Nissan Shows 2012 GT-R Facelift in Paris but won't Release Details Until October 18th

Tucked away in a glassed corner of Nissan's Paris Motor Show booth was the 2012 GT-R facelift. So, did the updated GT-R make its world premiere in Paris or not? Yes and no. See, while the car made its first public appearance in Paris, oddly enough, Nissan said it wouldn't release any information until mid October.

Here's the official statement from the Japanese automaker: "The GT-R engineering team are currently at the Nordschliefe, the legendary circuit in Germany, where they are in the process of signing-off the final updates on the forthcoming enhanced GT-R. Full details of the enhanced GT-R will be announced on 18th October 2010,"

From what we can see, the 2012 model year version of the Godzilla boasts a new front bumper with LED running lights, a revised rear diffuser and new alloy wheels.

According to documents leaked back in August, the changes are said to help drop the GT-R's drag coefficient from 0.272 to 0.268 while also improving rear downforce by 10%. The car is also expected to benefit from chassis and engine modifications.

We'll update this story as soon as Nissan comes out with all the juicy details.

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Smart Teases New Four-Door Model for USA, and yes, it's a Nissan Micra in Disguise...

In what could be seen as a rather desperate move to keep the troubled Smart brand alive and kicking in the United States, parent company Mercedes-Benz has announced that it has teamed up with Nissan to launch a Toyota Yaris-sized five-door hatchback on the market in the fourth quarter of 2011.

"The new vehicle will expand smart USA's product lineup, offering five-seat capacity while maintaining the core principles of efficiency and conservation," said Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak.

The company said the B-segment car is to be sold solely in the United States and will be based on vehicle architecture from Nissan, without getting into any more details. However, the maker of the tiny Fortwo released two teaser sketches of the car, clearly depicting Nissan's latest Micra supermini with a Smart-like fascia, headlights, tail lamps and detailing.

The sketches are rather crudely done (for official material), and not to mention a tad deceiving as the Micra has been squashed down to create the illusion of a sportier shaped model. You can see what the Micra looks like in our gallery below.

Roger Penske, Chairman of the Penske Automotive Group, which is the brand's exclusive distributor in the States said: "We are faced with continuing customer demand for a smart car with more seating capacity. Sales and service of the five seater will be carried out exclusively by our approximately 75 smart dealerships in the United States. Together with Nissan, we will bring to market a fully equipped small car for our customers and dealers in the USA. It will fit in well with the smart brand."

The new Nissan-based Smart model is part of a broader strategic cooperation between Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan Group that was revealed in April. Under the agreement, the two groups also plan to co-develop a new platform that will be used on the successors to the Smart Fortwo and the Renault Twingo. You can read more about the deal in our previous post here.

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Paris Show: Nissan Townpod EV Concept May Hint at Future Cube

Although Nissan didn't mention the Cube in its press release on the new Townpod EV concept, it's not hard to make the connection between the two cars. However, the quirky looking sub-compact study, which made its world premiere today at the Paris Motor Show, makes use of the same zero-emission technology found within Nissan LEAF in a tall van-like body with suicide-style rear doors and split trunk doors.

Inside, the concept model features a colorful but Spartan interior. All controls for ancillaries such as climate control and media playback are accessed through two centrally mounted digital screens.

The monitor in the upper section of the dash serves as an instrument panel, displaying car speed, battery status and remaining range, while the lower touchscreen provides all controls for the audio and navigation system and also allows users to perform system checks on the whole car.

The Townpod also features what Nissan calls Pucks, which are rubber balls, roughly the size of a squash ball with a wide groove into them. The so-called 'Pucks' can accommodate drink holders, cell-phone rests, hand-bag hooks or other items and scattered around the interior.