Mazda is hoping to boost sales in the United States by 74 percent, and a key component of their strategy will be delivering sporty vehicles that can turn out “real world” fuel economy numbers. “It’s not acceptable to us have 40 mpg and sacrifice performance,” said Robert Davis, Mazda’s senior VP of U.S. operations. Rivals...
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A new continuously-variable transmission, a supercharged 2.5L four-cylinder engine and an front-drive hybrid system should all arrive on the new Nissan Altima for 2013, helping Nissan stay competitive in an increasingly tough segment. The hybrid drivetrain will be similar to that used on the Infiniti M Hybrid, but adapted for front-wheel drive vehicles. The new...
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Subaru is looking to increase the fuel efficiency of its vehicles by 30 percent and will introduce new technologies like turbocharging, different transmissions and hybrid systems to help meet those goals. First up will be a blitz of new product built on an all-new lightweight architecture that will replace the current platform used by all...
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Outlandish engine swaps are usually a fool’s errand that cost far more time and money than most people ever expect. Of course, if you’re a major automaker with endless financial and mechanical resources behind you, you can do whatever you want. When Nissan set out to create the Juke-R, considerations like “budget”, “space” and “access...
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The Mazda RX-8’s production run has already ended for much of the world, but Japan is sending off the last rotary engine equipped sports car (for the time being) with a special run of 1,000 cars dubbed the “Spirit R”. Special badging, red brake calipers, Recaro seats and 18″ wheels are the main highlights of...
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the 2009 Honda Odyssey for a possible liftgate malfunction. The Odyssey’s power liftgate is said to close unexpectedly, and NHTSA has received seven complaints so far, with two of the complaints resulting in injury after the owners were unexpectedly struck with the liftgate. An estimated 20,000 vehicles are affected....
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Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that the Japanese government’s effort to keep the yen’s value under control had failed and that Nissan was strongly considering moving production out of Japan and into foreign countries. A weakened United States dollar has meant that the value of the greenback has shifted from 91 yen per dollar to...
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Most people’s conception of tuner cars are brightly colored Honda Civics or other econoboxes with underbody neon lights, not to mention the requisite loud muffler. But this heavily modified Toyota Camry has enough horsepower on hand to beat down nearly anything on four wheels, without giving away anything visually. This mid-1990s Toyota Camry has a...
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Toyota has finally released pricing for the all-new Prius Plug-in Hybrid, setting the retail rate at $32,760 – a roughly $8,000 premium over the conventional model. At $32,760, Prius Plug-in provides more standard features like heated front seats, Entune, LED daytime running lights, an enhance keyless entry system as well as a remote start air...
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Infiniti will adopt Mercedes-Benz’s small car architecture, used to underpin the front-drive B-Class, as part of the technology sharing agreement signed between the two companies. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told Autocar that “you’d be very surprised if in five or six years that Mercedes and Renault/Nissan had only cooperated on small cars,” signalling a much wider...
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We’re sure there are legions of fans excited to hear that the 2013 Lexus GS450h will bow at September’s Frankfurt Auto Show – maybe not. Either way, the GS450h should be an important product for Lexus, as both the originator of the luxury hybrid segment, and a critical new introduction in a market that is...
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An old newspaper maxim posits that “dog bites man” won’t make for an eye-catching headline, but “man bites dog” will get people’s attention. Perhaps the automotive equivalent is “Toyota RAV4 Driver Shoots Boy With Crossbow”. Although information is scant, this is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre stories of the year. According to reports, a...
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Ford and Toyota shocked the automotive world with the announcement that the two companies will join forces to create a new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding, and will do further research and studies regarding the project. The new system is said to be rear-drive based, and...
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Today is a miraculous day – not only has Infiniti revealed the final teaser of their upcoming JX crossover, but the newest addition to the Infiniti lineup will get its official reveal today, August 18th. The seven seat crossover will likely get Infiniti’s 3.7L V6 or 5.6L V8, and a whole suite of fancy gadgets....
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A series of leaked photos and a UK market press release are the first look we have at the 2013 Lexus GS luxury sedan. Also confirmed are F-Spot, and hybrid versions (with a GS450h mentioned) as well as a GS250 packing a 2.5L V6 – for Europe only we presume. With styling borrowing heavily from...
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Infiniti released its newest teaser photo of the upcoming JX crossover, which boasts 7-seats and one of the brand’s powerful V6 or V8 engines. Photos will be posted on the brand’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Infiniti) and Infiniti is running a contest to win a trip for two to the reveal at the Pebble Beach Concours. The production model...
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Just days ahead of our first drive in the 2012 Toyota Camry and we have the first clear images of the most important new car that Toyota will launch in the next 12 months. No specs were announced, and these images are supposedly the Australian-market car (which will look slightly different) but it looks about...
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The Saab 9-6X concept was unveiled six years after being axed. The first pictures of the concept have hit the web and was unveiled at the company’s museum in Trollhättan. The 9-6X was based on the Subaru Tribeca and was slated for production but the vehicle was shelved when GM sold their 20 percent minority stake in Fuji...
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It looks as if Vilner had a light bulb go off recently, discovering that there’s a market for custom luxury interiors for various vehicles. Recently they decked out a MINI Cooper with a Bentley-styled interior package, and now they’ve added their fine touch to Infiniti’s EX and FX models. For the EX, Vilner went with...
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A short clip ostensibly taken during a meeting for American Toyota dealers appears to show the 2012 Toyota Camry in all its glory, as Toyota’s best seller makes its debut amid a soundtrack by Katy Perry. Little is known about the 2012 Camry, aside from Toyota’s plans for an ambitious marketing blitz in advance of...
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Don Swanson’s racing school is up for grabs on eBay Motors, complete with a full semi, four EJ Honda Civic race cars and a Dodge Grand Caravan. All four of the EJ Civics are DX models with five-speed manual transmissions and non-VTEC D15 single-overhead cam engines. Each of the race cars come equipped with ample...
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Ford‘s meteoric rise may have hit a speedbump with the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality results showing the Blue Oval at its worst ranking in a decade, coming in at 23rd. Meanwhile, perrenial quality champion Toyota rebounded from 21st last year to 7th this year, after an annus horriblus of recalls, lawsuits and quality defects...
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Whether intentional or not, Subaru seems to be labeled as a “progressive” brand, and while their website contains the usual corporate gibberish about supporting and embracing “…the communities in which we live and work,” the company tends to put its money where its mouth is, openly supporting the LGBT community as well as motorsports and...
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Mazda is very excited to show off its Freestyle Cab version of its BT-50 pickup at the upcoming Australian International Motor Show that will be held in Melbourne on July 1st-10th. The BT-50 receives Mazda’s now infamous Freestyle door configuration that was first revealed on the RX-8. By utilizing the unique door configuration, the BT-50...
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