Japan braces for potential radiation catastrophe

 
Japan raced to avert a catastrophe on Wednesday after an explosion at a quake-crippled nuclear power plant sent radiation wafting into Tokyo, prompting some people to flee the capital and others to stock up on essential supplies.
The crisis escalated late on Tuesday when operators of the facility said one of two blasts had blown a hole in the building housing a reactor, which meant spent nuclear fuel was exposed to the atmosphere.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people within 30 km (18 miles) of the facility -- a population of 140,000 -- to remain indoors, as Japan grappled with the world's most serious nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986.
Officials in Tokyo -- 240 km (150 miles) to the south of the plant -- said radiation in the capital was 10 times normal at one point but was not a threat to human health in the sprawling high-tech city of 13 million people.
Toxicologist Lee Tin-lap at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said such a radiation level was not an immediate threat to people but the long-term consequences were unknown.
"You are still breathing this into your lungs, and there is passive absorption in the skin, eyes and mouth and we really do not know what long-term impact that would have," Lee told Reuters by telephone.
Around eight hours after the explosions, the U.N. weather agency said winds were dispersing radioactive material over the Pacific Ocean, away from Japan and other Asian countries.
As concern about the crippling economic impact of the nuclear and earthquake disasters mounted, Japan's Nikkei index fell as much as 14 percent before ending down 10.6 percent, compounding a slide of 6.2 percent the day before. The two-day fall has wiped some $620 billion off the market.
On Wall Street, stock in General Electric Co, the largest U.S. conglomerate, fell nearly 4 percent on concern the crisis will cost it tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and potential legal costs or even liability over its nuclear technology.
Authorities have spent days desperately trying to prevent the water which is designed to cool the radioactive cores of the reactors from running dry, which would lead to overheating and the release of dangerous radioactive material into the atmosphere.
They said they may use helicopters to pour water on the most critical reactor, No. 4, within two or three days, but did not say why they would have to wait to do this.
"The possibility of further radioactive leakage is heightening," a grim-faced Kan said in an address to the nation earlier in the day.
"We are making every effort to prevent the leak from spreading. I know that people are very worried but I would like to ask you to act calmly."
Levels of 400 millisieverts per hour had been recorded near the No. 4 reactor, the government said. Exposure to over 100 millisieverts a year is a level which can lead to cancer, according to the World Nuclear Association.
The plant operator pulled out 750 workers, leaving just 50, and a 30-km (19 mile) no-fly zone was imposed around the reactors. There have been no detailed updates on what levels the radiation reached inside the exclusion zone.

Yen soars as investors exit riskier trades

 
The yen rose broadly on Tuesday, edging toward a record high against the dollar, as Japanese companies brought money home and investors closed riskier trades amid fears of a nuclear catastrophe in Japan.
The U.S. dollar fell as low as 80.60 on trading platform EBS, not far from its record low of 79.75 struck in 1995. Traders said a New York daily close below 81.70 would signal a further drop toward the pair's historical low.
Demand for the yen has soared since Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami on Friday on expectations Japanese insurers and companies will repatriate funds to help pay claims and reconstruction costs.
A sharp sell-off in global equity and commodity prices also prompted investors to buy back the yen as they unwound trades in higher-yielding assets. The low-yielding yen has been a favorite funding currency for these trades in recent years.
"Japanese institutions are believed to be liquidating overseas investments," said Brian Dolan, chief strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey. "And that forces other people to exit long carry trade positions and long risk positions. It really just becomes a negative feedback loop."
The dollar held steady against the euro and yen after the Federal Reserve maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy.
The U.S. central bank said the economy was gaining traction but flagged potential inflation risks from costlier energy and food.
"The most interesting thing is their saying commodities are putting upward pressure on inflation. They're signaling that they're starting to watch energy prices. If we see oil at levels near $100, it might suggest the Fed raises rates sooner rather than later," said Greg Salvaggio, vice president of trading of Tempus Consulting in Washington.
The dollar last traded at 80.86 yen, down 0.9 percent on the day. Traders noted support around 80.25, the November trough. Strong long-term support stands at the psychologically important 80.00 barrier and the 79.75 historical low.
Japan faced a potential catastrophe on Tuesday after a quake-crippled nuclear power plant exploded and sent low levels of radiation floating toward Tokyo, prompting some people to flee the capital and others to stock up on essential supplies.
The euro lost 0.9 percent to 113.14 yen EURJPY=EBS.The yen rallied particularly strongly against higher-yielding currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars.
The Australian dollar slid to a nine-week low of $0.9815 against the U.S. currency and a four-and-a-half-month low of 79.23 yen, according to Reuters data. Japan is Australia's second-largest export destination and in the short term, a drop in trade receipts will hit Australian growth, UBS said.
Asset managers, hedge funds, corporates and private clients were all net buyers of the yen for the first time since October, UBS said in a note on Monday. "Long yen positions are now considerable, and growing." the bank said.
The traditional safe-haven Swiss franc rose, with the U.S. dollar sliding to a record low around 0.9140 on EBS.
The yen earlier briefly trimmed gains as a 100-basis-point drop versus the dollar spurred vague talk of yen-selling intervention by Japanese authorities. Traders later said there was no intervention, but they were wary Japan may act to stem a sharp yen rise, especially if the dollar were to fall below 80 yen.
"It seems fairly clear right now that neither the BoJ nor the government want to see currency instability and will undoubtedly be prepared to intervene to prevent significant declines in the dollar," said Michael Woolfolk, senior strategist at BNY Mellon in New York. "We think the line in the sand is at 80 yen. If we fall to there, they will come in."

