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Mazda Shinari Shows Brand’s New Design Direction
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Mazda has just unveiled its new Shinari four-door sports coupe in Milan, Italy. The vehicle will set the design tone for all future Mazda models. Recently Mazda announced it would move away from the Nagare design language that has inspired its recent smiley-face models. This new design language will be called Kodo – a Japanese…
Nissan Xterra Living on Borrowed Time
The Nissan Xterra may not have long to live hints Nissan product boss Larry Dominique. In a recent interview with Ward’s, Dominique commented that Xterra segment is, “falling apart.” According to Ward’s internal data, the mid-size SUV category in which the Xterra fits totaled just 211,042 vehicles last year, compared to an all-time high of…
Volkswagen Reconfirms Amarok Not Planned for North America
Despite reports to the contrary, Volkswagen continues to insist that the Amarok pickup truck will not see duty in the U.S. In a recent interview with Gilberto dos Santos, VW Brasil’s PR boss, InsideLine states that there is no plan to bring the German pickup to North America. “Volkswagen is not planning currently to market…
Next Mazdaspeed3 Could go Diesel
Mazda officials are considering using a diesel powerplant for the next-generation Mazdaspeed3 hot hatch. According to Car & Driver, Mazda USA product boss Robert Davis made the comments at a decent technology seminar hosted by the Japanese automaker. Davis did say that were the company to go this route “performance wouldn’t be degraded. That’s somewhat…
Mazda Planning New Multi-Purpose Platform to Underpin Most Future Models
Mazda is planning for its future with a new multi-purpose platform that’s being designed to underpin the majority of vehicles in its lineup. According to a report by AutoCar, the new spaceframe will be adaptable in order to accommodate new versions of anything from the Mazda3 to Mazda6 to CX-7. There are even suggestions it…
Ford Windstar Recalled for Rear Axles That Can Snap; 575,000 Vehicles Affected
Ford has officially announced a recall for the Windstar minivan after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation confirmed the rear axles on the cars can snap. The recall affects 1998 to 2003 model year models (a total of 575,000) in 21 cold-weather U.S. states and all of Canada. The issue is specific to…
Ferrari 458 Italia Reportedly Recalled Due to Fire Risk
Ferrari won’t confirm as much, but it’s believed the Italian automaker has recalled its new 458 Italia model after as many as four vehicles were damaged (or altogether destroyed) after spontaneously combusting like a Spinal Tap drummer. The vehicles created headlines (at least in automotive circles), with many blaming engineering while others blamed the drivers….
Toyota Recalls 1.1 Million Corolla, Matrix Models; GM Recalls 200,000 Vibes
Clear of any bad PR for at least a few weeks, Toyota has been hit by yet another safety issue with its cars, announcing a recall of 1.1 million Corolla and Matrix models. The recall involves the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine in the cars and as such also affects 200,000 Pontiac Vibes. Models affected include the…
Lotus Evora S Makes 345-Horsepower; Evora IPS Gets Automatic with Paddle Shifters
Lotus has just officially confirmed the Evora S and IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) automatic transmission models, both of which are set to debut at the Paris Auto Show in just a few weeks time. Most exciting is the Evora S with a 350-ps (345-hp) V6 engine. Details are scarce, but it would seem from the…
BMW Planning 1 Series GT, Countryman Variant and MINI-Van
BMW will take full advantage of investments in its MINI sub-brand, developing additional models based on those products that will be branded and sold as BMWs. According to a report by Automobile Magazine, the list includes a BMW version of the MINI Clubman and Countryman, as well as both a BMW and a MINI van….
