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Nissan ReviewsThe Nissan name was first used in 1933, but the company's history goes back much further. Originally known as Kwaishinsha Motorcar Works, the company produced its first automobile, the DAT, in 1914. DAT later became Datsun (son of DAT) in 1931 and Datsuns went on to become the first mass-produced vehicles in Japan. Americans got their first look at the Datsun in 1958 - the 1200 Sedan. The Datsun 240Z was released as a 1970 model and it became the best selling sports car in the world, selling 500,000 units in less than 10 years. |
Yes, we know the drill: range will vary with an EV, even more so than with a gas car. Nissan has now set out a number of scenarios to project the range of its Leaf EV. It confirms what we’ve been saying all along: this is not the car to buy if you like driving fast. There’s little doubt that a Baruthian blast could deplete one in some 30 miles or less. On the other hand, if you like driving at a steady 38 mph… Read More >
We’ve spent a lot of time in the sixties and seventies lately, probably alienating some of our younger readers, so lets set the time machine a bit closer to home. Why did I pick this? Because I think its a pretty fine looking car, as well as being one of the last of its genre: affordable fun-to-drive, lightweight RWD coupes. Kind of ironic, that this vintage of the SX/Silvia was a looker, because most of its predecessors sure weren’t. Some things do improve with age. Read More >
Toyota, king of the hybrids, won’t sell their first plug-in hybrid before 2012. But they already have their kind of a perception gap. The car will be able to go 23km (14.29 miles) on battery alone, then, the ICE engine will kick in and start making electricity. However, research shows that only a few people know about the electric-only feature. Or do they care at all? Read More >
When someone tells you “you’ll save a lot of money,” always ask: “How much will it cost me?” New technology that saves you a lot of money usually comes with a nasty habit: It costs a lot upfront. With a car, you are faced with the dilemma whether to pay Big Car now or Big Oil later. I never forget when I was a young copywriter and I had the task of launching the first diesel powered Golf. I extolled its prudence at the pump and its longevity. Whereupon a grizzled old guy at the advertising department of Volkswagen said: “That thing is expensive. You need to drive 80,000 km to get your money back. By that time, the engine will fall out of the car.” (VW had some corrosion issues back when.) That introspection was triggered by two events: Ed is in Michigan, he has a date with the Volt. His mission: Find out when you will get your money back. Then there’s Mazda, which did something utterly boring, but likewise highly exciting. Read More >
You’d think that joint ventures with Chinese car makers would be hell-bent on underscoring their foreignness. That’s what sets them apart from Chinese cars. The Chinese customer is no fool and exactly knows whether a 3-series is made by Brilliance in China or by BMW in Bavaria. But push comes to shove, a car with a foreign nameplate has more cachet in China than homegrown produce. Which makes this new trend even more wondrous: More and more joint ventures turn out their own through-and-through Chinese cars. Read More >
Nissan will finally unleash its upgraded GT-R. It will be available in Japan next month. NA and EU will be graced by it come February. It’s leitmotif: More power, less filling. Read More >
Executives at GM Europe were reportedly outraged when “Mr Opel” jumped ship to arch-rival VW, after the Wolfsburg boys entered an alliance with Suzuki. After all, Demant had been instrumental in developing the Opel Agila, a rebadge of the Suzuki Splash built in Hungary. Since Demant’s departure, Opel has left the Agila to the wolves, saying it would develop an all-new “premium” city car, to take on VW’s Up head-on. VW’s response: deciding that its Euro-focused Up was too expensive for the booming Indian market, and announcing to Autocar that instead it would… rebadge Suzukis. The Suzuki Alto (aka Maruti Suzuki A-Star aka Suzuki Celerio, aka Nissan Pixo) will form the basis of an entry level Indian VW, while the Suzuki Wagon R will underpin an Indian Skoda model. Because nothing builds a global brand like a good rebadge (just ask GM). Sounds like Demant should be pulling a paycheck from Suzuki as well as from VW.
For a while, TTAC has been tracking a strange story: Instead of exporting cars, Japanese carmakers (or should we call them factorymakers?) increasingly resort to exporting car factories. The higher and higher yen makes exports prohibitively expensive. On the other hand, a higher and higher yen buys more and more production capacity abroad. From Nissan to Mitsubishi, there is a chorus that sings the song that suddenly, people in low wage countries can make high quality cars. Now nobody would assume that Japanese carmakers plan a wholesale desertion of the land of Nippon, right? Wrong.