Radiation plume could reach Tokyo: U.S. scientists

 
If the containment at the nuclear power plant damaged by Japan's devastating earthquake fails, a potential radiation plume from a full core meltdown could reach Tokyo, a U.S. scientists' organization said on Tuesday.
Japan faces a potential catastrophe after a stricken nuclear power plant exploded and sent low levels of radiation floating toward Tokyo, prompting some people to flee the capital and others to stock up on essential supplies.
The Union of Concerned Scientists also said a "jerry-rigged" cooling system at the Japanese plant would be hard to maintain if all workers there were evacuated.
Nuclear power and safety experts at the group said they were "very concerned" that ongoing activities at the plant would become more challenging for on-site workers. A larger radiation plume could travel hundreds of miles (km), the scientists said in a telephone briefing.
A crack in the containment vessel could allow radiation to exit the reactor in case of a core meltdown, the scientists said. They said the Japanese government should extend the evacuation zone around the troubled Fukushima Daiichi power station.

Unrest spreads to Libyan capital as Arab protests simmer

 

Violent unrest against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi spread to the capital Tripoli on Sunday and his son vowed to fight until the "last man standing" after scores of protesters were killed in the east of the country.
Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said in an address on state TV the army stood behind his father as a "leader of the battle in Tripoli" and would enforce security at any price. His comments were the first official reaction from the Libyan authorities since the unrest began.
As he spoke, police used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in Tripoli, where gunfire was heard, vehicles were on fire and protesters threw stones at billboards of Gaddafi, who is facing the most serious challenge to his four-decade rule.
Revolutions which deposed the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt have shaken the Arab world and inspired protests across the Middle East and North Africa, threatening the grip of long-entrenched autocratic leaders.
In the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, thousands of protesters gathered in a square in Manama, calling for political change and awaiting promised talks with the island's Sunni rulers.
After days of violence, the mood among the mainly Shi'ite protesters appeared to be more conciliatory.
Libya, however was witnessing the bloodiest episodes yet in two months of unrest convulsing the Arab world.
A resident in Tripoli told Reuters by telephone he could hear gunshots. "We're inside the house and the lights are out. There are gunshots in the street," he said. "That's what I hear, gunshots and people. I can't go outside."
An expatriate worker said: "Some anti-government demonstrators are gathering in the residential complexes. The police are dispersing them. I can also see burning cars."
Al Jazeera television said thousands of protesters clashed with supporters of Gaddafi in Tripoli's Green Square.
The violence spread to Tripoli after days of protests in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, in which at least 233 people have been killed, according to Human Rights Watch.
Communications are tightly controlled and Benghazi is not accessible to international journalists, but the picture that has emerged is of a city slipping from the grasp of security forces in the biggest challenge to Gaddafi's rule since the "brotherly leader" seized power in a 1969 military coup.
Habib al-Obaidi, head of the intensive care unit at the main Al-Jalae hospital in Benghazi, said the bodies of 50 people, mostly killed by gunshots, had been brought there on Sunday afternoon. The deaths came after scores were killed on Saturday.
Two hundred people had arrived wounded, 100 of them in serious condition, he said.
Members of an army unit known as the "Thunderbolt" squad had come to the hospital carrying wounded comrades, he said. The soldiers said they had defected to the cause of the hundreds of thousands of protesters in the streets and had fought and defeated Gaddafi's elite guards.
"They are now saying that they have overpowered the Praetorian Guard and that they have joined the people's revolt," another man at the hospital who heard the soldiers, lawyer Mohamed al-Mana, told Reuters by telephone.

