TweetIf you asked me in 1982 – the year I graduated high school – what I wanted to be when I grew up, you would not to be surprised by my response. I was all set to get into broadcasting. Since I could not get into California State University Northridge's Radio-Television-Film program immediately out of …
Translation: Japanese cars were thought of as cheap tin boxes that would never make it through a Minnesota winter. That was the mentality of the American consumer until the last couple of decades. It does help that several Japanese automakers set up shop building vehicles on our soil to change our collective minds.
The turn of the 1970s was a time of transition. It was clear that Richard Nixon wasn't going anywhere. His administration oversaw the first landing on the moon by human beings, but the escalating war in Vietnam dogged his leadership. In 1968, many thought Nixon was the peace candidate for President. He would end up sending more USA troops into Southeast Asia.
The unveiling of the Z Proto was proof that Nissan was committed to the continuation of a legacy. A legacy that cemented the intentions of the Yokohama-based company to be a different kind of automaker. Different, as in showing a sporty side and making it their focus at a time when vehicles from Japan were attracting global customers in increasing numbers.
It is that double-edged sword that entices us to import older Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions and Nissan Skyline GT-Rs. However, this importation business penalizes us with prices that are higher than market levels. Someone is profiting from our desire to get something we wanted badly some three decades before.
I always had high hopes for the Nissan Pathfinder. Then again, I always had high hopes for Nissan. That cut on the chin was there because the dealers that have sold them for years are not happy with the product they had to sell.
This is the challenge of Nissan as it announced its plan going forward from massive global financial losses and sales. This plan was announced by Nissan CEO Makato Uchida at their headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, as some of these measures and plans have been reported elsewhere in bits and pieces.
The subject of track days came about during a discussion on advanced driver education programs. There has been a push to create driver education programs for teenagers by teaching them advanced, but necessary skills. Car control is a huge piece of the puzzle, as teenagers need to understand how their vehicle can react when presented with a dangerous situation. It used to be called "defensive driving," but teaching these skills on controlled environments raises this concept to new levels.
Do participation in the glamorous life mean one has to balance the silver spoon with bad behavior? When has success become so ugly? Is being a member of the A-List mean being less than human in some relevant traits?
Then, came all of the repercussions stemming from Ghosn’s arrest. The latest being a potential split of the Alliance by Renault, leaving Mitsubishi with Nissan. It will be an interesting set of developments on how the split will take place and Nissan’s response when it comes to future product and technology development.