Jaguar is in the holiday spirit and has released a teaser shot of its upcoming Jaguar XF Sportbrake on Twitter.

So does this Jaguar XF Sportbrake photo tell us anything? Not really. All we really see is Santa loading up the Jaguar XF station wagon with gifts offering a quick glimpse of the inside of the car.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake is due to hit European roads early next year. No plans have been announced for the stateside.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Jaguar (via CAR)

Those of you who lust after an R8 that may be slightly out of reach now have a better chance then anticipated to experience one first hand.

Audi is holding a contest via Twitter, asking fans to tweet using the hashtag #WantAnR8 as a way to tell Audi why you would want an R8. Easy enough, right? So far, Joanne McCoy has won a day with ‘her’ R8, and Audi still has more to offer.

Click here for more news on the Audi R8.

Additionally, the brand is extending the contest to the approaching Petit Le Mans race, where people attending will get the chance to drive an R8 that day.

- By: Alexandra Koken

- By: Omar Rana

Twitter has come across an unexpected revenue in automotive ads. Adam Bain, the companies’ Cheif Revenue Officer reveals that 12 percent of the first three months of 2011 revenue was just from this genre.

Bain comments on the advertising strategy, saying “Promoted accounts are one of the best hidden secrets of the platform. Unlike trends, they’re based on targeting. If the marketer understands the value of a certain type of customer, they can bid really effectively… “Each marketer knows how much a follower is worth to them, and once they’ve acquired that follower, brands can keep marketing to them,”.

Advertisers spend on a cost-per-follower format to target users, and pay an average of between $10 and $40. Twitter is maintaining its site to maximize benefits for advertisers as well.

Follow egmCarTech on Twitter.

As for what the consumer sees, Twitter is still selective about the types of ads that it will run on the popular site. Bain notes “There are some things we want to do to really make ourselves more valuable to retailers… We started by saying we would show engagement… but one of the things we want to do now is to connect the dots better on the conversion side,”.

With an 80 percent retention rate for advertisers, Twitter has to be doing something right. Perhaps that’s why automakers such has Mercedes, Nissan and Volkswagen have chosen to place ads there.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Clickz

Toyota is working on its own version Facebook and Twitter… well, almost. The Japanese automaker announced today that it is building ‘Toyota Friend,’ a private social network for Toyota customers and their cars.

Powered by Salesforce Chatter and Microsoft, the private social network used by businesses, and will be offered, first in Japan, initially with Toyota’s electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles due in 2012.

As described by Toyota:

“Toyota Friend will be a private social network that connects Toyota customers with their cars, their dealership, and with Toyota. Toyota Friend will provide a variety of product and service information as well as essential maintenance tips, creating a rich car ownership experience. For example, if an EV or PHV is running low on battery power, Toyota Friend would notify the driver to re-charge in the form of a “tweet”-like alert. In addition, while Toyota Friend will be a private social network, customers can choose to extend their communication to family, friends, and others through public social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. The service will also be accessible through smart phones, tablet PCs, and other advanced mobile devices.“

“Social networking services are transforming human interaction and modes of communication,” said TMC President Akio Toyoda. “The automobile needs to evolve in step with that transformation. I am always calling for Toyota to make ever-better cars. The alliance that we announce today is an important step forward in achieving that goal.”

- By: Omar Rana

BMW i Website

While we won’t see the first BMW i vehicle until 2013, BMW Group is wasting no time in getting the word out about its new alternative fuel sub-brand. The company has just launched a new website, Facebook page and a Twitter account where interested customers and fans can go to learn more about BMW i’s offerings.

BMW i’s first vehicle will debut in 2013. Known as the BMW i3 (previously know as the Megacity), the compact electric-car will be powered by a 35 kWh lithium-ion battery, which will fuel a 150-hp electric-motor that will turn the rear-wheels. BMW plans on producing 30,000 units of the i3 a year.

Click here for more news on the BMW i brand.

Later in 2013, the BMW i3 will also be joined by the BMW i8 (previously known as Vision EfficientDynamics). According to BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson, the “i8 will be a pinnacle car for the BMW brand as a whole, not just the i brand.”

