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2015 Nissan Pulsar and Pulsar Nismo Concept show Jekyll and Hyde for the hatch

Nissan is showing two very different sides of its new Pulsar five-door hatchback (on the right) at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. On one hand you get to see the standard version hoping to take the fight to popular European models like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, but also on the stage is our first glimpse at the Pulsar Nismo Concept (above) that demonstrates the vehicle's more devilish side.
The standard Pulsar is hoping to make a dent in the Euro C-segment ranks. It rides on the same platform as the Nissan Qashqai crossover and is actually about 2.4-inches longer than the Golf. Power comes from a trio of choices. There are 1.2-liter and 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engines with 113 horsepower and 187 hp, respectively, and a 1.5-liter diesel with 108 hp. CVTs are offered with them all. The Pulsar is also available with a variety of safety tech, including forward emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring.
However, the real excitement comes from the new Nismo Concept. Nissan is clear that it's "only a design study at this stage," but the sporty hatch imagines a flagship for the Pulsar range. It gets the full suite of Nismo goodies with a suspension dropped to the floor and sharper steering. The exterior also benefits from big air intakes in the front bumper, a rear diffuser with central exhausts, flared fenders and carbon fiber trim pieces. The whole thing is finished in satin gray with the division's traditional red trim. The interior has the same motif with race seats and a three-spoke steering wheel.

Nissan 'Ride of Your Life' campaign turns an Altima into a race car [w/video]

Nissan definitely makes some exciting vehicles. The GT-R has received continuous improvements to keep it at the head of the pack in the performance car world. And the Leaf might not bring driving intensity, but its technology is quite impressive. However, there is nothing especially thrilling about the Altima. Granted, it races in the Australian V8 Supercars series, but that car really only shares its basic shape with the production version. So it may see surprising that the Japanese automaker is hoping to inject some drama into its midsize sedan with its new Ride of Your Life ad campaign.
The project is pretty clever. Nissan invited several people to the Horse Thief Mile circuit at Willow Springs Raceway for a ride in an Altima racecar. After a few laps with a professional driver around the course, they pulled into the pits, and the passengers got a big surprise. We won't spoil what happens for you. You can check it out in the video below.
The concept is somewhat similar to Toyota's thrill ride ads for the Camry last year. Both promotions try to show that that these four-door, family sedans can be more than just boring transportation. Nissan's commercials will begin airing on TV soon. The automaker hopes to excite potential Altima buyers ahead of its upcoming national sales event. Scroll down to watch the video to find out the big secret and read the full release about the campaign.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.