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Nissan GT-R Nismo 'Ring time makes it track's 'fastest volume production car' [w/video]

Performance cars are fun to drive and all, but at the end of the day ,owners drop big bucks on what are often ridiculously unpractical vehicles for the bragging rights. And when it comes to ultimate bragging rights, few get more publicized than lap times for everyone's favorite stretch of German pavement, the Nürburgring. Enter the 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo.
After rumors about a 7:08 lap time appeared yesterday, Nissan confirmed has confirmed the news today with video footage of the run, which took place on September 30. The official lap time is just seven minutes and 8.679 seconds, putting the GT-R Nismo about 11 seconds off the pace of the Porsche 918 Spyder - some six seconds quicker than the far costlier Lexus LFA. Some admitted - but hard-to-spot - missteps by Nissan driver Michael Krumm would indicate that the car actually left some time on the table.
With this time, Nissan claims that the 595-horsepower GT-R Nismo is the "fastest volume production car" around the track. The definition of "volume" could surely be contested here, though, considering the small numbers in which the GT-R is sold. While we don't have global GT-R sales figures, this year has only seen 1,063 units sold through October, and there were close to 1,300 sold in all of 2011 and about 1,200 in 2012. While this loosely defined claim will only add to the Nürburgring lap time squabbling, it is no less impressive. Check out the record run for yourself in the video below, which is accompanied by an official press release.

Recharge Wrap-up: Zero to debut 2015 lineup, Nissan extends New Mobility carsharing in Japan

Nissan is extending its carsharing service in Yokohama, Japan for another year. The service, called "Choimobi Yokohama," will use data gathered during its first year to make improvements going forward, including new payment options. The one-way service provides users zero-emission driving with Nissan's New Mobility Concept EVs. Nissan will scale back the number of vehicles from 70 to 50 for the second year. As of September 15, membership was at 10,651 users. Read more in the press release, below. In other Nissan news, the company has a new ad showcasing the benefit of the Leaf's available torque. The video depicts one of the fun parts of driving an EV, which is having 100 percent of the torque available from zero rpm, and shows a Leaf driver pulls away quickly from a stoplight in an impromptu drag race. The ad finishes by reminding Leaf drivers to "use your torque wisely." Watch it below. Analysts predict a booming EV charging infrastructure in South Korea. Government subsidies will encourage this rapid expansion, as the Ministry of Environment South Korea has a plan to fully fund level 2 chargers, plus the installation fee for DC chargers. The availability and shorter charging time of these stations are likely to help convince people to adopt EVs, as well. Analysts at Frost & Sullivan predict 90,000 charging stations around the country by 2020, as you can see in the press release below. Zero Motorcycles is set to debut its 2015 line of electric motorcycles. They will first be unveiled at Intermot in Cologne, Germany beginning September 30. The new all-electric models will then see their US launch at AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida beginning October 16. Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Marketing Scot Harden says, "We are confident that the new line will exceed expectations and look forward to seeing how the motorcycle world responds." Read more in the press release, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan Extends its Groundbreaking 'Choimobi Yokohama' Car Sharing Service for Another Year YOKOHAMA, Japan (September 19, 2014) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and the City of Yokohama revealed today that they will extend the one-year trial run of the first large-scale One-way Car Sharing Service in Japan, called "Choimobi Yokohama," for another year. The service, which kicked off on October 11, 2013, features Nissan's New Mobility Concept electric vehicles.

Carlos Ghosn projects Renault-Nissan for #3 position by 2018

As the chief executive of both Renault and Nissan, Carlos Ghosn is one of the most powerful executives in the automotive industry. But at 60, he'll have to retire sooner than later: he's got three and a half years left on his contract at Renault, which mandates retirement by 65. But before his time is up, he intends to leave the Renault-Nissan Alliance among the top three automakers in the world. Currently the combined sales of Nissan, Renault and its various brands (including Dacia, Datsun and Infiniti) make the alliance the fourth largest carmaker globally, trailing behind Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors, but ahead of Hyundai, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Honda. But Ghosn sees the alliance's sales (and global market share) increasing in the next three years. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Ghosn projected confidently that the alliance will hit the number three spot by 2018 – just three years from now. To get there, Ghosn knows that Nissan and Infiniti will need to increase their combined market share to 10 percent in the United States, growing around 2 to 3 percent each year between now and 2018. The challenge is that much more evident in North America where only half of the alliance participates. But it's not all about America. Ghosn also the Chinese market as equally vital to the alliance's success and that of its constituent automakers, projecting continued growth in China for the foreseeable future. He's also banked heavily on the Russian market, which may have dipped now, but in Ghosn's view is bound to recover. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Renault-Nissan Alliance Nissan Renault renault-nissan alliance