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Carlos Ghosn 'surprised' by reports of French international arrest warrant

PARIS - Carlos Ghosn, the former car executive at the helm of Renault and Nissan, was "surprised" by earlier media reports which stated that French prosecutors had issued an international arrest for him, said a spokesperson for Ghosn. "This is surprising, Ghosn has always co-operated with French authorities," a spokesperson for Ghosn told Reuters. The spokesperson for Ghosn was reacting after the Wall Street Journal and French media reported that French prosecutors had issued an international arrest warrant for Ghosn. An investigating magistrate issued five international arrest warrants against Ghosn and the current owners or former directors of the Omani company Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, a vehicle distributor in Oman, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said to The Wall Street Journal. They allege Ghosn funneled millions of dollars of Renault funds through the Omani car distributor for his personal use, including for the purchase of a 120-foot yacht. The local prosecutor for Nanterre could not be immediately reached for comment. Ghosn told Reuters in an interview last year that he was prepared for a lengthy process to clear his name with French authorities, and vowed to challenge an Interpol warrant that is barring him from travel outside of Lebanon.

The Nissan Patrol may become America's next Armada

Plausible rumors are swirling that the Nissan Patrol, the Land Cruiser rival sold outside of North America, might come to the US as a replacement for the unrelated Nissan Armada. That large SUV's future was left ambiguous after the news of the Xterra's discontinuation, as Nissan's press release ominously promised information on the Armada "at a later date" without further elaboration. That left us scratching our heads and thinking that, perhaps, it would be quietly killed off in the future. If the rumors are true, it will be. And then it will be reborn. It'll join its old platform-mate, the Infiniti QX80, on the Patrol platform. The QX abandoned its Titan-based platform in 2011, becoming the Patrol-based QX80. So you can think of the Armada as catching up, a few years late. The QX80 was refreshed last year, a mainly cosmetic nip-and-tuck. The Infiniti utilizes the 5.6-liter, 400-hp V8 and a 7-speed auto, so it's a safe bet that this powertrain will make it into the Armada version. Less likely, but plausible, would be the availability of the new powertrains intended for the Titan XD and upcoming lower-grade Titans. The massive SUV market tends to be a bit conservative, so the Cummins diesel V8 that's the sole engine in the Titan XD right now seems unlikely. The forums are abuzz with a photo of what's purported to be a leaked marketing image of the new Armada, so head to this TitanXDForum thread if you'd like to see what that's about. (Spoiler: it looks a lot like the Patrol above, minus some of the Nismo flair.) Related Video:

Carlos Ghosn takes a walk in a park, as lawyer apologizes for disguise

TOKYO — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn was seen walking in a Tokyo park on Friday, two days after his release in a strange disguise from a Japanese detention center. Ghosn, this time in sunglasses and a Stanford baseball cap (his daughter Caroline's alma mater), was spotted outdoors twice on Friday, strolling outside in the crisp March air. He and several others, believed to be his wife and daughters, visited a downtown Tokyo garden as members of the media trailed them and watched. The intense media attention was what led Ghosn's lawyers to suggest he leave the Tokyo Detention Center after his release on bail Wednesday in a laborer's outfit of cap, surgical mask and high-visibility vest, attorney Takashi Takano said. Many were baffled by the somewhat transparent disguise, which has riveted Japanese tabloid media. One TV show re-enacted his departure. Takano said in a blog post that he took full responsibility for what he called the "theater of disguise." He apologized for its failure. The outfit was confusing but didn't deter media from tracking the small van he traveled in after his release, in a spectacle broadcast live on television. "My immature plan, as a result, has tarnished the reputation that he has devoted his whole life to build," Takano said of his client. Takano asked the media to respect Ghosn's privacy. That plea appeared to go unheeded as cameramen closely followed the celebrity executive as those walking with him stared straight ahead in apparent annoyance. Ghosn, who headed the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance, has been charged with falsifying financial reports, under-reporting his income and breach of trust in having Nissan Motor Co. shoulder personal investment losses and make payments to a Saudi businessman. He says he is innocent and that the income allegedly under-reported was never paid or decided, that Nissan never suffered the investment losses and the payments were for legitimate services. In Japan, suspects are routinely kept in detention until preparations for their trials are ready, meaning they are often detained for months. The court rejected two earlier requests by Ghosn for bail. Ghosn led Nissan for two decades, saving the Yokohama-based automaker from near bankruptcy. He was arrested on Nov. 19.