Toyota continues to suffer from recalls with the Japanese automaker just announcing a recall notice for an additional 2.3 million vehicles. Recently Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles for a gas pedal that could get stuck due to incorrect placement of accessory floormats. This recent recall is for actual accelerator pedals that could stick. “In recent...
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Mitsubishi’s next generation EVO will be a plug-in hybrid. Yup, according to a recent report by Motor Trend, a source inside the company has confirmed the rumors that the EVO XI is going green. This news will most likely have EVO enthusiasts about ready to jump ship to Subaru, but worry not says the report,...
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Mazda pretty much owns the MPV market on this side of the Atlantic, but it faces stiffer competition in Europe and is about to get more rivals in North America from models like the Ford C-Max and Chevy Orlando. So to stay ahead of the competition, the Japanese automaker will debut an all-new second generation...
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Nissan’s NISMO motorsports department has finally announced full details on the 2010 FIA GT1-spec GT-R race car and along with some expected changes, there’s also a big surprise. Under the hood you won’t find Nissan’s twin-turbo V6, but rather a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 engine that produces 600-hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. That’s sure...
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With 500,000 hybrids sold last year, Toyota aims to double that number by 2011. Japan’s largest automaker had announced plans to reach the one million goal early in this decade, but a report in Japan’s Nikkei suggests Toyota is now looking at very-early in this decade. Part of the reason for Toyota’s optimism is the...
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A collection of amateur spy photos have emerged online showing what appears to be a production version of the Lexus LF-Ch concept, which first debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year. With a slightly less aggressive style, a new rear hatch and some OEM-equipment wheels, it is likely that Lexus is preparing this new...
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Mitsubishi has announced that it will officially introduce an all new compact crossover at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the ASX for the European market, it will be sold as the RVR in Japan and is expected to be offered in North America in late 2010 as a 2011 model, slotting just below the recently...
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Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand is open to the possibility of a pickup truck model says brand manager Jack Hollis. In an interview with Ward’s Hollis admitted that a compact pickup might fit well in the Scion brand, a reversal on previous statements that pickups are out of the question. Initially Scion feared that compact pickups...
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Honda Racing has officially announced the HSV-010 GT will join Japan’s Super GT racing series this year, releasing a huge selection of photos for those who just can’t get enough of the car. Based on the discontinued NSX replacement (yup, we’re still crying about it too), the HSV-010 is powered by a 3.4-liter V8 that...
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Unveiled late last week at the Tokyo Auto Salon, AutoGuide was first to bring you news of the mysteriously-named Lexus IS-F CCS Concept. It was easy to recognize the many changes made to the car, with plenty of body panels replaced by carbon fiber components, including the hood and truck. Now we have learned just...
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After covering all the major tuner and manufacturer booths located inside the Makuhari Messe’s Convention Center, we decided to wander the Tokyo Auto Salon’s floor to see if we could spot anything that interested us. It didn’t take long before this Abflug “Pink Spider” FD3S Mazda RX-7 really caught our eye. Easily considered extreme by...
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While Subaru-fans in North America love the STI-tuned Impreza WRX, they are deprived of other STI cars offered in Suby’s home-market of Japan. One such model is the STI-tuned Legacy Wagon, sold as the Exiga 2.0 GT STI in Japan. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine, the Exiga 2.0 GT STI makes 221-hp and...
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Damned if we report another body kit manufacturer but DAMD’s Styling Effect is highly worth mentioning. (Groan… we know). DAMD showed off a selection of its latest products at the Tokyo Auto Salon, with two new aero kits for Subaru products as well as one for, you guessed it, the Toyota Prius. As the most...
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While not as well known in North America as VIP tuners like Wald International or Junction Produce, Branew is a Japanese tuning powerhouse specializing in various luxury and tuning markets including Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Nissan, Bentley, Hummer, Porsche and Land Rover. The big buzz leading up to the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon from Branew was the...
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As if the Nissan booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon wasn’t action packed enough with its NISMO offerings, Autech Factory Custom was present with its “Rider” series of vehicle enhancements. Offsetting the high-horsepower and high-dollar NISMO offers, the Autech cars are more about personalization than power and are aimed at entry-level buyers. On display in...
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It’s certainly not a household name, but Japanese tuner Varis is making headway modifying not only Japanese cars, but European models as well. The company does complete transformations, with everything from aesthetics to performance, with designs that are extreme, but not quite over-the-top. On display at the Varis booth at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon...
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Tucked away towards the back of Toyota’s booth at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon was this IS-F CCS Concept that looks to be a lightweight version of the performance-minded sedan. Not much details could be found on this CCS Concept, but we definitely fell in love with the bright orange shade and carbon fiber accents....
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Not to be left behind with all the other Japanese aftermarket manufacturers that have taken to the trend of modifying hybrid/green cars, Tommy Kaira not only impressed with its GT-R at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, but with its Prius and Insight offerings too. Earlier this month both vehicles were released to the public and...
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Passing by the Junction Produce booth at TAS 2010, nothing groundbreaking was on display; rather they stuck to their tradition of clean styling on luxury sedans. Several Lexus (Toyotas) were on display carrying what we’ve come to expect over the years from JP. Unfortunately there wasn’t much new to report from them, but their display...
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Nissan had their Roox on display, a minicar that originally debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in late 2009. Despite its small size, Nissan has marketed their Roox minicar as the most spacious four-seater in its class. With the minicar tuning craze that is seen all over Japan, especially at TAS, we can only think...
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While many Japanese aftermarket tuners are taking on the newest models including many of them turning towards European applications, J’s Racing has stuck to what they know best: Hondas. The company’s booth wasn’t overwhelmingly large, but it was clear that J’s Racing is aware of the new Hybrid-tuning craze, displaying its own version of a...
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There is no doubt that the Toyota Prius is the heavy favorite at TAS 2010. Literally every single booth has one and it’s hard to take 20 steps without spotting another tuned Prius. Toyota had their own to impress with the Prius Custom Plus Concept taking a very futuristic hold to the Prius design. The...
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Nissan never fails to impress at Tokyo Auto Salon and 2010 was no exception to the rule. In-house tuning company NISMO showed off its offerings for the brand’s most popular performance platforms, the FairladyZ, Skyline Coupe and Skyline Sedan, or as they’re known in North America: the Nissan 370Z, Infiniti G37 Coupe and G37 Sedan....
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Showing off Toyo Tires’ Proxes C1S rubber was a Lexus IS-F sporting a very innovative vinyl wrap. From far the car looked to be a matte silver, but up close the wrap has a brushed aluminum theme. Another interesting piece to this IS-F was the Hamann styling. Famous for tuning European automobiles, it seems as...
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