Despite being an ultra-niche vehicle, interest in the Nissan GT-R always remains strong, and car enthusiasts have been fretting about whether Japan’s natural disasters have impacted production of the revised GT-R. According to an interview with David Reuter, Nissan Americas vice president of communications, supplies of the GT-R are safe, with roughly 70 percent of...
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The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety awarded the Mazda 3 with its Top Pick honor in the small car category. The Mazda3 met the criteria by scoring a “Good” rating in all crash test categories (front, side, rear and rollover) and has electronic stability control. The Mazda3 is the first car from the automaker to...
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Mazda will resume production of vehicles on March 22nd, an encouraging sign for the Japanese auto industry as it battles a catastrophic series of events that has seen most automakers in the country suspend production. With Mazda based in Hiroshima, hundreds of miles away from the earthquake, tsunami and on-going nuclear incidents, the company has...
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Who would have thought that punk icon Henry Rollins would ever end up doing voice-overs for a luxury car? Certainly not us, but while the punk days are over, Rollins is a tremendous speaker, and we’re looking forward to his work for Infiniti as the brand prepares to launch its new M Hybrid. With 360 horsepower and...
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Designing a single car for the entire world is a tough proposition. No matter how hard engineers strive towards a unified design, concessions must usually be made, particularly with regards to engine and gearbox choices. Other instances have called for variations in size to suit regional tastes. While the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze are...
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Toyota‘s plus-sized Prius, the Prius V, has began production, and will start at $28,600 in Japan, roughly $3,700 more than the standard Prius. Many feel that the price will be closer to $27,000 in the United States, although the American-spec Prius V will lack the third row seat. Toyota claims that this feature would not...
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The Suzuki Kizashi may have enjoyed critical acclaim (and rightly so) but it’s sales figures have never been stellar. Suzuki is planning to sell the Kizashi in the UK later in 2011, and while Suzuki only plans on selling 500 units, it’s difficult to imagine the car being anything more than a low-volume curiosity. With...
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A Landisville, Pennsylvania area car salesman turned himself in to police after a customer test drive of a Mitsubishi Lancer ended with a passenger’s death. According to Lancaster Online, Michael D. Hershey was charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and driving at an unsafe speed in...
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It’s not too hard to remember the days when Buick was the butt of jokes, with many suggesting that Buick be killed off during the General Motors bankruptcy in 2008, rather than Pontiac. In a few short years, the fortunes of Buick have reversed spectacularly, and the brand is now the second most popular luxury...
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Mazda is considering ending their joint venture with Ford based in Flat Rock, Michigan. “We have been studying various measures to improve business of Auto Alliance International, but nothing has been decided,” Mazda spokeswoman Kozue Nitta told Reuters. The mid-size Mazda6 is currently built at the Michigan facility, and the car is selling poorly despite...
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Mazda‘s Minagi concept, a vehicle that will doubtlessly be seen on the roads as the Mazda CX-5, got its first reveal today, even if only half the vehicle was visible. Check back tomorrow for more detailed pictures as the car gets official reveal at the Geneva Auto Show. GALLERY: Mazda Minagi Concept See video of...
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The last time the Jeep Grand Cherokee was sold in Japan, only 88 units found homes among Japanese buyers. After a hiatus for 2010, Chrysler is re-introducing the SUV on March 12, and is ambitiously targeting sales of between 500 and 1,000 units. Chrysler sold a high of 15,000 vehicles in 1996, but sold only...
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The Toyota Prius is one of the most polarizing vehicles on the market today, with a legion of fans convinced that they’re doing their part to save the world, and an equal number of detractors deriding it as nothing more than a status symbol for green-obsessed vanity hounds. Strip away the awful rhetoric, and the...
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Anyone who was not comatose in 2009 remembers the Toyota unintended acceleration scandal, which saw millions of Toyota and Lexus products recalled due to what was eventually deemed to be a mismatch between floormats and the accelerator that could cause the pedal to stick. Now, Toyota is recalling a further 2.17 million cars and trucks...
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Mazda‘s announcement regarding a SKYACTIV diesel engine in future products had car geeks hoping for a diesel Mazda3, but it looks like the oil-burner will actually make an appearance on the mid-size Mazda6, putting it squarely against the updated Volkswagen Passat, which will be available with a TDI diesel engine. While details on the SKY-D...
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The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a non-profit group sponsored by foundations, electric utilities and government agencies, released its list of the Greenest Vehicles, and the Honda Civic GX, a perennial favorite, continued to come out on top for the 8th consecutive year. In second place was the all-electric Nissan Leaf, while the much...
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A fire at a Toyota assembly plant in Japan temporarily halted production at a facility that assembles the Prius, Camry and Scion tC. The fire broke out around 10 A.M. but was put out by now. Toyota reports that no production equipment was damaged, but the fire did affect the factory’s ceiling. An investigation is being...
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Suzuki is recalling their SX4 compact and Grand Vitara SUV over a faulty tensioner pulley that could cause steering difficulties and engine stalling if it causes the accessory belt to detach while driving. Dealers will replace the pulley at no charge starting February 16th. The recall affects 32,291 vehicles. [Source: NHTSA] Hit the jump to read the...
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With the Ford Ranger having left the building, General Motors is capitalizing on the death of a legend by going full steam ahead with the development of their next compact pickups, which will replace the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. While the Ranger will be sold in markets across the globe, save for the United...
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Despite our initial reservations, we grew to adore the Nissan Juke, even though it’s styling could politely be described as “interesting”. Whether the Infiniti Etherea concept will do the same is a question only time can answer, but so far we’re not quite as enthusiastic about the concept car’s looks than Infiniti might like us...
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Although the Smart ForTwo hasn’t been warmly received by American buyers, there is hope for the quirky maker of diminutive city cars, as parent company Daimler is backing the brand with new products and utilizing their alliance with Renault-Nissan to give the lineup a boost. A Smart representative confirmed that a four seat model will arrive sometime in the...
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Without a compact luxury car, Infiniti will have a hard time competing in their new European stomping grounds, and let’s face it, a rebadged Nissan Versa ain’t exactly up to the task. What Infiniti does have is a new alliance with Daimler through parent company Renault-Nissan. Infiniti is about to leverage this relationship big-time with their new...
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With Subaru‘s Impreza compact due for a replacement soon, and a concept shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall, the debut of the new car is getting ever closer. In fact, a Subaru executive recently confirmed that the target date for the new car is an August, 2011 release. With the date...
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The Toyota Matrix has always been a bit of a non-starter in the marketplace, but that’s not stopping Toyota from launching an all new updated version at the Chicago Auto Show. Just like the updated 2011 Corolla, the changes are essentially all cosmetic. The same 1.8L and 2.4L powerplants remain in place, as does the...
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