Nissan Beats Lamborghini and Ducati in Drag Race!

Who would win in a drag race between a Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini Reventon, and a Ducati motorbike? We think the answer might surprise you... HINT: It's not the Lamborghini or the Ducati. Don't believe us? Watch the video and see for yourself!

10% Off Service at Sheehy Nissan Mechanicsville!

Combat the winter's wear-and-tear on your vehicle with this coupon for 10% off service! Hurry in today, offer expires tomorrow!

Nissan Increases Fuel Economy by 19% and Counting!

Alongside a continued strong push for all-electric vehicles, Nissan announced plans to introduce 15 new hybrids by 2016 at the recent Detroit Auto Show, including the Altima sedan, Murano crossover and Pathfinder SUV. Neither the Pathfinder nor Murano are currently available as hybrids, and the Altima hybrid went out of production with the 2011 model year, so this would likely be a re-launch for 2014.

The same hybrid powertrain Nissan showed off in the Resonance SUV concept that was introduced in Detroit – a 2.5-liter, in-line four-cylinder, with two clutches and CVT, available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive – will also be used in the new hybrids. Nissan claims the system is as powerful as its current conventional gas V6 engine, while increasing fuel economy by ten percent.

This hybrid strategy is part of Nissan's plan to reduce total corporate CO2 emissions and increase overall fuel economy. According to Nissan, since 2005, vehicles with increased fuel economy – including hybrids and the all-electric Leaf – have increased the company's overall average fuel economy by 19 percent.

Nissan also is considering bringing diesels to North America. Currently, Nissan diesel passenger cars are sold primarily in Asia.

Via AutoBlog

The 10 Worst Things You Can Do to Your Car

Like the human body, ignoring even the smallest signs of trouble in your car's performance can lead to trouble down the road.

And some missed signals cost more than others.

A new report by CarMD.com Corporation  details exactly which maintenance mistakes can cause the most damage.

Here are the top 10: 
1.  Putting off recommended / scheduled maintenance
2. Ignoring the “check engine” light
3. Not changing the oil, or not having it changed on time
4. Not checking tire pressure
5. Neglecting coolant, brake, transmission and other fluid services
6. Continuing to drive when the vehicle is overheating
7. Not changing fuel and air filters
8. Having unqualified shops service your vehicle
9. Using generic aftermarket parts instead of original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-quality parts
10. Trying to service your own high-tech vehicle

The best example of the snowball effect of missed car repairs is the air filter. It costs about 20 bucks to replace, but if left alone, a dirty filter can bust oxygen (02) sensors in cars, which cost as much as $250 to replace. And when the sensor fails, you'll first see your gas mileage plunge, then possibly wind up with a $1,000 bill to replace your  catalytic converter.

No. 3 deserves special attention, as well. Technicians say ignoring oil changes is the "single most damaging  car maintenance item that their customers neglect that they wish they could change," according to CarMD.
The trouble with dirty oil is that it doesn't jive well with the high-tech engines in today's modern vehicles, according to  Art Jacobsen, CarMD vice president, and can lead to engine failure if left ignored for too long.
The old go-to rule for oil changes was to refresh every 3,000 miles. But most experts agree drivers should go by the schedule their car's manufacturer dictates instead.

"Frequent oil changes do not necessarily mean better performance or longer engine life," CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen told The Auto Channel.

Courtesy of finance.yahoo.com

Nissan Z Conference in Arizona

Nissan-lovers and vintage Z enthusiasts unite! See Z owners and enthusiasts from all over descend upon the Nissan test facility in Arizona for its 25th anniversary to showcase their vehicles, old and new! Which is your favorite Z model?

Introducing the All New Nissan Versa Note!

Aesthetically, the Versa Note is a pretty pleasant-looking thing; we've seen it before in JDM-spec. It's a decidedly aerodynamic thing, too, with a drag coefficient of just 0.29. And because of that – as well as an efficient little powertrain – the Note will achieve up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Under the hood is Nissan's 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine churning out a furious 109 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. Like, well, every other Nissan car, the Versa is equipped with a continuously variable transmission and will drive the front wheels exclusively. Base S models can be had with a five-speed manual transmission, but the moment you step up to a higher trim level, the do-it-yourself shifter goes away.

There's a whole bunch of technological goodies available on the Versa Note, as well, including Nissan's excellent AroundView Monitor that'll give you a bird's eye view of your surroundings. NissanConnect is also available on SL models with the technology package, equipped with things like NavTraffic, NavWeather, hands-free text messaging, streaming audio, Pandora and Bluetooth, all housed in a 5.8-inch touch-screen.

What's really attractive about the Note is its starting price: $13,990. That represents a $2,000 increase over the base Versa sedan, but well undercuts a lot of competitors in the segment. The Versa note officially hits dealerships this summer. Scroll down for the official press blast.

Via AutoBlog

Mud and Flight

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME: watch Nissan drivers Carl Renezeder and Casey Currie take their trucks off-road and over jumps in ways we've all wished we could in this captivating video. Don't you wish you could do the same?

Nissan Unveils Resonance Concept at 2013 Detroit Auto Show

The Nissan Resonance Concept has bowed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, giving the world a glimpse at the company's future design direction for crossovers. Specifically, the concept heralds what the next-generation Murano may look like once it touches down. Nissan has already confirmed the successor to the big crossover's throne will be produced in Mississippi for the first time. With a "floating" roof and dynamic head lamp arrays, the Resonance boasts a far more athletic appearance than the snub-nosed current generation. Inside, designers worked up a cockpit aimed at conveying what "the future of first-class space travel might be."

