Volkswagen has the honor of being this year's top producing North American automotive manufacturer by a wide margin with its Puebla, Mexico facility. The factory managed to produce 510,041 units last year, beating out second-place Nissan and its Aguascalientes, Mexico plant by a staggering 149,245 units, according to Ward's Auto. Nissan jumped from third to second place after Toyota and its Georgetown plant dropped from the top five. Toyota and Honda both saw themselves ousted from the leader board after a year pockmarked by disruptions from earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
The Japanese automakers' vacancies made room for Hyundai and its facility in Montgomery, Alabama with 338,127 units to take fourth place. Ford, meanwhile, moved from fifth in 2010 to third in 2011 with 344,446 units from its Dearborn Truck plant. Nissan rounded out the top five last year with the company's plant in Smyrna, Tennessee taking the automaker's second spot on the list.
Ward's Auto reports Volkswagen enjoyed a boost from the popularity of the Jetta. That model alone helped push the company's Puebla facility to a 75,356 unit gain over last year's figures. Head over to Ward's to see the full report.
During the automaker's Quality Forum, reporters were told that Nissan had reduced "nonconforming deliveries," a euphemism for bad batches of parts from vendors, by 85 percent from 2007 to 2011. Yet problems remain, according to a report in Automotive News, with suppliers in North America - both the U.S. and Mexico - who account for 70 percent of Nissan's global nonconforming deliveries.
That statistic presents another challenge to Nissan's North American expansion plans. The company built a quarter of its global production here last year and it just announced a new complex in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Additionally, it has already confirmed a deal to build engines for Daimler and it has already suggested that it and Daimler will do more than just cooperate on small cars.
Nissan hasn't named suppliers, nor did it get into the kinds of issues it was having. It also isn't immediately clear what - if any - of these "nonconforming" parts are being assembled into vehicles that are shipped to dealers without getting flagged at a quality checkpoint somewhere along the assembly process. Even if all of the bad parts are caught ahead of delivery to customers, remedying the problem is likely to be costly and time-consuming.
Even so, Nissan is on the case, with AN reporting that the Japanese automaker has already cut the rate of nonconfirming deliveries by 85 percent globally since 2007.
When is a Nissan Juke not a Nissan Juke? When it's the 480-horsepower, Godzilla-powered Juke-R, that's when. Then it's a supercar-beater. And to prove the point, Nissan UK took its one-off super-crossover down to Dubai for a little street racing action.
So what did Nissan pit its Juke-R against? No, not other crossovers, but a pack of the leanest, meanest supercars on the market: the Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. We first saw video footage shot from the sidelines a couple of weeks ago, but since the publicity stunt proved so popular, Nissan responded by releasing an official, high-quality version, complete with in-car footage and plenty of tire squealing. Follow the jump to check it out.
The world would be considerably less entertaining if we could all predict the future. Even so, the classic car gurus at Hagerty Insurance have cast a few chicken bones in an attempt to figure out which vehicles produced today might eventually turn collectible.
For starters, it begins with none other than the mighty Buick Regal GS. Hagerty says the vehicle is a win because it's the first Buick with a manual transmission since the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. The Fiat 500 Abarth also makes an appearance alongside an even hotter hatch, the Volkswagen Golf R. Of course, we're simply thrilled to see the sinister Audi TT RS make a showing. Hit the jump for the full list or view each vehicle in our gallery above.
- Number sold in February: 800 (estimate. Perry recently said these two months were sold out or nearly sold out)
- Number of people who haven't had a chance to order because they live in a state where the Leaf is not yet for sale: 2,000 (according, again, to Perry)
- Number of people who cancelled (unknown)
= 12,400 people or so
Nissan's Katherine Zachary tells Autoblog that the company doesn't share cancellation data, so it's not possible for outsiders to know exactly how many of the 12,400 have raised and then lowered their hands. Zachary added, "We have new people coming into the process every day, so it's really a moving target." Still, somewhere out there, there could be 12,000 people who are patiently waiting to snatch up Nissan's 2012 Leaf production. Even if 50 percent of them cancelled, that still leaves many months of strong sales coming for Nissan in the U.S. this coming year, even as production ramps up.
