2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 on 2040-cars

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Next Nissan GT-R to take cues from GT-R LM Nismo Le Mans entry

For those wondering why Nissan named its coming Le Mans Prototype the GT-R LM Nismo, colliding the two worlds of sports car and prototype racing, an article in Autocar might have the answer. The deeper union is explained by saying that the next-generation GT-R will use "hybrid technology that will closely align it" with the GT-R LM Nismo.
The point could be further driven home by the fact that the GT-R LM Nismo will begin its FIA endurance racing campaign next year, and the next GT-R is due to debut next year as a 2016 model. The expectation is that it will use a hybrid system possibly dubbed R-Hybrid and perhaps developed by Williams. Just like performance car makers Ferrari and Audi, Nissan wants its racing efforts to pay off with road car technology, company vice president Andy Palmer saying they "want to link technological linkages between future evolutions of the GT-R and evolutions of what we do in LMP1, and the two do go in both directions."
The bigger question is, with the GT-R getting hybrid assistance, will it also get the weight gain that usually comes with it? Enthusiasts would love to see the trend reversed, especially on a car that's already no lightweight.

2013 Nissan Juke Nismo

Scratching All The Right Itches
Say what you will about the unconventional aesthetics that Nissan employed on the company's Juke. I love the thing. The universe has no shortage of ambiguously styled CUVs, and while I can't exactly say I would have turned to the amphibian world for design inspiration had it been me with the charcoal in my hand, I can certainly appreciate the fact that the Juke isn't just another box-on-box design.
And then there's that engine. The turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder under the hood is one of the best powerplants in the company's toy box, offering plenty of low-range torque and comical levels of thrust. Hell, it even makes the optional continuously variable transmission tolerable. Praise be to the deities of forced induction. But something has always been missing from the mix. From the first moment I got my hands on the Juke, I couldn't help but think how much better the machine would be if Nissan ditched an inch or two of ground clearance and sharpened up its suspension. Think more "hot hatch" and less "Kermit goes to Kroger."

2014 Nissan Serena offers big flexibility in a tidy package

In America, Nissan attempts to slake our kinschlepping needs with its slow-selling Quest minivan, but in Japan, where consumers seem a lot less reluctant to buy MPVs, there are a lot more models for every size family and budget. Nissan itself offers no fewer than six such minivans, including the popular Serena seen here.
Technically a mid-cycle facelift, this new Serena continues to offer seating for up to eight people with a gas-only or mild hybrid driveline delivering power to either the front or all four wheels. This Tokyo Motor Show reveal takes that familiar package and lends it a freshened look, complete with a revamped front fascia with less chrome frosting, optional LED headlamps, new LED taillamps and new alloy wheel patterns. In addition, the Serena receives new active safety technology, including lane departure warning systems, Around View Monitor with Moving Option Detection, Driver Attention Alert, and so on.
With only a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission, you might expect the Serena to be smaller than today's American minivans, and you'd be right - it's roughly the size of a short-wheelbase Gen III Dodge Caravan, making its seating capacity particularly impressive. Said another way, the Serena is likely to stay forbidden fruit, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it in our gallery.