Car Moon

Last month, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima broke his own record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a sub 10 minutes time in a 910-horsepower modified Suzuki SX4 racecar.

Now, Nissan’s first all-electric car, the LEAF, has tackled the 156 turns of the “Race to the Clouds”. Naturally, “Monster” Tajima can rest assured that his record remains safe.

That’s not to say that the LEAF driven by Chad Hord didn’t record a respectable time. After all, 14 minutes and 33 seconds with an average speed of 51.2 mph (82.4 km/h) is not to be laughed at for an EV that used just 46% of its charge to cover the demanding 12.42 miles (20 km) hill climb.

Watch the LEAF climb the Pikes Peak after the jump.

A crazy car crash that took place in Moscow, Russia, on July 6, 2011, was caught on film by a pair of security cameras. The person responsible for the catastrophic scene you see in these aftermath photos that were shot on location is the driver of a black Nissan GT-R.

From what we can tell, the GT-R driver was either street racing with another car or simply trying out the full potential of his high-performance sports coupe on the streets of Moscow. Whatever the case, he failed to steer left after passing a black vehicle from the right and ended up crashing into three parked vehicles.

The force of the impact was so severe that the parked cars were literally thrown into the air as if they toys. Watch the security cam tapes of the accident in the videos after the break.

If there is one thing we don’t like about electric sports cars (we emphasize ‘sports’) in general, it is the lack of engine sounds, you know, the banging thunder of a brawny V8 or the symphony of a finely tuned straight six. Sure EVs may be just as fast as any gasoline-powered model but when it comes to aural pleasure, you might as well be listening to your electric shaver…

Take a look at the following video of the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC racer, which was filmed during a test session, after the break and you’ll see what we mean. And if you disagree, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section.

After awarding the Mitsubishi i-MiEV with a four-star rating, Euro NCAP, which is the European equivalent of the American IIHS, crash tested its second all-electric model, the Nissan Leaf. The Japanese hatchback achieved a five-star rating, becoming the first electric vehicle to do so. Read more »

Lately, it seems that pushing an out-of-juice electric car is quickly becoming a trademark of Britain’s popular Top Gear TV series. After the Tesla Motors row, it seems another EV will be featured in the show while being pushed. This time it's the Nissan Leaf, whose batteries ran dry while being driven by Jeremy Clarkson.

Fortunately, one of the many witnesses of the event caught Clarkson and James May trying to find an outlet to plug for the Leaf on camera. The two TV hosts were filming a test drive with the Nissan Leaf and the Peugeot iOn for the next episode of the show. After looking for outlets in the park, the crew eventually plugged the Leaf in at the UK's University of Lincoln.

Who ever said that drifting is only for men surely hasn’t seen Sumika Kubokawa in action. The 27 year old from Japan is a member of Team Orange, one of the leading drift teams in the D1 Grand Prix Series, and as you can see for yourself in the video after the jump, she certainly knows her way behind the steering wheel.

In her interview with Driftcolors, Sumika says she is an avid fan of the Nissan 180SX, which was sold in North America as the 240SX and in some other countries under the 200SX name. Sumika also said she street drifted for a brief period when she was younger but was caught and hasn’t done it again. Check out her interview as well as the first and second episode of the series after the break.

Back in March, Nissan do Brasil aired a commercial, which drew the wrath of Ford’s local arm for making claims that the Detroit automaker charges customers too much for its family models. But while Ford’s people only saw a Focus and a pair of rappers dressed as engineers chanting about the money they made by overpricing the hatchback, some viewers were also captivated by the curvalicious bikini-clad models…

Now, Nissan of Brazil returns with a new TV spot, this time for the Livina 7-seater compact minivan. While the Japanese carmaker avoids referring to a specific rival, the theme appears to be similar: scantily dressed female models dancing provocatively and a tagline aimed at the competition. And oh; towards the end of the clip you may notice the Livina and young family of four (not that we’re complaining about the appearance of the ladies…).

It might not be an award winning campaign, but Nissan’s new outdoor board placed right outside the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center during the 2011 New York Auto Show (April 22 to May 1 for the public) is sure to grab attention and increase awareness for the firm’s all-electric Leaf family car.

The two-sided Smokeboard was created by the Japanese firm’s advertising partner TBWA\Chiat\Day, which is the American division of the advertising agency TBWA Worldwide.

On one side, the billboard features an actual working tailpipe that emits fumes into the air (with the agency stressing the fact that the exhaust is environmentally friendly…) and a headline that reads, “The auto show has over 1,000 of these”. On the other side, there’s a photo of the Leaf and a caption that says “But only one 100% electric, zero-tailpipe Nissan Leaf”. Check out the ad in action in the clip after the jump.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released the results of the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars, with the two EVs earning the highest safety ratings. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf were awarded the top rating of “good” for front, side, rear and rollover crash protection.

Since both cars are fitted as standard with electronic stability control systems, they also qualified as winners of Top Safety Pick, the Institute's award for state-of-the-art crash protection.