Egypt tourism industry sees hope in revolution

Egypt's uprising emptied the hotels, casinos and bars of a tourist trade that employs one in eight Egyptians, but staff expect the recovery to be quick and the revolution to boost business in the long run.
With its year-round warm beaches and wealth of pharaonic antiquities, Egypt earned nearly $11 billion from tourism in 2009, according to the tourism ministry, accounting for over a tenth of gross domestic product.
An 18-day upheaval prompted many countries to issue warnings against travel in Egypt, hamstringing the industry. Sites such as the Giza Pyramids, usually overrun with sunburned visitors, stood ominously empty.
But workers in Sharm El-Sheikh, a Sinai peninsula resort that usually crams in package tourists by the jetful this time of year, say they hope future holiday-makers will be drawn to a country that threw off the shackles of authoritarian rule.
"We have a good feeling for next time. People come here five, six times and they come back. Maybe next time they'll have a good feeling, a feeling of freedom, you know," said Mahmoud el-Helefy, 30, who manages a open-air seaside restaurant.
Hotel occupancy in Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, another Red Sea tourist hub, sank to 11 percent from 75 percent after the unrest erupted on January 25, the Egyptian Hotels Association said.
During his brief time as vice president, Omar Suleiman said about 1 million tourists fled Egypt, costing it some $1 billion.
SYMPATHY
It's hardly the first time this decade that Egypt's tourist trade has been forced to recover from a near-fatal disruption.
From the September 11 attacks on the United States, to bombings on Sinai resorts, to Red Sea shark attacks, to last year's Icelandic volcano -- headlines have a history of tearing through the business.
Still, the overall trend has remained ever upward.
"I am very optimistic tourism will pick up very quickly because I think tourists find the revolution positive," Hala el-Khatib, secretary general of the Egyptian Hotels Association, said, adding he did not see large-scale layoffs happening yet.
Mahmoud, a Sharm el-Sheikh tour operator who declined to give his full name because he preferred to go by his nickname "Mahmoud Crystal", said he had not had a customer in over a week but he is used to cycles of boom and bust.
"It's a crazy city. It's like a casino," he said as he sat smoking cigarettes in his empty offices, guidebooks in Russian, Italian and English arrayed before him.
Despite the drop in revenue, sympathy for the revolution runs deep among Sharm el-Sheikh residents. Many came from Cairo and the Nile Delta because there was no work at home.

Concert ticket flap uncovers oddity of rocknomics

Rock stars normally hand out lessons about sex, drugs and trashing hotel rooms. But a battle between dance-rock outfit LCD Soundsystem and ticketing agents over the band’s “last” show offers a strange insight into the laws of supply and demand. On top of that, the kerfuffle also reveals the distortions underlying the U.S. music business.
LCD, fronted by James Murphy, recently decided to call it quits. After three moderately successful records and extensive touring, Murphy said he wanted to go out on a high note and avoid looking like a geriatric rocker. So the band decided to stage its last show at New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 2.
Murphy says promoters were skeptical LCD on its own could sell even a limited run of 13,000 tickets. The band took its chances, and within minutes on Friday all the tickets on offer were snapped up online. The same $50 tickets shortly thereafter appeared for thousands of dollars apiece on reseller websites.
In theory, the quick sellout proves that demand for the tickets far outpaced supply. Higher resale prices corroborate this. On this level, the band simply misjudged interest and the price people — at least as represented by the resellers — would be willing to pay.
But in fact, few fans appear to have got their hands on tickets. According to Murphy, the majority went to the electronic ticket-purchasing systems of the resellers including eBay’s StubHub and TicketsNow — a unit of Live Nation’s Ticketmaster, which officially handled the sale for LCD and is now offering floor seats for as much as $2,588 each.
Setting aside the oddity that one arm of a near-monopoly company can scalp tickets that another arm is responsible for selling at face value, the scalpers made a bet on scarcity. But the apoplectic Murphy is fighting back. He’s increasing supply: the band has said it will play four concerts at a smaller New York venue in the days leading up to the “last” Garden show.
When tickets for the extra four dates hit the market on Friday (presumably through some channel that bypasses the difficulties of the Garden fiasco), fans may have their chance to dance their checkbooks clean, to paraphrase LCD’s lyrics. And even if they don’t, students of economics will gain a livelier than usual case study.