Stay tuned for more from the BMW i brand.

Check out the BMW i website here, Facebook page here and Twitter here.

BMW i:

- By: Omar Rana

Jewel Tweets About Her Cadillac SRX

Remember country singer Jewel? Well, the pregnant singer was involved in a accident this past week and was hit at a rural crossroads near Stephenville, Texas, by a volunteer fire department truck. The mom-to-be was then taken to the hospital, and was released – she and her baby are fine, her spokesperson told the Associated Press.

Over the weekend, Jewel decided to tweet about her Cadillac SRX and the tweet is the type of celebrity endorsement that GM could only dream of:

1 thing I do know is my car saved my & my baby’s life. Definitely going to get another Cadillac SRX! It absorbed all the damage and kept me safe.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Twitter, USAToday

ChryslerAutos Twitter F-Bomb

If you’re one of the 7,967 followers of @ChryslerAutos on Twitter, you may have been surprised this morning by a Tweet sent out saying:

“I find it ironic that Detroit’s known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive.”

A bit harsh don’t you think? Especially considering Chrysler is all about MoTown right now with their ‘Imported from Detroit’ tagline. Well, that’s because it wasn’t Chrysler. Apparently an employee over at New Media Strategies, Chrysler social media agency, tweeted the f-bomb while stuck in traffic. Needless to say, the employee was fired.

Hit the jump for a statement from Chrysler.

Chrysler’s Statement in Response to Inappropriate Tweet from @ChryslerAutos:

“This morning an inappropriate comment was issued from the Chrysler brand Twitter handle, @ChryslerAutos, via our social media agency of record, New Media Strategies (NMS). After further investigation, it was discovered that the statement was issued by an NMS employee, who has since been terminated.

Chrysler Group and its brands do not tolerate inappropriate language or behavior and apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this communication.

Furthermore, the Company has set in place appropriate steps to ensure that this does not happen again.”

- By: Omar Rana

Jim Farley with 2011 Ford Fiesta at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Living on the forefront of the American auto industry, Ford is making a move away from major traditional broadcast advertising in favor of the digital world; primarily in the form of social media.

“Customers are spending as much time with the mobile smart phone or online as they are watching TV now, so our advertising dollars have to flow to where the people are,” Ford”s marketing chief Jim Farley said.

Farley, who is seen as a potential successor to Ford chieftain Alan Mulally, said that the Super Bowl represents a fantastic opportunity – for unknown brands. Under him, Ford has spent 25% of its media budget the last two years on digital. That figure is twice of what J.D. Power says will be the average spent on digital media in 2012.

Farley also notes the great success he had with promoting the Ford Fiesta online, and the greater exposure he had than competitors such as Honda and Toyota with their Fit and Yaris models. He also spent one tenth of what he would have otherwise spent on traditional media streams.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The Ford Fiesta, no stranger to being popular, has already gained more than 6,000 reservations in the United States, with half of the coming from customers who never owned a Ford. A large part of the credit for that goes to Ford’s Fiesta Movement, a social media initiative designed to generate excitement about the new compact Fiesta.

The first Fiesta Movement generated more than 6.2 million YouTube views, more than 750,000 Flickr views and nearly 4 million Twitter impressions. The movement also set the Guinness World Record for the most attendees at a tweetup during the Fiesta Movement Awards Celebration in West Hollywood in December at the 2009 LA Auto Show.

To keep the momentum going, Ford is now launching the Fiesta Movement Chapter 2.

“This was a natural progression from the first phase of the Fiesta Movement,” said Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand Content and Alliances manager. “Chapter 2 will still be rooted in social media, but this time the content will also live offline and find its way into new mediums. Fiesta needs to clearly be the star now as the agents share their work within their communities and beyond.”

20 teams of two agents will be bringing the 2011 Fiesta on a journey through missions inspired by the compact Ford and will use social media to tell their story.

The 2011 Ford Fiesta hits dealerships this summer.

Click here for more news on the Ford Fiesta.

