As popular as drifting has become in America, the sport’s home will forever be in Japan and a quick demo out at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon gave us a reminder why. While we have plenty of fun listening to V8-powered Ford Mustangs and Chevy Camaros go at it sideways, this year’s TAS played host...
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At Japan’s annual Tokyo Auto Salon, they’d call our list of the Top 10 Worst Cars of SEMA tame. Sure we documented some atrocities during our time at North America’s largest aftermarket expo, but it’s hard to compete with a diorama of an army soldier apparently shooting baby dolls on the tonneau cover of a...
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At the 2012 Montreal International Auto Show, Scion brought a trio of Release Series vehicles out to display for the Canadian market. This is the first time Scion’s Release Series vehicles have ever been to a Canadian auto show. Starting with the xB Release Series 9.0, the limited edition xB will only see 200 units...
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Last year rumors spread that AMG was working on a new compact sports car, and now reports are coming in that it may debut at an auto show later this year. And similar to the SLS AMG, this new two-seater coupe will be branded as an AMG vehicle rather than a Mercedes-Benz, similar to what...
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Toyota’s motorsports partner Gazoo Racing had several machines to show off at the Tokyo Auto Salon, but none as impressive as this Lexus LFA. Prepped for race duty, the car has already seen competition, with an automotive CEO behind the wheel no less. Akio Toyoda? Nope. Try Dr. Ulrich Bez, the man in charge of...
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Built by Honda‘s Mugen tuning division in Europe, the on-again-off-again CR-Z RR concept is, at last word, off again. So weren’t we shocked then to discover not one, but two of the cars on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon. As much as we’ll miss its good looks of the CR-Z RR with its wide...
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Here’s a piece of trivia. What is the above hot hatch from the Tokyo Auto Salon and where is it from? We’ll, the answer to the first question is that it’s called the Artiga. And the second? Well Asia of course. However, despite being displayed at Japan’s largest aftermarket expo, it’s not a Japanese car....
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One of numerous Mazdas on display at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the Demio (sold as the Mazda2 in North America) Smart Stylish, delivers as promised with a classy look that adds some luxury appeal to this sub-compact. Based on the new ultra-efficient Skyactiv 1.3-liter model, the Smart Stylish gets a complete aerodynamic overhaul, with...
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For the car category, the three finalists are the Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Optima, while in the utility category, they are the BMW X3, Dodge Journey and Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel.
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Build by Toyota motorsports partner Gazoo Racing, the GRMN iQ Supercharger is just the sort of concept car that’s too wild to ever become a reality. Right? Wrong! To the surprise of, well, everyone, Toyota has announced it will offer a limited production of the car, which was unveiled in its second-generation prototype stage today...
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Racing a Prius might sound like the start of a joke, until you see this. Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, this Toyota Prius is fully prepped and sporting its race livery. Significantly wider and lower than a factor model, this Prius is designed to compete in Japan’s Super GT racing series starting...
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Aftermarket wheel manufacturer TWS Forged obviously liked what they saw when Toyota unveiled the Nurburgring Edition Lexus LFA. Sporting a more track-oriented aerodynamic kit and a functional rear spoiler, that package (even in its shocking orange paint scheme) now looks tame compared to the modified LFA on display at the TWS booth at the Tokyo...
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If you’re looking to make 53 mpg look a little cooler then Toyota in-house tuning division Modelista has you covered. The style-oriented arm of Toyota has just announced a new lineup of accessories for the Prius c, which is sold as the Aqua in Japan. Already looking like a slightly-cooler Yaris, the Prius c gets...
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Living up to its name, Subaru tuning company and race team Prova has unveiled its “Black Edition” BRZ sports car at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The wild tuner-car-meets-race-car gets matte black ground effects with orange pinstriping, matched out back by a significantly-sized matte-painted spoiler. Also of note are huge 19-inch Enkei wheels with sticky Michelin...
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The GT 86 will spawn a new legion of fanboys for the Toyota brand – a result it was purpose-built to achieve. And if there’s one thing die-hard automotive enthusiasts love more than spouting off engine and chassis codes, it’s factory performance parts. In this case: Toyota Racing Development… or TRD for short. With Toyota...
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Just a few weeks after the debut of the GT 86, Toyota tuners are getting a crack at the new sports car and showing what modified visions they can dream up at Japan’s largest aftermarket expo, the Tokyo Auto Salon. One of the very first machines is built by Toyota’s in-house Modelista tuning division, focused...
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Infiniti has announced pricing for their new JX crossover with the FWD starting at $40,450 and the AWD priced from $41,550. Both models come with a 3.5L V6 powerplant with 265-hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. The JX is packed with tons of Infiniti’s newest technology features including the world’s first Backup Collision Intervention technology....
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Buick has achieved two straight years of growth and the brand is looking to keep up the momentum, targeting new buyers with unconventional new products. The Enclave SUV kicked-off the new Buick and it’s been a smash success, and even near the end of its product cycle continues to be the brand’s best seller. So...
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The TRD 86, or the Scion FR-S, what ever you wanna call it, it’s a hot car. This year at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, the GT 86 will debut with some extra style thanks to the added TRD aero kit. The TRD kit adds a front lip with selected sections painted black as well...
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For some of the more minor auto shows, a Top 10 list of the most important cars often covers most of the new debuts, but not so at the North American International Auto Show. Held each January in Detroit it’s the obvious launch site for major products by the Big Three domestic automakers and over...
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Honda has announced its lineup of vehicles for the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, the automotive aftermarket expo of Japan. The Honda exhibit will feature a variety of models including automobiles, motorcycles, power products, racing vehicles and other highlights in order to convey the joy of mobility and motorsport excitement. Honda Access Corp., manufacturer of genuine...
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Lincoln is desperate for one hot new model in its lineup, just not this hot. At the reveal of the new MKZ Concept at the Detroit Auto Show this week the car in question began to smoke. Embarrassed Lincoln reps ushered giggling journalists away with jokes aplenty. Reception of the new Lincoln wasn’t mixed, it...
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Taking a page out of Ford’s playbook, Nissan appears ready to follow suit in the move from SUVs to crossovers announcing that the 2013 Pathfinder will ride on a car-based unibody platform rather than a body-on-frame truck chassis. Over a year ago, Ford made a similar switch with its new Explorer. As a concept Nissan...
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The compact car category continues to grow and is increasingly becoming the most important and highest volume segment in America. For years Chrysler hasn’t had a competitive offering, something it is looking to change with the all-new Dodge Dart. Sharing its underpinnings with an Alfa Romeo it’s the direct result of the tie-up between Chrysler...
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