2007 Nissan Versa 1.8 S on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford and Lincoln design honcho leaves to head Nissan North America design

Last Friday, David Woodhouse suddenly resigned from his dual positions as Ford's director of global strategic design and director of Lincoln design. In a post not long after leaving, he praised the efforts of his former team over the past six years he headed design at Lincoln. Among other products, that crew gave us the redesigned Navigator, the Continental concept and production sedan, and the Aviator concept and production crossover. Car Design News reports Woodhouse traded Michigan for California, taking the role of VP at Nissan Design America in San Diego. He officially assumes the position July 1, and will also serve on the Japanese automaker's Global Nissan Design Management Committee. Woodhouse has spent more than 25 years in the design department, starting with BMW and work on the Mini and Range Rover brands, followed by a brief stint with Cadillac of Europe. For the past 20 years he's been with Ford, coming on board with the Ford's former luxury arm known as the Premier Automotive Group — Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Volvo and Lincoln. He became Lincoln's design director in 2013, introducing the world to the design language labeled "quiet flight." He described the language's details as "anti-wedge body gestures, S-curves wherever possible, and an emphasis on horizontal lines at every opportunity to create leaner, longer, wider emphasis on the exteriors, and create equilibrium, balance, and calmness on the interiors." A much shorter way to describe it is: revitalized Lincolns. The U.S. luxury maker's new and overhauled products have been praised for their lines by critics and by paying customers. The brand's done so well it's hard to remember when the MKC concept was a revelation, and that goes on Woodhouse's resume, too. That's some special juju to take to Nissan, where Woodhouse will lead both Nissan and Infiniti design focused on the North American region. Nissan has a solid if uninspiring lineup that sells well here, while Infiniti, as the luxury brand, is the bigger issue. Infiniti sedans glide on the contrails of a design language more than 10 years old. The money-making crossovers and SUVs haven't made a splash in about the same time, since the long-ago FX45. Nissan's plan to update 70 percent of its lineup over the next few years and Infiniti's transition to an all-electric brand makes right now the perfect time to break into riveting designs for the street. Woodhouse replaces Taro Ueda, who moves into a global role with Nissan.

Auto News Recap For 5.13.16 | Autoblog Minute

Senior Editor Greg Migliore recaps the week in automotive news, including a look at Hyperloop One's desert propulsion test, Chrysler 300 rumors, and Nissan's purchase of Mitsubishi. Chrysler Mitsubishi Nissan Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video hyperloop

Nissan transforms NV200 into part-e-Van [w/video]

Following its earlier BBQ van conversion, Nissan is demonstrating once again the flexibility of its NV200 van by rolling out this mobile party on wheels. Based on the battery-powered e-NV200, the "part e-Van" packs an array of upgrades to give it everything you'd need to turn any parking lot into a club. It's got a DJ booth on the roof, a 1,400-watt sound system, wireless headphones for silent-disco capability, a solar-powered disco ball that feeds juice back into the system, an alcohol-free bar dispenser, an LED dance floor, and a 20-foot-tall light-up canopy. There's even a drone that can deploy to capture the party scene, and a monitor hooked up online to share it all via social media. The party wagon is set to debut outside the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the UEFA Champions League final (that's a soccer game for those of us unfamiliar), and will then hit the road on tour – with its next stop scheduled for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Party On! Nissan turns 100% Electric e-NV200 into the ultimate part e-VAN - Vehicle unveiled ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final - Zero Emission vehicle will be displayed outside The Olympiastadion ahead of kick-off - One-off vehicle's key features include a disco ball solar array which feeds power to some of the van's elements - Watch the PART e-VAN in full swing here: https://youtu.be/gdTew0hZ_Rs Nissan has transformed its all-electric e-NV200 into the ultimate party on wheels. The vehicle - called the PART e-VAN and powered by the 100% electric e-NV200 - will charge into Berlin for its inaugural reveal tomorrow night ahead of Saturday's UEFA Champions League Final, before exciting fans outside The Olympiastadion prior to kick-off. Some of the unique van's standout attributes include a dazzling disco ball solar panel array on the roof which absorbs daylight to power some of this one-off vehicle's features, an augmented reality system where users will be able to jump into their own party scene before sharing it with friends on social media and a custom-made sound system capable of throwing the best silent disco party.