At a news conference in Tokyo, Toyota’s new President Akio Toyoda, said that Japan’s largest automaker has now slipped into the fourth (out of five) stages of corporate decline. Citing author Jim Collins’ How the Mighty Fall, Toyoda regretfully announced that Toyota had entered the stage called “grasping for salvation.” The previous three stages are...
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After releasing the limited edition Nissan GT-R SpecV (pictured above) last year, rumors of a more comfort-oriented SpecM model have surfaced. Those rumors have now reportedly been confirmed by GT-R project chief Kazutoshi Mizuno, when he ran into the folks from PistonHeads at Nissan’s Nürburgring test facility. The SpecM edition is geared slightly more towards...
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Unlike the past two years, Lexus will have a more low-key presence at the SEMA Show for 2009. In the past, Toyota’s luxury division had significant outdoor exhibits, centered mostly around the IS and IS-F performance sedans. Last year the automaker distributed four of its IS-F sedans to four different companies (Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance, MotorworldHype,...
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If you though Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV electric city car was both silly looking and impractical, perhaps the i-MiEV Cargo is more up your alley? Or perhaps not. With significantly more usable space, along with an even more ridiculous shape, the Cargo model is a concept that Mitsubishi is exploring for eventual production. The i-MiEV on which...
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When concept cars look this road-ready, you can be sure an automaker isn’t just interested in design for design’s sake. Called the Concept PX-MiEV, Mitsubishi will unveil this hybrid crossover concept at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. The vehicle’s name combines the automakers “MiEV” nomenclature, which stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle, with a...
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Honda’s latest concept car (van) that is scheduled to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show, looks like something you might see done to an Odyssey minivan at Hot Import Nights. The reason? It has both the typical minivan sliding rear doors, as well as front “Lambo-style” doors. Honda hasn’t released much info about the van,...
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Honda intends to put the focus on its environmentally friendly alternative energy vehicles at the Tokyo Auto Show next month, showcasing several products, including the undeniably cute EV-N electric car concept. The car will be in display in the HELLO! Zone (which apparently stands for Honda Electric mobility Loop) next to the hydrogen fuel-cell FXC...
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Along with the Hybrid Tourer Concept, Subaru will have on display a hot-looking Carbon edition of its high-performance WRX STI model at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. The model gets its name from a new carbon fiber roof that has been fitted to the car. Using the light weight and incredibly strong material so...
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At next month’s Tokyo Auto Show, Subaru will unveil what it calls the Hybrid Tourer Concept. The idea with this concept seems to be to explore a new area of the marketplace, somewhere between the Outback and Legacy, but with a serious focus on luxury and sport – like the GT/Sportback/Hatchback models being built by...
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Honda has just announced that a revised version of its CR-Z hybrid hatchback will debut at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. Honda has already produced a concept version of this car, but the new one (shown above) is as close to production as concepts get. The design has been toned down just ever so...
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After teasing us with a cropped photo several weeks ago, Nissan has now officially unveiled the refreshed 2010 Altima Sedan, Coupe and Hybrid models with an updated interior and exterior and some new electronic toys. The car doesn’t look all that different on its own, but place it next to an ’09 model and the...
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While the official word from Lexus is that the LF-Ch concept is set to become a premium-level hybrid hatchback in the European market only, Toyota’s luxury arm is also (rather obviously) studying the possibility of bringing the car to North America. Lexus has just launched a new page on its U.S. website, with a link...
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Just after publishing an article on Mazda’s new SKY engines, which are set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show in October, Mazda sent us a press release on the Kiyora Concept car. This new vehicle, which is set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show, is powered by a 1.3-liter version of Mazda’s new...
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Ahead of their official debut at the Tokyo Auto Show, Mazda has decided to give us just a small preview of what the company’s vehicles could be powered by in the near future. Both a new gasoline and diesel engine have been announced, as well as a new transmission, all under the catchy SKY brand....
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As the shift to environmentally-friendly vehicles continues, the aftermarket has begun to recognize this emerging market and begin catering to owners. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Toyota Prius’s home turf, Japan. On his blog, Japanese tuning industry insider Ben Shaffer (owner of parts importer and tuning houses Bulletproof Automotive and Bespoke Ventures)...
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Mitsubishi of Australia is the first to show off the 2010 Outlander with its sporty new look. As the automaker not so subtly hinted at with the Outlander GT Prototype at the New York Auto Show, this revised model gets the company’s “jet fighter” grille. Mitsubishi is increasingly using the EVO-esque grille on more of...
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Toyota chose the Texas State Fair and its truck friendly audience as the venue to debut its latest 4Runner model. For 2010 this body-on-frame SUV is both wider and longer, further differentiating it from the Highlander crossover. Toyota has opted to drop the V8 engine for the new model, instead offering a 4.0-liter V6 that...
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Last week Nissan sent out a teaser image of the 2010 Altima, playing the marketing game and trying to pump up interest before the new mid-cycle redesign was fully unveiled. Between then and now the company also had to issue a recall notice. Unfortunately, in the process of sending out the recall, one image of...
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With the expected launch of the LF-A grand touring supercar at the Tokyo Auto Show in two months time, Lexus was out recently doing some last minute tweaks at the Nürburgring. The folks over at AutoCar snapped these photos of what appears to be an undisguised production ready version of the LF-A. Lexus recently revised...
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Mazda has just announced that it will bring the Mazda2 model to market in North America late next year, to compete in the growing sub-compact market alongside models like the Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit and Ford’s upcoming Fiesta. “You’ve asked us for it for a while now, and we’ve been studying the market...
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Lexus chose the Frankfurt Auto Show to debut a mid-cycle redesign for the LS range of luxury sedans with a very long list of upgrades. A new Sports Version was also announced. The new Sports Version is available as a rear-drive 460 model and gets 19-inch BBS wheels, six-piston Brembo brakes, sports seats and paddle...
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Toyota is planning to offer hybrid versions of all of its vehicles by 2020 and the next step in that process is a Hybrid Synergy Drive version of the Corolla-based Auris hatchback sold in the U.K. Toyota unveiled a prototype of that vehicle, the Auris HSD Concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show today. The Auris...
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Mazda unveiled its MX-5 Superlight concept roadster at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Though pictures were leaked ahead of the show, seeing the Superlight version of the MX-5 in person was still impressive. Created by Mazda’s European design team to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first MX-5, the Superlight version weights 2,194 lbs (995 kg),...
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Until now we weren’t overly impressed with Toyota’s idea for a plug-in Prius hybrid, along the lines of the Chevy Volt. There’s still a lot we don’t know (including, hopefully, a lower price point), but today at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Toyota announced that the Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept would be able to recharge fully...
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