2009 Nissan GT-R




This is it! The most anticipated sports car in the U.S., the Nissan GT-R, has been revealed and is making its North American debut at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. So what you see here is the full, undisguised GT-R in all its glory.

The most notable modification is to the face. Gone is the "running mascara" beneath the headlights, replaced by a body-colored bumper, which makes the face look much cleaner and more elegant. Some say the car looks like an F-18 fighter jet on wheels while others feel that it belongs on the set of Transformers. Either way, the styling speaks volumes of what this car is capable of on the open road.
Under the hood a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 that pumps out 480 bhp and about 430 lb.-ft. of torque. Nissan claims that the GT-R runs to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, which puts it in Porsche 911 Turbo territory. In fact, GT-R project chief, Kazutoshi Mizuno, says that the GT-R lapped the famed North Course at the Nürburgring faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo. Not bad for a car that we hear will cost about $70,000. The car goes on sale first in Japan, then in the summer of 2008 in the U.S. as a 2009 model. R&T was the only magazine to drive a U.S.-spec model. Check out our feature story in the January issue of Road & Track.

Prius Most Popular Car In Silicon Valley


Silicon Valley has more than it's fair share of brains, which is probably why the Prius is now the best selling car in the area. 1,627 were bought and registered in May alone. Rod Diridon, executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University, said, "Are we ahead of the curve, or what? The intellectual capacity within Silicon Valley is amazing. That higher level of education reflects a higher level of understanding of the terrible consequences of global warming."

The increase in availability has also helped. Waiting lists are all but gone, and Toyota are producing far more of the model than they previously were. However, the Prius only represents one percent of car sales in the US, so there is still plenty of room for growth.

Diridon has owned a Prius himslf for five years, so finds it easy to see the appeal of the vehicle, "I love it. It's quick, spacious. It takes four people comfortably and can carry a couple of sets of golf clubs or luggage. I get over 40 mpg, and I'm heavy-footed."

The news comes at a bad time for the motoring industry, but a good one for the environment, as national car sales figures are down 1.5% on the previous year. ::San Jose Mercury News via ::Valleywag

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