Nissan has released the first official image of the upcoming 2009 370Z Coupe, which is set to make its world debut at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show. The all-new 370Z is the first full redesign of the iconic Nissan Z since the introduction of the previous generation model back in 2003, and will go on sale early next year as a 2009 model in the U.S. It should see Australian release in a similar time frame to take over from the successful 350Z Coupe.

Nissan Australia will reveal the Australian-spec new generation of the Murano SUV at the 2008 Australian Motor Show in October, although the latest generation of the Murano has been sold in the U.S. since January of this year.

The European Union has taken the first major steps to establishing a next-generation vehicle-to-vehicle communications system by passing a motion today to reserve an EU-wide frequency band for vehicle applications. With a targeted goal of reducing road accidents, the motion aims at enabling co-operative systems between carmakers and is expected to lead to an eventual roll-out of the first production examples shortly after 2010.

The future of hybrid and electric vehicles at Nissan was made clearer today in an announcement that revealed the company’s own hybrid drive system and plans for a future all-electric car. Nissan has been selling a hybrid version of its Altima sedan in several markets for the past two years but the core technology of the vehicle, the petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, is based on technology borrowed from Toyota. A company executive has revealed that there will be no dedicated hybrid model to use the new powertrain, however.

While most carmakers attempt to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles by shedding weight, improving aerodynamics or downsizing engines, Nissan is taking a slightly different approach by conditioning motorists to drive more conservatively. Nissan unveiled today a new device called the ECO Pedal that works by activating a counter ‘push-back’ force on the accelerator pedal every time the driver puts his or her foot down.

Demand for diesel-fuelled cars and SUVs is shooting through the roof as fuel prices rise and more models are made available. Despite the added cost of purchase, which sometimes tips the balance of affordability out of diesel models’ favour for the first few years of ownership, there’s no denying their growth in popularity as consumers look for more fuel-efficient means of motoring.

Carbon fibre is seen by many in the auto industry as one of the most effective ways of reducing vehicle weight and improving fuel economy and emissions levels, but the relative expense of the material means that it’s still reserved for only a handful of high-end production cars. BMW has effectively used carbon fibre roofs for its M cars to help lower their centre of gravity, and Nissan, Ferrari, and GM have used the composite material to help save weight on supercars such as Nissan's GT-R, Ferrari's F430 Scuderia, and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1.

The rivalry between America's newest supercar, the Corvette ZR-1, and the Nissan GT-R has just ratcheted up a notch. The ZR-1 today completed a flying lap of the Nurburgring in 7 minutes, 26.4 seconds - nearly three seconds quicker than Nissan's contender to the price-performance throne.

The annual NRMA car theft ratings have been announced for 2008 and have been compiled using a host of different statistics including real-world theft figures and the number of anti-theft devices, break-in resistance features and vehicle identity systems installed. An important finding was that by simply adding a $2 self-voiding identification label, car manufacturers could greatly improve theft deterrence.