Banned from selling cars after they were caught charging a $25,000 mark up for a used Mazda6, Ken Trung and Mohammed Shaikh could be back working on a car lot as early as next year. The two men weren’t just fired for selling the family sedan for $66,000 at a Orangeville dealer outside Toronto, Canada,...
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There’s a new tuning company opening up shop in Japan and it’s looking to grab some immediate headlines with it’s version of the Nissan GT-R, sporting some of the most radical styling we have seen yet on the Japanese supercar. The company, which goes by the name Bensopra, is set to debut the new race...
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News broke last month that Honda CEO Takanobu Ito confirmed development of a new NSX. Now comes word that we could get our first look at the vehicle at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. If so, the new NSX might just be the best-kept secret in the auto industry. That vehicle would just be...
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As the European and U.S. suffer from an economy of alarming volatility, automakers are constantly seeking emerging markets to attain sustainable growth. Mazda, introducing its automobiles in Mexico only six years ago, have now established a new production facility, in joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation, in Salamanca, Mexico. According to Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi, “Since...
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The Wankel engine lives! Although recent reports have suggested otherwise, a tweet from Mazda’s PR department was posted in Japanese for their followers indicating a new generation rotary engine is in the works, and thus confirming a previous report stating that SkyActiv senior exec Kiyoshi Fujiwara is continuing development on the Wankel. Details on the rotary...
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If you’re an avid follower of Formula 1, you’d have already known that Sebastien Vettel has won the 2011 Drivers Championship. Even though his F1 car is powered by a Renault engine, it is branded an Infiniti for marketing purposes, as Infiniti only launched in Europe this year. Starting with the FX Sebastien Vettel edition....
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The Honda CR-Z was always intended to be a car with a split personality. When docile, the hybrid system allows the CR-Z to reach 39-mpg. Then, if prodded, the sporty hybrid promises to deliver sports car levels of driving excitement. However, in its current state, the CR-Z has been more Dr. Jekyll than Mr. Hyde....
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Toyota‘s rush to cut costs amid a rising yen is leading them towards a confrontation with parts suppliers, with the automaker demanding that Japanese parts makers slash costs or face being replaced with overseas companies. Toyota is still reeling from lost production during March’s tsunami and earthquake, and is estimated to lose $443 million for...
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The rising yen is making exports from Japan increasingly unprofitable and Honda is looking to cut vehicle exports by 50 percent over the next 10 years as a response to the change in currency valuations. Honda hopes to sell as much as 90 percent of its vehicles in markets that can use locally sourced vehicles....
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Spy photos taken at the set of the upcoming Avengers movie is providing us with a glimpse of a future Acura sports car, driven by Robert Downey Junior who plays Iron Man, Tony Stark. According to AutoExpress, this vehicle points the way for the future NSX successor. Honda‘s previous plans to develop a new front...
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Mazda has finally released official pricing on the updated 2012 Mazda3 with the optional 40-mpg SkyActiv engine model starting at $18,450. That model, the Mazda3 i Touring, makes 155-hp and 148 lb-ft of torque for a 5 percent improvement in overall power, a 10 percent improvement in peak torque and a 15 percent improvement in...
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Surging volumes and a lag in Japanese output helped Hyundai surpass Honda as America’s fifth largest automaker in 2011, selling 522 more units (from both Hyundai and Kia combined) than Honda did through September. Analysts cite Honda’s inventory disruption due to Japan’s natural disasters in March as a leading cause of the change in rankings....
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The only natural gas production car to be manufactured and sold in the United States, the all-new 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas will be available at 200 dealers across 38 states beginning on October 18th. Prices for this one-of-a-kind alternative energy vehicle begins at $26,155. The Civic Natural Gas is powered by a modified version...
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Nissan has confirmed the creation of its GT-R powered Juke crossover, the Juke-R. A PR stunt, the Juke-R is aimed at continuing to push the brand’s message that unlike some other Japanese automakers, Nissan isn’t afraid to take chances and have a little fun. “Nissan Juke is one of the most exciting cars on the...
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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution might be the Japanese brand’s highest performance model but the most recognizable model it’s produced over the past several decades is easily the Eclipse. Axed from the company’s lineup this year the Eclipse could return admits Greg Adams, Mitsubishi Motors North America VP of marketing. Of the two, don’t look for...
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Lexus intends to drum up excitement across its 2012 lineup by offering a series of limited edition models. Lexus has massaged its LS flagship with a sport-tuned air suspension as well as a 19-inch 10 spoke wheels and Brembo brakes. The interior receives sport seats at the front and a two tone leather trim throughout....
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Scion has revealed two new Release Series editions for the 2012 model year. The Scion xD R.S. 4 will offer cosmetic upgrades including a unique Blizzard Pearl paint job finished with a sleek set of 16 inch alloy rims in a smoked platinum finish. Interior upgrades will feature colored trim pieces matching the paint scheme...
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Mazda is preparing to launch its new 2012 Mazda3 model with its important new SkyActiv engine and while specifics on the motor aren’t yet available, pricing now is. Or we should say, it is if you live in Canada. We’ve just received the official pricing sheet from Mazda Canada and it contains one major surprise,...
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The opening of the Texas State Fair is always sure to usher in a new group of pickup trucks, with every automaker looking to use the event as a staging point for their latest vehicle. The venue couldn’t be more perfect, with pickup trucks making up one quarter of all vehicles sold in the state....
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Since 2009, Toyota has been eager to display their new entry level FR concept coupe throughout its development. First displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, it made appearances at Geneva, New York, and Frankfurt auto shows as well. The press has been so tired of covering the concepts, in fact, that journalists have dubbed...
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For 2012, the outgoing Subaru Impreza Outback Sport will merely consist of a limited set of trim options before it will make way for a completely redesigned model known as the Subaru XV. While it features the requisite all wheel drive, a taller ride height of 8.6 inches, and body cladding, the XV’s appearance is...
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With recent rumors that Toyota is in fact planning a successor to the Supra, one can’t help but wonder what a modern-day version of the iconic sports car would look like. Thanks to Andreas Fougner, a 3D artist from Stockholm, Sweden, we’re able to get at least one glimpse into the possible future with a...
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The 2012 Honda CR-V Concept was just unveiled earlier this week at Anaheim, California’s Orange County International Auto Show. Honda America’s Executive Vice President of Sales John Mendel proudly boasts, “As the best-selling SUV in each of the past four years, the 2012 CR-V promises to build on its highly successful formula with even more...
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Toyota‘s new styling chief, Dezi Nagaya, wants to abandon the company’s previous conservative design language for a new direction that is “…more dynamic, more masculine, sportier, with a more obvious design theme and a face to represent the company and the brand.” Nagaya’s challenge comes with creating a unified styling language that can span everything...
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