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Nissan Building World's Cheapest Car - Analyst Blog

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:50:20 GMT

Carlos Ghosn, the Chief Executive of the alliance Renault and Nissan (NSANY), has revealed that the company will roll out a small car with its Indian partner, Bajaj Auto, that will be cheaper than any other car in India -- and in the world. The car, which is scheduled for launch in India in 2012, would beat India’s largest automaker Tata Motors’ Nano both in terms of pricing and fuel-efficiency, and become the world's cheapest car.[More...]

Earnings Preview For AutoNation (AN)

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:31:50 GMT

AutoNation (AN) will release its sales and earnings results for the third quarter ended Sep 30, 2009, on Thursday, Oct 29, 2009, before the market opens. The Florida-based automotive retailer reported earnings of $55 million or 31 cents per share in the second quarter of 2009. This was above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 24 cents per share despite a difficult industry environment. The company believed its cost reduction initiatives, lower interest expense, disciplined operating model and inventory management helped it to maintain the profits during the quarter.[More...]

Less Hunger For TALF, Really?

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:49:07 GMT

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Thursday said that it has sanctioned $6.5 billion in loans to investors under its Term Asset-backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF). This action follows investors’ application for loans to buy securities backed by auto, credit card and other types of consumer loans, in the seventh round of such funding.[More...]

Cash For Clunkers: Review

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:51:24 GMT

Its time now to review the $3 billion cash incentive program -- Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), informally known as "Cash for Clunkers" -- which officially ended Tuesday. The program, launched by the U.S. Government in late July, allowed consumers to trade in their old gas-guzzling cars and trucks with a mileage of 18 miles per gallon (mpg) or less for a value of up to $3,500–$4,500.[More...]

How Much Movement In Markets Is Enough?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:37:00 GMT

The two posts this weekend drew out a couple of interesting subsequent threads one of which being how much is enough. Enough to entertain any sort of game over for taking on volatility typically associated with a "normal" allocation to equities. My initial response, short as it was, is that this question is quite philosophical and while it is there are also many practical considerations to think about as well. The first practical consideration is that many people (all people?) are down from their highwater marks and there is a just get me back to even mentality at work. If I can only get back to even then I'll....so the mind may be more open to game over than it otherwise would. Figuring out how influenced you have been by this line of thought could be huge and be the difference between lagging a bull market and missing it altogether. Most investors are unlikely to[More...]

Patents: Toyota's Nest Egg

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:10:22 GMT

It has recently come to light that Toyota (TM) is building up a number of patents protecting its fuel-saving technologies that would ultimately help it in evading competition. This would also double up as a revenue-making channel for the company by licensing the patents to other automakers. Ford (F) and Nissan (NSANY) have already sought licensing from the company to manufacture their hybrids, Escape and Altima, respectively. A recent study of intellectual property for hybrid vehicles has revealed that Toyota has more than 2,000 patents. About half of these are occupied by the company’s best-selling hybrid, Prius.[More...]

Plug-In Electric Vehicles: In Search Of The Mass-Produced Hybrid

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:02:01 GMT

Plug-In Electric Vehicles: In Search of the Mass-Produced Hybrid by David Fessler, Advisory Panelist We found out that Tesla Motors joined the growing list of automakers receiving federal funds this week. It locked up $465 million to develop and produce battery-powered vehicles. But as we know too well, large government checks are hardly ever the answer to our problems. And one of the biggest right now is that we’re seeing gas prices climb slowly higher. While $147-a-barrel oil served as a wake-up call for the car-driving consumer, it was also the catalyst that shifted the plug-in electric vehicles industry into high gear (pun intended). I’ve talked about[More...]

