2011 Nissan Leaf Zero Emissions

2011 Nissan Leaf: The Leaf will be the first all-electric (no internal combustion engine onboard) vehicle offered for sale by a major automaker since the GM EV1 back in the 1990s.

Unlike the old EV1 - which was a compact two-seater intended mainly for commuting - the Leaf is a five-passenger sedan comparable to the current Nissan Versa or Sentra in terms of cabin space. It could thus serve as a family's primary car, which Nissan hopes will broaden its potential market appeal.

As a pure electric car with no onboard gasoline engine, the Leaf also qualifies as a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) and is eligible for special tax breaks and driving privileges available to such cars at both the federal and state level, particularly in California.

Another selling point is the Leaf's estimated 100 mile range on a full charge - which is about 40 percent better than the range of the '90s-era GM EV1. And the Leaf will cost considerably less to buy than the old EV1 - about $20,000 to start, according to reports - vs. $35,000 (in 1990s dollars) for the EV1.

A potential downside, though, is that the Leaf, unlike plug-in versions of the Prius or the Chevy Volt, will require specially configured 220 volt outlets to recharge its lithium-ion battery pack. The 2011 Volt and Prius can be plugged directly into any ordinary 110 volt outlet - available anywhere there is electricity. But Leaf buyers will need to have an electrician come to their home and install special 220 volt outlets and charging stations. Depending on the home, this may involve significant expense, if the home's existing wiring needs to be updated. And unless your workplace or destination also has a 220 volt recharging station, your driving radius will be limited to no more than 50 miles from your home charging station.


Related: Mercedes-Benz has added a "mild hybrid" version of the E-class luxury sedan to its 2011 lineup. A conventional V-6 engine provides the power to move the car but when it's stopped as at a traffic light or in traffic, the engine automatically shuts off and systems such as the AC and so on are powered electrically. This improves overall fuel economy by about 10 percent, according to Mercedes.

The 2011 Infiniti M35 sport sedan will be offered with a full-hybrid powertrain. An all-electric version of the Mini Cooper will reportedly be available in late 2011. Volvo is also looking at electric version of its C30 hatchback, with a possible production version in the works for 2012. VW may offer a production version of the Compact Coupe hybrid concept car unveiled at this year's Detroit Auto Show by 2012. The Compact Coupe reportedly gets 100-plus Miles per gallon.

Third experiment Kathryn Tanaka For Nissan S13

This is not the first time for Kathryn Tanaka's Nissan RPS13 remodel it, in fact already for the third time and this is clearly a fascinating results. For years, Kathryn has designed its S13-up to a higher level with the stage by stage which passed. Resulting in a good workmanship and a perfect layer of paint and not much after all the process passed with the full calculation and accuracy.

Has this car appears more refreshing, first change the front bumper Tanaka Kouki S13 with 180 Type-X, then the front lip and side skirts. Not only until there carbon fiber goodies, spread almost all parts of the S13 is adjusted so impressed with the taste of the shape Tanaka's APR Formula GT3 mirrors. Complete with GTC-200 adjustable wing and carbon fiber hood Seibon DV II style that helped equip and improve sports performance of this Nissan.

Then upgrade the lights are also required for this cruise nights from Nissan and Tanaka choose Kazama as the clear side. Hella H4 HID and conversion as the home of the main light does not escape this car with Kathryn Tanaka's improvement ambitions. Which subsequently came up with the latest paint coating that makes it different from other Nissan R35 GT-R is Titanium Metallic who always steals the attention.

When we get into the cabin S13 will be very easy to say that the car was deliberately designed to float. Since most of the interior has been thrown out to keep the heavy vehicles to stay mild. RECARO SPG with sliding seat and steering wheel Nardi Classic Sport 360 Type A is installed for the S13. Further strengthening the above opinion about this car. With an abundance of indicators HKS RS DB which include measuring temperature, pressure and EGT. And the center console there are titanium shift knob from Project mU's a complete pedal set mU's Project

2010 Nissan Altima sedan

The Altima is a mid-sized, mid-priced, front-wheel-drive sedan available with both four and six-cylinder engines. Prices start at $19,900 for the base 2.5 model equipped with a four cylinder engine and $24,520 for the V-6 powered 3.5 SR, subject of this review.

A coupe version of the Altima is also available but it is different enough from the sedan that it will be covered later as a separate model. The Altima sedan is also available with a hybrid powertrain and likewise that model will be reviewed separately.

The Altima's front end has been slightly restyled and the optional GPS navigation system has been upgraded with a larger LCD display and real-time traffic updates. Stability control is now standard equipment on all trims.

The V-6 SR version offers as much or more power/performance than V-6 versions of higher-priced competitors from Honda, Mazda, Ford and others - and significantly more front seat head and legroom, too. More of a driver's car than the comparably powerful/comparably priced/comparably roomy but not-the-least-bit sporty Toyota Camry.

Altima buyers can choose either a 2.5 liter four cylinder engine (175 hp) or a 3.5 liter V-6 (270 hp). Both are strong performers. A four-cylinder Altima can reach 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds; with the V-6, the time drops to 6.9 seconds. The Altima's gas mileage matches its excellent performance.

With the four-cylinder engine, 32 mpg on the highway is possible. City mileage is listed at 23 mpg. The highway figure is outstanding for a family-sized sedan capable of comfortably carrying five people. And both figures (city/highway mileage) beat the four-cylinder Honda Accord's (22/31), the four-cylinder Ford Fusion (22/31) and the four-cylinder equipped Mazda6 (20/29). The four-cylinder Camry beats the four-cylinder Altima on highway mileage (33 mpg, best in class) but the Toyota's city mileage (22 mpg) doesn't quite match the Nissan's.

The V-6 cersion of the Altima does well on fuel economy, too - with an EPA rating of 20 city and 27 highway. That's slightly better than the Ford Fusion V-6 (18 city/27 highway), noticeably better than the Mazda6 V-6 (17 city, 25 highway) and pretty much dead-even overall with the V-6 Camry (19/28) and V-6 Accord (19/29).

The downside - if you'd like a manual transmission - is that you can't get one in the Altima, with either engine. A Continuously Variable (CVT) automatic is the standard and only transmission that comes with both four and six-cylinder engines. Competitor models like the Fusion, Accord, Camry and Mazda6 all offer a manual transmission with their standard four-cylinder engines.

Last year, Nissan offered a six-speed manual in the Altima sedan - and with the V-6 engine, too. That made it one of the few mid-sized sport sedans in the under-$25k price slot that could be so equipped. Nissan says the manual option was pulled from the roster because of lack of interest, but it may also be that a six-speed, V-6 Altima for around $25k undercut sales of the Nissan Maxima - which has the same basic engine, accelerates, rides and handles very much the same - and has just about the same interior space, etc. - but which starts at $30,460

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