Today, we find an odd statement in The Nikkei [sub]: Toyota denies that they will leave Japan. At least not now … Read More >
Yesterday, we reported that Ford and Mazda will be parting ways completely, after having lived married, but separated for a while. Ford will retain a token “3 percent or less” interest, why is anybody’s guess. Question for Mazda: What now? In January, we said: “What Mazda needs are strong partners in strong markets.” Back when, the Nikkei [sub] thought Mazda could get closer with Toyota, based on the fact that Mazda decided to procure a hybrid system from Toyota. That alone doesn’t make for a marriage. You won’t marry Safeway, just because you shop there. Toyota wants to become the systems house for hybrids, just like BMW will sell its engines to anyone with money. Read More >
After ruling the American roads for most of the 1990s and 2000s, the conventional midsize SUV has rapidly become an endangered species. GM, Ford, and others have abandoned the segment entirely. The Grand Cherokee, from its inception intended for more of an on-road role than other Jeeps, has become ever more refined and luxurious in a bid to survive. Nissan still offers the Pathfinder, but will it still be a conventional SUV if and when it’s redesigned? The Borrego? A mistake Kia won’t be making a second time. Only one company has had the guts and/or cluelessness to recently redesign a midsize SUV that is first and foremost an SUV. Could the 2010 Toyota 4Runner be the last of its kind?
Read More >
A couple of days ago I wrote about how Peugeot is looking to South East Asia for the next area of big growth. I also mentioned in the article how Peugeot will have a tough time trying to crack that market. Toyota, Honda and Nissan already have a pretty tight grip on that area. Well, it appears that Toyota has put forward their first defensive stroke. Read More >
Alfa Romeo 
Allard
1954 Allard K2 (outtake)
American Motors (incl. Nash; but not Jeep) 
*1961 Rambler Classic Cross Country
1964 Rambler Classic 770 Coupe
1971 AMC Gremlin (1971 Small Car Comparison)
British Motors/BLM/Austin/Morris/Triumph/Rover/Sterling/Etc.
1987 Sterling 825 SL (Rover 825i)
BMW 
1972 BMW 2002Tii – The Second Most Influential Modern Car In America
Buick
1956 Buick Century Riviera Hardtop 
1967 Buick Electra 225: The Jayne Mansfield Of Convertibles
1986 Buick Riviera: GM’s Deadly Sin #1
1990 Buick Roadmaster Woody Wagon (Outtake)
Cadillac
1950 Cadillac Vintage Hot Rod Series 61 Coupe 
(the official CC Logo-mobile)
1954 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan: GM’s Greatest Hit #2
1962 Cadillac Series 62 Six-Window Sedan
1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Outtake)
1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (the first CC)
1977 Seville – GM’s Deadly Sin #11
1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Classic Coupe
Checker
1967 Checker Marathon (also Checker Motors History)
Chevrolet 
1962 Corvette – The Marilyn Monroe Of Cars [NSFW]
1965 Corvair Monza: The Best European Car Ever Made In America
1967 Chevrolet El Camino (Outtake)
1968 Chevrolet Impala Coupe (with Olds 455 engine)
1970 Camaro RS: GM’s Greatest Hits #1
1970 Chevrolet Impala: The Best Big Car Of Its Time
1971 Chevrolet Vega: GM’s Deadly Sin #2 (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)
1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic: GM’s Deadly Sin #7
1979 Caprice Classic: GM’s Greatest Hit #3
1980 Citation – GM’s Deadliest Sin Ever
1987 Turbo Sprint (Suzuki Cultus)
1989 Camaro RS: GM’s Deadly Sin #6
1990 Corvette: GM’s Deadly Sin #9
1990 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ (Outtake)
2000 & 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Coupes (Outtake)
