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Report: Nissan of Canada takes a pass on Murano CrossCabriolet

Filed under: Convertible, Crossover, Nissan, Canada

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re really curious as to whether or not the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet has what it takes to succeed in the U.S. market. If our friends to the north are any indication, it won’t be such a big hit, especially in regions that receive snow and ice.

The Globe and Mail reports that Nissan Canada isn’t interested in selling the funky crossover/convertible, preferring instead to sit back and gauge the vehicle’s U.S. launch before committing to anything. Ian Forsyth, Nissan Canada director of planning and strategy, told the newspaper that they “continue to assess the opportunity and success in the U.S. market to see if there is evidence to support a change in our position.”

The top of the Canada sales chart is typically filled with economy cars like the Mazda3 and trucks like the Ford F-150, so we can see why a country with six months of snow can do without the CrossCabriolet. Still, since we Americans are all too used to being overlooked for vehicles that are offered in Europe, we know some of our Canadian friends won’t be too happy to hear this.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet: First Drive

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

[Source: Globe and Mail]

Report: Nissan of Canada takes a pass on Murano CrossCabriolet originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Videos

Person waiting in line at the DMV

No more online Learner’s Permit option for Florida drivers – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you live in Florida and are getting ready to take the test to get you’re learner’s permit, you better head to Google Maps and find the location of the nearest DMV. For the past decade, potential new drivers had the option of taking their permit test online. This practice just came to a screeching halt when they found that a large percentage of drivers passing the online test failed the in-person version. How large? Over 50 percent.

Emotions are predictably mixed, but we’re all for fine-tuning a program that gives people the privilege of piloting two-ton murder mobiles. Having smarter drivers on the road leads to a better motoring experience for all of us. It’s even plausible that a more knowledgeable pool of drivers could lead to fewer accidents and reduced insurance premiums.

Hop the jump to view My Fox Orlando’s segment on the matter.

[Source: My Fox Orlando]

Continue reading Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered [w/videos]

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Superclogger – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you’re on an LA freeway and traffic is especially miserable, look for a white Mazda pickup – the one with the yellow dudes in the back. What you’ve got is a mobile puppet show led by Joel Kyack, a Southern California artist who wants to explore themes like chaos, control, individual will and “negotiations of agency and resignation.” With puppets. In the back of truck. During rush hour.

There’s an FM transmitter in the bed, so anyone within 200 feet can tune in to the dialogues of Alexi the Eastern European iron worker or the unnamed Party Girls. You can find a sample show in the video after the jump, or if you want the real thing and you can’t get on the 405, there’ll be a closing exhibition at LA’s Hammer Museum on September 21.

[Sources: NPR, KTLA]

Continue reading Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered [w/videos]

Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi Lancer earns Top Safety Pick award, first small car Mitsubishi to pass new rollover test [*UPDATE]

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Safety, Mitsubishi

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer ES – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the Mitsubishi Lancer one of its top safety picks. The four-door sedan managed to be the first ~~small car~~ Mitsubishi that the Institute has tested to pass the new roll-over test with a “good” rating. As much as we like entertaining ourselves by thinking about the researchers flipping a bevy of cars and SUVs from 9-to-5, that isn’t quite how the institute tests for rollover strength.

Instead, a large metal plate exerts a steady force on the roof of a vehicle until the crash structure deflects by five inches. At that point, the boffins measure the amount of force it took to bend the roof and compare it to the overall weight of the vehicle. From there, a strength-to-weight ratio can be established. Currently, the federal government requires a vehicle’s roof to be able to withstand 1.5 times the weight of the car, and in order for a vehicle to earn a “good” rollover rating from the IIHS, the roof needs to be able to stand up to four times the weight of the vehicle.

Gallery: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

[Source: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Mitsubishi Lancer earns Top Safety Pick award, first ~~small car~~ Mitsubishi to pass new rollover test [*UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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