Refresher: The 2011 Ford Fiesta is powered by a 1.6L DOHC 4-cylinder engine making 119-hp with a peak torque of 109 lb-ft. It is estimated to deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg. Pricing for the 2011 Ford Fiesta starts at $13,320.

2011 Ford Fiesta:

NEW SET OF AGENTS TEAM UP TO BRING FORD FIESTA LOCAL WITH FIESTA MOVEMENT CHAPTER 2

* Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 kicks off with 20 teams of two agents each bringing the new 2011 Fiesta to life through missions inspired by Ford”s new small car
* Missions will be centered around where the teams live, with agents tapping into their local communities to help execute and promote missions
* The 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale this summer offering projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, 15 class-exclusive technologies and personalization, all in a small car package

Dearborn, Mich., March 1, 2010 ““ Ford”s Fiesta Movement, a social media initiative designed to create excitement about the new Fiesta, put the new small car on the minds of thousands of people nationwide. It is now moving to its second chapter, this time enlisting 40 people to tell the story of Ford”s newest car in 16 cities across the country.

Culled from more than 1,000 applications, Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 consists of 20 teams comprised of two agents each. Their mission will be to redefine the way Fiesta is brought to market by interacting with consumers online and offline, while bringing Fiesta to their communities.

The first Fiesta Movement generated more than 6.2 million YouTube views, more than 750,000 Flickr views and nearly 4 million Twitter impressions. The Fiesta Movement also set a Guinness World Record for the most attendees at a tweetup during the Fiesta Movement Awards Celebration in West Hollywood in December. This unprecedented event brought together 1,149 Fiesta Movement agents and Twitter friends.

Telling the story, locally
Agents will complete a series of missions, where they will compete in challenges locally that leverage the best of their communities, allowing them to open the discussion about Fiesta through social media and beyond.

After completing a challenge, agents will produce and place the creative content online at www.fiestamovement.com, where followers also can keep up with their favorite agents. The best content will be recognized based on online consumer interaction and consumers” opinions about the agents” work, and will be amplified in local media and events as well as through a variety of national mediums.

One of the missions is called “Show the World UR Personality,” where agents will design their Fiesta wrap, working with designers to create a wrap that fits their team”s personality. Their personalized Fiesta will be delivered to the agent team, and the best wrap, as voted on by the fans on www.fiestamovement.com, will later be available to consumers. Additionally, the winning wrap will be integrated into a future national Fiesta display.

Followers of Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 will play a pivotal role in this adventure, by checking in with their favorite agent team, snapping a picture of the content they saw on the streets or commenting on what the agents post to social media sites.

“Essentially, the agents will be introducing Fiesta to their communities, with local culture driving the content they create,” said Fontaine. “There will be unique opportunities for consumers to actively engage and follow along with the agent teams in their area.”

Agents were selected based on entrepreneurial spirit, strong, continued local connections, social vibrancy and creative vision. The agent teams are located in major markets, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Orlando, Phoenix, Atlanta and Miami.

Fiesta has it all ““ and more
Going on sale this summer, the all-new Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, sharp reflexes, and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers” expectations. With 15 class-exclusive technologies and a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, Fiesta brings efficiency and convenience together in one package.

Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class convenience and connectivity with Ford”s segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, as well as an expressive color palette and available graphics.

Already more than 6,000 consumers have made reservations for the Ford Fiesta ““ half of them from non-Ford customers ““ and more than 100,000 handraisers are showing an interest in the new fuel-efficient car. Customers can place their order for the new Fiesta today through their local Ford dealer.

The saying goes that if you scream and shout enough, someone will eventually listen and come to your rescue. Mark Reuss, General Motors’ North America president, says that the company is listening better to customers thanks to the connectivity and interactivity allowed through social media.

In one case, a customer who had been complaining about a rattling noise coming from his vehicle said he couldn’t find anyone to fix it. Reuss eventually dispatched an engineer to the customer’s house on New Year’s Eve to find the problem and fix it.

Follow egmCarTech on Twitter.