One thing that Zachary was willing to share were the colors chosen by buyers for model year 2012 Leaf orders. They are:
Brilliant Silver - 24%
Blue Ocean - 23%
Glacier Pearl - 21%
Cayenne Red - 19%
Super Black - 14%
Given that Blue Ocean was the Leaf's "Launch Color," we're a bit surprised to see it being outsold by silver, if only just. If you were going to order a Leaf (or if you already have), what color would it be? Take our poll below.
For 2012, the funky little Nissan Note is getting some upgrading for its top two trims, the oddly named Acenta and N-TEC+, while the Note lineup itself is getting some downsizing. Outside, the Acenta sits on 16-inch wheels now and gets "chrome-effect" caps on the side-view mirrors and around the front fog lights. Inside, items like climate control and automatic headlights are standard, as is a blue cross-stitching on the seats for "a more premium feel."
Above that, in the UK, the new N-TEC+ trim is now the top-of-the-line model, as the former top-tier Tekna is going away. The N-TEC+ gets rear parking sensors, privacy glass and Nissan's "Connect" touch-screen satellite navigation.
The base Visia model remains unchanged, as does its £11,200 price (around $17,500 USD). The Acenta gets a £200 price bump to £13,000 ($20,400), the N-TEC+ rises £100 over the plain old N-TEC of yore to £13,500 ($21,200), all prices inclusive of Britain's costly Value Added Tax. Engines in the range, the 1.4- and 1.6-liter petrols and 1.5-liter diesel, are also carried over. Follow the jump for the press release and have a closer look at the Note in the gallery of high-res photos.
Nissan has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Mexico. The company will invest $2 billion in a new complex situated in Aguascalientes, Mexico to help produce the automaker's B platform models. The plant is expected to begin operations in late 2013 and should be capable of producing up to 175,000 units annually during phase one. Nissan says the endeavor will create up to 3,000 direct jobs in the area with another 9,000 positions created via the supply chain necessary to support the facility.
The plant will be Nissan's third in Mexico and is part of a strategy that should allow the company to produce more than one million units annually in the country. Nissan claims no other automaker is investing in our southern neighbor with the same level of commitment. Click past the jump for the full press release.
Back on Thanksgiving Day of 2011, we saw what happens when a C5 Chevrolet Corvette goes head-to-head on public roads against a C6 Vette - the older Vette spears into the passenger-side door of the newer Vette. The video was our most popular post of 2011, so we know that well over a million viewers saw the ill-advised drag race. We think that video illustrated that racing on public roads was a bad idea, but sometimes, accidents happen even without a race.
Hit the jump to see what happens when a pair of tuned-out Nissan 350Z models do their best impression of the Thanksgiving Day Melee. The YouTube page claims that the two cars were actually traveling at the speed limit (read: not racing) as part of a caravan of Z models, when the black, supercharged Z coupe tapped its throttle and lost control, veering into the passing lane and right into the path of a Z roadster.
Still, the collision looks like déjà vu all over again, except the quick video is better this time and we actually hear the impact and see the parts flying all over the freeway. The accident reportedly didn't result in any serious injuries.
Size still matters, but the quest to be number one is also getting more headlines. Mercedes-Benz is the latest to stake its future on taking the top slot, with CEO Dieter Zetsche aiming to be the world's largest premium maker by 2020. The specific number is 2.7 million vehicles sold that year, which represents an astronomical jump from 2011 sales of 1.26 million vehicles.
To home in on that target, Mercedes intends to build factories in China and in North America - either Mexico or the U.S. - with the North American factory coming online by 2018, according to a report in Auto News. The facility here would build the "next generation A class together with Daimler's strategic partner Nissan."
Mercedes didn't offer any clarification on the Nissan component or what else a new facility might build, nor what the synergies might be with it and the engine deal recently signed between Daimler and Renault-Nissan.
