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Nissan files civil suit against Ghosn, seeking $91 million in damages

TOKYO — Nissan filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages from the Japanese automaker's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan filed the case in Yokohama District Court to recoup some of the monetary damages suffered, it said, “as a result of years of misconduct and fraudulent activity" by Ghosn. The claim was calculated by adding the costs from what Nissan called Ghosn's “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments to Ghosn's sister, as well as costs for the internal investigation into Ghosn's alleged wrongdoings. Representatives of Ghosn said in a statement they couldn't comment as they had yet to see the legal documents. “Nissan's maneuvers continue,” they said, while noting Nissan had claimed larger damages before. Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades and saved it from near-bankruptcy, was arrested in Japan in November 2018, and charged with underreporting his future compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for personal gain. He was awaiting trial but skipped bail and showed up in Lebanon late last year. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, and he's unlikely to be arrested. A date had not been set for his trial, and Ghosn has said he was worried his ordeal would never end and he would not get a fair hearing. The bail conditions also barred him from seeing his wife. He has repeatedly lashed out at Japan's judicial system, where the conviction rate is higher than 99%. Japanese authorities recently issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn and three Americans, accused of helping his escape. Separately, they issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife on suspicion of perjury. Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent, saying that the promised compensation had never been decided, and all the payments were for legitimate services. Wednesday's lawsuit by Nissan comes on top of the civil case Nissan filed against Ghosn in the British Virgin Islands in August last year. It alleged unauthorized payments, sought to regain a luxury yacht and pursued other damages, according to Nissan. Yokohama-based Nissan, which makes the Z sportscar, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, is also facing trial in Japan as a company in relation to Ghosn's scandal. It has indicated it will agree to any penalties. Nissan's reputation has been sorely tarnished over the Ghosn fiasco, and its sales have dropped. Nissan reports financial results Thursday.

Nissan names Makoto Uchida as next CEO

TOKYO — Nissan named Makoto Uchida, the head of its Chinese business, as its next CEO, picking an executive known for close ties to top shareholder Renault and for a frank, straight-talking manner that has marked him as an outsider. By selecting Senior Vice President Uchida, Nissan's board has gone with someone slightly at odds with its traditional corporate culture. He joined the carmaker mid-career in 2003, a rarity in a country where top executives usually spend their entire working lives at the same company. Known for his unflagging work ethic and relentless focus on cost control, Uchida was described by one long-time associate who spoke on condition of anonymity as a "foreigner with a Japanese face" — direct and to the point in conversations. He will be joined by newly appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ashwani Gupta, currently COO of junior partner Mitsubishi Motors, in trying to find new ways to revive a business that has been struggling for months with plunging profits, management scandal and tensions with Renault. Japan's second-largest automaker has been shaken in particular by the arrest of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn last year on allegations of financial misconduct, which he denies, and the more recent departure of CEO Hiroto Saikawa after he admitted to being improperly overpaid. Whether the 58-year-old former theology student can deliver a miracle turnaround — particularly at Nissan's business in the United States — and repair ties with Renault will now be a focus for investors. "The biggest business challenge for Nissan is speeding up," the head of Nissan's nominations committee, Masakazu Toyoda, told a news conference. "Speedy decision making is a challenge that Uchida raised, and to this end he said that he wants to empower people as much as possible, so we decided to ask Uchida to take on the CEO role." One source close to Renault described the selection as "a victory for the alliance", saying that both Uchida and Gupta knew the business and were ready to help Nissan recover. 'ISN'T REALLY JAPANESE' Before his ouster, Ghosn had been working on a plan for a full merger of Renault and Nissan, but had met resistance in Japan, which is concerned about French influence in the alliance. The French government is a major Renault shareholder. Relations were further strained this year when Renault held abortive merger talks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

2016 Nissan GT-R gets 45th Anniversary Gold Edition

The Nissan GT-R is going for the gold again in 2016 after 2012's special Usain Bolt one-off. This time the precious metal paint job is going on just a few more cars to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the original Skyline GT-R. The 45th Anniversary Gold Edition of the GT-R paints the Premium trim of the twin-turbocharged sports coupe a somewhat subdued golden shade called Silica Brass. The VIN plates are in a similar hue, and there's a commemorative plaque on the center console. Nissan spokesperson Dan Passe tells Autoblog that based on projections, the company plans to sell 30 or fewer anniversary editions in the US. The special models carry an extra $1,000 on top of the Premium's starting $101,770, plus a destination charge of $1,595 on all vehicles. Because of the limited numbers, Passe recommends interested customers place an order through dealers soon. The anniversary edition isn't the only thing new to the lineup, though. The Premium and Black Edition models both get an extra five horsepower to push output to 550 hp, but the the Nismo remains unchanged with 600 hp and 481 lb-ft. The Premium trim also now wears 20-spoke forged aluminum wheels from Rays to replace the earlier 10-spoke design. One thing not changing for the GT-R is the pricing, after going north of $100,000 for the 2015 model year. The Black Edition still retails for $111,510 and $149,990 for the Nismo. Related Video: NISSAN ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR 2016 GT-R 16/03/15 from Nissan Pricing remains unchanged for 2016; GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition receive five additional horsepower; GT-R Premium adds new 20-spoke wheels NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan today announced pricing for the 2016 Nissan GT-R supercar, which is on sale now at select Nissan dealers in the United States. Prices* for the three 2016 GT-R models remains unchanged from last year, despite several significant enhancements, including: Additional five horsepower for the GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition All-new 20-spoke wheels for the GT-R Premium New 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, featuring a special exterior paint color The 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, built off of the GT-R Premium model, commemorates the GT-R's long heritage of world-class high performance. Featuring a special gold paint color, the limited edition model also includes a special gold-tone VIN plate located inside the engine compartment and a special commemorative plaque on the interior center console.