Engineers created the ‘aero’ pieces of the vehicle in a wind tunnel where they found out the exact hardware updates they would need to augment them: -shock-tower bracing and radiator supports, extra body-shell welds at the A- and B-pillars, a heftier brace spanning the rear shock towers, higher spring rates, firmer dampers, and a bigger rear anti-roll bar.

Although the stiffening hones the Z’s responses to an even sharper edge, the aero elements were the prime focus of the NISMO engineering effort. The front fascia, with a deeper chin spoiler shaped to vector underbody airflow, was developed to provide high-speed downforce, as opposed to the slight lift in other Zs. Similarly, the large rear wing and the underbody diffusers help keep the stern firmly planted. According to Nissan, the base 350Z produces almost 18 pounds of rear lift at 75 mph, whereas the NISMO’s aero tweaks generate more than 33 pounds of downforce.

At 5.2 seconds to 60 mph, the NISMO Z was no quicker than the last Z car (the June), and its quarter-mile run—13.8 seconds at 103 mph—was a hair slower, probably owing to increased aero drag. Braking was good—159 feet from 70 mph versus 169 feet—but the June car, a base Z, pulled a better skidpad number, 0.93 versus 0.92. The bottom line: This is a sincere and thorough effort by NISMO, but its virtues will be tangible only on a road or track with very fast turns.

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The deal underscores Nissan’s growing interest in India, where demand for automobiles is rising fast thanks to robust economic growth. Nissan has lagged behind its Japanese rivals in tapping opportunities in India, both as a market and as a manufacturing base.

Leading Japanese automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp., have significantly expanded their operations in India in recent years.

Nissan made its first move to enter India earlier this year, signing up for a passenger car venture with its partner, Renault SA of France, and Indian auto maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

The three are building a large plant near the southern Indian city of Chennai, which Nissan would use to manufacture and export compact cars to Europe.

Nissan is also talking to other Indian automakers for a possible partnership to manufacture an ultracheap small car that could be sold for about US$3,000 in India and other emerging markets.

The latest deal with Ashok Leyland “will broaden our coverage of (Indian) market in addition to providing new LCV products for emerging markets,” Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s President and CEO, said in the statement.

Under the deal, Ashok Leyland will own a majority stake in a joint venture with Nissan that will have the exclusive rights to make light commercial vehicles, LCVs, for both partners, the statement said.

This venture will initially produce at least 100,000 vehicles annually for sale in India and exports, it said.

Nissan will own a majority stake in a second joint venture company with Ashok Leyland that would manufacture and assemble engines and components for LCVs in India, the statement said.

“Ashok Leyland has strengths in large and mid-sized trucks, while Nissan’s strength lies in smaller vehicles. So we see a potential to supplement our strengths and create a positive synergy,” Nissan spokeswoman Ikue Matsuura said in Tokyo.

“Nissan also sees India as a key emerging market,” she said.

Nissan and Ashok Leyland will set up third joint venture focussed on developing technology and small trucks and mini buses for emerging markets, the notice said. It will be equally owned by the two companies.

Shares of Ashok Leyland rose 4.15 percent to 37.65 rupees in trading Wednesday.

“This partnership with Nissan, renowned for their product engineering and a wide range of LCV products, will allow Ashok Leyland to expand into the fast growing LCV segments in India,” R. Seshasayee, managing director at the Indian company, said in the statement.

Both companies are also studying cooperation in the area of sales and distribution, it said. This includes providing access for Nissan to Ashok Leyland’s dealer network in India and allowing the Indian partner to use Nissan’s dealer networks in select export markets.

The deal is subject to regulatory and corporate approvals, it said.

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Suspension is by struts up front and a multilink arrangement out back, while four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are standard. Four-cylinder models are fitted with sixteen-inch wheels and tires, while the V-6s have seventeens. Stability control is available only on V-6 models.

From the driver’s point of view, the coupe’s interior looks just like an Altima sedan’s except that it is sportier and has heavier bolstered front seats and a hand-operated parking brake lever for CVT models instead of the foot-mounted device found on CVT-equipped sedans. Features such as a smart key with pushbutton starting, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, and power windows are standard, while a touch-screen navigation system, a Bluetooth hands-free phone setup, and a rear parking camera are on the options list. There’s the usual panoply of airbags, including full-length curtain bags for both front- and rear-seat passengers.