ZR Auto Twin-Turbo Ferrari Enzo to Race CF-18 Fighter Jet at “Race the Base” Fundraiser
Later this week, a many as 100 high-powered exotics will partake in the first ever “Race the Base” charity fundraiser at the Canadian Forces base in Cold Lake, Alberta, culminating in a shootout between a CF-18 fighter jet an an 860-hp twin-turbo Ferrari Enzo. The event is a collaboration between Calgary, AB exotic car sales…
2012 Mercedes CLS Gets Video Reveal
Set to debut at the Paris Auto Show in a month’s time, Mercedes-Benz has just released a short video clip of the 2012 CLS, after officially revealing the new design just last week. The CLS not only changed the automotive landscape with it’s coupe-styled sedan form and just four seats, it changed Mercedes. The popularity…
Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Set to Debut Next Week
Ford will build a Police Interceptor version of the new 2011 Explorer with the vehicle set to debut next week. LeftLaneNews has confirmed the crossover model will join the Taurus Police Interceptor in Ford’s lineup of offerings to law enforcement agencies across America. No details are yet available, but rumors suggest the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine…
Ferrari Announces Investigation into 458 Italia Fires
Owners of Ferrari‘s new 458 Italia are taking delivery of their coveted exotics and it seems that more than just a few of those owners are quickly learning to do without. Several incidents of 458 fires have made headlines over the past month, compounded by the usual group of excited owners wrecking their cars. The…
High-Performance Ford Focus Concept to Debut at Paris Auto Show
Ford will debut a concept version of a high-performance Focus model at the upcoming Paris Auto Show. Calling it an “exciting performance model” it will be a concept and not a production version, but it’s likely to be quite close to reality with Ford already announcing plans to deliver a “global performance model” of the…
Range Rover Evoque to Get Ford EcoBoost Engine
Despite Ford’s sale of Land Rover to Tata over a year ago, there appears to be a strong continuing partnership between the two automakers with the latest reports indicating the Range Rover Evoque crossover will get the American automaker’s EcoBoost technology. The light-weight Range Rover is believed to get a version of the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder…
Ken Block Gymkhana 3, Part 1 is Amazing – ly Disappointing
The marketing forces that control Ken Block’s driving career have taken the legendary Gymkhana video series that he stars in to a whole new level. The problem is, that new level isn’t in the direction we’d hoped. The genius of the Gymkhana videos is that they marketed Block’s sponsors like DC Shoes and Monster Energy…
BMW M3 GTS Officially the Fastest Production Bimmer Ever, But Not by Much
German automotive publication Sport Auto has finally gotten their hands on a new BMW M3 GTS, taking it to the Nürburgring to see how it stacks up as a serious sports car. For those not familiar with Sport Auto, they take almost every car to the Ring, where former race car driver turned magazine editor…
305-HP 2011 Ford Edge Sport Actually Slower Than 280-hp SEL Model
Thanks to some good old fashioned vehicle performance testing, the folks at Motor Trend have discovered the disappointing reality of the Mustang V6-powered 2011 Ford Edge. Billed as the top performer in the Edge lineup (refreshed for 2011 with new engines), the actual performance stats paint a different picture. At first glance the numbers seem…
Honda Canada Denies Insight, Civic Hybrid Getting Axed – For Now
In response to rumors that Honda‘s Canadian division would axe the low-selling Insight and Civic Hybrid, Honda Canada has issued a statement confirming plans to continue sales of the two models… for now. We contacted Honda Canada and received a message from PR boss Richard Jacobs confirming the models for the future, but the “official…
2012 Nissan GT-R Details, Pictures Leaked
Several photos and a smattering of details about the 2012 Nissan GT-R have leaked online, with the latest selection of details about the mild updates to the 2012 model coming to us via GT-RBlog. Most noticeable on the 2012 GT-R is a modified front bumper with integrated LED daytime running lights. In total, the sleeker…
Honda Canada Rumored to Drop Insight, Civic Hybrid
Honda may drop both the Civic Hybrid and the Insight from its lineup in Canada. According to a recent report by Monvolant, the two hybrids will be eliminated from the product plan – likely in response to dismally poor sales. This would then leave the new CR-Z as the only hybrid in Honda Canada’s lineup….
BMW X3 xDrive35is, X3 M Under Consideration
BMW is currently considering bringing to market two higher-performance versions of the X3 crossover, if the newly released second-generation model is successful. News comes via BMW insider SCOTT26 posting on yet another BMW forum. Currently the most powerful X3 in BMW’s lineup is the rather potent x3 xDrive35i, using the single-turbo inline-six motor to make…
Pagani C9 to Use AMG Twin-Turbo V12
Pagani’s successor to the Zonda, code named the C9, will continue to rely on AMG for motivation, but in a new twin-turbo format. According to a new report by AutoCar, the Zonda successor will rely on the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine currently used in Mercedes models like the SL600 and SL65, making around 690-hp and…
