Yamaha Raptor 350 Frame & A-arm Skid Plate Set Engine on 2040-parts.com

Carlos Ghosn's automaker mantra: Go big or you'll go away

Size matters in auto company survival, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told an audience in Detroit on Tuesday. To cope with the escalating costs and scope of a global industry, successful automakers must complete a trifecta--be able to compete in every technology, every market and every segment, Ghosn said during a luncheon speech at the Detroit Economic Club “No 3 million-unit carmaker can make it,” Ghosn said, explaining why his Renault-Nissan alliance forged an alliance with Germany's Daimler AG. Competency in one or two of the three skills is not enough, and only very large companies can afford all three, he said.

Porsche Panamera to receive long-wheelbase treatment for 2012

Porsche is developing a long-wheelbase version of the Panamera in a bid to satisfy demand for greater rear-seat legroom from customers in North American and China. Details remain sketchy, but insiders at the company's research and development center in Germany have indicated to AutoWeek that the 115-inch wheelbase of today's Panamera will be extended by almost five inches, taking it up to nearly 120 inches. By comparison, the long-wheelbase version of the Mercedes-Benz S-class boasts a 124-inch wheelbase.

2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo priced at $151,585

The 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo -- which made its debut at the Geneva motor show -- will carry an eye-watering base price of $151,585 when it goes on sale at the end of July. The Nismo is the halo model among halo models, featuring nearly every performance part the company has to offer. Nissan priced the lower-spec Premium, Black and Track versions of the GT-R back in January.