How Lexus ships the LFA

On January 21, Toyota played Show-n-Tell with the first Lexus LFAs to arrive in the U.S., inviting a representative from Club Lexus to witness the stylized drama of uncrating the $400,000 supercar. While we can't be certain, perhaps it was the King-Lear-esque howls and gnashing of teeth from the non-invited (our own form of stylized drama) that convinced Toyota to do it again. So we headed to the Fujitrans warehouse in Carson, California to watch the LFA star in its own kabuki performance. Minus the make-up.

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Typically, Toyota tires take their first turns on American tarmac at Terminal Island at the Port of Long Beach. And typically, since it has its own car carriers (called ROROs, for 'roll-on, roll-off') that it gorges with cars in Japan and then disgorges here, the company controls the entire process.

Not so with the LFA. Paul Williamsen, the national manager of Lexus College, told us that packing a single LFA in a single, sanitized cargo container was a process created solely to safeguard the coupe. "We didn't want the door of a Yaris to ding an LFA," he said. "And stevedores are paid by the car when they unload a carrier," and such potential haste would be bad manners in a $400,000 objet. Toyota cedes some control of the operation, then, because it doesn't own the cargo ships that haul the sea cans. It does, however, request that the containers be placed low and inside the overall load, "so it has a buffer of other containers and is less likely to get bird poop and other contaminants inside."

Yet the container treatment means that the LFA can't be unloaded at Toyota's port facility at Terminal Island. "There's no way to open a shipping container at the dock," Williamsen said. "There's nothing at cargo hauler level."

Enter Fujitrans, a shipping company that is part of Toyota's partner network but not owned by Toyota. The intermodal containers are transferred from the ship to a semi, then hauled to the Fujitrans facility in Carson.

There, the semi backs up to the loading dock, where all "ramp angles have all been verified for the car, protractors out," and the uncrating begins.



When the doors are opened, the first thing we noticed was that the car wasn't covered. Willamsen said because the LFA's enamel paint takes weeks to thoroughly dry, it was decided to ship the car uncovered. The dust that settles on it during the journey won't get embedded in the paint, whereas the adhesive from protective sheets or the fabric of a closely-fitting cover could mar the finish.

The second thing we noticed was the pink pallet. They were designed by Toyota's logistics arm in Japan to exclusively haul the LFA. Each one has a unique serial number, and they are color-coded by region - Costa Rica, for instance, got a black pallet to support its sole LFA. Why did America get pink? Because an employee in Japan who'd been with the project since the beginning made it so. They are reusable, so when the facility acquires five pallets they are sent back to Japan.



Next a (Toyota) forklift pulls up to the container, a chain is wrapped around the pallet crossmember and attached to the load apron, and the LFA is slowly drawn from its sheath.



The LFA is tied down race-car style, with the straps running over the wheels, not the suspension members. Lacking the bulky structures on the average car, the LFA's suspension isn't suited to enduring the potential load factors experienced in transport.



The front wheel braces are unbolted on their sides, then both angles of the rear wheel braces are unbolted. Purpose-built ramps are attached to the rear of the pallet by a bolt, then the bolt is taped over. Speaking of wheels, Williamsen told us that yellow calipers are a popular option among the six available colors because on a Porsche 911, yellow means it has carbon brakes (even though all LFAs have carbon brakes). In Japan, though, it is metallic gold calipers that are popular.



