Autoblog

Click the image above for more hi-res shots from the first day of Nissan 360

Nissan is holding its second ever Nissan 360 event in Cascais, Portugal as we speak. The two-day Nissan (and Infiniti) product extravaganza gathers every product produced by the company from around the world, and we're here to drive them all. We were in the Infiniti group yesterday, so we tooled around the Portuguese coast in rides like the FX50 and EX35, which we've already had a chance to drive on American soil. We also took the Speed -Racer-worthy GT-R for a spin or three around the Estoril race circuit, and got a ride with a pro driver at the wheel.

The only Nissans we got our hands on were the Large Commercial Vehicles, a Clipper JDM van, and a two-generation-old, authentic Nissan Cedric taxi complete with fare receipt printer. But stay tuned, because we'll be right back with first drives of impossibly cute Nissan city cars like the Cube, Moco, and Micra, among others. In the mean time, feel free to check out the gallery of hi-res shots from our first day in preparation for more to come.

Travel and lodging for this media event was paid for by the manufacturer.

Click to view more of the Hyundai i10 ice cream van

We can come up with all manner of criteria for evaluating a car at any level: design, performance, spec sheet, ride, features, technology, value... but the one factor that trumps all others, what it all really comes down to, is how it appeals to our inner child. At the heart of it, that's why we love Lamborghinis and HUMMERs and Mustangs... and this particular Hyundai i10. It's just a treat.

The ice-cream van conversion wasn't made for Good Humor, although it certainly put us in that state of mind. It was created as a promotional tool for the British launch of the i10 by auto innovator Andy Saunders, the same guy who gave us the neo-Picasso Citroen 2CV and the ground-hugging Fiat 126, among others. While the Poole, England-based customizer has come up with many creative designs before, we doubt any of them would get children running after it down the street like the Pied Piper. Have a look at the images in the gallery below and pick out something delicious on us.

[Source: theCarfanatic.com and AutoTrader.co.uk]

Click above to view more high-res sketches of rejected Rams

Chrysler is in the battle of its life to regain its competitiveness here in North America, and there is perhaps no vehicle more important to becoming profitable again than the 2009 Dodge Ram. The Pentastar put in a lot of elbow grease to get this truck just right, and the end result is improved power and efficiency, more storage, and a more refined look than the current truck. We like the design of the new Ram, but the production truck unveiled in Detroit was just one of many designs sketched by Chrysler artists.

Friend of Autoblog Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com got his hands on many of the designs that led to the Ram we'll see in showrooms this fall, and the sketches range from interesting to bizarre. If you take the photo above, for instance, you can see where Dodge was trying to conceptualize nifty storage solutions. The forward-leaning cross-hair grille and integrated bumper had already taken shape, too. Check out our gallery below that includes some exclusive pictures of rejected Rams, and visit PIckuptruck.com to see even more.


[Source: Pickuptruck]

Big news from Canton, Mississippi today. Nissan North America has announced it will be entering the Light Commercial Vehicle business in the U.S. in a big way. Seeking to fill up excess capacity at its plant in Canton after production of the Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 is sent elsewhere, Nissan will debut three new LCV vehicles over the next three years that will use a pair of newly designed Cummins diesel engines and transmissions from ZF. The Canton plant will receive a $118 million makeover to produce the vehicles, but will continue to produce the Altima sedan, Titan pickup and Armada full-size SUV in the meantime. Nissan's current dealer network will sell and service the LCVs, which will also require some retraining in preparation.

The first vehicle will make its official debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January, and Nissan tells us it will be a clean sheet design. Rather than just make commercial-grade versions of the Titan or import any number of the commercial vehicles it sells outside the U.S., Nissan will be designing these three LCVs for the North American market in particular, which suggests a significant investment on its part. The automaker also tells us that the vehicles will likely leave the Canton plant as chassis cabs and outfitted to meet the specific needs of its buyers by third-party companies. With the arrival of the Ford Transit Connect and panel wagons making a resurgence in the U.S., this move makes sense. Also consider that the full-size truck market is falling flat on its face thanks to the new housing market being busted by subprime loans, so finding another niche in the commercial sector to sell vehicles is a good way for automakers like Nissan to hedge their bets.

[Source: Nissan, Clarion Ledger]

Truckers are like motorcycle riders in the way that they invariably customize their rides. It's probably just as challenging to find a bone stock tractor as it is an unembellished Fat Boy. When you're plying the roads as much as the big rigs do, why not have some fun and stand apart from the rest of the crowd and their mudflaps decorated with conformist chrome silhouettes of questionable taste? International's new LoneStar truck will be factory trickable with a new line of Navistar accessories called DoubleSix Customs. While the Autoblog Garage isn't quite big enough to hold an 18-wheeler, we did dedicate the better part of an hour to International's website designing the perfect vehicle for hauling our tricked out fleet of Zastavas.

