Nissan Leaf wins 2011 European Car of the Year

The Nissan Leaf is a technological leap in that it is a mass-produced electric vehicle with a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately for Nissan, its quirky EV hit the market at the same time as the prize-hungry Chevy Volt, which has already taken home the North American Car of the Year and Motor TrendCOTY awards.

But while the Volt has taken the hardware here in the United States, the Leaf can now sport its own prestigious award: the 2011 European Car Of The Year. The 58 voters gave the Leaf the nod over more conventional offerings like the Volvo S60 and the Opel Meriva. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is quick to point out the fact that the Leaf is the first EV to win the Europe COTY award, but he also stresses that the Leaf “is an appealing, competitive car, with no compromise on style, features, safety, performance or handling.” Hit the jump to read over Nissan’s brag-tastic press release.

Kia travels through space and time, returns to the Super Bowl

Kia had a strong 2010 and the Korean automaker hopes that momentum is continued right through 2011. No doubt, the all-new 2011 Kia Optima is one vehicle that will be a cornerstone for the brand if it is to keep up its recent success. No rusprise, then, that Kia is unveiling a new 60-second ad spot highlighting its midsize sedan during the first quarter of the Super Bowl.

Entitled “One Epic Ride,” the commercial features the 2011 Optima as it “travels through time and space.” The car becomes an object of desire for cops, aliens, an international villain and even the Greek god Poseidon.

Further pushing the Optima messaging to the masses is the One Epic Contest. In the days preceding the Super Bowl, Kia will reveal a series of clues by way of TV spots, print ads and social media posts. The clues will then be used to answer questions at the OneEpicContest.com website, and five lucky winners will walk away with a brand new 2011 Kia Optima of their very own. Check out the complete press release after the break.

Ford details Powershift transmission for 2012 Focus

The 2012 Ford Focus is an exciting piece of machinery for a variety of reasons. It puts the Focus on equal footing across the globe, along with being a stylish and well-equipped compact that should be an entertaining steer. On that last bit, Ford is hyping some of the new driver-centric technologies under the Focus’ skin, beginning with the PowerShift dry-clutch six-speed automatic with its Torque Hole Filling Technology (THF). What’s that? Ford’s glad you asked…

When you’re driving along in a car equipped with a traditional automatic transmission, you get a momentary lag after an upshift. This is known as the torque hole. Ford wanted to find a way to fill this gap, so with some trick computer modeling and enough math to last a lifetime, the Blue Oval engineers created a system where the engine and transmission talk to each other and prepare for potential torque holes. Additional torque is supplied to fill the hole and the resulting shifts are more seamless to both driver and passengers.

2010 Ford Fusion safety investigation opened by NHTSA

The 2010 Ford Fusion is the subject of a preliminary investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Problems and complaints that would have been mere blips on the radar in the past are now cause for further scrutiny, and four complaints against the 2010 Fusion, three from the same fleet, have sparked interest.

Even though most of the complaints come from the same 22-car fleet, different operators were behind the wheel when the cause of the complaints occurred. The concern is that the wheel studs could fracture, as the complaints allege happened, which could then lead to a wheel leaving the vehicle and, rather obviously, loss of control.

Though they certainly are not screws at all, you could think of the wheel studs as the “screws” to which lug nuts are attached to secure a wheel to the vehicle, and in this case, the Fusion has five wheel studs per wheel.

A full recall could involve some 280,000 vehicles, and Ford is reportedly cooperating with the agency to bring the situation to a resolution.

Jaguar E-Type turning 50, doesn’t look a day over 25

Jaguar’s iconic E-type is celebrating a birthday this year and the shapely Brit is going to need 50 candles on its cake. Launched in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type was priced at £2,256, or about $3,612 USD based on current exchange rates. That £2,200 cost translates to £38,000 today, or about $61,000… a bargain compared to other exotic sports cars of its time and it was just as capable, with a top speed of 150 miles per hour.

Jaguar sold 70,000 E-Types over the course of 14 years and its style still holds up to this day. In fact, the styling of the E-Type gives other cars of any era cause to look in the mirror and weep silently. Even Enzo Ferrari called it “the most beautiful car in the world.”

To honor the sultry coupe, Jaguar is planning a variety of motoring events throughout the year. The brand is the featured marquee at the 2011 Monterey Motorsports reunion and E-Types will be the toast of this year’sPebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Nürburgring Old Timer Grand Prix and kicking off the birthday festivities will be the Silverstone Classic.

Click past the jump for details on the E-Type and its 50th birthday celebrations.