Auto News 5

Nissan's first in-house-developed hybrid will be on sale in the spring of next year in the form of the 2012 Infiniti M35h. The Nissan Altima Hybrid, which is available only in a handful of states, borrows Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Being a brand focused on premium, sporty cars, you can be sure that the mooing we've become accustomed to from four-cylinder CVT hybrids will not be part of the M35h's package.

As we wrap up seven months with the Nissan Cube, we are still impressed with the Cube's interior space and its ability to carry people of all sizes in comfort. Associate editor Eric Tingwall, our resident giant at well over six feet tall, spent some time in the Cube's rear quarters and came away surprisingly uncramped. "Headroom is cavernous and with the sliding rear bench in their rearward-most position, legroom was adequate." He was particularly impressed with the fact that the rear seats can be moved forward and aft and recline, saying "these features seem like something previously found on much more expensive vehicles."

The Nissan GT-R is not warm and cuddly. Perhaps that's to be expected of a car that is widely known as Godzilla. The GT-R's fearsome legend grew during the years it was sequestered in far-off Japan, but its awesome prowess came to be known worldwide thanks to its long-running feature role in the Gran Turismo video game series. Finally, the GT-R's international stardom proved so great that Nissan developed the sixth-generation model for a worldwide market, including North America.