“Every day our agents search Facebook and Twitter accounts checking to see whether customers who use these social media Web sites are having problems with their vehicles,” Reuss said. “We’ve never done that before. I wish we had because we’re learning a lot about what we can do better. And I know because I’ve made a lot of those calls myself.”

So, if you’re having troubles with your Chevy, Cadillac, Buick or GMC – you should Tweet about it.

“Going forward, we’ll be doing a lot more of exactly this kind of listening,” Reuss said. “And the explosion of new social networking tools is playing a huge role here.”

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Since you can now Twitter from basically everywhere, FoMoCo figured to add Tweeting to its vehicles. At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, Ford revealed plans to offer a new web-connected dashboard technologies the include OpenBeak, a mobile Twitter application formerly known as TwitterBerry.

Joining OpenBeak, Pandora and Stitcher will also offer their apps as the Dearborn automakers first partners to enable their services to be controlled by SYNC.

“To use OpenBeak, Pandora or Stitcher in the car right now, drivers have to take their eyes off the road and manually control the device,” explained VanDagens. “Recent research shows that activity that draws drivers” eyes off the road substantially increases the risk of accidents. By allowing drivers to control the app through SYNC”s voice commands and steering wheel buttons, we can hopefully reduce distraction for millions of drivers wanting to enjoy these apps during their commutes.”

Pandora is the most popular Internet radio service in the world, while Stitcher allows users to create personalized, on-demand Internet radio stations with news, talk and entertainment programming.

Hit the jump for the press release.

MyFord Touch / MyLincoln Touch:

Press Release:

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2010 ““ Ford Motor Company today announced Pandora, Stitcher and Orangatame”s OpenBeak (formerly TwitterBerry) are the first partners to enable their apps to be controlled in the car by SYNC using the new application programming interface (API) in the SYNC software development kit.

“SYNC”s open platform approach is unique in the industry and allows us to capitalize on the ever-improving capabilities of mobile devices,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization. “Smartphone mobile apps are experiencing explosive growth, and consumers are becoming dependent on them for news, entertainment and information, so we”re excited to be working with some of the most popular apps on the market, OpenBeak, Pandora and Stitcher, to showcase the potential of the SYNC API.”

The SYNC API is being created in conjunction with a related software development kit (SDK) and associated hardware that will include a Ford radio head and related SYNC components configured to operate outside of the vehicle. The entire package is planned for broader rollout later this year and will allow developers to modify existing mobile applications and create all-new apps that can interface with Ford”s popular SYNC voice-activated in-car communications system.

By enabling developers to integrate the SYNC API into their apps, Ford is providing customers with the capability to access the applications they use most while in the car. Leveraging SYNC”s safer voice commands and steering wheel controls, drivers are able to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Using an open API model allows Ford to leverage the mobile device as an operating system and processor, while using SYNC to access the vehicle controls.

Ford is joining millions of customers in embracing the app marketplace. Studies show what was a nonexistent niche just three years ago is expected to blossom into a $4 billion industry by 2012. The App Store, run by Apple, is one of dozens of application marketplaces and already boasts more than 100,000 mobile apps and more than 2 billion downloads.

Similar sites serving other mobile operating systems, such as Android and BlackBerry®, have experienced the same explosive growth. Analysts predict the mobile device will become the No. 1 source for Internet access by 2020, surpassing the home computer. Ford and SYNC will answer the consumer demand by offering the only platform available for drivers to safely manage their mobile applications.

Customers will be able to download SYNC-enabled mobile apps through the same app store interfaces consumers currently use. As SYNC-enabled versions of existing apps are released into the app stores, users will be prompted to download the latest version upon connection. Also, as developers grasp the notion that the vehicle interior has opened to them, a new dimension of apps designed from the outset to maximize the unique in-car environment will follow.

OpenBeak
OpenBeak is a mobile client for posting updates and reading messages on Twitter. It works over the data network, so users don”t need to use Short Message Service from their mobile phones. OpenBeak is the evolution of the original Twitter app for BlackBerry smartphones, TwitterBerry, which was launched in 2007. OpenBeak reflects the app”s expansion beyond its original functionality.