The 'Hail Mary' School Of Investing

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:24:43 GMT

I have been asked several times in the last six to nine months about investing in some down and out company (Citigroup, GM, Nortel) on the thinking of “what’s the worst thing that happens? I lose a few pennies/dollars a share. If the company turns around, I can double or triple my investment!” What scares me is that half the people who ask me this question are deadly serious. I tend to think of this type of stock investing as being in the hail mary school of thinking- named after the hail mary pass in football where you heave the football into the end-zone in some low percentage, high reward play made in desperation. It is, in many respect, the flip side of penny stock investing. Put your money in a business who’s salad days are in the rear view mirror in the hopes that there is still enough goodwill in the market to effect a turnaround with smart management. Think of Apple. Nissan. Puma. But is this an effective[More...]

US Stock Futures Gain As Moody’s Reiterates US Rating, Rambus (NASDAQ: RMBS) Eyed

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:47:45 GMT

US stock futures advanced on Tuesday after Moody's said that it will maintain U.S. government's AAA credit rating.[More...]

Japanese Companies Seeing A Rebound in Sales To China, India

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:53:00 GMT

Automobile Companies Nissan Motor (7201.T) and Suzuki Motor (7269.T) are seeing strong sales growth in China and India. Nissan's joint venture Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Co. is seeing brisk demand for Tiida and other subcompacts after China cut the automobile sales tax for 1.6-liter or smaller cars by half to 5% in late January. The Nissan joint venture's sales were up 51% YoY in February for the second straight month of record sales. Suzuki Motor saw its Chinese sales in February climb 19% to YoY above 18,000 units, the first time in six months. In India, Suzuki's sales recovered to 71,000 units in February for the second consecutive monthly record, and rebounding sharply from the 27% drop to 47,700 units in November. Honda[More...]

Automakers pushing smaller, cheaper, greener at L.A. Auto Show

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:50:00 GMT

Dec. 3--The Los Angeles Auto Show opens Friday with an unspoken theme: Less is More.
Wednesday, the vehicle unveilings on the first of the L.A. Auto Show's two media preview days were as splashy as ever, but almost every major manufacturer highlighted the smallest of its new or updated models.
This is the first major U.S. auto show since General Motors and Chrysler plunged into bankruptcy amid the credit squeeze and general economic downturn.

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Plan to make L.A. 'plug-in ready' laid out

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:46:00 GMT

Dec. 2--Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a plan Tuesday to pave the way for a rush of new electric cars in 2010-11 by expanding Southern California's network of charging stations and offering incentives to drivers of the environment-friendly vehicles.
Under the agreement among government and private entities, the region's 400 existing electric-vehicle charging stations would be upgraded, and 100 would be added within a year after the adoption of new federal charging standards, expected to be issued in mid-2010.
Villaraigosa said the plan highlights Southern California's effort to turn the car capital of the world into "the electric-vehicle capital of the world."

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Chart: November auto sales

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:10:00 GMT

Dec. 2--November auto sales U.S. light-vehicles sales totals, individual automaker results and market share for November compared with November 2008.
NOVEMBER 2009 Maker volume % change from 2008 % mkt share YTD volume % change from 2008 YTD % mkt share GM 150,676 -1.8% 20.2% 1,864,211 -31.8% 19.8% Toyota 133,700 2.6% 17.9% 1,582,289 -23.8% 16.8% Ford 122,846 0.1% 16.4% 1,493,533 -18.9% 15.9% Honda 74,003 -2.9% 9.9% 1,043,641 -22.3% 11.1% Chrysler 63,560 -25.5% 8.5% 844,879 -38.0% 9.0% Nissan 56,288 20.8% 7.5% 696,699 -21.7% 7.4% Hyundai 28,045 45.9% 3.8% 401,267 6.2% 4.3% Volkswagen 23,205 8.7% 3.1% 268,285 -7.1% 2.9% BMW 18,298 -7.6% 2.4% 218,419 -22.5% 2.3% Kia 17,955 18.3% 2.4% 279,015 7.8% 3.0% Subaru 16,988 23.9% 2.3% 193,578 13.6% 2.1% Mercedes-Benz 16,832 19.3% 2.3% 170,545 -17.5% 1.8% Mazda 14,255 0.9% 1.9% 189,512 -23.0% 2.0% Jaguar/Land Rover 3,319 20.5% 0.4% 33,420 -18.3% 0.4% Mitsubishi 2,925 -42.6% 0.4% 49,631 -46.5% 0.5% Porsche 1,626 18.0% 0.2% 17,578 -26.4% 0.2% Suzuki 1,540 -52.1% 0.2% 36,810 -54.7% 0.4% Smart USA 649 -65.6% 0.1% 13,731 -38.4% 0.1% Ferrari 118 -13.9% 0.0% 1,249 -15.6% 0.0% Maserati 100 -36.7% 0.0% 1,160 -48.3% 0.0% Isuzu 0 -100% 0.0% 165 -96.4% 0.0% TOTAL 746,928 1% 100% 9,399,617 -23.9% 100% GM includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn.
Ford includes Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo.