Barrett-Jackson 2012, Camaro ZL1 vs Shelby GT500, Volkswagen says it's really #1, C7 Chevrolet Corvette
Episode #266 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Drew Phillips this week. Topics include the Barrett-Jackson auction, smack talk from the Camaro ZL1 chief, Volkswagen disputing GM's claim of #1 in the world, and a C7 Corvette sighting. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jumpfor you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
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What would a Nissan GT-R be without the racing pedigree that's helped make it what it is today? The truth is that we don't even want to know. But we don't have to, because the car known as Godzilla is as devastating on the race track as it is on the street.
Very different racing versions have been made to challenge the FIA GT1 World Championship and for Japan's own Super GT series, the latter powered by a naturally aspirated V8 to satisfy regulations instead of the twin-turbo V6 in the production model. Getting your hands on either of these, however, could prove a bigger challenge than passing one in a race. Fortunately, Nissan has just released a competition-spec GT-R you can buy.
Co-developed by Nismo (Nissan's in-house tuning department) and JR Motorsports (which campaigns a pair of GT-Rs in the aforementioned GT1 series), the GT3-spec model first debuted at the Magny-Cours circuit in France back in August, but is now available for order by privateer teams and gentlemen racers alike. It packs the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 as the production model, tuned to deliver 523 horsepower.
That may be slightly less than the current production model (due to the constrictions of GT3 regs) but the Nismo GT3 model also offers a fully adjustable suspension, stripped-out interior with roll cage and all the trimmings, extra cooling ducts and an aggressive aero package. The extra grip is where the extra speed comes from, and it can all be yours for a hair under 300,000 euros, or about $390k at today's rates.
Enthusiasts looking to purchase a Nissan GT-R will need to dig deeper. Nissan has announced pricing for the 2013 model, which starts at $96,820, nearly $7,000 more than the 2012 car.
You may remember that the 2008 GT-R started under $70,000, so the sticker shock of a 38.6 percent price increase in six model years is not insignificant. That said, Nissan can counter that no supercar within $100,000 can touch the GT-R when it comes to performance bang for the buck.
Like we told you back in November, the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V6 cranks out 545 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque for 2013, an increase of 15 hp and 15 lb-ft. The zero to 60 sprint takes a jaw-dropping 2.7 seconds, according to the automaker.
The GT-R Black Edition also returns with a starting MSRP of $106,320. It's mainly unchanged for 2013 save for a new dry carbon fiber rear spoiler. Hit the jump to read over the Nissan press release.
At some point, drifting made the shift from counterculture revolution to the sponsor-laden vehicular equivalent of figure skating. We're not sure when it happened, but we certainly miss the days of watching grainy videos of mountain pass heroes piped over from Japan. The Bloodmasters crew seem to get where we're coming from. The guys just turned out a new video showing what happens when the crew gets together for a little fun at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Let's just say there isn't a single booty-short wearing energy drink peddler or tube-chassis manufacturer vehicle in sight.
Instead, we're treated to some good old-fashioned fender bashing and tire shredding orchestrated under a mighty fine soundtrack. These guys are the kind of crazy that brought drifting across the Pacific in the first place, and from their ludicrous camera angles and similarly insane sideways antics, it looks like they're having considerably more fun than the Formula D crowd. We love that they don't seem to care how many dings and dents their Nissan 240SX coupes get, and they don't seem bothered by a few missing body panels, either. The whole film is well-shot, with portions looking downright Mad Max-like. Hit the jump to check it out.
The Nissan Juke-R found some adventurous extracurriculars to take part in while in Dubai to pace the Dunlop 24-Hour race. Nissan said it would be making a film of the Juke-R taking on other street-legal supercars in the Dubai International Marina, but that race is meant to include a Mercedes/McLaren SLR-engined Mercedes-Benz SLK.
This appears to be something different, with the Juke-R going up against a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, a Mercedes SLS AMG, and a Ferrari 458 Italia. Lucas Ordonez, the first GTAcademy winner from 2008 is reportedly behind the wheel of the Juke-R. We don't know the driving level of his competition, but we do know this: Nissan's little beastie is really, really quick. Check out the (admittedly grainy) video after the jump to have your horizons expanded.
