2013 Nissan Maxima Black on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Nissan Micra Cup First Drive [w/video]

A light mist falls on the Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Looming gray skies threaten that more wetness is in store. I'm already nervous about scooting a tiny Nissan around a challenging course in rural Quebec. This damp chill isn't helping. It's an unlikely day to drive an improbable racecar: the Nissan Micra, one of the smallest and cheapest cars sold in Canada. Luckily, the weather and my trepidation ease up. Laps around this gorgeous road course prove to be a lot of fun. The Micra isn't a bad little car, and racing them, well, that sounds like a riot. Nissan is using the time-tested tool of motorsports to raise the profile of its new subcompact with the Micra Cup, a spec series that launches with a pair of races the weekend of May 22-24. It will be followed by five more weekend doubleheaders through the summer and into the fall, including a support race before Formula One's Canadian Grand Prix in June. The investment for Nissan is low, and the six races will all be run in Quebec, a province with a European level of motorsports fervor. Despite the damp conditions, I'm eager for my turn to wheel the diminutive Micra around the Circuit Mont-Tremblant, a 15-turn, 2.65-mile course nestled in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. Don't be fooled by the idyllic setting, Mont-Tremblant hosted F1 grands prix in 1968 and 1970, Can-Am and Trans-Am races in the 1960s and 70s, and a Champ Car race as recently as 2007. Racing trim suits the Micra, and the car looks snappy dressed in red, white, and gray livery. I climb into the cabin and strap into the racing harness. It's easy to get comfortable in this basic interior. Nerves steadied, I grip the steering wheel, ease the Micra into first gear, let out the clutch, then shift to second and exit the pit lane. Thankfully I'm not the first guy to get out on the track in this car, so the tires are warm. The rain has stopped, but I'm cautious at first. The track surface is still a little slick, and the front-wheel-drive Micra's rear tires can easily come unbuttoned. As I lap the circuit, my confidence grows. My helpful instructor flashes three and four fingers from the passenger seat to indicate the gear I should be in, and then urges me to floor it in open areas. He's more confident than I am, but as I dart around the track, the adrenaline starts flowing. My peak speed is maybe 93 miles per hour, but that's not the point.

Watch Formula Drift Championship leader Chris Forsberg drift a 1975 Datsun 280Z

Chris Forsberg won the Formula Drift Championship in 2009, was in the catbird seat to win it last year until the final race of the season and started this year's season with a win at Long Beach. That is how he can be provide the example for Clarion USA's tagline, "Dream like a champion."
In this three-minute video for the audio components manufacturer, Forsberg gives up the race suit for a corporate suit, then takes time out of his commute to think about what he'd rather be doing. In a 1975 Nissan 280Z with a turbocharged 2.0-liter Skyline RBDET20 engine. We're sure this has never happened to any of you before.
You can watch how dream begins - and suddenly ends - in the video below.

2014 Nissan 370Z pricing announced, MSRP reduced by $3,000

Nissan is up to something. The company announced pricing for the 2014 Nissan 370Z, 370Z Nismo, and 370Z Roadster, which isn't out of the ordinary. What is, is that the standard, hardtop 370Z has received a $3,130 reduction in price for 2014. The upmarket Touring model, meanwhile, has been dropped $2,550.
That means, excluding the $790 for destination and handling, a base, six-speed manual 370Z is only $29,990. That is an excellent deal. Adding an automatic will bump the price to $31,290, while the Touring model starts at $35,270 for DIY shifters and $36,570 for autos. The top-of-the-range Nismo runs $43,020. The Roadster, meanwhile, starts at $41,470.
So what does this mean in the grand scheme? Automakers don't just slash $3,000 off the price of a desirable sportscar because they're feeling generous.Could this be a move to clear out stock before a replacement to the current Z arrives?