While the basic structures of the transmission will be shared, each company will use their own software to ensure the transmissions fit with the vehicles in their different brands.

WSJ: GM, Ford Team Up to Develop New Transmissions

With an expected arrival date in 2014 and six new Datsun vehicles planned, the new model will be extremely basic (think manual transmission and few, if any, airbags) and the consensus even among Nissan employees is that the release will be difficult to pull off.

FORBES: Nissan Reintroducing Datsun to Emerging Markets