With International's online configurator, you can start with a basic truck and add a splash of color, a dollop of flames, lots of chrome, and nearly as many lights as Vegas. The DoubleSix name takes its inspiration from the mother road, Route 66, which International is hoping still resonates with those who keep our economy rolling. Our only problem? Lack of the proper license. Try it yourself, you can even upload logos and graphics to design your perfect LoneStar. Press release after the jump.

[Source: International]

Click above to view video

Have you ever watched a commercial and wondered what the heck the ad had to do with the product? Of course you have. But sometimes we don't mind, like with this commercial for Cadbury chocolate. You wouldn't know it was for Cadbury unless they told you so at the end. But follow the jump to view a video that is sure to put a smile on your face – now and every time you look out the tiny portal of a plane as you wait for takeoff. And you thought your teddy bears had fun at night...

[Source: Cadbury]

Land Rover's versatility is legendary, but its detractors claim that its vehicles' utility has been sacrificed on the altar of luxury. Never willing to compromise, newly-acquired Land Rover has answered with the Freelander 2 Commercial.

The vehicle is essentially the same as the regular Freelander 2, only with some equipment removed and other features added to optimize the little truck's utility. The rear seats and side airbags have been jettisoned, replaced with a solid bulkhead, floor support frame, rubber cargo bay mat, lashing points and other handy features geared towards moving cargo instead of schoolkids. The Freelander 2 Commercial will make its official debut next month at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England, and will be available in base S and loaded XS trim levels. More details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Land Rover]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Transit Connect Taxi

Where better than New York for Ford to show off a taxi cab? And what better platform than the company's new Transit Connect van? Ford's Mark Fields and designer J. Mays were on hand for the unveiling of the Transit Connect Taxi Concept, and both were somehow amazed at the applause the concept generated. Seeing as how there were only a handful of us there and that the rest of the crowd consisted of Ford employees, we find it hard to believe there wouldn't be applause aplenty. Seriously though, this is one fun cab. After spending some time in the regular fleet of bumblebee-colored Crown Vics this past week, we can attest that the Transit Connect Taxi has a lot of things that make it a natural improvement over current standard taxis. Our favorite was the panoramic roof that allows passengers to take in tall buildings with a single glance, but we also liked the flexible seating and cargo configurations, as well as the funky interactive infotainment system for the back seat. Although it looks a bit large in photos, the Transit Connect Taxi Concept actually has a small footprint vehicle and seems like it could go four-wide where the Vics can only manage three abreast. Check out the press release after the jump and all of our live high-res pics in the gallery.


[Source: Ford]

Click image for a hi-res photo gallery

In the era of the greener taxicab, the extremely capable Ford Crown Victoria is now gauche. Ford knows this, and later this morning in the Jacob Javits Center, it will unveil a new taxi concept that's about as different from the Vic as you can get. The Ford Transit Connect Taxi that was spied last week combines spaciousness and utility with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions thanks to the 2.0-liter four it packs underhood (no hybrid, though, which would be really big in cities like New York). The yellow exterior is offset with matte grey accents, including the combo fascia/bumpers fore and aft.

Passengers ride in an airy cabin that feels even more so in the concept thanks to a vista roof that looks nice but would probably never make the cut on a real fleet vehicle. Ford and Microsoft's Work Solutions package powers the system feeding content to the 13-inch display facing the backseat passengers. In addition to acting as the meter and electronic payment interface, the display also supplies "infotainment" info, live traffic and weather, and GPS functionality. Folks who still pay their fares with wallet cabbage can send their greenbacks forward through the concept's fancy little orb in the rear partition (Ford calls it "Sputnik").

As good as the Crown Victoria taxi is, its days are numbered as cities move to green up their taxi fleets. If the Transit Connect can handle the amount of punishment the Vic regularly endures, it's a pretty compelling package. Not only is it more roomy and efficient than the Vic, it could probably be made readily accessible for disabled riders, too. Ford is intent on showing a variety of uses for its new Euro-sourced work van, and this seems like a good one.

[Source: Ford]

Just as Ford's F150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for decades, their E-Series (née Econoline) vans have also been sales champs since before the dawn of the 1980s. A strong presence in the trades delivers forty percent of the full-size van market to the E-Series. Ford's adding some new features and an upgraded interior to the E-Series for 2009 to help it continue to earn its keep. The full-sizers got an exterior nip and tuck last year, so the biggest body changes this year are rear doors that open wider.

Ford's Work Solutions system is a natural addition, and it makes just as much sense in the work van as it does in a pickup. The biggest news is a revised instrument panel with -- bar the door -- four auxiliary switches. Actually, not having a mish-mash of toggles and rockers drilled through the dash face for aftermarket gear is a nice touch. The panel itself has an uncluttered, no-nonsense layout, though the vents look like they could chew off errant fingers. Also on the new dash is a navigation system, which should lessen the "I'm lost, so I'm going to lunch" calls from contractors. American cargo vans are unsung utilitarian heroes, and Ford doesn't want its class leadership to slip away. Press release after the jump

Gallery: 2009 Ford E-Series

[Source: Ford]