After unbolting the wheel braces there's a walkaround inspection. A few blemishes are discovered on this Pearl Blue LFA. Somebody's gonna have some 'splainin' to do...



A mat is laid down by the driver's side door and an office chair pulled up. A worker sits and dons gloves and shoe covers, then opens the LFA door, lays a fresh cloth over the sill, and delicately gets in so he can pop the rear glass.



Beside him, the passenger seat is leaned forward because the VIN on an LFA is etched on a steel plate attached to the carbon fiber floor under that seat. So, yes, any time anyone – even the police – need to see the VIN, the passenger seat needs to be moved out of the way.



Sitting on the passenger seat is a certificate in a plastic sleeve. Every LFA that leaves the factory is taken to Toyota's Higashi Fuji test track for testing. The certificate tells the owner how many miles were put on the LFA during the testing - this example has 119 miles - and is signed by the general manager of the quality control process.



The worker gets out, again delicately, lifts the rear glass, lays another fresh cloth over the C-pillar, then leans into the cargo area to unlatch one of the two panels along the front bulkhead. Underneath is the battery, which he hooks up.



He gets back in the car and starts it, then pulls off the ramp, slowly, to behind the double-yellow line. He turns the car off, and the job is done. The LFA will be driven down the loading dock to ground level and driven into an enclosed carrier that's from Toyota's old IndyCar racing fleet.



Parked in its second home, the LFAs will be taken back to Terminal Island for processing. "The EPA and DoT don't care about containers, Customs does," said Williamsen, "so a car hasn't officially landed in the US until the container is opened and the paperwork is done. It's bonded until that point."

Nor is the LFA finished being prepped for its owners. When unboxed in Carson it is accessorizeed with little more than plastic sheeting over the seats and the certificate from the quality control general manager in Japan. After it has returned to Terminal Island and gotten its papers – officially become a U.S. citizen – it is taken to finishing school: it receives a thorough inspection, an owner's manual, a deluxe car cover, a digital trickle charger, welcome and how-to videos created by Lexus College, and has items like the wheel center caps applied. Only then is it taken to the customer's dealer of choice, anywhere in the country.

The LFA's warehouse dance will be recreated up to 171 times – that represent's the U.S. share of the coupe's total production run of 500. For those of you on the fence, a few units remain up for grabs. And just so we're clear, by "for grabs" we mean for $400,000, natch...

First Drive: 2012 Nissan GT-R

Invincible. According to Webster's, the word means "incapable of being conquered, overcome or subdued." The adjective is often used to describe something so superior that it's nearly impossible to overthrow. Want to know what invincibility feels like? Strap yourself into the driver's seat of the 2012 Nissan GT-R, and then press the start button.

Just three years after successfully launching its flagship performance vehicle on our shores, the engineers at Nissan have introduced a subtly but completely reworked supercar. The engine has more power, the suspension has been revised, the wheels are lighter, the seats have been redesigned, the brakes are bigger, the chassis is stiffer and the aerodynamics have been reconfigured to improve cooling and provide more downforce. This isn't a manufacturer's token "mid-cycle refresh" to boost sales; these are changes that improve the overall drivability and performance of the GT-R so significantly that most will be inclined to consider it nothing short of a second-generation rebirth.

For starters, how does 0-60 in 2.88 seconds sound?

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This story really started three years ago this April. That was when we first drove the then-all-new 2009 Nissan GT-R, the spiritual descendant of a long lineage of epic Nissan Skyline sports cars.

Its performance was mind-boggling at the time. Under the hood was a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 developing 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Mated to a standard six-speed sequential dual-clutch rear transaxle, power was sent to the ground through the automaker's ATTESSA E-TS all-wheel-drive system. Nissan didn't officially quote performance figures at the time, but most publications clocked the GT-R's sprint to 60 mph in a scant 3.5 seconds. Quick on the street, it was even more capable on the track. Succinctly delivering this point, its Nürburgring time of just 7:38 put it ahead of the famed Porsche 911 Turbo and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

As good as the sports car was, the GT-R's chief vehicle engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, never considered the car "done." In fact, Mizuno promised the "real GT-R" would arrive in a few years.