Even though American consumers still tend to prefer larger vehicles, both domestic and foreign automakers are convinced that soaring gas prices will eventually convince buyers to embrace more compact-sized and fuel efficient models. The 2011 New York Auto Show marked the debut of the latest crop of compact cars including the 2012 Nissan Versa sedan, which will try to lure buyers with a low staring price of $10,990 and a promise for affordable costs of ownership.

Hot on the heels of the 2012 Versa sedan’s North American premiere in New York, the Japanese brand released a new video that walks us around the four-door model that will go on sale in the U.S. this summer.

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a video of a Nissan 370Z coupe challenging a chicken - a Mexican chicken with racing goggles and a helmet, to be precise- in a barn race, and it’s an official spot from Nissan Europe. The admittedly unusual commercial is the creative work of the folks over at the TBWA/G1 advertising agency. Take a look at the clio after the break and tell us what you think in the comments section below. Read more »

Remote control cars have come a long way. From the little electric fun-buggies that never held a charge long enough, R/C vehicles have evolved into tools and toys - some that even run on fuel and go fast enough to take your legs out from under you (long story) - serving a variety of purposes. After all, aren't those little bomb cars in Black Ops controlled by remote?

Now, it appears, we've found a new use / time waster: towing stuff. In the video below you can see a larger-than-normal R/C hauler actually hauling a Nissan SUV along someone's driveway.

The concept of turning SUVs into pavement-pounding, drag-racing, supercar-shredding monster rods never ceases to amaze me, and by that I mean my jaw is on the floor and I'm completely boggled. I love me some automobiles (and vehicular transportation in general), but there's something about a nigh-three ton box on wheels and oodles of GO that seems...weird.

However, if monster rods - or high performance in general - are your cup of Starbucks soy latte, then Hennessey has got you covered (as if you didn't know that already, what with their cray-cray 1,000+ horsepower Vipers from way back when). Below, for your viewing pleasure, is video of a 2011 Cadillac Escalade drag racing a 2011 R35 GT-R and beating it.

Leaving aside the name which sounds like something a German (no offense) would say to an English bloke that stole his parking space, Nissan's Geneva motorshow-bound Esflow concept is a very interesting proposal for a pure-electric sports coupe. It uses the Leaf's battery technology but with a lot more juice from the electric motors that motivate the rear wheels and a dramatic coupe styling. Following an initial release with photos and preliminary details (see here), Nissan has now published a CGI video of the sports coupe study that you can watch right after the break.

The new fourth-generation Quest minivan has arrived at Nissan's U.S. dealerships with prices ranging from $27,750 for the entry level S to $41,350 for the fully equipped LE model. Keep in mind that none of the above prices (*) include destination and handling charges. Available with one-touch sliding doors and three rows of seats that can accommodate up to seven passengers, the redesigned Quest is offered in four trim levels (S, SV, SL and LE), all powered by a standard 260-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine matched to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

Back in 2009, Nissan GT-R owners had to face an odd dilemma: even though the car came with a launch control system, using it meant voiding the warranty. In the ensuing controversy, the Japanese maker simply dropped it for the 2010 model year, stating that it doesn’t want to deal with the “warranty nightmare” anymore.

[Updated gallery] The Tokyo Auto Salon is always a blast featuring all sorts of unique tuning proposals, like this here Porsche wannabe. When our Tokyo show man Phil e-mailed the above photo, we assumed it pictured a Porsche -possibly a Boxster- modified to resemble a Panamera Convertible. We were quickly proven wrong, however, when he sent over an image of the interior and some video footage revealing that the Porsche Panamera tune was actually a...masqueraded Nissan 350Z Roadster. More photos after the jump.

We've already covered the Nissan Ellure Concept, so you've probably seen our gallery consisting of 55 pictures. However, those images don't do it justice. The swooping lines and sharp edges are not so evident, neither is the balance between the boomerang-themed headlamps and aggressive front grille. But fear not, even if you don't make it to the LA Show, you can get a better view of the Ellure through the video (and the live shots) we have added after the jump.

We're not sure if you've had enough of the new Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet yet, but either way, if you follow the break, you'll find live photos of the Japanese firm's two-door / SUV / convertible mishmash from the Los Angeles motor show floor, along with the first official video of the model with some B-roll footage. If this strange combo has hit a cord with you, click here to read our detailed analysis of the new Murano which is scheduled to reach U.S. dealership early next year.

Senner Tuning, probably best known for last year's disastrously named "White Power" RS6, has released pictures and details of its latest project car: the Nissan 370Z Asphalt Surfer.

The German tuning house has modified the 370Z with an ECU tune, sports air filter and cold air intake, boosting power to 365 hp (272 kw) and torque to 400 Nm. Twin 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) sports exhaust, door mirror caps / B-pillars capped in carbon fibre and black painting front / rear splitter round out the exterior package.