The month of April marked an important milestone for both Honda Motor Co. and hybrid cars. Last month the new Insight achieved the status of being Japan’s most popular vehicle with more units sold than any other model – marking the first time a hybrid has ever been the monthly sales leader. In April, 10,481...
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A day after GM posted yet another staggering quarterly loss, Toyota has released that it expects to lose $8.6 billion during this fiscal year. The loss was mostly driven by Toyota’s Q4 results, which just came in at negative $6.9 billion. This is the first annual operating loss Toyota has ever posted and even more...
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With the entry-level premium marketing continuing to grow in Europe, Lexus is planning to get in on the action by bringing a vehicle to market that will complete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. The new vehicle will slot in under the IS250 and will be a hybrid. This may sound a lot...
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Suzuki WRC fans have something to cheer about for the first time in four months. Yes, it’s been that long since the Japanese automaker announced it would with draw from the World Rally Championship, but now it seems they may already be planning a return. RallyBuzz is reporting that Urmo Aava, who raced five seasons...
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As promised, Subaru debuted its 2010 Legacy model at the New York Auto Show and there’s a lot to talk about. The car is based on an entirely new platform that has a 3.2-inch longer wheelbase than the previous model for a total of 108.3-inches. Height and width are also up by 3.2-inches and 3.6-inches...
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With news of the new Subaru Legacy already out, it was a safe assumption that it would be the focal-point of the company’s press conference at the New York Auto Show. The company did unveil that model, but also had a Subaru surprise in store, in the form of the 2010 Outback. The new Outback...
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It’s now official, the 2010 MazdaSpeed3 has made it to U.S. shores. On display at the New York Auto Show the new model isn’t drastically different than the old one, it even keeps the same 2.3-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine. Power is rated at 263 and 280 ft-lbs of torque. This is enough for a 0-62 mph run...
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Ahead of the New York International Auto Show, Nissan dropped the cover (and the top) on the roadster version of its new 370Z. Normally convertible versions of coupes aren’t all the different from their hard-top cousins, and while that is mostly true here we have to hand it to Nissan on the design of the...
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Nissan just couldn’t wait for the New York Auto Show doors to open to unveil its high-performance NISMO version of the 370Z, choosing to give select media a sneak peak the night before at a private event in the Big Apple. Enthusiasts are sure to love the NISMO car as it’s more than just a...
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Suzuki doesn’t have a new vehicle for the New York Auto Show, but it’s resurrecting some SEMA Show cars that are so old old we had forgotten all about them and thought the company’s press release was about some new tricked out versions of the SX4. But how can you forget a name like Zuk?...
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Suzuki is getting the word out that it plans to launch a mid-sized sedan by the end of this year. The new vehicle is aimed at the ultra-competitive family sedan segment, which includes the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu. Suzuki recently released one teaser image of the car as it tacked...
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The next generation Mitsubisi Outlander is due out soon and you can be sure it will look a lot like the Outlander GT Prototype that the Japanese automaker will debut at the New York Auto Show next week. Mitsubishi has just released three teaser images of the crossover concept and while it doesn’t give the...
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Toyota is taking Honda’s Insight threat seriously… very seriously. In fact, the world’s largest automaker will price the new (third-generation) Prius directly in competition with the Honda’s Insight in the Japanese market. Set to go on sale on May 18th, the new Prius will cost just $20,750 (2.05 million yen). The number isn’t official from...
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Several months ago we reported that Acura has achieved an historic first by earning a perfect rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for every vehicle in its lineup. Now Acura has claimed another manufacturer first after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the new Acura TL a perfect 5 star...
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We’re sorry to report that Infiniti’s breathtakingly beautiful Essence Concept will not see production, this according to a company spokesman. The Essence Concept was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and took everyone by surprise as rumors had circled that the vehicle was to be yet another crossover. With a true grand touring look...
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Those who were mildly disappointed by the specs of the GT-R SpecV can rest assured that Nissan isn’t finished tweaking its supercar yet. There’s nothing wrong with the SpecV. In fact, everything about the car is pretty much right. It has lighter wheels for better steering, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes for better stopping, an overboost...
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Those clever folks over at Acura sure must be having a good laugh right about now. The company has just announced that it will debut a “luxury four-door sport coupe” called the ZDX at the New York Auto Show. “The ZDX prototype is unlike anything you have ever seen before from Acura,” said Jeff Conrad,...
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Mazda recently unveiled a diesel version of its CX-7 SUV at the Geneva Auto Show and the company has announced it is looking to expand its diesel offerings with new smaller engines aimed at hybrid competitors. Mazda’s head of research and development has announced that the automaker will tread a different path than its Japanese...
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Toyota has just announced that it is currently developing a hybrid version of the sub-compact Yaris (known at the Vitz in Japan) to take on Honda in the increasingly diminutive hybrid war. Honda’s launch of the Insight Hybrid was the catalyst in this hybrid war, undercutting the Prius in both size and cost. Honda recently...
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With everyone pulling out of the upcoming Tokyo Auto Show, Toyota has chosen wisely to ensure all eyes are on its Lexus luxury brand when it drops the curtain on a production model of the breathtakingly beautiful LA-F supercar… finally! First teased at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit alongside the IS-F...
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The fourth generation Mazda Miata, due out in 2012 is going to be more in line with the original Miata, with a smaller engine and lower curb weight. There is also a strong possibility that Mazda will bring back the soft-top (as well as offer a hard-top) – a move that would easily save a...
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After watching from the shadows for years as Toyota dominated the hybrid market, Nissan is finally preparing to launch it’s own ground-up hybrid vehicle; except it won’t be a Nissan, it will be an Infiniti. According to a report in Japan’s Nikkei, which cites no sources, the hybrid will be based on Infiniti’s mid-level luxury...
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