2009 Nissan Maxima Sv Keyless Go Sunroof Leather 18" Wheels Bluetooth Automatic on 2040-cars

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Nissan GT-R drag races Swiss fighter jet

Proving that speed is fun in any language, Nissan's German arm recently pitted a GT-R up against an ex-Swiss Air Force fighter jet, called the Hawker Hunter. Now the idea of a car-versus-plane drag race is nothing new, but this is the first time we can recall a GT-R being involved.
While this Nissan video is almost a month old, we're pretty sure you won't be disappointed by the action, which shows the two high-speed machines racing along the two-kilometer runway. We don't want to ruin the suspense, so scroll down for the latest matchup of sports car versus fighter jet.

Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

Nissan reveals the face of the new Qashqai

Last week Nissan revealed the first teaser image previewing its upcoming new Qashqai. That one was wearing a big sheet and showed us little other than its basic shape and a few highlighted details, but now the Japanese automaker has released the first undisguised-ish image of the new European-market crossover.
From the image above we can tell the new Qashqai will carry the familiar face of Nissan's latest crossovers well, with the U-shaped grille and angular LED accents in the headlamp clusters. The sharp creases in the hood also make it stand out as quintessentially Japanese, particularly in a crossover market where they can all start to look the same.
We'll have to wait just a few more days to see the full thing, with the reveal set for November 7, but Nissan also released a tidy infographic showing just how successful the outgoing Qashqai has been for it in the European market. Check it out below.