2013 Nissan GT-R Starts at $96,820

Nissan's most expensive car is getting even pricier for 2013. GT-R prices are going up — way up. The automaker just announced the following base prices for the 2013 GT-R sports coupe:

2013 Nissan GT-R Premium:  $96,820
2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition: $106,320

Last year, the GT-R Premium started at $89,950 and the Black Edition at $95,100. All prices exclude a $1,000 destination fee.

Nissan's refreshed-for-2012 halo car gets more horsepower and a standard backup camera for 2013. Black Edition models also get a new dry carbon fiber rear spoiler. The GT-R’s twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6 now makes 545 horsepower compared with last year’s 530 hp. Torque is up too, from 448 pounds-feet in the 2012 model to 463 pounds-feet for 2013.

The 2013 GT-R is on sale now.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder To Debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show

We already know a lot about Nissan's redesigned Pathfinder and it sounds like we'll get to know it a whole lot better at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The concept unveiled in Detroit earlier this month looked production-ready. It forecasts the end of the Pathfinder's traditional body-on-frame architecture as well as some of its boxy, truck-like exterior styling cues. In its place are the curvy, fluid lines of a crossover and the creature comforts midsize crossover shoppers want. 

Motor Trend reports that the 2013 Pathfinder will be on Nissan's stage at the New York auto show and that it'll use a version of the automaker's ubiquitous 3.5-liter V-6 engine. It currently powers the Murano midsize SUV and a few other Nissan products. The 3.5-liter is also in the new-for-2013 Infiniti JX, which is the Pathfinder's luxury-brand sibling. In the JX, it makes 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. The previous-generation Pathfinder had two engine options: a 266-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 engine or a 310-hp, 5.6-liter V-8 engine.

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder goes on sale this fall. Check back in early April for more information. Press days of the 2012 New York auto show begin April 4.

Nissan Develops Self-Healing iPhone Case

You pay a lot of money for your iPhone, but normal wear and tear makes its case look old within weeks. What if those scuffs and scratches disappeared after an hour or so? 

In 2005, Nissan developed Scratch Shield self-healing paint, making shallow vehicle scratches disappear. Today, the paint is used on the Murano and 370Z and across Infiniti's lineup. The Japanese automaker recently announced the technology's first non-automotive application: the iPhone case.

The Scratch Shield iPhone uses the same gel-like, durable paint finish found on Nissan and Infiniti products, as well as rigid, high-strength plastic. As with vehicle scratches, a shallow scratch on the iPhone case will take around an hour to heal on its own; deeper scratches could take around a week to repair themselves.

The case is being developed in conjunction with the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc. and is compatible with iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S models. Prototypes are being tested with a small group of customers and journalists. If the tests are successful and demand proves high, Nissan could sell the cases to the public later this year. 

2012 Nissan Versa Video

The redesigned 2012 Nissan Versa is now the most affordable car in America, now that Hyundai is charging more for its more upscale Accent and GM has replaced its Chevrolet Aveo for the sportier Sonic. That’s certainly a benefit for cash-conscious shoppers, and so is the Versa’s superb fuel economy. Still, you get what you pay for when you buy the Versa, according to Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays, who says the car’s cheap price isn’t as enticing as it would seem.

Nissan Pathfinder Concept: Photo Gallery

The Nissan Pathfinder was one of the few remaining midsized body-on-frame SUVs left in the class, but now the model will convert to a more driver-friendly, car-based platform when it hits dealerships this fall. 

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

Despite its car-based foundation, the Nissan Pathfinder concept is still pretty boxy looking.

Nissan e-NV200 Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Looks like: A Leaf-themed bread toaster  
• Defining characteristics: Leaf charging door in nose, glass roof panels, Leaf-like range
• Ridiculous features: Two-tone, body-colored wheels
• Chance of being mass-produced: Nissan calls this a preview of a “near-future production version”

Nissan’s e-NV200 is an all-electric version of its NV200, a small, front-wheel-drive commercial van that is slated to become New York City’s official taxi cab in 2013. Compared to the four-cylinder taxi version, the electric e-NV200 Concept is gussied up with styling and interior cues similar to the electric Nissan Leaf.

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

This concept’s electric innards are also borrowed from the Leaf and give the e-NV200 a similar range, Nissan says. The range of Cars.com’s long-term 2011 Leaf hovers around the EPA’s travel rating of about 73 miles per full battery charge.

Nissan Pathfinder Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Looks like: The Pathfinder will succumb to the crossover movement after all
• Defining characteristics: Car-based unibody architecture, seating for seven in three rows, V-6 power
• Ridiculous features: None to speak of; it's ready to be built
• Chance of being mass-produced: It's coming to dealerships this fall

Though it's technically a concept car, the Nissan Pathfinder Concept is about as production-ready as they come. It gives a good idea of what the redesigned Pathfinder will look like when it hits dealerships this fall.

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

Along with the Toyota 4Runner and Ford Explorer, the Pathfinder was one of the few remaining body-on-frame midsize SUVs in the U.S. market. Ford switched the Explorer to a car-based unibody architecture with its recent redesign, and Nissan follows suit with the Pathfinder Concept. Off-road and towing enthusiasts will likely bemoan the change, but a unibody platform's advantages — better gas mileage and interior packaging — can't be discounted when you consider that most SUV owners don't venture off-road.

Nissan Announces 2012 Cube Pricing

Like us, maybe you’ve heard rumors about the Nissan Cube’s demise. Fear not, the automaker’s funky box on wheels returns for its fourth model year. A new limited-edition package is the biggest news for Cube’s lineup, which also sees a modest price increase and a couple new features for 2012.

The 1.8 S Indigo Limited Edition package includes special Indigo seat trim, 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a navigation system with 5-inch touch-screen, RearView Monitor, upgraded speakers with Rockford Fosgate subwoofer and a USB port. The package retails for $1,900.

Other new-for-2012 features include Nissan’s Intelligent Key as standard equipment on SL models and an attached armrest that’s now standard on S and SL models. Expanded exterior color choices include Pearl White, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Cayenne Red and Bali Blue.

Prices increase slightly for 2012 and are as follows:

Cube 1.8 with manual transmission: $14,980
Cube 1.8 S with manual transmission: $16,420
Cube 1.8 S with CVT: $17,420
Cube 1.8 SL with CVT: $18,520

Model-year 2011 Cube prices started at $14,740 for the base model. All prices listed exclude destination fees. The 2012 Nissan Cube is on sale now.

Nissan Teases Pathfinder Concept With Video Snippets

With less than a week left before the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Nissan is releasing video snippets of the vehicle it will debut there: the Pathfinder Concept. The thinly veiled concept will morph into the production version of the next-generation Pathfinder SUV, which is set to go on sale in fall 2012.

Recall Alert: 2011-12 Suzuki Equator

Suzuki is recalling 73 2011 and 2012 Equator pickups due to faulty engine bolts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Only one 2012 model is affected; the rest are 2011 models, Suzuki says.

In the affected vehicles, the bolts connecting the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine may have been manufactured below specification. As a result, the bolt could break and cause an engine oil leak. If there is a leak, the engine oil warning lamp will illuminate, and the engine may become noisy. If the driver ignores the condition, the engine could seize, increasing the risk of a crash.

The safety concern was investigated by Nissan, which builds the Equator for the Japanese carmaker. The Nissan Frontier, which is a near clone of the Equator, is currently undergoing the same recall, as well as other SUVs and cargo vans.

Suzuki will notify owners Jan 19. The repair to the engine connector bolts will be covered by each owner's vehicle warranty, Suzuki says. For more info, owners can call Suzuki at 714-996-7040 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.