New Nissan Extrem Concept

Nissan have just released the first pictures of their bold new concept car, the Nissan Extrem. The new design is different to anything we have seen recently, but you can see elements of the Nissan Juke's design if you look closely.

Nissan have said that they want to make something that is feasible, but a bit more exciting than the rest. We have been told that the features in the Extrem’s design are something that we will likely be seeing in a lot of Nissan's Future cars.

Nissan wanted to achieve a design that was similar to a rally car, but was also more muscular and butch. Looking at Extrem concept I think they achieved what they set out for!

The Extrem is to make its debut at the Sao Paulo motor show this week, in Brazil. This is very fitting as elements of the Extrem’s design were based on Brazil; Nissan have said that they want the Extrem to capture Brazil’s colourful and flamboyant country.

Some people may be asking, why the Brazilian influence? Well a lot of the worlds focus will soon be on Brazil in the next few years with the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics being hosted there.

Inside the Extrem you get a 98bhp three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which is from the Micra, which Nissan thinks offers the perfect combination of sportiness and affordability.

Are we ready for electric cars?

In the world of vehicles electric cars have been a popular topic for some time now. Some people love them, and others hate them. But do you think the world is ready for the electric car? We see electric cars all the time, but because of the limitations they are still not a popular choice with a lot of motorists.

Car manufacturer Toyota has reviewed plans for their electric vehicles and has since scaled down plans for future electric cars. They believe that the market is not yet ready for electric cars as they still have many issues that do not fit in with our lifestyles.

For a start they still take way too long to charge, which is a pain for anyone. They are also limited by distance with the battery only being able to take you so far. It was thought that sales for electric cars would have picked up by now, especially with the government providing a £5,000 grant to but an electric car, and a £8,000 grant to purchase an electric van.

Toyota has said that they are ready to release more electric cars, but they do not feel that charging system is developed enough yet. Toyota is however expected to have a line-up of 21 petrol electric hybrid vehicles by 2015.

Toyota believes that hybrid technology is the way forward at this point in time, rather than purely electric vehicles. With Toyota releasing 3 new hybrid vehicles this year and the potential for more, it looks like this is Toyota’s main focus for the future.

It is still early days for the electric car, but will we ever be able the technology that will cater to all our vehicles needs? And if we do have to live with some limitations, how certain will the electric cars future be?

Dangers of Winter Driving

The summer is now over (not that we got much of one!) and it is officially autumn. The days become shorter, it becomes darker and the weather becomes colder. All these conditions make driving a lot more difficult, so you need to be prepared before you set off in the winter months. Sometimes it can be hard to adjust from easier summer driving to more challenging winter driving, but with these tips you can keep safe and prepared on the roads this winter.

Before leaving the house in challenging weather conditions you should always stop to consider if your journey is essential. If your journey is absolutely necessary you need to prepare yourself. Consider these things before leaving the house,

•        Check the weather forecast before you leave, if possible take an alternative route to the worst effected areas.
•         Larger main roads will be cleared first, plan to use these when possible.
•         Make sure you are contactable; charge your mobile phone before you leave the house.
•          Make sure you have breakdown cover for your vehicle.
•         Before you leave the house check that you are ok to drive, if you are unwell or tired then you should make alternative plans. You will need to be fully alert to drive in bad weather conditions.

Prepare your vehicle before you set off,

•     Clear any ice or snow from your windows, mirrors and lights before you leave.
•      Check that all lights are working correctly before leaving.
•      Keep in mind that in snowy and icy conditions the braking distance can be 10 times more than usual, so driving slower and giving plenty of time for breaking is essential.

Once you have set off,

•  Driving in bad weather conditions can be more tiring than normal, make sure you have had enough sleep and if you begin to feel tired, plan to make a stop and grab a coffee.
•  Leave plenty of space between you and other cars around you.
•  Try to warm your tires as much as possible; they grip more when they are warmer.
•  Bridges become a lot icier than normal roads, be very careful when crossing them.
•  Be aware that fresh snow gives more grip than compressed snow.
•  Be extra aware of pedestrians and be extra careful when travelling between 4pm and 6pm, school children will still be making their journey home in this time.
•  Make sure someone knows your expected arrival time and that they are able to contact you.
•  If you become stranded you can use the heater inside the car to keep warm.
•  Ensure you have spare clothing to put on if you get stranded.
•  Keep your acceleration and steering smooth.