Nissan has been working on its self-healing clearcoat technology called Scratch Shield for more than seven years. While it's been applied to the company's cars for four years now, it's first non-automotive application is here: an iPhone case.
Called the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case, it appears aimed at the doubly-retentive types who not only don't like their phone getting scratched, but also don't even like their cases to show any wear. The healing finish is applied to an ABS-plastic case, so that the case protects the smartphone and the Scratch Shield protects the case. Nissan claims another benefit is that the glossy finish is easier to grip.
It's in beta-trial now, but if real-world testing brings accolades it could go on sale later this year - hopefully with some more subtle choices of branding.
2013 Porsche Boxster, Detroit Show Editors' Choice, Chrysler/Fiat looking for a third, Nissan NY debut, VW beats Toyota
Episode #265 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Chris Paukert this week. Topics include the 2013 Porsche Boxster, a discussion of the Editors' Picks from the Detroit Auto Show, a possible third partner for Chrysler and Fiat, a mystery debut in New York for Nissan, and Volkswagen beating Toyota in sales for 2011. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
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Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)
Review the show in iTunes and take our survey
There is a lot to like about the Pathfinder Concept Nissan unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The thinly disguised showcar foregoes the body-on-frame construction of the current Pathfinder for a weight savings of about 500 pounds. Nissan also promises fuel economy improvement of about 25 percent with the production model, which would be no small feat.
Motor Trend reports that Nissan has confirmed that the 2013 Pathfinder will feature a 3.5-liter V6. That makes sense considering the Pathfinder's all-new sibling, the Infiniti JX35, will also feature the same V6. Nissan has yet to divulge any details about the Pathfinder mill, but we do know that the JX35 will boast 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque.
Nissan has also apparently told MT that it has big plans for April's New York Auto Show. Nissan will reportedly unveil a completely vehicle at the show that has never been seen by outsiders. Us? We're not sure, but our best guess is it'll be the 2013 Altima.
We record Episode #265 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #265
Psychology researchers at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Illinois have discovered a funny thing about podium finishers. Often, the happiest person on stage is the one with the bronze medal around his or her neck. Despite having missed first place by two spots, competitors on the lowest rung of the podium tend to find themselves deep in the throes of counterfactual thinking. They aren't focused on how close they were to winning an event; instead, the third-place competitors are thinking about just how close they came to missing the podium entirely.
That may help explain why Lucas Ordonez, Jordan Tresson, Bryan Heitkotter and Jann Mardenborough are so thrilled at the moment. The four drivers helped bring RJN Motorsport a third-place finish at the recent 24 Hours of Dubai. That's no small feat for any professional race team, which makes the win even more unbelievable. The four drivers aren't pros in the normal sense. Each driver started his career behind a controller as part of the Nissan Playstation GT Academy.
Heikotter and Mardenborough had less than a year to transform themselves from gamers to racers. The two won the most recent GT Academy competitions in the U.S. and Europe, respectively.
What Are You Willing To Sacrifice For A Low Price?
The compact car market is white-hot. The new Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra have lifted the segment to new levels of refinement while at the same time improving fuel economy to 40 miles per gallon on the highway and beyond. Instead of turning their attention back to trucks and SUVs, manufacturers are going even smaller. Automakers have begun pouring vast resources into the smaller subcompact segment, and the result has been a wealth of all-new models. The Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent and Ford Fiesta are all-new or updated and vastly superior to prior subcompacts that still linger in our memories like an unpleasant aftertaste.
Nissan has put its subcompact under the knife, too, as the 2012 Versa features all-new sheetmetal, revised powertrains and a fresh interior. The previous Versa was known for being larger and less expensive than its competition, and its sales reflected that - it's been the most popular model in its segment. But we've been curious to learn if this latest redesign may help or hurt the Versa's standing, so we borrowed the keys to a top trim 2012 Nissan Versa SL Sedan for a week to find out.
