Ford Ranger 2nd Gear 31t on 2040-parts.com

2014 Nissan Versa priced at $12,780

The 2014 Nissan Versa with a five-speed manual transmission -- at dealerships today -- will set you back $12,780, including $790 for destination. Stepping down to a four-cog automatic will cost a grand more. For that price -- the lowest in America, by the way, more on that later -- buyers get a 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, available air conditioning, six-way adjustable driver's seat, and a radio with an auxiliary input.

BMW Z4 Pure Fusion headed to Detroit auto show

BMW will be debuting a special edition of the 2014 BMW Z4 at the upcoming Detroit auto show, but today we're getting a sneak peek. The BMW Z4 Pure Fusion Design will essentially be an interior options package that will feature napa leather trim along with specially designed sport seats in ivory white, with contrasting brown stitching. The lower portion of the dashboard will also feature ivory white leather, as will the arm rests, door panels, and passenger pull handles.

Electric car range drops by nearly 60% in cold weather

Electric cars like the Nissan LEAF (pictured) can lose 60% of their range when it’s cold We already know that the range of electric cars reduces as the car ages, with Nissan conforming that the LEAF’s range will drop by up to 28 per cent over five years. And now we have confirmation that the ambient temperature can have a big impact on range too, thanks to the AAA, America’s equivalent of the AA. The AAA took three standard EVs on sale in the US - Nissan LEAF, Ford Focus EV and Mitsubishi i-MiEV – and subjected them to test in different ambient temperatures.