Today, I find myself sitting in a meeting room at the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero, California, smack in the middle of the state's central coast. Mizuno is explaining to a handful of journalists the changes that Nissan made to the GT-R for the 2012 model year. Like a proud father (and with every bit as much boast), he goes over each of the vehicle's upgraded subsystems methodically. The details are impressive.

While the GT-R has aged very well, Nissan refuses to let its flagship supercar fall from the front of the pack. Pursuing that sole objective, the automaker has made minor changes each year. And, with the exception of the launch control debacle and a series of not-so-insignificant price increases, enthusiasts have welcomed these tweaks that have continued to improve the coupe's performance envelope. However, none of the revisions have been as significant as the changes for 2012.

Beginning with the exterior, Nissan has improved the GT-R's aerodynamics by reducing overall drag and increasing downforce. The front fascia has been enlarged and the grille openings altered slightly to reroute air precisely around the vehicle. As Mizuno explains, air forced through the front intake is channeled through the radiators and intercooler before being released into the back of the brakes for cooling. Airflow that normally would have spilled over the hood has been redirected to the sides. Not only does this improve air volume through the radiator and front brakes, but the overall coefficient of drag is down to .268 (last year, it was .272) and downforce on both axles has been increased by 10 percent. From the outside, the new front fascia is visually distinguished by its double rectifier fins and integrated white LED running lights.

In the back, the diffuser has been extended and resculpted to improve airflow over the exhaust components (plus, it also serves to lower air resistance). The new rear fascia outlet and slots on the lower rear fenders are both engineered to help pull air from the rear wheel wells to improve brake cooling. More visible to the naked eye are the new vents behind the rear wheels and the larger diameter exhaust tips, which are purely cosmetic.



The seven-spoke forged alloy wheels found on 2009-2011 Nissan GT-R models have been replaced in 2012 with new ten-spoke forged alloys that are reportedly more rigid and slightly lighter than their predecessors, coming in at 26.4 pounds each. Knurling inside the 20-inch wheels has been modified to help keep the tires from slipping during extreme acceleration or braking, and the finish on the wheels has also been slightly darkened. While predecessors were fitted with rubber from different manufacturers, tires for all 2012 models are specially constructed Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT ultra high-performance run-flats (filled with nitrogen). The fronts are size 255/40ZRF20 while the rear tires are 285/35ZRF20. If Godzilla is forced to endure colder climes, customers may also order all-season run-flat tires as part of the Cold Weather Package.

Stiffening of the chassis has been accomplished by adopting a carbon composite strut support bar in the engine bay (connected just behind the front strut towers). The dampers are now fitted with aluminum free pistons, and the front caster and rear geometry have been altered to slightly lower the roll center height.



In addition to the aforementioned increased airflow to the brakes, the coupe's standard Brembo monobloc six-piston front calipers clamp down on slightly larger 15.4-inch rotors (up from 15-inches), while the rear four-piston calipers and rotors are carried over from last year. The system utilizes a full-floating cross-drilled two-piece rotor with special low-steel high-stiffness brake pads.

Saving the go-fast news for last, Mizuno explains how his team of engineers made several significant changes to the VR38DETT twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine. To increase power, boost pressure was increased and modifications were made to both the valve timing and mixture. The intake and exhaust system was also opened up to improve breathing. The result is a big jump in output, now 530 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque. The torque curve has also been widened, with peak twist now available from 3,200 rpm all the way up to 6,000 rpm. And it's not a coincidence that the horsepower rating is identical to the Porsche 911 Turbo S. And, if you are one of those debating between a Nissan Leaf and a Nissan GT-R, fuel economy for the 2012 model is up to 16 mpg city / 23 mpg highway (the 2011 was rated 15 mpg city / 21 mpg highway).



The engineering team also tweaked and massaged the GT-R's dual-clutch six-speed transmission. Most of the work focused on eliminating the brutal shock of engagement during periods of maximum stress (leaving more than a few early owners with shattered gearboxes). According to Mizuno, software remapping upgraded the vehicle's so-called "clutch control" to deliver launches that were quicker, yet less traumatic to the mechanicals. That said, owners of the 2012 model are offered "launch control" with a 4,000-rpm launch, with one caveat: The software will allow only four sequential runs back-to-back. After that, the car must be driven one-and-a-half miles to reset the system (the pause is said to allow the system time to cool down). The last minor change: The transmission's lethargic "snow mode" has been replaced with a "fuel economy mode" for wishful eco-boosting hypermilers. Suuuuurrrre.

