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HUGE USED CAR RED TAG EVENT!

We have sold a record amount of new cars! Because of this, we have taken many nice, well-maintained used cars like this 2005 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast as trade-ins. We need to move them!

Nissan becomes co-title sponsor of Radioshack Nissan Trek Professional Cycling Team

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Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced an agreement with Leopard SA and CSE Pro Cycling, LLC to become co-title sponsor of the professional cycling team that will be racing globally as part of the World Tour.

RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK consists of 30 professional riders from around the world, including Andy and Fränk Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Andreas Kloden, plus Americans Chris Horner, Matthew Busche and Ben King. The team will compete in an extensive schedule of professional cycling races worldwide in 2012, including the Tour de France, the Tour of California and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado.

“We built a solid foundation for Nissan through our cycling partnership with the team the past two seasons and are ready to take it to the next level now as one of the title sponsors of RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Nissan North America. “Our promotional activities tied to major cycling events such as the Tour of California and the Tour de France allows us to connect with millions of fans around the world. We plan to use these events to launch many exciting products here in the United States and around the globe in 2012.”

Nissan enjoys a strong presence in the health, wellness and personal fitness arena with partnerships with the Boston Marathon and New York Marathon, as well as the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN, where Nissan’s North American headquarters is located. Nissan also plans to actively support the RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK pro cycling team at the Tour of California, Tour of Colorado, Tour de France and other major Pro Cycling events around the globe. The company views the partnership as a way to connect with the more than 22 million cyclists in the United States and over 40 million cycling fans that attended live events around the world in 2012.

"We're very excited to have Nissan increase their support of our team. Team vehicles and new innovations play a key role in the success of any professional cycling team and we look forward to using Nissan products as we race around the world,” said Chris Horner. “We know that Nissan has some exciting product launches on the horizon and we look forward to an excellent partnership with our Nissan friends for 2012."

“The 2011 season was filled with many great wins and we look forward to even more success in the coming season. RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK has built a formidable group of talented riders that will be in the running to win from the spring classics right through the grand tours. We are thrilled to have the team continue to use the Nissan lineup of innovative vehicles as they compete on the world stage,” added Carolin.

 

Courtesy of Nissan Media

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The Nissan LEAF proves slick in snowy test drives in Northern Japan

Auto journalists put the all-electric Nissan LEAF through its paces on three powdery test courses in Shibetsu, Hokkaido, this week, in the freezing temperatures of northern Japan.

Some 230 meters above sea level, media gathered to assess the LEAF’s driving performance and handling in extreme weather conditions, icing any concerns that wintry weather could drastically reduce battery performance.

Chief Vehicle Engineer Hidetoshi Kadota said that despite a reading of minus 9 degrees Celsius (15.8 degrees Fahrenheit) outside, the LEAF battery stayed between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius (41 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit).

In the more extreme cold of Canada and Norway, a battery-warming system can keep the LEAF primed to charge at normal capacity, the same as outside temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Kadota has shared energy and range-saving tips with Hokkaido’s 350 LEAF owners, advising that pre-warming the EV cabin for a drive makes for good energy management.

But for the over 60 journalists taking part in the cold-weather LEAF tests, it was all about performance.

“I feel that the LEAF has been developed well, and incorporating the merits of the EV have made the car’s characteristics more generous to drivers. For example, when the driver steps on the accelerator pedal or corners, the LEAF is expressing a gentleness unique to the EV,” said Yasuo Kusakabe, chairman of the Automobile Journalists Association of Japan.

Some of the LEAF’s unique advantages in winter conditions, says Kusakabe, include Vehicle Dynamic Control, which monitors driver input and vehicle function.

And the LEAF’s balanced weight distribution — due to a centrally-positioned battery and a light front-forward motor compared with conventional gas-powered cars — also helps, says Nissan Technical Meister Hiroyoshi Kato.

“The footwork of the LEAF is smooth and nimble because the heavy components, such as batteries, are mounted under the floor, and the center of gravity is low and in the middle. Such vehicle motion is emphasized on snow. As you may have seen, a car can easily slip or drift on snow or ice,” said Kato. “As for the LEAF, the changing attitude of the car — the start of slipping, etc. — is very smooth and easy to control compared to conventional FR (front engine/rear drive) or FF (front engine/front drive) vehicles. I believe those may be some of the positive surprises for participants.”

