Nissan News and Reviews
Nissan made its electric Leaf vehicle available for presale this week and has already taken over 6,000 orders in just three days. The reservations were made online and required a $99 refundable deposit, making it easy to claim a copy of the upcoming zero emissions electric vehicle.
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Offered as part of the optional $3000 sport package on the new Nissan 370Z, and standard on the NISMO Z, the SynchroRev Match Transmission does exactly what its name implies, matching the engine speed with the appropriate gear. Traditionally with a manual transmission, downshifting requires a blip of the throttle to avoid a harsh shift, characterized by a forward jerk of the car. Downshifting while braking is more difficult, requiring the driver’s right foot to operate the brake with the heel, while feathering the gas pedal with the toe, known as the “heel-toe” technique. This is usually only mastered by professional race drivers. Nissan’s close-ratio 6-speed manual includes the world’s first synchronized downshift rev-matching system, which allows drivers of any skill level to experience professional-like gear shift performance.
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While most of the hype and press about electric vehicles has been focused on Chevy’s Volt, Nissan has been quietly readying its all-electric LEAF vehicle. Unlike the Volt, the LEAF is 100% electric and won’t include a range extending gasoline engine for when the batteries run out of juice. The zero-emissions LEAF is set to launch in late 2010 in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. It is powered solely by an electric motor, so yes, this means no exhaust pipe; there will be no rolling down your windows in a tunnel to listen to that engine roar.
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Nissan just announced that its all-new drop-top roadster goes on sale in September 2009 and will start at $37,960. While it is still unclear as to what options will come standard on the drop-top, it comes in significantly higher than the base 370Z coupe, which starts at $30,650. It’s possible that the Roadster will include many more standard options. We do know that the $38 large will get you a convertible with a six-speed manual transmission. The 7-speed automatic can be added in for a base price of $38,990 including destination.