Chevrolet Trucks 
1950 Chevrolet COE truck (Outtake)
1980 Chevy Vanup (Outtake)
1977 Chevy LUV Long Bed Pickup (Outtake)
1983 Chevy S-10 Blazer: GM’s Deadly Sin #5
Chrysler/Imperial
1960 Imperial Crown Southampton: The Frankenstein Of Cars
1987 Fifth Avenue Edition – Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #2 
Cisitalia
Citroen
Daihatsu
Datsun/Nissan
The First Mini-Pickups: Datsun’s 1964, 1967 and 1969 Pickups
1970 Datsun 510 (Bluebird/1600) 
The Revolutionary 1971 Datsun 240Z
1976 Datsun 710 Wagon (Outtake)
1977 Datsun F-10: The Ugliest Car Ever?
1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon (Prairie)
1989 Nissan 240SX (S13) and Silvia/SX History
1990 Infiniti M30 Coupe (Outtake)
Infiniti Q45 gen1 & gen2 (Outtake)
Dodge 
1974 Dodge D-100 “Gypsy Wagon” Camper
Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #1: 1976 Plymouth Volare And Dodge Aspen
1978 Dodge Omni (and Plymouth Horizon): Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car
1982 Dodge Rampage mini-pickup
1983 Dodge Aries (The Original K-Car) 
1985 Dodge Ram Van (Caravan C/V) (Outtake)
Fiat 
Ford
1950 Hot Rod Ford: A True Love Story
1961 Thunderbird Convertible – The American Dream Car
1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Coupe (Outtake)
1971 Ford Pinto (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)
1975 Mustang Cobra II-Ford’s Deadly Sin #1
1984 Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer
1985 Ford EXP: Ford’s Ugly Little Sin
1986 Ford Tempo: A Deadly Sin? Mostly
1989 Ford Festiva – Shitbox Shootout Loser (Winner)
1995 Ford ZX2 With Lambo Doors (Outtake)
Ford Trucks
The Ultimate CC: 1956 Ford F-350 Still Hard At Work Six Days A Week 
1960 Ford F-600 Truck Also Still Hard At Work
1965 Econoline SuperVan Camper
Geo
GMC & GM Coach 
1947 PD-3751 Greyhound Bus “Silversides” – The First Modern Diesel Bus
GMC TDH-4523 “New Look” Transit Bus
Grumman
Honda
1963 Honda T360/T500 trucks (history)
1973 Honda Civic – The Revolutionary Small Car
1976 Honda Accord: The Most Influential Modern Car In America
1980-1983 Civics – When Honda’s Mojo Was Working
1985 Honda Civic CR-X (Outtake)
Hyundai
1988 Hyundai Excel – The Damn Near Deadly Sin
International
1964 International Travelette Pickup
Isuzu 
Jaguar
Jeep 
1987 Wagoneer (XJ) Outtake
Jensen
Kia 
gen1 Kia Sportage shorty (Outtake)
LaForza
1989 Laforza 5 Liter (Outtake)
Lincoln/Continental
An Illustrated History of Lincoln Up To 1961
1946 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1968 Lincoln Continental (Outtake)
1970 Lincoln Continental Coupe
Mack 
Mazda
Mercedes 
Mercedes 207D and other older Mercedes Vans/Small Buses
Mercury
1968 Cougar – Mercury’s Greatest (only) Hit
1970 Mercury Montego Coupe (Outtake) 
1978 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham
Steam Injected 1978 Mercury Bobcat
Ford’s Sin of Name Debasement: 1981 Mercury Cougar
Military Vehicles (no brand name)
Mitsubishi 
1987 Mitsubishi Precis (Outtake)
Oldsmobile 
1963 Olds Dynamic 88 Convertible
Opel 
Packard
Panhard
Panhard Dyna Junior X-87 Roadster 
Plymouth
1965 Plymouth Valiant Wagon: The Ultimate A-Body – Daily Long-Distance Driver
1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)
1978 Plymouth Horizon: Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car
1983 Plymouth Colt & 198o Champ
Pontiac
1963 Tempest LeMans: Pontiac Tries To Build A BMW Before BMW Built Theirs And Almost Succeeds
1963 Pontiac Catalina: The Sexiest Big Car Of Its Time
1971 Pontiac Ventura II: GM’s Deadly Sin #3
1976 Pontiac Firebird (Outtake)
1984 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham: GM’s Deadly Sin #8
Pontiac Transvertible and Trans Sport
1987 Sunbird GT: The Exciting Collectable Deadly Sin
1990 Le Mans (Daewoo) GM’s Deadly Sin #12
Porsche 
Renault
Renault R-17 (Outtake)
Saab
Saturn
1991 Saturn SL2: GM’s Deadly Sin #4
Simca
1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)
