Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Check Your Tires!
Fun Fact: Almost every state mandates a minimum tire tread depth of 2/32 of an inch for passenger car tires, as measure from the top of a tread wear indicator to the top of the tread. The wear indicator will appear in the tread grooves as a small bump. It just so happens that the lettering over Abe Lincoln’s head on a penny is exactly 2/32 of an inch tall. To make sure you have legal tread depth, grasp a penny with Abe Lincoln upside down, find a wear indicator, and place the penny on top of the indicator. If you can see the letters, you have insufficient tread and should replace your tires.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
2015 Nissan Z May Be Lighter, Leaner
LONDON — The 2015 Nissan Z will be lighter, leaner and appeal to a more mainstream audience, Nissan's design boss Shiro Nakamura told Inside Line in a recent interview.
Work on the new Z is "at an early stage," he said, with a concept version of the car in the works.
Unveiling of the new Z concept could come as early as the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
Presumably, a lighter Nissan Z would return better gas mileage than the current version. The 2013 Nissan 370Z returns 19 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The 370Z coupe has a curb weight of 3,314 pounds.
The current 370Z has not enjoyed quite the same success as the 2002 350Z, which revived the Z car reputation and sold well in the U.S., Japan and Europe. "The next one has to have a stronger impact," says Nakamura.
And that won't be achieved by making it bigger. "It cannot be any larger," he says. "It's at its maximum size now and should go leaner." By that he means lighter too, with the new model to feature a down-sized engine, probably a four-cylinder turbo rather than today's 3.7-liter V6. "It needs to be lighter, and more accessible to open the door to more people," he adds.
Nissan must also juggle the product planning implications of this move to a lighter, leaner, downsized Z, because the current car not only shares its FM platform with the conceptually close Infiniti G Coupe, but also the G sedan and the Infiniti FX.
The Alliance tie-up with Daimler may also mean that the next Z can draw on Mercedes hardware, although the German company's higher-cost components may limit the scope for platform-sharing.
Speaking more widely about the Nissan range, Nakamura says that "Excitement, substance and agility" will feature in the design of future models. These new qualities will be combined with the above-average roominess of today's models, a task Nakamura admits will be "quite challenging," although the European-market Qashqai and Juke show the way ahead.
"They are already sporty, and have a nice stance. Over the next few years Nissans will have a more consistent look," he adds, explaining that such "a diversified range, from Micra to Titan, is in some ways a strength, but also a challenge."
Insideline.com
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Driven: 2012 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet
Testing Nissan's one-of-a kind Murano Cross Cabriolet convertible crossover SUV this week, we came away knowing well what the first American owners of the Citroen DS felt like back in the 1960's. No vehicle we have tested in recent times has gotten more attention, made more people drop their guard and run over to it, or simply stare mouths agape.
Even in our local confines of tony North Scottsdale which scoffs at the sight of a Ferrari California, Mercedes G-Wagen, and the occasional Maserati roadster, the Murano Cross Cabriolet raises eyebrows.
The Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet at first seems a bizarre concoction. Take a wildly popular crossover SUV, slice off the top, make it a two door and push it out to the masses Nissan did. What comes out is a very tall version of the convertible car recipe Americans have come to love.
2012 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet brings runway fashion to crossover set
Photo credit:
Sam Haymart
With power soft top up it doesn't get much attention. Press the console mounted button and lower it down however, and you become a show stage on wheels. While you can have a Jeep Wrangler topless, this is way different, a fashion statement if you will. And as we found out, not a bad one at that.
The interior on the Cross Cabriolet is top grade with leather trims and a full host of power options. They only come one way and that's fully loaded. The faux wood grain trim accents look more genuine than some cars we have tested with real wood and add a warm touch.
Sitting in the driver seat and looking back over your shoulder with the top up gives you the sensation of a large American coupe from the golden age. The large rear quarter windows give you a sense of space that's rare in any vehicle today. With wide side doors, rear seat access is good as the front seats fold forward easily.
The power top operates seamlessly and effortlessly with a one touch button. There are no latches to pull or levers to deal with, just press the button and a symphony of servos and motors go to work. It's a well done top with the only worry being that it slams down hard on the windshield header when it closes. Keep your hands well clear of it.
The cruising experience is one of comfort and relaxation. The sensation of being in a convertible so high up is a unique one that takes some getting used to. Wind noise with the top down even at freeway speeds is never too much. The Cross Cabriolet never feels top heavy or tipsy, gliding solid down the highway even with minor crosswinds.
Mechanically the Murano convertible is virtually identical to the standard model, using a silky smooth 3.5 liter V6 with 265 horsepower and constantly variable transmission (CVT). The power train is standard with all-wheel drive on the Cross Cabriolet.
Driving is smooth with its shiftless transmission. Nissan has designed in some simulated shifting feel when you accelerate to pass which gives it a more traditional persona. With its heavier 4,438 lb curb weight, power is what we would call adequate.
The EPA rates the Murano drop-top at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined. Our week long observation came in at about 18.5 mpg combined. Given we gluttonously drove it around Phoenix in 100 degree weather with the top down and air conditioning on at all times, that is not too bad.
Without the traditional fold down rear seat, hatch and flat deck you can't take this SUV down to Home Depot and load it full of lumber. It comes with a rather smallish traditional sedan type trunk that's about the size of a golf bag, maybe two.
The attention it gets was surprising at first, but what we found is that people flat out loved it. They wanted to know what it was and where to get one. What we didn't tell them however is about its $45,540 price tag.
The Murano Cross Cabriolet only comes one way, fully loaded. Therefore the $15,000 price spread from the standard $29,960 Murano represents not only every conceivable option, but the extra price of freight for the unique body and power top. Costs of design and engineering for such a small handful to be made is factored in also.
In the larger picture it's priced about right for the premium boutique vehicle that it really is and the premium shrinks when you load up a standard Murano with similar equipment. The biggest bonus, is that there's a built in guarantee that you will never be seen coming and going.
Examiner.com
Monday, July 9, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
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