Nissan isn't saying what the upcoming Murano will have under the hood, but the Resonance boasts an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain with a small-displacement internal combustion engine and an electric motor. A lithium-ion battery delivers power while a CVT takes care of putting power to the wheels.

Via AutoBlog

Car Maintenance Monday!

Car Maintenance Monday! Having trouble with your battery? Built-up corrosion on your battery's terminals can interfere with the flow of electricity. Crack open a can of soda and use the acidity of the liquid to rid the terminals of corrosive material. Be sure clean off the remaining soda residue with water and an old rag and your battery will be tip-top!

Nissan LEAF Marks Nissan's First Zero Emission Electric Vehicle

The forward-thinking at Nissan has inspired the production of the 2013 Nissan LEAF, a zero emissions car that runs solely on an electric-powered battery and engine. Watch this video to learn more about the future of electric cars and the all-new LEAF which is set to hit dealerships late February.

Auto tip Tuesday: rotate your tires!

Rotating your tires helps to prevent uneven wear on your tires to ensure you get the most out of them. Consult your vehicle's owner's manual and be sure to stop by to get your tires rotated!

Nissan GT Academy Turns Gamers into Racers

DUBAI – Nissan and PlayStation® will demonstrate the growth in scale and stature of its innovative GT Academy virtual-to-real-racer competition in January. 2012's GT Academy Champions from Europe, USA, Germany and Russia will line up on the grid at the prestigious Dubai 24 Hour race (January 10-12, 2013) in two 370Z Nismo GT4 Race cars and in doing so they complete their transition from PlayStation's class-leading Gran Turismo®5 game to Nissan's Endurance Race Team in just four months.

Wolfgang Reip (2012 European winner from Belgium) and Mark Shulzhitskiy (2012 Russian winner) will be in the first of the two 370Z Nissans together with their more experienced team mates, inaugural winner of GT Academy Spaniard Lucas Ordoñez and Nissan Signatech team LMP2 Russian driver Roman Rusinov. Both are 24-hour experts and have recorded impressive results at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours; Ordoñez was second in the LMP2 class in 2011 and Rusinov fourth in 2012.

The second 370Z Nismo in GT Academy colours will be driven by Peter Pyzera (2012 German winner) and Steve Doherty (2012 US winner). Their experienced team mates for this prestigious race will be 'Queen of the Nürburgring' Sabine Schmitz, a GT Academy judge and mentor for the past three years, along with British driver Alex Buncombe, the experienced Nissan team driver who has been team mate to all three previous winners of GT Academy in their debut racing years.

The 26-year-old 'Wolfie' Reip was one of 830,000 GT5TM gamers who entered the 2012 European GT Academy competition and emerged victorious after the grueling Race Camp at Silverstone Circuit in August. Since being crowned champion, Wolfgang and fellow winners Mark, Peter and Steve have embarked on the GT Academy's most innovative and comprehensive Driver Development Program to date. Incorporating every conceivable element of a racing driver's complexion, the recruits were given regular driver coaching, karting, fitness and nutrition programs, and sports psychology and simulator sessions. In addition, all four winners completed a number of races in the UK in order to quality for an international race license, to prepare them to take center stage in Dubai driving a GT4-specification Nissan 370Z Nismo.

As Darren Cox, Director, Nissan Global Motorsports, explains: "Each year we have developed and refined the Driver Development Program for our GT Academy winners and I firmly believe that it is now the best program in the world. We are absolutely confident that these guys will line up in Dubai better prepared than many of their more experienced adversaries who have taken a more traditional route into motor sport. Lucas, Jordan Tresson and Jann Mardenborough, our previous GT Academy Europe winners, have demonstrated that we are producing great drivers with bright futures. This new crop of four drivers is no exception, and I am looking forward to watching them perform in Dubai in a pair of Nissan 370Zs."

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital, echoed this sentiment: "Each time a new winner has embarked on their Dubai 24 hour challenge it has been a proud and exciting moment for everyone involved with GT Academy. The driver line-up for 2013 combines raw talent from this year's GT Academy with the experience of Lucas Ordoñez and three other professional teammates, who will be there to support the graduates and also witness the success of the program in action. The previous year's GT Academy winners surprised many people from the motorsport world in achieving a fantastic podium position at Dubai 2012 and we will be aiming to provide a few more surprises this year, too."

Via Nissan News

Nissan Altima Breaks Records with 4 Million Sold

Nissan is reporting that the four-millionth Altima has been sold, marking an impressive milestone for the model that has been around since 1992. Altima number four million was also a party to the best single year of sales ever for the nameplate – Nissan broke its 2007 record of 284,762 Altimas sold.

The automaker is using the occasion of the record-breaking Altima to crow a little bit about the impressive stats for the 2013 car, as well. Nissan says that both transaction price and residuals are trending upward compared with Altimas past, and that 25 percent of those that have purchased the 2013 car traded in a Toyota or a Honda to do so.

Certainly the strong Altima sales have helped Nissan's fortunes as a whole, too. By our own reporting the maker's sales were up by nearly 10 percent, year-over-year, in November.

Via Autoblog