Nissan rumored to be reviving 240SX, bringing it to the U.S.

Source: AutoBlog
Author: Damon Lavrinc

Nissan's plans to revive the 240SX (Silvia in JDM parlance) has almost become a running joke, right up there with the fake moon landing and Tom Cruise's heterosexuality. But still, this old chestnut carries forth, with a new report from Insideline's editor in Japan who says the coupe's revival is due to hit the market sometime in 2011 or 2012.

Details, per usual, are both scarce and obvious. The next-generation Silvia will supposedly be built atop Nissan's popular FM platform (370Z, Infiniti G, etc.), come in a 2+2 seating configuration and tip the scales around 2,800 pounds. Naturally, as the S15's successor, it will be a front-engine, rear-drive setup, and is rumored to be packing a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four putting out around 200 horsepower. A naturally aspirated variant will also be available to keep the cost of entry low, but the turbo'd model is obviously the pick of the litter and should deliver a 0-60 time of between six and seven seconds.

IL's man in Japan points to the Nissan Foria concept (shown above) as the stylistic inspiration, but notes that the coupe would only be "loosely based" on the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show concept. Judging by Nissan's recent design endeavors, we doubt the Foria -- or as previously rumored, the Urge concept -- will be a heavy influence on this supposed Silvia revival.

Although we're all for more budget-oriented FR sports cars, the popularity of the Toyota FT-86 is sure to be a factor in Nissan's decision to bring the 240SX back to life. That, coupled with the unknown demand for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (Hyundai doesn't break out Genesis Sedan from Coupe sales in its monthly reports) makes the proposition of a new 2+2 from Nissan even more hazy. So until we hear something solid from Ghosn and Company, we'll resume our normal respiration routine.

Source: Written by Christopher DeMorro
Published on December 14th, 2009
Posted in Cars, Hybrid-electric EVs

In many circles, the Nissan GT-R is referred to as simply “Godzilla”, and with good reason. Cranking out 480 horsepower out of a twin-turbo V6, Nissan’s halo car is a track monster and a winner of many hearts and minds. But can it ever be green?

Maybe. Rumor has it that Nissan is considering a hybrid version of the GT-R that will provide better fuel economy without sacrificing performance. Say what?

This is just an unsubstantiated rumor for now… but hey, why not? Ferrari is doing it, and so is Rolls Royce. Why not a hybrid Godzilla? Supposedly, the plan is to drop the twin-turbo V6 engines horsepower by 40 ponies to 440, and then adding a 160 horsepower electric engine. This would bring total output to 600 horsepower, though the weight of an extra engine and battery will negate some of that horsepower.

The GT-R is the successor to Nissan’s popular Skyline model, and only just hit the markets last year, so don’t expect a hybrid Godzilla too soon. The rumor might also be untrue, because most people who buy a GT-R aren’t trying to save the world… they’re trying to go fast. Still, the GT-R does deliver respectable gas mileage for a 480 horsepower car with a top speed of 193 MPH.
The GT-R gets about 21 MPG on the highway and 16 in the city for a combined average of around 18 MPH. Not bad, but how much better could an electric engine make it? How much better would it have to be to make the premium price worth it? At $80,000 it already costs a pretty penny… but compared to other super cars, it’s already a bargain. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens

2011 Nissan LEAF: Smartphone Integration, Coming At Launch

Source: Global Post

Just a few weeks ago, we reported that smartphone vehicle control isn't as far away as you might think. Five to seven years ago, more than a quarter of all new vehicles are anticipated to have some remote capabilities.

Now it's looking like Nissan might be one of the first automakers to offer it in the U.S.--albeit on a very limited basis at first.

Next fall, as Nissan starts delivering its new LEAF electric vehicle--which TheCarConnection.com just drove, briefly, in prototype form--in a trial run in a few select markets, to about 5,000 customers in all, the automaker plans to have smartphone integration ready to roll as well.

"You'll be able to track your vehicle's charging activities, and the times that it charges," said Mark Perry, Nissan North America's director for product planning and advanced technology, at a presentation in Seattle. "Your car will basically communicate with your cellphone and say, 'What's my state of charge?'"

Perry said that the mobile integration with iPhone or other smartphone will allow you to receive an update or reminder, as you're shopping for instance, when your car's charge is completed; it will also allow more complex functions like remote preheating or precooling of your car while you're still plugged in.

"All those capabilities will be there at launch," Perry confirmed.

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