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Oregpm company's vehicle-charging system takes advantage of nonpeak hours

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:46:00 GMT

Nov. 24--RICHLAND -- An Oregon company wants the Tri-Cities to be ready for electric vehicles.
A company representative made a presentation Monday to about 18 community and business leaders on the OpConnect Electric Vehicle Charging System at the Richland Community Center.
The Tri-Cities may be small but it's forward-looking, said Nathan Isaacs, business development manager for Beaverton, Ore.-based Optimization Technologies, and a former Herald reporter.

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All-electric sedan here Jan. 4

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:47:00 GMT

Nov. 21--The plug-in, all-electric Nissan Leaf will make its first public appearance in Tucson Jan. 4, said Colleen Crowninshield, Clean Cities program manager at Pima Association of Governments.
Tucson is also one of several cities on the Nissan Leaf national introduction tour.
Crowninshield said she saw the car coming to Tucson at its national rollout at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last week.

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City Hall's hybrids: Green gold in the oil patch

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Nov. 18--The heart of oil country may seem an odd place to plant the seeds for a green energy future, but the city of Houston and Reliant Energy started sowing on Tuesday.
A deal between the city and Reliant has the electric retailer converting 10 of the city's new Toyota Prius gasoline-electric hybrids into plug-in vehicles with greater fuel efficiency and the ability to recharge through a standard home power socket.
The project is designed to raise consumer awareness about plug-in electric cars and promote the city and state as a hub for future advances in the industry, said Jason Few, president of Reliant.

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They want Texas to plug in with hybrid vehicles

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:59:00 GMT

Nov. 13--The Texas power grid is in good shape to handle the first generation of plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, but it will take more work to encourage consumers to buy them, industry and government panelists said in Houston Thursday.
The vision of the coalition that met at Minute Maid Park, Plug-In Texas, is for a majority of the state's cars and light trucks to run on both gasoline and electricity.
Combining that change with Texas' growing supply of wind power generation, which is at its peak capacity at night, means the state could make deep cuts into pollution problems in its major cities and reduce its dependence on foreign oil imports.

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Electric vehicles' potential weighed

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:52:00 GMT

Nov. 11--NEW PORT RICHEY -- Could Pasco County's public fleet have electric vehicles in its future?
County commissioners on Tuesday heard a report from Progress Energy about the state of electric-vehicle technology, including the prospect that Florida will be a test market next year for a new all-electric Nissan car.
"I think we're positioned well to take advantage of it," Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano, an advocate of recycling and other environmental causes, said of the push toward all-electric or hybrid gas-electric vehicles.

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ECONOMY: County's 2nd set of E85 pumps opens on High and South Transit

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:48:00 GMT

Nov. 7--There are only two locations in Niagara County where motorists can fill their gas tanks with E85 ethanol fuel.
Wilson Farms unveiled its new gas station Friday, complete with E85 ethanol fuel.
There are five locations with ethanol throughout New York state.

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Electric Cars May Be in North Texas By Next Year

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:51:00 GMT

Oct. 30--ARLINGTON -- The electric car is heading to North Texas, and motorists might be plugging in as early as next year.
Nissan might beat GM, promising electric vehicles, or EVs, for some markets in 14 months.
Better designs, tax credits and oil prices are among factors making the vehicles increasingly attractive to many motorists.