In a rare move for Nissan, the automaker has released performance figures (well, at least Muzuno has). Thanks to the increased power and torque, and the subtle mapping tweaks to the dual-clutch transmission's software, the 2012 GT-R will crack 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. Its top speed is now 197 miles per hour (up from its predecessor's 193 mph). The evening before we arrived, Nissan engineers were at the track trying to improve the already impressive acceleration number. Their best was a reported 0-60 sprint in just 2.88 seconds. It may be difficult to repeat, but the lesson learned is don't mess with the GT-R.

Nissan dropped trim levels last year, but two will be offered in 2012. All models receive new carbon fiber accents on the center console and re-sculpted sport bucket seats. Standard models are labeled GT-R "Premium" – they come loaded with everything including navigation, heated seats and the Bose audio package. A new-for-this-market GT-R "Black Edition" (the dark blue vehicle in our gallery) features red-trimmed Recaro seats with accenting red and black interior trim and a dark headliner. To further differentiate it from its Premium sibling, the wheels on the Black Edition coupes are unique six-spoke forged-aluminum Rays (wrapped in the same tires as found on the Premium models). In addition to the standard exterior colors (Solid Red, Gun Metallic and Pearl White), Nissan has added Deep Blue Pearl and Jet Black to the color palette for 2012. A sixth color, the four-stage metallic Super Silver, is still offered in limited volumes.

While the 2009 Nissan GT-R arrived with an aggressive base price of just $69,850 three years ago, the 2012 Nissan GT-R commands a significantly thicker wallet. The Premium model is priced at $90,950. The sole option is the Cold Weather Package (with Dunlop SP Sport 7010 all-season run-flat tires and a 30/70 coolant/water mix). The Black Edition models have a base price of $96,100.

After an early breakfast with Mizuno, a convoy of GT-Rs left Atascadero for the three-hour back road drive to Buttonwillow Raceway, just west of Bakersfield. Our scenic route took us to the Pacific coast at Morro Bay, then back over the hills to Buttonwillow via California Highway 58. Settled into the new front seats (noted for their additional bolstering and firmer cushions), the ride was comfortable without being awkwardly harsh. The brakes are strong and squeak-free, and the steering is nicely weighed. The sound level within the cabin is loud, attributed to the noise from the performance tires. Visibility to the rear quarters is challenging and the transmission still makes an unpolished rattling noise at crawling speeds (somehow, it doesn't seem to affect gearbox operation). The reality is that none of those irritants would have deterred us from driving all the way to the Atlantic coast, had that been the assignment.

When driven with temper and patience, the powertrain quickly shifts through its gears to maximize fuel economy. Again, no worries from the driver's seat as instant acceleration is but a quarter-throw of the accelerator pedal away. The GT-R is much, much more enjoyable when driven hard.



A simple three-finger salute is required to activate "Launch Control" mode. The easy one-handed operation refers to the process of lifting the trio of console-mounted switches from their standard neutral resting position into "R-Mode" (simply hold them for two seconds). Press the brake firmly with one foot and floor the accelerator with the other. Once the engine speed levels off at 4,000 rpm, situate your skull against the head restraint and side-step the brake pedal. The tire-shredding act feels a bit childish after a dozen or so times, but it never gets old. Watch a demonstration of it in action in our Short Cut video above.

Spending the afternoon on Buttonwillow's West Loop reinforced favorable memories of the GT-R's competency, and its voracious appetite for devouring a road circuit. It's not easy to hide a curb weight of 3,829 pounds (identical to last year), but Nissan's flagship overcomes the handicap with savage power and all-wheel-drive grip. Speeds are fast, easily passing triple digits on each of the short straights. I personally have been fortunate to run dozens of cars on this exact track over the past decade, but none have propelled me with such velocity.



