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Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa resigns, successor to be named

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa tendered his resignation Monday after acknowledging that he had received dubious income and vowed to pass the leadership of the Japanese automaker to a new generation. Board member Yasushi Kimura told reporters at an evening news conference at company headquarters in Yokohama that the board has approved Saikawa's resignation, effective Sept. 16, and a successor will be appointed next month. A search is underway, he added. Calls for Saikawa's resignation, which arose after the arrest last year of his predecessor, Carlos Ghosn, on various financial misconduct allegations, have grown louder after Saikawa acknowledged last week that he had received dubious payments. The income was linked to the stock price of Nissan Motor Co., and he has said his pay got inflated by illicitly adjusting the date for cashing in. The automaker's board met to look into the allegations against Saikawa, as well as other issues related to Ghosn's allegations and corporate ethics at the company. Kimura said the income Saikawa had received was confirmed as "not illegal." Ghosn, who is out on bail and awaiting trial, says he's innocent. Kimura and three other board members, who all have backgrounds outside the company, said their investigation of the scandal over Ghosn's arrest found that alleged misconduct by Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a former board member who was also arrested, had caused 35 billion yen ($350 million) in damage to the company. Nissan will seek a repayment of the damages, Kimura said. The board said about 10 candidates are being considered as a replacement for Saikawa. They did not identify them, but said outsiders and non-Japanese are on the list. Until a successor is decided, Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi will serve as interim chief, the board said. Saikawa has not been charged. "I have been trying to do what needs to be done so that I can pass the baton over as soon as possible," he told reporters earlier in the day, referring to his willingness to leave his job. Saikawa did not appear at the news conference initially, but the four board members who led the event said he would later. Saikawa has said he didn't know about the improprieties, promised to return the money and blamed the system he said Ghosn had created at Nissan for the dubious payments. Japanese media reports said Saikawa had received tens of millions of yen (hundreds of thousands of dollars) in extra compensation.

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge revealed ahead of Detroit

As fast as Infiniti is on the track with its sponsored Formula One racecar, the automaker sure is taking its time releasing details for the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept. This performance- and aero-tuned version of the Q50 sedan is heading for a big debut at the Detroit Auto Show, and Infiniti just released a new image and some more info on what we can only hope is a glimpse at future Infiniti Performance Line (IPL) products.
Influenced by the Red Bull Racing program, Infiniti's design team gave the Q50 a substantial once over with the concept getting an entirely new body compared to the production version of the luxury sedan making it both lower and wider. Previewed by an earlier teaser, the face of the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept has a mean look with massive intakes and a carbon fiber splitter. This new image also shows off additional cues like the lightweight, 21-inch wheels as well as the carbon fiber roof, side sills and door mirrors. While we only get this single image of the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept, Infiniti promises a carbon fiber rear splitter, dual exhaust and a "large integrated rear spoiler."
There is still no word on what handling or engine upgrades are in store, but hopefully those GT-R-inspired hood vents are only a hint at something monstrous lurking beneath the hood. Check out the full press release posted below for a few more details on the car, but we expect Infiniti to drop some more info on the Eau Rouge Concept before its official debut.

New details emerge on Inifiniti QX50’s unique new variable-compression engine

Infiniti will release the world's first production variable-compression engine when it releases the 2019 QX50 midsize SUV sometime next year. Now we have some new details on the innovative new engine, which Infiniti is calling VC-T, for Variable Compression Turbo, after the luxury brand offered a prototype test drive. We wrote extensively about the complicated technology underpinning the new engine last year. It's the latest novel development that could represent a range-extender, if you will, for the embattled internal combustion engine in an era when automakers and governments are shifting their focus to electric vehicles. The VC-T is a new inline-four, 2.0-liter that combines the power of a high-performance turbo gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel engine, but without the latter's notorious emissions. It features the ability to seamlessly raise or lower the stroke of the pistons in the combustion chamber, depending on the driving conditions it detects and inputs from the driver, to select the best compression ratio—anywhere between 8:1, typical for high-performance engines, and 14:1 for high efficiency. In essence, it delivers the performance of a V6 but is much more efficient, with improved fuel efficiency of between 10 to 15 percent with its best competitors, per Car and Driver. You can view how it works in motion via the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It's also quieter, more lightweight and compact than V6 engines with comparable power outputs, estimated at 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. In a prototype test drive, Car and Driver writes that the engine "felt very conventional" and responsive, with strong and smooth acceleration. "The only indication you have that the compression ratio is changing is from an indicator in the instrument cluster next to the boost gauge." The engine is expected to deliver fuel economy gains of 27 percent in combined city-highway EPA rating over the outgoing QX50, which had a 3.7-liter V6. The 2019 model, fitted with the VC-T, should get about 26 mpg in combined fuel economy, and it will get to 60 mph almost one second faster than its four-cylinder counterparts, Nissan's chief powertrain engineer, Shinichi Kiga, told Automotive News. The VC-T engine is the result of 20 years of development spanning more than 100 prototypes and around 300 patents at Nissan.