Things you should keep in the car during harsh weather conditions,

•       At least a litre of water (or other drinkable fluids).
•       Energy bars or other energy foods.
•       Blankets.
•       Scarf, hat and gloves.
•       Waterproof boots or shoes.
•       Mobile phone.
•       Torch.
•       Reflective jacket and reflective warning triangle.
•       Piece of old carpet.
•       Sponge.

One of the most important things to remember when driving in the winter months is to use your common sense, keep to speed limits and be extra vigilant. All of these things will help not only you but other road users too.

Nissan Teams Up With Usain Bolt

If you are a car company, who do you think would be the best person to team up with? Maybe the fastest man in the world? Nissan have done just that. They have teamed up with Usain Bolt to create a one off gold Nissan GT-R.Usain Bolt helped Nissan to produce the special edition GT-R.

The new gold GT-R features Bolt’s signature and interior fittings that are made from real gold. This special GT-R will be auctioned for charity on eBay in late October. So if you fancy a chance at having this very unique GT-R you need to get onto eBay and put in a bid for it.

All the money that is raised will go to the Usain Bolt Foundation, this great charity hopes to create opportunities for young people all over Jamaica.

Nissan have said that if you are not fortunate enough to win this amazing car, they will be creating a limited edition version of the GT-R which you will be able to get your hands on. Details on the special Usain Bolt GT-R model will be released at a later stage.

Usain Bolt himself currently drives a Bolt GT-R; this GT-R has been tuned specially for Bolt.

Nissan have said that Bolt is now the “Director of Excitement”. Bolt has said, "Racing is my inspiration, and I want to help Nissan become an even more exciting brand for everyone." So we hope to see the new gold GT-R go to a very good home.

This new partnership makes you wonder, what will we see next from Bolt and Nissan?

Changes to MOT Testing

It has been announced that when a vehicle comes in for an MOT it must now have the current mileage recorded and it must also have the recorded mileage from the last three tests.

The change to MOT certificating takes effect on November 18^th 2012. This will give any buyers a more accurate history of the vehicle. We think this is very good news and will solve some issues for potential buyers of any vehicle before they actually purchase.

Another change being brought in on the 18^th of November is that classic cars and motorbikes (any car or motorbike made before the 1960’s) will be MOT exempt. The DVLA has confirmed that from this date all classic cars will no longer need the test.

 The reasoning behind this new rule is that classic motor owners typically look after their vehicles a lot more carefully than the average motorist, they go out in all conditions making changes and repairs to their classic vehicle. So the MOT is considered a waste of money for these people. Obviously the owner will still legally have to maintain their vehicle and keep it road safe, but they can be spared of the unnecessary MOT test which will save them money.

The downside to this new rule is that a small number of classic car owners may not be as good at maintaining their vehicle, with the lack of MOT this will mean that their vehicle could become unsafe, but as they will no longer have to get the vehicle tested they may not know about a problem until it is too late.

So is this crazy and unsafe? Or is it a good idea that will save a lot of people money?

The Weird and Wonderful Paris Motor Show

We have previously talked about the great line-up for the Paris Motor Show 2012, but this time we want to talk about the more weird and wonderful selection of vehicles on show.

The Land Rover Defender is being displayed at the show, but this Land Rover has a twist, it is the Battle-Scarred Bond Defender that features in the new James Bond film Skyfall, which is due for release later this month. The film Skyfall has also been provided with Range Rovers and Jaguar XJs for use on and off camera. Being in a Bond film is one of the coolest things you can do, so we give a thumbs up to the Land Rover Defender!

Also Featuring at the Show is the Venturi “High Voltage Buggy”. The High Voltage buggy is an electric two-seat that has been designed around the Fetish, the concept for the Fetish was first shown around 10 years ago. The Buggy is capable of reaching 60mph in about 5 seconds. Sales of the Buggy opened at the Paris show, with the starting price around £239,000, expected delivery would be late in 2013.

 

The Wallyscar Izis is a low costing utilitarian 4x4. The Tunisian company are planning to release an electric version of the Izis that will have a 65 mile range. The price for the Izis is set to be around £9,500.

The Paris Motor Show is hosting a range of weird, beautiful and powerful vehicles. But which one do you think should hold the top spot? Out of the stranger bunch we personally like the Battle-Scarred Bond Defender, its super cool and super practical, oh and did we mention James Bond!? What more can you ask for in a vehicle?