The SYNC application will take the Twitter experience to a whole new level, with safety while interacting in the vehicle as the main goal. Timelines, direct messages and friends can be read out loud. While listening to a particular tweet, the display indicates the user and elapsed time since the tweet was written. Also planned is the capability to retweet a post, be notified when new messages are received or tweets appear in a user”s timeline and, upon startup, present the total number of new tweets. Steering wheel controls will skip to the next tweet or go back to the previous item in the timeline.

Pandora
With more than 40 million users, Pandora is the most popular Internet radio service in the world. Users simply enter a favorite song or artist into Pandora and the app quickly creates personalized radio stations, based on that musical style. The use of Pandora”s thumb up/thumb down feature allows listeners to further curate their stations and enjoy a stream of great music, perfectly suited to their taste ““ new and old, well known and obscure.

Pandora”s mobile audience, 17 million strong and growing rapidly, is ripe for the SYNC application, which will allow them to further extend their listening into the car. With the SYNC-enabled Pandora app, listeners can use vehicle controls to pause and skip songs, and use voice commands to thumb up or down songs, switch between Pandora stations, or create a new station from a currently playing artist or song.

Stitcher
Focusing on the mobile market, Stitcher allows listeners to create personalized, on-demand Internet radio stations with news, talk and entertainment programming. Within the Stitcher app, users choose the programs they want “stitched” together, and the app then streams that content to the user”s mobile device. Stitcher also will recommend new programs that come online if they match with the types of programs the user already has chosen.

Since its release in 2008, Stitcher has received numerous awards including a People”s Choice Webby award for mobile news, a Best of “09 award from San Francisco magazine and a PC Mag Top 10 App of 2009.
Additional apps to come

Working with new partners, Ford is completing beta-testing on the SDK. Once the kits are out of the beta-testing stage, a broader release of the development tools is planned for late 2010. Initial reports have been positive, with one of Ford”s development partners creating a SYNC-enabled version of its app just three days after receiving the development tools.

“We”re really encouraged by the rapid development time and positive feedback we”ve seen from our first partners,” said VanDagens. “Getting app functionality inside the vehicle, controllable through vehicle interfaces, will be huge for customer convenience and for helping drivers complete their tasks while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Ford (via PocketBerry)

Like many companies, Hyundai motors has taken to social media as a means of marketing and maintaining brand awareness. Unfortunately for the however, the Twitter user name ‘Hyundai’ had already been taken before the Korean automaker even thought about social media. “Twitter’s @Hyundai page contains a collection of 140-character blasts in English and Korean about oysters, cell phones and the Yankees.”, reported Automotive News. “Clicking on a profile photo reveals a collage of scantily-clad ladies bearing cleavage and more, and a caption saying, “Have a Lustful Day.’”

Despite several attempts by Hyundai, Twitter refuses to get involved and Hyundai is now contemplating legal action. “They simply haven’t responded to requests,” said Chris Hosford, a spokesman for Hyundai Motor America told Automotive News. “Our brand name is extremely important to us. … We’re very disappointed that Twitter has shown no interest in protecting brand names.”

Currently, Twitter offers no special service such as ‘verified account’ status to businesses as it does to celebrities, and this frustrates professional marketers to no end. This situation with Hyundai is not unusual; many of the top 100 advertisers, as ranked by Advertising Age, do not own the Twitter usernames that correspond to their products and brands. Among those being squatted on are: General Motors Co., General Electric, Comcast, Eli Lilly, Kellog Co., MasterCard, Nestle, and Walt Disney.

Twitter has acknowledged, and expressed concern for, those marketers experiencing frustration on the brand verification issue, and has hinted heavily that a ‘Twitter Pro’ is coming soon, anticipating social-media as becoming a crucial part of any relevant company’s brand presence.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Nissan decided to poke a little fun at the 2011 Chevrolet Volt’s claim of averaging 230 mpg for city driving via Twitter saying that its new Nissan LEAF EV averages 367 mpg.

“Nissan Leaf = 367 mpg, no tailpipe, and no gas required. Oh yeah, and it’ll be affordable too!” Nissan’s Twitter status read.  Nissan said that it came up with the average using the Department of Energy’s formula.

