Car Blog

The History of Nissan Cars is an exciting one. The Nissan car company has been around a long time and so has its cars. The original name of the Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. was Datsun and this company was founded in 1932. Nowadays Nissan is part of the Nissan Group which consists of a number of companies from around the world.

Throughout its history, Nisssan has had many relationships with other automakers from around the world. In fact, in the 1930s when cars were first being built, the technology used for it all came from the United States as did the chief designer of the cars. From 1993 up until 2002, Ford was also working with the Nissan company and a result were two minivans, one sold under each company name, that were built exactly the same and used the same parts. Since 2008, the French automaker Renault owns a large part of Nissan. This working together with companies around the world has greatly influenced the Nissan cars which are now the third best selling Asian make on the market.

Infiniti released the official tag price for its 2009 EX35 crossover starting at $33800 as it rolled out of dealerships. The new EX35 provides more standard and safety features.

The RWD base model at $33800 provides standard leather seats, roof rails, HVAC vents on the rear, and a reverse camera. The AWD that has the same features has a sticker of $36000.

The RWD Journey variant sells for $35200 which comes with some upgrades like the 6-disc CD entertainment system, steering column enhanced with telescoping capabilities, automatic climate control, and a coat hanger on the head rest of the driver. The AWD Journey tops the list at $37400.

Consumers can also opt in for an AVM or Around View Monitor which helps drivers dealing with blind spots during parking through cameras installed on the side and rear of the vehicle.

A technology package is also available. This upgrade gives the driver warning systems for lane departure and forward collision, cruise control, and brake assist. Other upgrades consist of a navigation system and 18 inch wheels.

The global financial crisis has hit the car industry so hard that automakers worldwide have been reportedly filing bankruptcies and closures one after another. At present, those who are lucky enough to dodge bankruptcies are trying to keep afloat with diminishing sales or new ownerships.

Sadly, another car company is raising the white flag. Karmann, who has become famous for the conversion of its Karman Ghia, is finally shutting it doors. Almost a year has passed with back to back bankruptcy scares, closures, and purchase.

Of course, the next possible step is filing for bankruptcy. However, the firm is not yet certain if Karmann would take the alternate route.

While Karmann holds contracts for other companies, the latest model it built was the Mercedes-Benz CLK, which the E-Class Coupe replaced.

The need to go green is felt on every corner of the auto industry as car owners give more attention to how their driving affects the environment. The bar is set higher and higher that premium brands like Bentley invests a lot on making more eco-friendly cars.

The Continental Supersports highlights its flex-fuel capabilities and soon Bentley will unveil greener features like aids to upgrade the aerodynamics and deactivation system for the engine’s cylinder.

Recently, the car manufacturer said goodbye to its famous Arnage flagship but Bentley has ambitious foresights to upgrade its fleet. There are talks about the production of a super Arnage by the end of 2010 which will be a bigger car, more luxurious ride, and more fuel efficient with its cylinder deactivation technology.

Cylinder deactivation is engineered to decrease fuel consumption dramatically by sealing off individual chambers of combustion when the demand for power is low. An innovative superheat and high pressure technology will also be used to curve the ideal lines for the most effective aerodynamics.

Holden designers engineered the new compact Cruze sedan to be appealing to the global market. The car is on sale in Australia, Europe, and Asia and is expected to hit the U.S. shore in the near future.

Thinking of the global appeal a Holden must have, variants or derivations of the car like the new hatchback should also be sellable to the global market.

The head of the Australian division of GM Mark Reuss revealed that a hatchback following the drawing lines of the Cruze will be in production by the third quarter of 2010. The hatchback will be designed and assembled in Australia and will definitely different from the sedan Cruze from which it will be derived.

When the 2010 Buick Lacrosse debuted in the Detroit Auto Show last January 2009, the concept car has made a lot of noise and promise because of its amazing aesthetics. Half a year later, General Motors has finally went into a more detailed unveiling of the car through an online presentation that revealed the model will not come with the standart 3.0L and 6.0L V6 engines, but also the brand new Ecotec 2.4L V4 direct-injection engine.

So then it was confirmed that Larosse lineup will come with direct-injection fuel technology. According to Tom Stephens, the vice chairman for Global Product Development, the application of direct-injection technology is General Motor’s game plan to employ advanced technology to come up with cars that are highly fuel-efficient.

Stephens added that the company is adapting more and more technology to expand the sources of energy for automobiles and to increase their cars’ fuel efficiency.

This however, is not the highlight of GM’s online launch, but the arrival of the 2.4L Ecotec V4 engine. To start off, only the CX-level version of the engine will be made available, but it could definitely expand depending on consumer demands.

No one can miss the sculpture of 10-ton Audi TT which was unveiled yesterday on the Ingolstadt headquarters of Audi in Germany. The work of art is made from a mix of Neopor foam, fiberglass, and steel which came in time for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the car maker this year.

The giant car statue was already displayed before in Munich, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Berlin. It is too big for the highway too at 10.2 m of length, width of 4.5m, and height of 3.25m. Add the area up and it covered 150sq.m of painted Audi greatness.

The sculpture was originally a contribution for the Germany-Land Ideas project and was originally placed in Berlin near the Brandenburg Gate in 2006.

It took a lot of heavy equipment to bring the Audi sculpture to the headquarters of the car manufacturer for the celebration of their centenary.

Each of us has a different take on what the ultimate vehicle should be. Despite the vastness of qualities and technology available today, Fornasari’s new Racing Buggy can be considered a “fair attempt” in pinning down the qualities of what should be considered as the “ultimate vehicle.” However, the design could do some work.

Packed with a 610hp of power, AWD system that comes with a 60% rear bias, and patterned after an RR600 chassis, the Fornasari Racing Buggy gets a bigger chance in bugging out the competitors.

While the computer generated rendition of the Racing Buggy is sure to race a few eyebrows, take not that this buggy can sit five people and is. You might also be surprised to know that this buggy is aimed to be luxurious and road legal in qualities. In Europe, it is estimated to the get a price tag somewhere near €80,000, according to Fornasari. However, production date and availability are issues yet to be discussed.