Paris Motor Show: SHIFT_convention - the Nissan Qashqai

Nissan debuted the Ford Focus-sized Qashqai (say Kash-kai) crossover in Paris on Thursday, and our man on the spot, John Neff, was as impressed with Nissan's new softroader as he was underwhelmed with Mitsubishi's new Pajero. (Although we have to admit, you're not likely to see a Qashqai dominate the Dakar rally.)The Qashqai was designed virtually from the ground up by Nissan Europe, and it

3-year-old buys Nissan Figaro on eBay

Jack Neal sat in front of his computer, smiling at the car he had just purchased on eBay. £8,999.99 (approximately $17,000) was a fairly good price for the much loved Nissan Figaro. Even if it was a bit "Hello Kitty" in shocking pink. So what if the Figaro is just a rebodied 10-year-old Micra, Jack used the "Buy it now" link to complete the purchase and was the winning bidder. But Jack is only

GM and Renault/Nissan come back into the forefront, continuing talks

There's been a lot of buzz in the air distracting us from the proposed alliance between General Motors and Renault/Nissan, including talk about a GM alliance with Ford, purported "lukewarm feelings" within the ranks at GM about becoming aligned with the French-Japanese powerhouse, and even GM looking for cash as part of the deal. Not to worry. GM and Renault/Nissan have clambered back up to

Nissan to unveil '07 Altima Hybrid one week from today

While the news this week will be dominated by the goings-on in Paris, Nissan is getting ready to make a spash of its own exactly one week from today.At the Orange County Auto Show, Nissan will officially pull the wraps off the 2007 Altima Hybrid. The car is the first gasoline-electric hybrid for the automaker, and it will be greeted in the marketplace by competitors from Toyota (whose hybrid

BREAKING NEWS: Kerkorian may buy up more of GM

Kirk Kerkorian may buy up to 12 million additional shares of GM stock, according to Automotive News. The billionaire investor would need approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission for the deal because it would send his company, Tracinda Corporation, well over 10 percent ownership of GM common stock. The move supports GM's potential alliance with Renault/Nissan, a merger that

Nissan Moon city-car concept

Designer Robert Hoffmann drew up this Nissan concept for an auto magazine. The futuristic conveyance is not intended for production, but it's an interesting exercise just the same. The oversized rear wheels are slanted inward, and move backward for highway cruising, optimizing space when retracted for city driving and enhancing stability in conjunction with a deployable rear wing at higher

GM wants money from Nissan, Renault

The latest round of reports coming out of the Nissan-Renault-GM talks are quite sensational. Although there have been hints that Ford is on Carlos Ghosn's speed dial should things go sour with GM, according to the latest newsletter from the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) General Motors is going to tell Nissan and Renault today that their proposed deal looks good.

Supercharged Exige S sets sights on US roads

Over here in the UK it’s not uncommon to see the odd Lotus Elise and - more rarely - Exige bombing down the motorway or whipping around country lanes. The constantly evolving sportscar is renowned for having close-to-perfect handling and sweet, sweet driving dynamics, and has a loyal following amongst owners and enthusiasts. So it always comes as something of a surprise that drivers in the USA are less blessed when it comes to model choice - hence the unbridled excitement of Jalopnik and Autoblog (amongst many) at the news that the hardcore Exige S, the supercharged variant of the coupé, is heading across the Atlantic.

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Top Gear: Volvo S60 R

In this classic Top Gear segment, Jeremy Clarkson takes the Volvo S60 R out for a road test. This sports sedan boasts a turbocharged 2.5L engine that produces 300hp @ 5500rpm and 295 lb-ft torque @ 1950rpm. Video after the jump.

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Mitsubishi Roadster Konzept

This eco-friendly roadster — dubbed the “Roadster Konzept (MRK)”– is a hybrid vehicle that sports “two front sport seats, plus rear rumble seats, which allows for two rear passengers or extra cargo space.” Few more pics after the jump.

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Tire pressure monitoring sensors for the aftermarket

September 25, 2006 One of the many wonderful new jiggers seen at last week’s Automechanika trade show in Frankfurt was a tire pressure monitoring wheel sensor that should open up new service potential for tire dealers and independent service workshops. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensors detect changes in tire pressure and alert the driver. Each wheel rim is fitted with a pressure sensor, which constantly transmits tire pressure data by a radio signal to a control unit.

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2007 JE Design Audi Q7

JE Design unveils its latest creation, a completely revamped 2007 Audi Q7. Upgrades include a modified engine management system that boosts output to 285hp and 406 lb-ft. That’s not all, it also sports a wide-body styling kit, 22-inch wheels, and an electronically lowered suspension. Few more pictures after the jump.

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Michael Schumacher to retire, Kimi to replace him.

7 times Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher will retire from Ferrari and F1 at the end of this season. He is currently 2 points behind reigning champion Fernando Alonso and is targeting an 8th world championship before he steps out of the red car for good at the end of the season.

Kimi Raikkonen currently of McLaren Mercedes has been confirmed with the Ferrari team for 2007, 2008 an 2009.

Fellippe Massa has been confirmed for 2007 and 2008.

Next race is in China in 3 weeks time.

Peter Brock 05 RIP

It is sad to see that my favorite Australian motor racer Peter Brock has passed on after a vehicle accident. Brock was participating in a rally in Western Australia when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a tree.

I always enjoyed watching Brock kick ass in the 05 Holden's at Bathurst.

Peter Brock's adoption of the number 05 was to highlight the Victorian Governments 05 blood alcohol limit to the public. So from 1975, Brock maintained 05 as his car number even when as Australian Touring Car Champion, he was entitled to use the number one.

He raced Fords for a short period and also raced Volvo, but he will best be remembered as the King of Mount Panarama in the 05 Holden's.

One word.... Bugger.

The guy was truly a legend.

BMW Z10 supercar

BMW'’s last supercar was the M1 back in 1979. That car was the first car produced by BMW Motorsport, which makes the M badged cars like M3, M5 and M6. The BMW M1 had a 3.5 litre inline 6 24 valve engine that made 277hp at 6500rpm and 324Nm of torque at 5000rpm. Tuned versions could make up to 850hp. This engine also powered the first generation M5 and M6 vehicles.

Now with it's involvement with F1, BMW naturally would like to do what the other car manufacturers in F1 are doing, and make a Supercar. Toyota has it'’s Lexus LF-A and Honda has it's new NSX coming out soon, not to mention Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes. BMW'’s new Supercar is expected to be called the Z10. BMW has set development targets for the Z10 to be a rear/mid-engine Supercar powered by a V10. The V10 would be likely a tuned up version of the advanced M5 V10 5 litre engine that won the 2005 Engine of the Year award. Targeted performance figures are 550hp and a curb weight of 1200kg which gives the car a power to weight ratio of 458bhp per ton. The V10 is likely to make 550hp in the M6CSL which may or may not be made shortly, so expect even better performance from the Z10.

The Z10 looks very Ferrari esk in this photo. I would go as far as saying that the Z10 is a spectacular looking automobile, and if built it will certainly have fantastic build quality, performance and reliability.

BMW what are you waiting for?