Studebaker 
1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
Subaru
1977 Subaru Four Wheel Drive Wagon: The First Of Its Kind 
Sunbeam
1965 Sunbeam Tiger – The Other Cobra
Suzuki 
1979 Suzuki Jimny (LJ80/SJ20) Pickup
Toyota
1971 Toyota Corolla (1971 Small Car Comparison)
1976 Toyota Corolla Liftback (editorial)
1983 Toyota Starlet: The Most Reliable Car Ever Built?
1984 Toyota Celica Supra Mk II
Vauxhall
1966 (Vauxhall) Envoy Epic (guest writer)
Volkswagen
1960 VW Bus (Type 2) Westfalia
1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle (Small Car Comparison)
1972 VW Super Beetle Cabriolet (Outtake)
1974 VW 412: Volkswagen’s Deadly Sin #1
1975 VW Rabbit/Golf Mk.I: The Most Influential Modern Global Car
Volvo
RVs
Ultra Van: Cross An Airplane With A Corvair For The Ultimate RV
1985 Winnebago LeSharo Turbo Diesel
Concours
The Curbside Classic Treasure Hunt: Skinner Butte District
The Curbside Classic Graveyard: May They Rust In Peace
The Official Curbside Classic Sales Lot: All $895 Or Less
Holiday Market: Eighty Parking Lot Curbside Classics
Miscellaneous: 
OK, we get it. Ford’s all-new global Ranger is “90 percent of an F-150” and it would make as much sense to sell it here as it would for Toyota to sell the Hilux alongside Tacomas and Tundras. We may not completely buy the argument that Fiesta, Focus and F-150 make for an adequate replacement to a true compact pickup in the US, but having starved that segment for so long, it’s understandable that Ford would now leave it to die. After all, nobody’s offered a truly new compact pickup for so long, it’s almost impossible to say whether the consumers or manufacturers killed off the once-burgeoning segment of efficient, utilitarian trucks.
With Mahindra struggling to offer its diesel pickups to American dealers, we aren’t holding out much hope of anything compact pickup-related changing anytime soon. Sure, there are whispers of a GM compact pickup in development (and some promising talk from Nissan), but that’s strictly in “wild ass rumor” territory. Meanwhile, VW is trying to apeal to more American consumers, doesn’t have a full-size truck lineup to cannibalize, and yet refuses to send its Amarok stateside. If any of the automakers is going to take a risk on compact (preferably diesel) pickups, Volkswagen seems like the one to do it. Alternatively, Mazda has its own version of the new Ranger and no full-sizers to cannibalize. Someone step up here!
Given the controversy of the Volt (earned or not), GM is being closely watched from all angles. Some people think that GM hasn’t changed. Others think that this may delay GM’s IPO. But, ironically what hasn’t changed, despite the witch-hunt of GM’s owners, is Toyota’s unwavering support of GM. Read More >
Since we questioned Motor Trend’s decision to claim that it got 127 MPG in a Chevrolet Volt without publishing a trip log, the buff book has apparently come to terms with the fact that the Volt is “as efficient as you want it to be.” In a piece dismissively subtitled “Yes, Your Mileage May Vary. Welcome to the Real World,” MT Editor-in-Chief Angus Mackenzie publishes MT’s Volt test trip log, but not before harumphing
For decades we have routinely published “MT Observed” fuel economy numbers as part of our road test data. And apart from the odd complaint that we journalists always seem to have a heavy right foot, those numbers have drawn few comments. Until our Chevy Volt test.
No surprise, perhaps. After all, 127 mpg is a pretty big number. But, as outlined on the next page, it’s a real number. It’s what we observed during our test.
Except that nobody (here at TTAC anyway) was surprised at the size of the number. Because of the Volt’s unique drivetrain, it would have been eminently possible to record 300 MPG, given enough recharges. What was surprising is that a publication would throw out a meaningless number and then wait a day (and a call-out) to condescendingly provide the raw data behind their test. And even then, still not point out that the Volt’s post-EV range efficiency (described by MT in terms of “EV/Gas miles”) was actually under 36 MPG (in line with tests conducted by MT’s buff book “peers”). Finally, it might have been appropriate for MT to explain that, on this particular test anyway, a Nissan Leaf would have needed one extra charge (over the night of the 22nd-23rd) but would have returned infinite MPG (though the 100 mile claimed range would have been properly tested on the 23rd). But there we go being inconveniently rude again… and who are we to turn up our noses at MT’s (belated) transparency?
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