Of course you should take all these figures with a grain of salt until the EPA releases official figures. GM said earlier this morning that the EPA uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins. It said that the Volt consumes 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in a city cycle.

2010 Nissan LEAF EV:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Twitter

Last month, we were officially told that the Pontiac G8 will not survive as a Chevrolet Caprice.

“I”d mentioned it, and said we were studying it, giving it a serious look, because a car like the G8 was just too good to waste,” said Lutz. “That”s all still true. But I have to say that, with my new “marketing” hat on, upon further review and careful study, we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today”s market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be.”

As reported earlier this morning, GM held a little group meeting with a bunch of PR folks and social media geeks. According to Twitterer Joel Feder, who spoke with Bob Lutz at the event, the G8 may actually come back as a high-end Chevrolet.

Lutz said that the G8 may return “as a really high end Chevy” not as a caprice. Expect “high end brakes, huge engine, big and fast. Like four door Corvette.”

Take this with a grain of salt because nothing is official unless it’s confirmed by GM itself. Not to mention, GM is well known for changing their mind.

Reviewed: 2010 Pontiac G8 GXP:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Twitter

I’ll be flying to Atlanta early tomorrow morning to drive a Porsche fitted with the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer’s new Doppelkupplung double-clutch gearbox (you can try pronouncing that or just say PDK). While I have no idea which Porsche model I’ll be driving (no it’s not the Panamera), Porsche says that the PDK dual-clutch helped the 2009 911 Carrera S return a Nurburgring lap time of 7:50, which compares fairly well to a 2009 911 Carrera S fitted a manual transmission that returned 7:58.  So that already has me excited.

Porsche also says that its PDK dual-clutch is 60 percent faster than the Tiptronic S automatic. Better fuel-economy is another area where Porsche’s PDK shines. Without PDK, the Carrera gets a combined fuel-economy of 21.3 mpg in U.S. standards – with PDK, the 2009 Carrera gets 24 mpg.

Porsche apparently sells more manual cars in the United States than it does anywhere else – so we’re guessing pushing the PDK transmission is a pretty big gamble for the Stuttgart automaker. Either way, we’ll find out tomorrow.

You can follow my journey to the Porsche PDK event all day tomorrow and Monday via Twitter updates. I’ll be posting notes, pictures and if time allows, I’ll pull out my laptop and give you a quick update. I will land in Atlanta around 10 am (Easter Time) tomorrow morning and will start driving to Birmingham, AL at 12 pm. On Monday, I will be testing the PDK at Barber Motorsports track. You can ask me all the questions you want via Twitter or post them in the comments section on this article. Follow me at http://twitter.com/egmcartech.

UPDATE: Check out all the updates on our Twitter. My ride of choice for the 4-hour drive from Atlanta to Birmingham was the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4. It’s been a crazy day and now I’m headed to a meeting with some Porsche PDK engineers. Will provide more live updates from the Barber Motorsports track tomorrow.

PS: Porsche even gave me a free 2010 Panamera!

- By: Omar Rana

As you already know, I’ll be driving around the 2009 Nissan Cube this week. We figure we’d use this new craze called Twitter to keep in touch with you guys while test driving and reviewing the 2009 Cube.

You can follow me @ http://twitter.com/egmcartech for up-to-the-minute updates and ask me questions here or send me a tweet. We’ll be posting pics and “everythang.”

To answer questions we’ve received so far.

ravensbd5309: what kind of awkward stares you receive driving that thing?

We’ve received all kinds of stares. A five-year old girl came out of a shopping center and screamed “wow, mom that man’s car is so ugly.” Other people are very fascinated by it. I had someone driving right next to me who pulled down their window and snapped numerous pics of the car with their digital SLR camera.

Jim: What kind of real world gas mileage do you get?

We’re still messing around with the center-display to figure out how many MPGs we’re averaging – we’ll let you know shortly.

Pat: Let me know how many people you can fit in there comfortably.. and why Nissan gave you one that looks like an army mobile?

- By: Omar Rana