2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Receives LEGO Speed Champions Treatment

 Hate it or love it but the Fast & Furious movie franchise has had a huge impact on both pop and automotive culture. It even made its way into the LEGO universe as the company is preparing to release the iconic Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 from the 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious very soon.

Even though 2 Fast 2 Furious was panned by critics and many audiences alike but if you love cars, then it is hard to forget the R34 although its role as the hero’s car was taken over by Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII in the latter part of the movie. In case you have never seen it before, here is a preview:

If you are a purist, then you might be irritated to see that none of the aftermarket brands that were on the car’s hood and bumpers made their way to the LEGO replica. Then again, this is a Lego Speed Champions release after all which is meant for kids aged above 8 years old and accuracy is not exactly the main objective.

Nevertheless, LEGO has fairly recreated the car’s paint job and blue stripes for the replica as well as making it a right-hand drive vehicle just like in the movie. Furthermore, the company has included a Brian O’Conner (played by the late Paul Walker) minifigure with it.

Expected to be available worldwide this coming January, the new 2 Fast 2 Furious’s R34 LEGO Speed Champions replica has already appeared on LEGO Malaysia’s website. However, its actual availability date and pricing in our market are not yet known at the moment though.

For those who are wondering, this is not the first vehicle F&F features by LEGO though. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T from the original Fast & Furious movie which comes complete with a minifigure iteration of its driver, Dominic Toretto that was played by Vin Diesel.

In case you want to get your hands on it right now in anticipation of the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 release, the LEGO Speed Champion replica of Dom’s Charger can be obtained for RM119.90 from LEGO Certifies Stores all over the country including Brick Magic and Box Of Bricks.

Nissan Denies Talking With Apple Over Self-Driving Car Project

Nissan Motor said it isn’t engaging in discussions with Apple over the latter’s self-driving car project, Reuters reported. Like other tech giants, Apple has been looking to enter the automotive market, leading to early-stage talks with several automakers.

“We are not in talks with Apple,” said a Nissan spokesperson, according to Reuters. “However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation.”

According to the Financial Times, talks between both companies collapsed because Nissan did not wish to become an assembler of Apple-branded cars. The talks were apparently in early stages and hadn’t advanced to senior management.

Talks between Apple and Hyundai similarly went nowhere because the latter wasn’t content with being merely a contract manufacturer for Apple. Apple will have to keep looking for another partner, even as it reportedly plans for a 2024 launch for its car project.

China’s tech companies already building quite the head start. Last month, search giant Baidu partnered with automaker Geely to establish a new electric car company. Tencent also linked arms with Geely to develop technology for self-driving vehicles and smart vehicle cockpits.

Relatedly, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said he wasn’t worried about competition from Apple. “The car industry is not a typical tech-sector that you could take over at a single stroke,” said Diess, according to Reuters citing his interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. “Apple will not manage that overnight.”

Nissan Unveils The NV350 Office Pod Concept; A Van With A Retractable Office

Taking our work outside is probably the last thing most would have in mind of doing, especially with the situation we’re facing at this time. Nissan, on the other hand, is proposing just that with a new vehicle concept that features an interesting twist to both the car itself and the remote working approach.

Meet the NV350 Office Pod, a concept van that kind of works like a RV (recreational vehicle) or caravan. But instead of a mobile home function, and as implied by its name, the vehicle comes with a built in office space that can be retracted out from its back. As seen from the video of the concept vehicle provided by the automaker, all the driver needs to do is lift the van’s rear door and activate the mechanism that slides the office module out. A very gimmicky feature, but it’s not every day someone gets to say they own a vehicle that can transform.

The pod itself resembles a curved-yet-square version of the letter “G” when viewed from the front, where the flat tip of the shape serves as a desk for your laptop or PC. Inside the office module includes a built-in Herman Miller office chair, and you’ll also notice there are openings in the front and back, as well as on the right side. Keep in mind that only the rear opening is windowed up, while the front and side is fully exposed to the elements. So it’s wise not to activate this mode when the weather is not so ideal for an outdoor work trip.

But should the weather be fine, the Nissan NV350 Office Pod also offers you with a “balcony” feature so that you can take some time off and relax. As shown in the aforementioned video, this attachment is assembled on the roof of the van, which includes a beach chair, side table, large umbrella and even a ladder to help you get on top. We have no idea where or how this particular set is stored when not in use, but it is suggested that it comes with the overall package.

Other than that, the concept van also comes with several other features to make your outdoor work trip comfortable. These include a polycarbonate floor with display, backlight carpeted floor mats, electric shade windows that cover or display the view electronically, glove box with antibacterial UV light, and an AC/DC inverter to power onboard devices (PC, coffee maker, etc).

As cool as it looks, there’s no denying that this idea of working remotely via this Nissan concept vehicle is somewhat bizarre. It is likely intended to be used after the current pandemic is resolved, but it also makes sense to use it just to get away from populated areas and embrace nature. That is, if the authorities allow you to do so in the first place, and we don’t think a work pass is going to cut it.

Keep in mind that the Nissan NV350 Office Pod is just a concept for now. Therefore, it is very unlikely to see the vehicle hitting the roads anytime soon.

Ford And Nissan Facing Vehicle Production Slowdown Due To Shortage In Chip Supply

Smartphones, video game consoles and PC components have been experiencing slow downs in production since late last year due to a shortage of semiconductor supplies. This setback has continued ever since, even affecting companies from the automotive industry including Ford, Nissan and many others.

Several sources report that the shortage of chips have caused Ford to delay vehicle production at its Louisville, Kentucky SUV factory this week. The downtime was originally planned to commence later this year, but was moved up early due to the current situation. Concurrently, Nissan also resorted to reduce the output of cars at its Oppama plant in Japan due to the limited supply of semiconductors.

These chips are a necessary component in modern cars, especially for powering features such as driver assistance, infotainment systems and even basic functions such as steering. The recent shortage was caused by factory shutdowns of various key semiconductor manufacturers in late 2020, which was caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.

According to Reuters and Engadget, other automakers affected by the issue include Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota. The first of which revealed back in December that it was altering vehicle manufacturing in China, Europe and North America factories in light of the shortage, while the latter two also expressed concerns regarding the possibility of setbacks in production.

At this current time, it appears that chip supply limitations will continue to affect various industries, as it will take some time until semiconductor companies are able to recover their output capacity. Of course, provided that no further pandemic-related mishaps are to occur along the way.