Such features proved key on the slippery slopes of country roads and the quick turns of the pylon slalom.

Journalist and racecar driver Takayuki Kinoshita says LEAF proved it’s the one for the road.

“I think EVs, like the LEAF, will expand in the future. If EVs can only be usable in certain limited conditions, they will not grow. But I was highly impressed by the key message here, that the LEAF can drive normally in hot or cold weather throughout the world.”

Whether it’s the snowy slopes of Shibetsu or the hot highways of Honolulu, more than 22,000 LEAFs are now making tracks on global roads. And while temperatures may be extreme, the LEAF proves that it can keep its cool.

Courtesy of NIssan Media

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Nissan social media growth & engagement outpaces industry competition!

– Nissan Named One of Top Brands on Twitter for 2011; Surpasses 500,000 Facebook Fans –

Celebrating success on the brand’s social media channels, Nissan North America recognized how important tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have become to build brand loyalty, engage directly with consumers and generate website click-throughs. Nissan credits the recent achievements for being responsive to the communities and offering what they’ve wanted: car enthusiasm and exclusive access inside the brand.

Top Brand on Twitter
As reported in Mashable last week, Nissan ranked #8 on list of Top 15 Brands on Twitter for 2011 as indexed by HootSuite². The recognition aligns the company, the only in the automotive industry on the list, with top social media players including Twitter itself, Apple and Nike. Nissan currently converses with more than 75,000 Twitter followers combined, across accounts for the brand @NissanNews and vehicle models @NissanVersa, @NissanJuke, @NissanQuest and @NissanLEAF.

“Nissan is proud to be earning recognition among such recognized leaders in the space,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. “We look forward to using this momentum to lead our new product launch efforts in the months to come.”

Facebook Community Exceeds 500,000
Nissan proudly crossed the threshold into a half million likes on the brand’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/Nissan. The growth, predominantly organic, took a jump with the all-new Pathfinder Concept revealed on the Facebook page in series of videos during the North American International Auto Show.

Among closest industry competitors, Nissan leads in Facebook page growth over past three months by more than 10 percent³. More importantly for the brand, Nissan also leads in the interactions per fan, clearly fostering an engaged community.

“It is not just about the most number of fans for us,” said Erich Marx, Director of Social Media and Interactive Media. “While we hope to continue our growth, we are more interested in the engagement; the interactions the fans have with the content we share. We want to use social media in one of the best ways possible: a two-way communication with potential and current customers.”

Among those customers, Nissan recognized the importance of this social media channel within the Hispanic community and launched a Spanish-language Facebook page to connect with the Latino community at Facebook.com/NissanEspanol. Nissan also manages active Facebook communities for individual models including: LEAF, Altima, cube, JUKE, Quest, Versa and Nissan Performance (including Z and GT-R).

YouTube Surpasses 10 Million Views
The YouTube.com/NissanUSA channel also celebrated a numeric milestone with ten million views. Although newer on the channel compared to competitors, Nissan has earned more views in a shorter amount of time which the brand attributes to the content, media focus, search strategy and strategy of integrating the same video content on NissanUSA.com website and Facebook pages.

Launched Google+ Presence
While Facebook, Twitter and YouTube continue to drive most-active users in the social sphere, Nissan also launched a Google+ channel to participate on the new channel. Nissan is testing what different types of content the audience wants and expects on Google+, such as introducing a moving GIF image with the iconic GT-R.

Nissan North America founded a dedicated social media presence in fall 2009, enjoying solid growth by mainly organic means due to devoted fans. Nissan North America is supported by Omnicom Agencies Zócalo Group, TBWA/Chiat Day and Team Ignition for social media support.

Courtesy of Nissan Media

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Nissan Pathfinder Concept-Product Overview

Nissan Pathfinder Concept Meets Changing Customer Needs for Enhanced Style, Comfort and Fuel Economy

In 1986, when the Nissan Pathfinder first appeared, it quickly revolutionized the sport utility vehicle segment. Offering previously unavailable features such as ample cargo room and a comfortable on-road ride, along with authentic off-road adventure performance, it immediately set a new standard in the emerging SUV class. Now 27 years and 1.2 million-plus Pathfinder sales later, a new dimension is about to be added to the popular nameplate with highly evolved, aerodynamic styling – previewed in the stylish Nissan Pathfinder Concept.

