Shanghai Motor Show

the Shanghai Convention Center was little more than a rice paddy, but this week, the sprawling facility will play host to what has rapidly become one of the world's most important auto shows.
By a quirk of the calendar, this year's big Chinese car show not only overlaps but threatens to overwhelm the New York Auto Show and its ability to garner valuable media time – a development that echoes the rapidly transformation occurring in the global automotive business.
Michael Dunne, the founder of Automotive Resources Asia – today a part of J.D. Power and Associates – recalls his first trip to China, barely two decades ago, when the roads were ruled by bicycles, motorbikes and buses, and the sight of an automobile was enough to draw everyone's attention.

Nissan Juke SL Review

Beauty is objective. Great minds from Plato to Kant had it right. Need proof? The Nissan Juke. It is not, in any sense of the word, beautiful. In fact, one can definitively say it is the opposite.

FAST FACTS
1. The Juke is powered by a turbocharged 1.6L direct-injection 4-cylinder that makes 188-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.

2. The Juke sits below the Rogue in Nissan’s crossover lineup.

3. With a 7.0 second 0-60 mph time, it also gets as much as 27/32-mpg.

If there’s a philosopher out there with an objective theory of fun, well, that’s where the Juke fits in. It is, without a doubt, a thoroughly enjoyable driving machine. Many, many crossovers promise car-like driving dynamics. The Juke delivers and then some. In fact, it might be the first instance where the crossover version has less body roll than the sedan it’s based on – with the Juke sharing its underpinnings with the wallowy Versa.

Now do your best to ignore you ever read the word ‘Versa’ because even the remotest of comparisons between that oversized sub-compact and the Juke will create preconceived notions in your head about this SportCross that should not be there.

With a thoroughly solid chassis, a 3,000-lb curb weight, some big 17-inch wheels and 188-hp of turbocharged goodness, the Juke will have you tackling on-amps with serious speed and not even a hint of tippyness. Sure there’s understeer, but that’s pretty much unavoidable in modern cars – especially our front-drive tester.