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Nissan Becomes First Automaker to Commercially Deploy Methanol Fuel Cells for Material Handling Equipment

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Nissan North America has become the first vehicle manufacturer to commercially deploy methanol fuel cells to power its material handling equipment at its Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant. The methanol fuel cells from Oorja Protonics, OorjaPac, provide a more energy efficient and cost effective battery-charging process for the 60 tugs that are used to transport thousands of vehicle parts throughout the 5.4 million-square-foot facility.[More...]

Nissan Puts the Brakes on Server Sprawl at Its Tennessee Plants

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:50:00 GMT

Nissan North America has dramatically reduced the number of computer servers necessary for its manufacturing operations from 159 to just 28 at its Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn., plants. The consolidation has increased NNA's production efficiency and has cut energy usage by 34 percent ultimately helping to create a 'greener' Nissan.[More...]

2011 Infiniti M Makes Virtual Debut at Concours d'Elegance

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:25:00 GMT

Infiniti today provided an advanced look at the all-new 2011 Infiniti M performance luxury sedan at the 59th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This is the third generation of Infiniti's popular M and the first to be sold across all of Infiniti's 32 markets around the world, including Western Europe.[More...]

Nissan Announces U.S. Pricing on 2010 Sentra and Sentra SE-R

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:10:00 GMT

Nissan North America, Inc. today announced pricing for the 2010 Nissan Sentra and Sentra SE-R, which are on sale now at Nissan retailers nationwide. Sentra receives a number of enhancements for the new model year, including updated exterior styling on Sentra 2.0, 2.0 S and 2.0 SL models, along with significant Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price* reductions on most trim levels:[More...]

Nissan North America Announces July Sales

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:11:00 GMT

Nissan North America, Inc. today reported sales for July of 71,847 units versus 95,319 units a year ago, a decrease of 24.6 percent. Sales of Nissan Division vehicles decreased 24.8 percent, while sales of Infiniti vehicles decreased by 23.3 percent.[More...]

Nissan Unveils 'LEAF' - The World's First Electric Car Designed for Affordability and Real-World Requirements

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:26:00 GMT

Nissan Unveils 'LEAF' - The World's First Electric Car Designed for Affordability and Real-World Requirements[More...]