“If there is one constant among the first quarter century-plus of Pathfinder’s existence, it has been its ability to innovate, with each generation evolving to meet the changing needs of the customer,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “With the upcoming, fourth-generation model, we’re about to re-invent Pathfinder again. We’ve created a vehicle with an extraordinary balance of SUV capability, thoughtful technology and premium comfort to lead the segment once again – and help owners accomplish more in the real world, not just off-road.”

One of the biggest changes to the upcoming Pathfinder design is the return to a unibody platform (also utilized on the second generation Pathfinder), which offers numerous benefits including enhanced interior packaging flexibility. This, in turn, provides an opportunity to create a more aerodynamic exterior without compromising headroom or cargo capacity. One constant through the previous generations of Pathfinder, and that continues into the new design, is its strong presence.

Moving upscale in look, the new exterior styling presents a smart fusion of signature Nissan styling cues and dynamic strength. The look is adventure-ready with wheel-oriented muscular fenders and a strong, stable stance. The upper body features an open cabin with a low beltline and thin A- and D-pillars, which flow smoothly into the rugged, durable-looking lower body. The new Pathfinder utilizes front and rear spoilers, rear tire deflectors and rear suspension fairings to help achieve what is expected to be among the best aerodynamic performance in the segment.

Other exterior details include a wide chrome grille and large aerodynamic headlights, recessed front windshield wipers, chrome door handles and large rear combination lights. A panoramic dual-panel moonroof, with sliding opening front panel and fixed rear glass panel, combines with the large windows to create an open, airy interior environment.

The Pathfinder Concept provides full-size cabin roominess inside, yet with a highly manageable exterior size. In one other important measurement, the next-gen Pathfinder is expected to weigh substantially less than the previous body-on-frame design, which helps contribute to the enhanced fuel economy performance.

“With its new, aerodynamically optimized shape, the styling is a major step forward in the evolution of the SUV – retaining its people and cargo hauling utility without looking quite so utilitarian,” said Castignetti. “It’s fitting that a vehicle that tackles adventures in a whole new way also now completely looks the part.”

Details on the Pathfinder Concept’s all-new 3-row, 7-passenger interior, featuring an array of innovative seating, comfort, entertainment and convenience features, will be released in the near future.

Addressing buyers’ desire for more efficiency in every aspect of their lives, the Pathfinder powertrain utilizes a refined V6 engine mated to a next-generation Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) to provide an expected 25 percent increase in combined City/Highway fuel economy (over the previous V6-equipped design). The Pathfinder Concept also features an intuitive four-wheel drive system and a towing capacity comparable to the leaders in the segment.

“With the new engine and CVT combination’s unprecedented efficiency, it maintains nearly the same horsepower as the previous generation’s larger displacement V6, as well as a similar driving feel,” said Castignetti. “It also retains its ability to tow boats, jet skis, trailers and a variety of other recreational gear, and its role as an excellent vehicle for unfavorable driving conditions with four-wheel drive.”

The next-gen Nissan Pathfinder, based on the Pathfinder Concept design, is scheduled to go on sale at Nissan dealers nationwide in fall 2012.

“The new Pathfinder carries on the tradition of the adventure-ready vehicles that have come before – offering a new level of family enjoyment and engagement that is just right for today’s real-world, everyday uses,” concluded Castignetti. “After more than 25 years, Pathfinder is ready to tackle new terrain and the new challenges of modern family lives.”

Courtesy of Nissan Media

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First Nissan LEAF Owner in Colorado Says, "I Believe in This"

In June 2011, under beautiful blue Colorado skies at the 89th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, veteran Nissan off-road truck racing champion Chad Hord, and the 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF, made history as the first winners of the Electric Production Class.

Under very different weather conditions, with the forecast predicting eight- to ten-inches of snow in the Denver area, the Nissan LEAF made history again on Dec. 22. Derek Passarelli, an attorney with the Department of Energy’s Colorado field office, purchased a Nissan LEAF at family-owned Empire-Lakewood Nissan, commemorating the first sale of the vehicle in the state of Colorado.

“I’m buying the Nissan LEAF because I would like to walk-the-talk for what I do at work, and I believe in this,” said Passarelli.

Today, after a year on the market, more than 10,000 Nissan LEAFs are on the road in the United States. Most sales have taken place in the first seven launch states (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington) but interest from consumers has been national. Nissan recently began taking orders in additional markets – 30 states in all and the LEAF will be available nationally by summer 2012.

Courtesy of Nissan News