Prices start at $21,115 for the 2.5-liter S with a manual transmission, rising to $26,015 for a 3.5-liter SE with the CVT like we had. The more comprehensive SE trim package includes a glass moonroof, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and an eight-way power driver’s seat. A premium package is available on both S and SE, adding niceties such as leather seats and shifter knob and a nine-speaker Bose audio system. Fully equipped, an Altima coupe boasts a heady blend of techno features, and the Bluetooth integration is the best hands-free phone system we have encountered.

Up front, the new seats give a lot more support than those in the sedan, but the seriously raked rear glass impinges on back-seat headroom for anyone over five feet, eight inches tall. Rear-seat ingress is aided by a release lever on the front seats, but physical agility is still an asset in order to get back there. The cabin materials and fit and finish are pretty good, but the overall ambience is a bit gloomy.

The coupe drives very much like a slightly lighter, stiffer, and smaller Altima sedan. That means it is pretty darned fast in V-6 form, with 0-to-60-mph acceleration happening in 5.8 seconds (0.1-second quicker than the sedan) and a quarter-mile time of 14.6 seconds at 97 mph. The 3.5-liter V-6 in our tester sounded terrific, with a deep, growly exhaust note. The CVT is nicely matched to the engine, is smooth and efficient, and has a quick shifting manual mode, from our experience of the notchy shifter in a manual transmission Altima sedan, the CVT is the better choice. We managed 21 mpg in our lead-footed time with the coupe, respectable, but hardly a fuel guzzler.

Despite 270 hp, the Altima is largely bereft of torque steer, although the trade off is slightly inert steering. The Altima coupe handles tidily and rides slightly stiff leggedly, but lacks the playfulness of similarly quick, but smaller cars such as the Mazdaspeed 3, Mini Cooper S, and VW GTI. Ultimately, the Altima coupe trades sporting duds for style, so if you want a good-looking, value priced coupe that has plenty of standard equipment and performance, it’s got a lot going for it.

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The first Quest minivan was introduced in 1993 and it became the fruit of a joint venture with Ford Motor Company that also produced the Mercury Villager. A second-generation Quest was sold from 1999 to 2002. The Quest was redesigned for 2004 with more expressive styling than its predecessor, along with a host of innovative features and improved driving performance.

The 2007 Nissan Quest receives an exterior update including a new grille, front bumper fascia, redesigned rear combination taillights, revised roof rack design, chrome door handles, new 16-inch and 17-inch alloy wheels, and side sills added to the 3.5 SE. The interior is fitted with a number of features including a totally redesigned instrument panel with the gauges moved directly in front of the driver.

It is also equipped with Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System, RearView Camera and Rear Sonar System. Noise, vibration and harshness isolation has been improved while both the steering feel and ride quality have been recalibrated for a more comfortable ride.

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The Pathfinder’s larger sibling, the 2008 Nissan Armada, gets a new front fascia, new headlamp and foglamp designs, a new one-piece roof rack, a revised rear fascia and a 20-inch wheel-and-tire package for the LE model. New technology upgrades on the Armada include a keyless ignition, enhanced Bose surround sound with Music Box hard drive and third-row speakers, Bluetooth and a larger 8-inch screen for the optional rear-seat entertainment system.

The 2008 Titan adds a long-wheelbase version and a new Titan PRO-4X off-road model. Long-wheelbase extended cabs get an 8-foot long bed while crew cabs get a 7-foot cargo box. Both hit showrooms in the spring. The Titan also gets revised styling, a new seat design and new exterior colors. Further specifications will be released at the Chicago auto show.

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The smaller size and lighter overall weight also contribute to the Coupe’s sportier driving feel another desired attribute of the typically younger, more performance-oriented coupe buyers. The Altima Coupe will be available with a choice of the award-winning VQ-series 3.5-liter V6 or powerful 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engines, each offered with either a 6-speed manual transmission or Nissan’s advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

Also offered is a long list of user-friendly technology features including standard Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, available Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System, an advanced touch-screen navigation system with XM RealTime Traffic updates and RearView Monitor. For the latest information on the 2008 Altima Coupe, click on the links to the right.

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All Nissan would confirm is the name of the vehicle and that there would be more details coming. They also sent us this nifty sketch. To us, the name “Rogue” only conjures up the sound of Patrick Stewart chiding Anna Paquin in “X-Men,” but for others, it means more. Much, much more.

Automotive News says the vehicle will be a crossover, one of many in a rapidly expanding segment. They went on to say the Rogue will be smaller than the Nissan Murano and will likely be powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. If the Rogue is a production vehicle, expect it to be a 2008 model.