Nissan cube(R) Featured in NBC's Heroes Booth at Comic-Con

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Nissan has partnered with NBC's Heroes television show at the 40 annual Comic-Con Convention, hosting a series of activities, sweepstakes and giveaways inspired by the all-new 2009 Nissan cube. Technology-savvy comic book and automotive fans will have the opportunity to experience the dramatic Nissan cube which will be featured inside an incredible, life-size Heroes-branded toy package, similar to how miniature die-cast toy cars are packaged, at NBC's Heroes booth, located on the main level of the San Diego Convention Center, July 22-26. Within the massive Heroes branded exhibit convention-goers will be able to experience the asymmetrical cube's spacious lounge-like interior and interact with available cube features such as the Interface System for iPod), Bluetooth) Hands-free Phone System and an interior accent lighting package with 20 different easily adjustable shades. Clips from Heroes featuring the Nissan cube will be broadcast on a massive plasma screen - demonstrating that boxes don't always have to be square. 'Our partnership with NBC's Heroes at Comic-Con this year provides a perfect opportunity to show off the all-new 2009 Nissan cube both on and off the screen,' said Christian Meunier, vice president, Nissan Marketing. 'We look forward to interacting with the many attendees at the show, many of whom are just the people that would consider the Nissan cube as their next 'mobile device.'' Additional activities at the convention include comic book giveaways and an opportunity to win one of four Nissan cubes. By simply swiping their entry badges, attendees will have a chance to win a distinct and individually designed cube by artist Peter Steigerwald to represent the style of Heroes. Nissan and Heroes will also be giving away 15,000 specially created collector's edition comics featuring the cubeand the Television series with four unique graphic covers. The artistic covers were initially introduced in April during the 'Nissan Mobile Device Giveaway Sweepstakes,' in which contestants entered to win a cube by identifying 'Where in the U.S. is the Nissan cube?' from looking at the same collector's edition graphic cover art that will be distributed at Comic-Con. Each day at the convention, one of the covers will be handed out to a fan, who will be invited back for the chance to collect all four in the series. Nissan Street Teams in Heroes-inspired cubes will also be driving around in downtown San Diego to create buzz and excitement around the Comic-Con activities. About the 2009 Nissan cubeThe 2009 Nissan cube is designed to meet the practical needs of today's active, environmentally aware drivers, providing a small footprint with a large interior space. The front-wheel drive cube is built on Nissan's proven B-platform and is available with a standard 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine and a choice of Nissan's advanced, smooth shifting Xtronic CVT or 6-speed manual transmission. Along with the long list of standard features on the cube 1.8, the cube 1.8 S adds body-colored outside mirrors, premium grade fabric, cruise control, cargo area cover and more. The cube 1.8 SL adds standard CVT, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, auto on/off headlights, Automatic Temperature Control, Interface System for iPod, six speakers and more. The uniquely equipped cube 1.8 Krom includes an exclusive integrated body design, Krom 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, sporty interior treatment, Rockford Fosgate subwoofer, Xtronic CVT and much more.Cube's long list of standard safety features includes the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System , seat-mounted driver and front-passenger side-impact supplemental air bags, and roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection. Cube also offers standard front-seat Active Head Restraints, Tire Pressure Monitoring System and Vehicle Dynamic Control with Traction Control System , along with an Anti-lock Braking System , Electronic Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist .About Nissan North AmericaIn North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.About NBC NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, ratings success, particularly among young, upscale viewers, and numerous awards, including more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes the two-time Emmy-winning "30 Rock" and the Emmy-winning "The Office" . In addition, NBC offers such hit dramas as "Heroes," NBC's #1 series of the 2007-08 season in 18-49 and the powerful "Law & Order" franchise, anchored by the series that ties "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running drama series in the history of television. About Comic-ConComic-Con is the premier event for all things comic book. Comic-Con is celebrating its 40 Anniversary this year at the San Diego Convention Center, with everything from comics, games and films to art shows, auctions, and artist signings. Confirmed special guests include: Kevin J. Anderson, co-author Dune novels and Saga of Seven Suns; Ray Bradbury, author, screenwriter Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles; Steve Epting, artist Avengers and Captain America; and Gail Simone, writer, Wonder Woman and Secret Six. Over 125,000 people are expected to attend this year's convention, with all 4-Day and One-Day memberships already sold out at press time, and no on-site registration allowed. Comic-Con will have a preview night on Wednesday, July 22 for pre-registered 4-Day membership holders, from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. The convention will be open from 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 23 - Saturday, July 25, and from 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM on Sunday, July 26.[More...]

Infiniti 'Limited Engagement Summer Event' Kicks Off with Special Leasing and Financing on Select 2009 Models

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Infiniti today announced a new 'Limited Engagement Summer Event,' which is scheduled to run through August 31. The event offers special leasing and financing deals on the complete lineup of 2009 Infiniti performance luxury vehicles . 'Summer is the season made for driving and what better way to make that trip to the beach, mountains or desert than in a brand new Infiniti?' said Ben Poore, vice president, Infiniti Business Unit. 'Of course, summer always seems to pass too quickly, just like these special offers will, so we're making a big push to let people know that now's a great time to act.' With financing readily available, Infiniti is offering special lease rates and zero percent financing on select 2009 Infiniti models. For example, a $399 per month lease is available for the 2009 Infiniti EX Journey model with the Around View Monitor Package and Bose and Navigation Package . Longer term financing also is available for qualified Infiniti buyers. The campaign itself is designed to cut through the normal advertising clutter with elegant photography and graphics and a unique media plan. The media buys on national cable and local spot television will be two 15-second spots that will run back-to-back and in some cases split within a commercial pod, pairing a product-specific ad with a summer sales event spot. Infiniti will also conduct a number of special digital events. A 'homepage takeover' is schedule for July 28th on MSN, along with targeted takeovers on sites such as CNN.com and targeted mobile messaging on the weekend aimed at in-market luxury car shoppers. A new WAP mobile site is available at Infinitiusa.com.'The idea with our Summer Sales Event media plan is to stand apart from the normal 30-second car ads - using broadcast to create a national awareness with the :15/:15-second blocks, while also driving in-market shoppers with compelling digital messaging,' said Poore.About InfinitiInfiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and first-ever Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience) can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.[More...]

