2014 Nissan Versa on 2040-cars

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Nissan union wants French to stop meddling with Renault alliance

Nissan is getting some unexpected reinforcements in its ongoing battle with the French government over its involvement in Renault. Its Japanese union, which has traditionally been a very hands-off entity, issued harsh criticism for the French government's attempts to assert control over its alliance partner. According to Bloomberg, this is the first time in 16 years that Nissan's union has weighed on the company's affairs, and it's stating its position on the matter in no uncertain terms. The union called France's attempt at scoring double voting rights within Renault "unacceptable and against the intended spirit of the Alliance." "We support the numerous attempts of Nissan to engage with the French government to find a balanced and constructive solution that will benefit and strengthen the Alliance," the union said in a statement obtained by Reuters. It's unclear what impact the union speaking out will have on the current power struggle between Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn (shown above) and the French government, but we doubt it'll contribute to any quicker of a conclusion. Related Video: News Source: Reuters, BloombergImage Credit: Itsuo Inouye / AP Government/Legal Nissan Renault France renault-nissan alliance

Porsche 911 GT3 dukes it out with MP4-12C on track and GT-R on spectacular roads

The Porsche 911 GT3 has always been a favorite among auto journalists and car enthusiasts alike, but with the introduction of the new 991-generation GT3, which is the first GT3 with electric power steering and no manual gearbox option, how does it stack up to the competition from McLaren and Nissan?
Evo's Jethro Bovingdon attempts to answer that question by pitting the rear-engine Porsche against the mid-engine McLaren MP4-12C on a racetrack and the front-engine, all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R on some amazing, twisty European back roads. We won't give away the victor of either comparison, but we will say that, in Evo's test, the McLaren's 141-horsepower advantage doesn't give it as much of an edge over the Porsche on a racetrack as one might think, and the lack of a manual gearbox and the inclusion of electric power steering on the GT3 isn't detrimental to enjoying the car on a back road.
Watch the video below to find out which car Bovingdon prefers on road and track - we think you'll be happy to see him drift around turns every chance he gets.

Nissan prices limited-edition 2014 GT-R Track Edition from $115,710*

Nissan has released its pricing for the model-year 2014 GT-R, including the new Track Edition of Godzilla. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Premium will now command an MSRP of $99,590, while the Black Edition will go for $109,300 and the new Track Edition will ask $115,710 (*not including a $1,000 destination and handling charge for all models).
Nissan calls the GT-R Track Edition its most exclusive model, which makes sense as it will be limited to just 150 examples for the US market. The competition-ready Track Edition gets Bilstein DampTronic shocks and revised spring rates; all chosen after more development work by Nissan engineers at the Nürburgring. (Good work, if you can get it.) A carbon fiber rear spoiler and six-spoke black wheels come with the package, as do blue-trimmed, high-grip front seats inside. To save weight, the car's rear seats have been deleted in this model.
Continue down below to read Nissan's press release, or have a gander at the (quite large) gallery of 2014 Nissan GT-R images.