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Meet Sparky, Nissan's Leaf-based, Frontier-bedded EV parts hauler [w/video]

For many enthusiasts, the concept of the ute - a car with a pickup bed - is somehow irresistibly appealing. On paper, it promises the marriage of a truck's utility and a car's superior driving dynamics, and for that reason alone, we'd love to see more of them. Yet while other parts of the world get them in good numbers, North America doesn't ever see them - at least not for long. Based on what we've seen of late, though, that's not due to a lack of motivation on the part of engineers.
BMW wowed us several years ago with an M3 ute, and earlier this year, some interns converted a Mini Paceman into the pickup-bodied Paceman Adventure. Loathe to let their rivals in Munich and Oxford have all the fun, Nissan has built its very own car-based pickup. Meet Sparky, the world's first Leaf Frontier.
Like the M3, this all-electric ute is used as a parts hauler for Nissan's engineering teams at its sprawling Stanfield, AZ tech center and proving grounds.

Nissan GT-R goes on Rockies Alberta adventure with Epic Drives

Years after its original debut, the Nissan GT-R remains a much-feared, well-regarded entry in the sports car landscape. Sure, many of its original competitors are onto new generations these days, but Nissan has continually improved the GT-R, giving it meaningful tweaks almost every year since it came to the US market for 2009. Reviewers also just seem to keep finding things to praise about the all-wheel drive, turbocharged coupe. In this episode of Epic Drives, the GT-R proves that in addition to being a quite pleasant road trip companion around the province of Alberta, Canada, in a pinch it can go off-road to herd some horses, too.
At its heart, Epic Drives amounts to half travelogue and half driving review. So in between snaking the GT-R through some picturesque roads, host Arthur St. Antoine takes a tour of Alberta and the Canadian Rockies. If you're in the mood to take a drive in the Nissan through a landscape that blends the looks of a prairie, the Alps and fjords, then have a seat and check this video out.

2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS priced from $26,120*

We'll admit, we're quite excited about the Nissan Juke Nismo RS, especially now that its price has been revealed. For $26,120, you can get the sharpest, sportiest Juke outside of the over-caffeinated, 545-horsepower Juke R.
That base price reflects the cost of the Juke Nismo RS you really want - the front-drive model, complete with six-speed manual. Snagging an all-wheel-drive, CVT-equipped version will cost an extra $2,000. Those prices don't include an *$810 destination charge.
The Juke Nismo RS boasts an extra 18 hp and 26 pound-feet of torque over the 197-hp Juke Nismo, thanks to things like a new exhaust. The big, must-have feature, though, are the Recaro thrones fitted in the front of the RS. As we said when the hot Juke debuted in LA last year, the seats alone may be worth upgrading to the RS model.