Nissan thoughtfully provided us with some 2011 models to compare against the 2012 GT-R. It offered excellent back-to-back driving impressions, but it also almost cost me some pride. After grabbing a random key at the start of the session, I drove the new model first. It seemed nearly unflappable at speed on the circuit. Any slight error in trajectory was easily corrected with the steering wheel or accelerator pedal. Lifting mid-corner would bring the tail around, and Nissan's ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive worked full-throttle miracles on the exits. I tried the identical moves in the 2011 model and ran out of track (dropping the two outside wheels in the mud) with frustrating understeer exiting the Sweeper. It doesn't take an expert to notice the 2012 upgrades to both power and handling.

As it was before, the 2012 GT-R is still faster around the track when driven in manual mode (with the column-mounted paddle shifters). With all settings in "R" mode, the dual-clutch gearbox does a decent job grabbing the next higher gear when coming out of a corner, but it still lacks the anticipation needed to be in the thick of the torque band and get a jump on the exit. Subjectively speaking, Porsche's PDK (a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox) still feels faster and seems to deliver more effective neck-snapping shifts in performance mode.



The brutality of this particular road circuit took its toll. The GT-R's upgraded brakes were overly taxed at the limit. More than once I found myself at the end of a straight coming up on 120 mph, pressing the brakes as hard as I could (according to the multi-function digital display, they were maxed at 100 percent), yet I couldn't activate the ABS. The tire's rubber compound afforded plenty of stick but the street-compound brake pad material just couldn't deliver the friction against the expansive rotor surface at the limit. Pro Tip: Those who track the GT-R will need to invest in some race-compound brake pads.

Nearly three years ago, we reviewed Godzilla and concluded that the fresh young two-door coupe delivered "robot-like mechanized perfection," yet it lacked the subtle qualities that help to create a bond between man and machine. Its individuality has improved with the arrival of the 2012 model. Now in its fourth year, the GT-R has matured and aged well. Emerging after an extensive list of focused upgrades and refinements, the sports car demonstrates poise, confidence, authority and continues to show no signs of fear. We'd go so far as to argue the GT-R finally possesses something that it lacked in the past: character.

Audi sketches 408-hp A3 sedan concept ahead of Geneva debut

Audi has released a few sketches of its Geneva-bound A3 concept, and in keeping with previous reports, the automaker is intent on bringing a sedan version of its smallest model to market.

Audi describes the A3 concept as a "four-seater notchback sedan" and measures in at 174.84-inches long – about six inches longer than the current five-door model. The front fascia is a further evolution of Audi's more aggressive snout, complete with full LED headlamps and new trapezoidal grille. The greenhouse is suitably squat, with an arching roofline that terminates in a thin, low-slung C-pillar to give it the de riguer "four-door coupe" shape.

More intriguingly, the powertrain is comprised of a turbocharged five-cylinder engine – likely pulled from the TT-RS – outputting 408 horsepower through Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. We'll have a full report from the show floor in less than two weeks, but in the meantime, get the full details in the press blast below the fold.

iPhone 5 won't be smaller but could be cheaper, insider claims

No iPhone Nano for now

The iPhone 5 is rumoured not to be smaller than the iPhone 4 - but will it be thinner?

Insiders claim that the iPhone 5 will be smaller in price but not in stature than the iPhone 4.
Many rumours have suggested that we'll see a slimmed-down, budget version of the Apple handset, a so-called iPhone Nano.
But the New York Times cites an anonymous source who says there will be no smaller iPhone from the company.
No-no to Nano?
Having supposedly worked on several versions of the iPhone 5, the source told them, "Although the innards of the phone, including memory size or camera quality, could change to offer a less expensive model, the size of the device would not vary."
Another source agrees, saying that a smaller device would probably be more expensive to manufacture, more difficult to use and would force developers to rewrite applications to fit the new form.
Flash! Ahhh-aaaaaah
One way Apple is looking to bring costs down aside from by using lower-spec components, is by increasing users' cloud storage in its MobileMe service, which would mean the device itself requires less physical data storage.
Flash storage doesn't come cheap, so this could see a significant iPhone price drop.
It's the latest in a string of rumours surrounding Apple's upcoming iPhone 5 release, which, it is anticipated, will be officially revealed in June.