convention Archives

Report: NADA angers some by choosing Hillary Clinton as convention keynote speaker

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal

Automotive News is reporting a serious backlash from car dealers regarding the North American Dealers Association’s choice of keynote speaker for the annual industry confab in January: former first lady and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.

AN spoke to one dealer that not only cancelled his trip to the NADA conference, but revoked his dealership’s membership outright over the association with Clinton. In defense of its choice, NADA Chairman David Westcott argued that the dealer advocate wanted “somebody well-known, with a name – a draw.”

Still, NADA members aren’t pleased with the choice, with dealers delivering a barrage of angry messages since Clinton’s selection, according to Automotive News. Some of the angry messages relate to the former secretary of state’s politics, no doubt, but some might just be upset about the expense of such a big-name speaker – AN cited media reports that Clinton commands about $200,000 per speech.

NADA isn’t backing down, though, with its president, Peter Welch, delivering a level-headed response to AN’s inquiry about the choice: “Our job is to provide our members with exposure to all facets of business and government that can affect their dealerships. Like her or not, Senator Clinton is perhaps the most prominent woman of modern times.”

NADA angers some by choosing Hillary Clinton as convention keynote speaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Nissan, Design/Style

Randy Rodriguez, designer of the Nissan 370Z – Click above to read the interview

It’s a rare thing to see a car penned by someone who’s a die-hard fan. More often than not, designers are assigned to vehicles they have little or no emotional attachment to, and as such, the car buying public is regularly supplied with a slurry of bland appliances that do little to acknowledge a car’s model history and next to nothing to advance the vehicle aesthetically.

Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Nissan 370Z. Randy Rodriguez, the guy behind the original design of the 370Z, had owned 10 different Z cars before he sat down to sketch out the latest iteration of Nissan’s low-buck sports machine. Autoblog had the chance to catch up with Rodriguez at the Z’s 40th birthday bash last weekend in Franklin, TN. Hit the jump to read a few excerpts from the conversation, including talk about alternatively powered future Zs and how he drew inspiration for the car’s look from the Discovery Channel.

Gallery: 23rd Annual Z Car Convention

Continue reading Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention

Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog attends 23rd annual Nissan Z Car Convention

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Nissan

23rd Nissan Z Car Convention – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee played host to the 23rd Annual Z Car Convention this past weekend. While we missed out on Friday’s autocross and drift challenge action, we were on hand Saturday morning for the car show. Owners from around the country rolled out their pieces of Z history, from the 240Z to the 370Z. Nissan itself pulled a few heritage models out of the mothballs and parked them on the lawn for all to enjoy. Talk about tasty.

There were even a handful of vintage machines with nary a Z or Fairlady badge in their bloodline on display as well. We were particularly smitten with the blue Patrol poised to go where no 240Z had gone before. Likewise, there were a bevy of cars from the Z’s racing history nestled at the foot of the Nissan tower. No matter how hard we begged, the Nissan crew wouldn’t let play with the East African Safari 240Z in the open fields around the headquarters, but they did trot out the refreshed 2011 Rogue crossover, and more to the point, they were kind enough to let us have a peek under the fiberglass of Paul Newman’s Bob Sharp prepared 1981 Datsun ZX Turbo. That’ll do.

Gallery: 23rd Annual Z Car Convention

Autoblog attends 23rd annual Nissan Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Hatchback, Nissan, Design/Style

2011 Nissan Rogue

2011 Nissan Rogue – Click above for high-res image gallery

We managed to make our way to the 23rd annual Z Car Convention at the Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee this weekend. Aside from a slew of Zed-related goodness of unmatched acclaim, the 2011 Nissan Rogue was also rolled out as part of the celebration. Overall, the little crossover sticks close to last year’s recipe, though some subtle visual updates help the ute better stand out from the rest of the mall parking lot crowd.

The tweaked front fascia now has a more angular look aimed at giving the nose of the Rogue some definition. Likewise, the grille has been massaged to incorporate a larger Nissan badge, and the optional fog lights now reside in sculpted inserts. A chrome strip spans the 2011 Rogue’s flanks, and a similar piece of brightwork now glams up the rear liftgate. Lastly, buyers who opt for the 2011 Nissan Rogue Krom or Rogue SL will get new 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, too. Otherwise, it’s much of the same from Nissan’s compact people hauler. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Rogue

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Ford, Misc. Auto Shows

2010 Ford Taurus SHO Convention highlights – Click above for high-res image gallery

Blue Oval execs rolled out the red carpet for Taurus SHO owners last week in Dearborn, MI to welcome 100 privately owned examples and many more enthusiasts to town for the 19th annual national Taurus SHO convention. Ford would love nothing more than to win the approval of the already rabid SHO enthusiast community, many of whom appreciate the performance potential of two turbos and all-wheel drive but aren’t necessarily on board with the new super-sized model. To that end, Ford dropped some not-so-subtle hints on what could be in store for the next SHO, a model rumored to be on deck for 2013.

“365 horsepower is good. 400 is better.”

“The SHO is at the top [of Ford’s performance sedan lineup] and we’re going to keep it there,” said Steve Ling, Ford’s North American car marketing manager during a Tuesday lunch presentation at Ford World Headquarters. “365 horsepower is good. 400 is better.”

Advanced Engine Design and Development Engineer Brett Hinds spoke at length about the EcoBoost V6 during the Tuesday presentation, noting that the 3.5-liter engine had the potential for considerably more power, as we’ll likely see later this year between the fenders of the F-150. That version of the EcoBoost will definitely produce more torque than the SHO’s mill, but if the rumors of 400 horsepower for the F-150 are true, a more muscular SHO could indeed be just around the corner.

Gallery: 2010 Taurus SHO convention highlights

Continue reading Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention

Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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