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Excel on Gas Mileage, Reduce Emissions, SDG&Amp;E Study Confirms

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:49:00 GMT

Two years after unveiling San Diego's first state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid vehicle, SDG&E said the third phase of its multi-year study reveals that plug-in hybrids offer significant improvements in gas mileage and reductions in emissions when compared with standard hybrid and gasoline vehicles.
In the most recent study, the prototype battery was replaced with a production-model battery.
When compared with the standard hybrid, the plug-in hybrid at 68 miles per gallon (MPG), achieved a 58-percent increase in gas mileage, a 37-percent decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) tailpipe emissions, and a 10-percent reduction in fuel costs.

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Nissan Announces U.S. Pricing on 2010 370Z(TM) Roadster

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:41:00 GMT

Nissan North America, Inc. today announced pricing for the all-new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster, which goes on sale in September at Nissan retailers nationwide. The 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster is offered in four models. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices* start at $36,970 USD for the 370Z Roadster 6MT and $38,270 USD for the 370Z Roadster 7AT. Also offered are two Touring models, which add a 6CD Bose audio system, XM Satellite Radio , Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, HomeLink Universal Transceiver, aluminum-trimmed pedals and power leather-appointed heated and cooled ventilated net seats. The 370Z Touring Roadster 6MT is priced at $40,520 USD and the $370Z Touring Roadster 7AT is $41,820 USD.'The new 370Z Roadster offers more refinement, quality, performance and sheer driving pleasure than any Z convertible that has come before - while retaining its great value positioning in the sports car segment,' said Christian Meunier, vice president, Nissan Marketing, NNA. 'Compared to the 2009 350Z Roadster, the new 370Z Roadster features 26 more horsepower and cleaner emissions from an all-new standard 3.7L with VVEL technology. The Z Roadster also offers an all-new exterior design, refined interior, all-new auto-latching convertible top design, and technology not previously available on the 350Z Roadster, including Bluetooth, XM Satellite Radio and Nissan Navigation System with XM NavTraffic Real-Time Traffic Information.'Two option packages are offered : the Sport Package, with 19-inch RAYS forged wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, Nissan Sport Brakes, SynchroRev Match and Viscous Limited Slip Differential; and the Navigation Package, with Hard Drive-based Nissan Navigation System, 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive and USB connectivity.About the 2010 Nissan 370Z RoadsterWhile based on the exceptionally well-reviewed 370Z Coupe, that new Z Roadster has a personality all its own. Its classic, wide-open sports car style starts with its automatic latching power convertible top, featuring a fabric inner liner and a large glass rear window with an integrated electric rear window defroster. The top operation takes approximately 20 seconds and is controlled by either a center console-mounted switch or by a button located on the doors . The automatic latch system secures the top to - or releases it from - the windshield header without driver intervention. When in the down position, the convertible top is concealed beneath a full body-color hard tonneau cover, which extends forward to help create the Z Roadster's classic 'double cockpit' style interior.The Z Roadster's list of cutting edge technology includes a standard 332-horsepower 3.7-liter DOHC V6 engine with Variable Valve Event and Lift Control , choice of 7-speed automatic transmission or close-ratio 6-speed manual with available SynchroRev Match , refined 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel vented disc brakes and lightweight yet rigid body structure. In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online atwww.NissanUSA.com and www.infinitiusa.com.* MSRP excludes applicable tax, title and license fees. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice.[More...]