2022 Nissan Kicks Sv on 2040-cars

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Nissan had to re-edit this commercial two times to placate Aussie ad watchdog [w/poll]

Nissan recently aired a commercial in Australia for its Pulsar SSS hatchback - think of it as a five-door relative of our Sentra - in which a couple is seen hastily making their way to the hospital ahead of giving birth. But the ad you can watch now isn't the same ad that aired originally - in fact, Nissan had to re-edit the commercial twice before the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) would accept it.
According to Go Auto, the original ad received complaints that it depicted unsafe and reckless driving, including speeding, following cars too closely and screeching to a halt upon arriving at the hospital. One of the complaints reportedly read: "The advertisement promotes driving behavior (rapid acceleration/deceleration/changes of direction) that is counter to sound medical advice regarding the carriage of heavily pregnant women in motor vehicles."
In the first edit, Nissan lowered the vehicle's engine noise, removed the woman's speech urging the man to drive faster ("Go, go, go!") and inserted a disclaimer that read "Filmed under controlled conditions," according to Go Auto, but all of that still wasn't enough to appease the ASB.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8 markups declining, Nissan offering discounted Leaf lease buyouts

Zipcar has published the results of an independent study on "Urban Boomers." KRC Research surveyed city-dwelling, healthy adults aged 50 to 69, and found that they are fond of technology and are more active – but drive less – after moving to the city. Many still feel car ownership is important, and often don't get rid of a car they already own, but they find alternative forms of transportation important, too. Even though it is often thought of as a bigger draw for millenials, Zipcar feels that these findings indicate that Urban Boomers are an important demographic for carsharing companies. See the results of the study in the slideshow from Zipcar. Nissan is offering lease buyout credits of up to $5,000 for its Leaf EV. Depending on the region, 2012 and 2013 models get a Leaf Gross Payoff discount of up to $5,000, with 2011 models garnering up to $1,500 off. Some dealers may also offer an additional $1,500 discount. It's possible that Nissan wants to encourage lessees to purchase their Leafs after residual values of the car dropped by about six percent in May. Some potential long-term owners could also be concerned over battery life, or be tempted by the updated Leaf slated for the 2017 model year. Read more at Green Car Reports. Dealership markups for the BMW i8 are dwindling. Actual costs of the attractive plug-in hybrid are nearing sticker prices after high demand and short supply led many dealers to exact a higher price for the car. BMW recently announced it would double production of the i8 to help meet demand, which could be behind the declining markups. The i8 has a base MSRP of $136,500, plus $950 in destination fees. Read more at Green Car Reports. Featured Gallery 2015 BMW i8 in Petoskey, MI Related Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf: First Drive View 15 Photos News Source: Slideshare, Green Car Reports, Green Car Reports via ZipcarImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Green BMW Nissan Green Automakers Transportation Alternatives Ownership Electric recharge wrapup

Infiniti's new VC-T changes the rules of small turbocharged engines

The upcoming Infiniti QX50 crossover does not get our pulse racing, no matter how shapely the QX Sport Inspiration concept that previews it may be. No midsize SUV does, to be fair. But it has something special under the hood – the world's first production variable-compression-ratio engine. That means the QX50's 2.0-liter turbo four, which makes 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque, will have up to 27 percent better fuel economy. Here's how it works. The trend of moving to smaller, turbocharged engines carries with it one big falsehood. Under low load when the turbo isn't needed, these engines are less efficient than an equivalent engine without a turbo because of the low compression ratio the turbo requires. That is, if you never need the extra power, you're wasting fuel. Turbocharged (and supercharged) engines use a lower compression ratio to prevent detonation. When you force extra air in a cylinder and mix it with fuel, it's more likely to prematurely go boom. Lowering the compression ratio prevents this problem, but it's less efficient. Infiniti's VC-T promises the best of both worlds, with a compression ratio that ranges from 8.0:1 for high-power turbo needs to a 14.0:1 ratio for fuel-sipping efficiency. At its heart the VC-T engine is a simple idea, but it's complicated to explain. Consider yourself warned. The photo below from Infiniti serves as a good visual overview. For the truly nerdy, this patent application covers the mechanical concept. Instead of having the pistons connected to the crankshaft, Infiniti's engine has a pivot arm with a connection on each end. One end connects to the piston, the other connects to a second lower shaft, which is controlled by an actuator arm. At any given time the engine's pistons move up and down according to the lobes on the crankshaft. But the actuator arm can change the angle of the pivot arm up and down. That is, the pistons still move in the same motion with the same stroke, but phase the entire stroke up or down. Move the pivot up and there's less room at the top, which means a higher compression ratio. Move the pivot down and the compression ratio goes down, too. As an added bonus, the lower shaft eliminates the need for counter-rotating balance shafts. Infiniti says this system works constantly and can vary the compression ratio to any number between 8:1 and 14:1. It also uses electronic variable valve timing on the intake valves to switch into Atkinson-cycle combustion for greater efficiency.