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The supercharger can be switched on and off with a dash-mounted button, and buyers will pay $36,000 when it goes on sale later this year.

The GT-S version will come equipped with the aforementioned supercharger, complete with dash-mounted toggle switch that will allow the driver to ‘turn-off’ the supercharger and return the 3.5-liter V6 back to its normal output (for a reason that totally escapes us). The version that debuted at Goodwood was producing 382 HP and 313 ft.-lbs. of torque and was able to leave naught and arrive at 60 in 4.8 seconds.

Beyond the power figures and the information we knew before it is unclear as to what other features will make it on this limited edition coupe. We can only hope that the bodywork and butterfly valve-equipped exhaust are included.

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Though the full-size half-ton Toyota Tundra (above) will enter production in less than two months, the automaker’s plan for a heavy-duty version has been postponed for undisclosed reasons. Toyota may be betting that the market for heavy duty trucks will shrink along with the half-ton market, though analysts are quick to point out what the domestic manufacturers already know, which is that the heavy-duty truck market follows different trends than the market for trucks as a whole. Rather than going up or down in correlation with gas prices, purchasing of heavy-duty trucks is more likely to go up or down with the rate of home construction in the country.

Either way, heavy-duty versions of the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra are coming, but it looks like Detroit won’t have to worry about them until 2009 at the earliest.

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“It’s part of a strategy to address global warming,” Attorney General Bill Lockyer told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “The goal of this one is to hold these automobile manufacturers accountable for the monies taxpayers are spending to address these harms.”

The lawsuit is the latest effort from California aimed at addressing problems related to global warming and the greenhouse gases believed responsible. Last month, the state Legislature passed a landmark bill designed to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases from industries. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the measure into law by the end of the month. Two years ago, the state enacted similar requirements for auto emissions, prompting carmakers to file suit in federal court.

Lockyer’s action also comes 48 days before the November election, prompting questions about his motives. Lockyer is termed out of office this year and is running for state treasurer.

“This is the silly season of elections in the fall, and obviously he thinks this will gain him a few marginal votes,” said Sean McAlinden, an economist with the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “I don’t think it means anything more than it says. It’s California politics.”

Lockyer, a Democrat, said the complaint has nothing to do with election-year politics. His Republican opponent, state Board of Equalization member Claude Parrish, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oakland, names Chrysler Motors Corp., General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor North America, Honda North America and Nissan North America.

The automakers responded to Lockyer’s lawsuit by issuing a statement saying they already are building cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers did not respond to the substance of Lockyer’s lawsuit, saying manufacturers would need time to review the complaint.

Lockyer is suing on the theory that greenhouse gases are a “public nuisance” under both California and federal law, an argument similar to one being pursued in a case before the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeals in New York. Connecticut and seven other states, including California, have sued five power companies in an effort to get them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The Connecticut lawsuit was dismissed by a district judge who said it attempted to address political questions. In a brief filed in support of the utility companies, the automakers alliance argued that such a suit “opens the door to lawsuits targeting any activity that uses fossil fuel for energy.”

Lockyer often joins multistate lawsuits, but he said he did know whether other states or environmental groups planned to enlist in his latest effort against auto manufacturers. His lawsuit is the first that seeks monetary damages from the auto industry for greenhouse gas emissions.

“Industries that release the pollution that is causing global warming have to expect there are going to be more suits of this kind until and unless we have effective national legislation to curb global warming,” said David Doniger, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C.

The environmental group has joined California in defending its auto emission regulations in a separate lawsuit filed by automakers. That court case relates to rules adopted in 2004 by the state Air Resources Board. They were designed to cut polluting exhaust from cars and light trucks by 25 percent and from sport utility vehicles by 18 percent.

The auto industry challenged the state’s ability to set such regulations shortly after the rules took effect. In that case, automakers argue that California is acting outside its jurisdiction because the only way they can meet the more stringent emission standards is to raise fuel efficiency. Setting fuel-efficiency standards is the exclusive responsibility of the federal government. The state has countered that automakers can meet the tougher tailpipe standards with better technology.

California is attempting to cut the amount of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. As part of its strategy, auto emissions from cars and light trucks would account for about a third of the reductions.

The emissions from industries that are targeted by the bill Schwarzenegger is expected to sign next week also are a key part of the state’s overall strategy. The Republican governor struck that landmark deal with Democratic leaders in August during the waning days of the legislative session and after weeks of intense negotiations.

Lockyer said he intentionally waited until the Legislature passed that bill before filing his lawsuit against the automakers because he didn’t want to jeopardize its chances.

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