which holds a 43 percent stake in its bigger partner. Nissan holds a 15 percent stake in Renault. It was unclear whether Renault would hold the casting vote in major decisions at the new company, as it did in Renault-Nissan B.V., a strategic management company jointly held by both companies that oversaw operations for the partnership.

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun

You can add Fiat to the admittedly short list of automakers considering a low-cost brand to rival Dacia. The inexpensive Eastern European brand from Renault-Nissan has performed on the balance sheet like a premium model line, and the money the alliance is taking off the table is encouraging other players to deal themselves in. Pretty soon Nissan's Datsun sub-brand will join the Dacia party, going on sale in Russia, Indonesia and India and will claim even more rubles, rupiahs and rupees for the parent company. Volkswagen recently said it will make a decision this year on a budget line for the Chinese market. With the euthanasia of Lancia and plans to move the Fiat brand upmarket, company CEO Sergio Marchionne wonders aloud to Automotive News Europe whether there could be room for a new budget brand underneath Fiat.
We're told that the initiative has been in the idea box for five years and even moved to the stage of name considerations, like Innocenti, but worries about profit kept it from realization. If such a range were to be developed, Marchionne says it couldn't be built in Italy and stay within budget, and the company is "analyzing its manufacturing capacity outside of Europe to see if a low-cost brand is viable."