Nissan Automobile

The heel-and-toe downshift -- whereby drivers "blip" the gas pedal with the blade of their right foot, revving the engine, while keeping pressure on the brake pedal with the ball of the same foot -- is becoming a lost art, a performance-driving shibboleth known to few and practiced by fewer. This tap dance allows drivers to match the engine's speed, the rpm, with the rotational speed of the lower gear selected; otherwise, when the clutch is let out, the engine braking effect causes the car to stumble and slow down.

According to our friends at Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research, you can tell which presidential candidate a person supports by looking at what kind of car they drive.

Nissan North America has a warning for customers: Placing your electronic key too close to your cellphone could leave you stranded. The automaker is asking customers driving new models of two of its flagship sedans to keep their car keys and cellphones at least an inch apart to avoid disabling the "intelligent keys.

There's something about the Nissan GT-R that brings out the hype in people. "It's been like anticipating an asteroid hitting the Earth," said Chad Glass, a 37-year-old North Hollywood storyboard artist who moderates a forum at www.

Iknow what you want from me. You think I'm just your little word slut, that I'm here just to arouse you with steamy descriptions of the new and instantly legendary Nissan GT-R.

Those nostalgic for a time when men were men and trucks rode like trucks might find the redesigned Nissan Xterra to your liking. It offers distinctively aggressive looks, lots of power and a trip back to before the car-based sport utility vehicle began dominating the market.