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As a man thinks, so he is. Some people are never. Recent Posts
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CarSpace Alternate RouteTurn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us! Oct 9, 2009 - Tokyo Stars
This 122 inch long, 43 inch wide two-seater is the Nissan Land Glider concept. You ride tandem-style in this electric vehicle and the body and tires lean up to 17 degrees into turns like a motorcycle. I love it when the engineers get to have a little fun. Be sure to check out the Land Glider and the rest of Inside Line's coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show
Sep 28, 2009 - Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do
Nissan is talking about $30k for the Leaf, but now they're toying with the idea of leasing battery packs. Just what you need, two monthly payments when you purchase a new vehicle! Read more about battery leasing at Reuters.com
Sep 23, 2009 - Silent Running
After years of trying to make cars sound as if they were riding on air, engineers are considering how they might bring back some noise. They're trying to make some of them -- those silent hybrids -- more audible. Perhaps some baseball cards in the spokes?
Jul 2, 2009 - Are The Dice Getting Warmer?
DETROIT (Dow Jones)--A Nissan North American executive said showroom traffic patterns over the past 60 days are showing signs of some stabilization in the U.S. auto sales market. "Given the past 60 days, we are looking optimistically at July, August and September," Al Castignetti, Nissan North America's vice president and general manager said in an interview Wednesday. "It appears that more customers are getting credit." Auto makers have been searching for some relief since last year's downward spiral in the economy and tightening credit markets hit automotive purchases. Nissan North America's U.S. sales fell 23.1% to 58,298 vehicles in June compared with the same period a year earlier. Castignetti said the auto maker sold 2,137 Cubes during the vehicle's first full month of sales, beating internal projections. "We have seen better traffic and an increase in the quality of customers during May and June," he said. "They are showing signs of better attitudes." The Cube seems to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it stylings, but seeing a red one yesterday at least got me out of the image of the white Cube looking like a household appliance!
Feb 18, 2009 - Electric Bandwagon
The thing that bothers me the most about electric vehicles is that proponents of EV's never seem to talk about about where the electricity to charge the cars is going to come from or how much it's going to cost. How much is adding the load of charging vehicles to the grid going to affect pricing of electricity? It has to go up. Same supply, more demand. Off-peak hours won't make a difference as we won't be shifting demand, we'll be adding demand. Zero-emissions is not going to come at zero cost. Read more at freep.com and breitbart.com
Jan 5, 2009 - Looking For The Worst
For example, take the story I read this morning about auto sales in Japan with the headline that includes, "Worst December Ever". While it is true that auto sales in Japan are off as they are elsewhere, the headline is only possible when sales of minivehicles, one of the growing segments of auto sales in Japan, are excluded. Fanning the flames of doom and gloom seems to be a way of life for the media, but that's not the way out of the mess. Of course, when the market doesn't react as much as the "experts" expect to this news, and they are 'surprised', it will be be another one of those end-of-bear-market signs. The media is really going to have to work at it to try and keep us all scared to death. Read the entire article at Reuters
Dec 17, 2008 - Spring Collection
Inside Line's first test drive of the Nissan Cube proclaims, "Americans apparently are finally quirky enough for the Nissan Cube." It's based on the Versa platform, so with 40,000 miles on my Versa I know what to expect from the Cube. I'll have to see the Cube in person to decide if I'm quirky enough to deal with the styling. After a few minutes of staring at that asymmetrical rear door I do kind of see a blind spot disappearing, but the "box on wheels" look might keep me away. I strive for zany. Quirky is a bit subtle for my tastes. Check out Inside Line's first test drive of the Cube
Jun 11, 2008 - Shocked
Who would have ever seen that coming? One shift of workers in Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant will be moved to Altima production starting June 23, with full output targeted for early September, the auto maker said in a statement Monday. The additional shift will increase production by 2,000 vehicles to about 17,000 monthly. That's an interesting contrast to the way things are being handled at Ford and GM where both companies are are trying to find ways to increase output of their hot selling Focus and Chevy Malibu. Both auto makers have continued cutting SUV and pickup production either by idling plants or reducing shifts. The "missing the irony" award has to go to Ford's senior vice president of manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain management Bill Krueger, who said, "With flexibility built into our systems, we're able to quickly adapt to the changing landscape of the marketplace." Read more at CNNMoney.com
Jun 10, 2008 - Unfortunate Timing?
Nissan said it plans to launch its first clean diesel vehicle in Japan later this year and will send a prototype to next month's Group of Eight leaders' summit, where climate change tops the agenda. Delegates attending the G-8 meeting in Toyako, in northern Japan, will be able to test drive Nissan's X-Trail diesel, a sport utility vehicle based on technology co-developed with French partner Renault SA. The eco-friendly M9R engine can deliver powerful acceleration along with emissions levels low enough to meet tougher Japanese regulations slated for October 2009, Nissan said. It's unfortunate that they chose an SUV as the platform just as the giant oil meteor has hit and is threatening the extinction of SUVs. Read more at UKPress
Apr 15, 2008 - Teaming Up
Um, yea... right. And I'm just calling your bet because I want to see if my four kings will improve and have a chance to win the pot. What a surprise! Chrysler has announced that Nissan will manufacture an all-new, fuel-efficient small car based on a unique Chrysler concept and design. Chrysler has been seeking a partner to help manufacture the striking looking Hornet concept since it was unveiled at the Geneva motorshow in 2006. It’s very likely that the Hornet will be built on the Nissan Micra platform at Nissan’s Oppama factory in Japan, with a worldwide launch scheduled for 2010. Read the entire article at AutoCar.co.uk
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