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Nissan reveals radical BladeGlider concept for Tokyo debut

Radical reinvention of the automobile doesn't happen very often. There's a reason they refer to it as "reinventing the wheel", after all. But that's what a team of racecar designers did with the original DeltaWing concept in 2010. Originally proposed as an IndyCar racer, the project was subsequently redesigned for Le Mans. That's when Nissan got on board, supported the project for a few races, then took the design in its own direction with the ZEOD RC. And now it's taking it to the road... via the auto show.
What we have here is the BladeGlider concept, a proposal for a delta-shaped electric sportscar which Nissan will present at the Tokyo Motor Show in a couple of weeks. Designed to focus on driving pleasure, the BladeGlider is about as radical as they come. Like the DeltaWing and ZEOD RC, it's got a narrow front track and wide rear to minimize drag and optimize stability, packing a 1+2 seating arrangement to put the driver front and center like in a McLaren F1, with upward-swinging doors and underbody aerodynamics to keep it glued to the road. In-wheel motors (of unspecified output) provide the power, a lightweight lithium-ion battery (not to mention the carbon-fiber bodywork) keeps it all fearther-like, and weight distribution is heavily biased towards the rear at 30:70.
A radical concept, to be sure, but here's the kicker: Nissan wants to build it. As you can see from the press release below, the BladeGlider "is both a proposal for the future direction of Nissan electric vehicle (EV) development and an exploratory prototype for an upcoming production vehicle". While it would undoubtedly take some time to develop, much less certify for road, seeing one of these - or even better, driving one - on our favorite stretches of tarmac strikes us as a prospect worth waiting for.

Nissan GT-R Nismo 'Ring time makes it track's 'fastest volume production car' [w/video]

Performance cars are fun to drive and all, but at the end of the day ,owners drop big bucks on what are often ridiculously unpractical vehicles for the bragging rights. And when it comes to ultimate bragging rights, few get more publicized than lap times for everyone's favorite stretch of German pavement, the Nürburgring. Enter the 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo.
After rumors about a 7:08 lap time appeared yesterday, Nissan confirmed has confirmed the news today with video footage of the run, which took place on September 30. The official lap time is just seven minutes and 8.679 seconds, putting the GT-R Nismo about 11 seconds off the pace of the Porsche 918 Spyder - some six seconds quicker than the far costlier Lexus LFA. Some admitted - but hard-to-spot - missteps by Nissan driver Michael Krumm would indicate that the car actually left some time on the table.
With this time, Nissan claims that the 595-horsepower GT-R Nismo is the "fastest volume production car" around the track. The definition of "volume" could surely be contested here, though, considering the small numbers in which the GT-R is sold. While we don't have global GT-R sales figures, this year has only seen 1,063 units sold through October, and there were close to 1,300 sold in all of 2011 and about 1,200 in 2012. While this loosely defined claim will only add to the Nürburgring lap time squabbling, it is no less impressive. Check out the record run for yourself in the video below, which is accompanied by an official press release.

Nissan NV200 Mobility Taxi adds a dose of accessibility to the new-look cab

Nissan has been making hay with its NV200 light commercial vehicle in New York. We've known since last year that the van will see service as a taxi in the Big Apple, and more recently, we learned that a variant will be kicking around to rescue ailing Gibson guitars. At its press conference this year, Nissan continued the onslaught with a wheelchair-accessible version of its NV200 Taxi.
The automaker has teamed with BraunAbility - a company that styles itself as the world's largest maker of wheelchair-accessible vans - to create this NV200 Mobility Taxi. The cab features a fold-flat ramp for rearward wheelchair accessibility, as well as a restraint system to keep said chair snugly in place at speed.
In addition to showing off the Mobility Taxi, Nissan announced at its press conference that it will be making both hybrid and fully electric versions of the NV200 Taxi available, as well. Scroll down for the Nissan press release, or take some time with our extensive live and stock image galleries of the NV200 Mobility Taxi.