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Tesla-Built Toyota Electric Prototypes Tipped to Be RAV4, Lexus RX
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In a followup to the story we brought you yesterday about Toyota‘s new electric vehicle prototypes that are being built by American electric sports car maker Tesla Motors, the actual vehicles in question are reported to be the RAV4 crossover and Lexus RX luxury crossover. The reason for the use of crossovers is believed to…
BMW And MINI Get New Special Editions For The Japanese Market
The original Mini was an immensely popular car in Japan, and the new one seems to be doing well in its position as a “premium” compact car. To help generate excitement after 4 years of the same body style, MINI is launching the Saville Row edition, which, ironically, is only available in Japan. Sporting a…
Nissan Juke A Runaway Success In Japan
The Nissan Juke is such a polarizing car that any predictions regarding sales numbers in North America are almost pointless – it really is a “love it or hate it” vehicle and trying to pin down consumers taste is almost a futile exercise. Nissan must have faith in their diminutive crossover’s ability to sell here,…
Chrysler PT Cruiser Finally Dies, World Rejoices
For such a poorly built and engineered car, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was well regarded by many. Consumers loved its retro styling (well, for a little bit at least), Car and Driver named it to its 10 Best List and it won North American Car of the Year. Despite the accolades, it wasn’t much fun…
Refreshed 2011 Lincoln MKX Boasts Class Leading Fuel Economy
Lincoln is about to launch their new refreshed MKX crossover, and the most significant changes come with regards to gas mileage. Fuel economy is a class leading 19mpg city/26mpg highway, despite having a 3.7L 305 horsepower V6 under the hood. Of course, most consumers will notice the new corporate schnozz, which is much more striking…
Alfa Romeo Plans Two New Compact SUVs
Alfa Romeo is looking to emulate Porsche, another sporty brand, and produce two new SUVs designed to go head to head with Audi’s Q5 and upcoming Q3 crossover vehicles. Autocar suggests that the smallest one will be based on the highly acclaimed Giulietta compact hatchback(pictured above), and will likely use Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system. It…
BMW’s Carbon Fiber X5 Prototype Sheds 440 Pounds
One element of automotive design that most folks fail to appreciate is the lead times required to build a new vehicle. It’s not uncommon for car makers to start developing the next generation of a model immediately after they launch an all-new car. With something as radically new as carbon fiber structural components, the lead…
Chevrolet Transcends Abject Poverty, Ethnic Cleansing, To Capture 98.6% Of Uzbekistani Auto Market
In one of the most bizarre stories we’ve ever seen at Autoguide, GM’s Chevrolet division revealed during a financial briefing that their share of the passenger car market is 98.6 percent in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan. You might recall that ex-Soviet strongmen were often famous for getting consistently re-elected with 99.9% of the…
2011 Subaru Forester Gets New Base Engine, Improved Fuel Economy
Subaru has just announced updates for the 2011 Forester, including a new base engine that adds more usable power and improved fuel economy. The new 2.5-liter boxer engine in the 2.5X model retains the same 170-hp, but gains 4 ft-lbs of torque for a total of 174 ft-lbs. We agree that the increase is a…
GM Plans To Launch 70 Updated Cars And Trucks By 2014
At a recent meeting regarding their proposed IPO, General Motors outlined their new product plans through the year 2014. According to GM’s plans,70 updates vehicles will be launched by 2012, but most of the vehicles will be for global export markets rather than North America. While Opel and Vauxhall were confirmed to get 14 new…
2010 Subaru Outback And Legacy Recalled For Defective Steering Component
Subaru is recalling 70,000 2010 Legacy and Outback models due to a defective steering column electrical roll connector. A broken wire within this component can cause the airbags, paddle shifters, horn or steering wheel audio controls to malfunction. A Subaru spokesperson told Inside Line that the recall resulted in no injuries and the fix takes…
Report: Geely Plans To Sell 150,000 Volvos In China By 2015
China’s Geely is planning on moving 150,000 Volvos in China by 2015, a prediction that could very well come true in the world’s largest car market. According to reports, Geely will manufacture the Volvo XC60 and S60 in China by 2011, while discontinuing production the S40 compact sedan at its Chinese factories. Geely will establish…
Avatar,Beware! Opel Meriva Gets 3D Advertisement (Video Inside)
3D Technology is the latest gimmick designed to keep us entertained and we have to admit, it can be pretty damn cool, and leaves us wondering how glorious it would be to watch an auto race in three-dimensions, with all of the benefit of being trackside but without the excessive noise, hot weather and overpriced…
Acura ZDX Loses Facebook Fans On Its Page, Only Car To Do So In June
In the automotive schoolyard, the Acura ZDX would be the kid who invites everyone to their birthday party, only to have nobody show up. The much maligned crossover was the only vehicle to actually lose Facebook fans, according to data supplied by Chris Baccus, a marketing professional who operates The Auto Marketing Blog. From a…
Consumers Reports Released List Of 10 Best Cars For Teen Drivers
Just like the title says, the venerable magazine Consumers Reports has released its list of cars suitable for teen drivers, and absolutely none of them will make the budding enthusiast glow with delight. Of course, Consumers Reports is primarly concerned with safety when it comes to cars for first time drivers, so their choices are…
Mercedes Reportedly Planning BMW X6-Styled GLC Crossover
It seems as though BMW’s X6 has developed a following in certain parts of the world and may just have created a whole new segment after all. Already we’ve seen Acura jump into the mix, with the ZDX. Now, it appears as though Mercedes will follow with a new model, that Auto Zeitung reports, will…
Chinese Vehicle Taxes Means 2011 Porsche Cayenne V6 Gets More Power
Nobody likes taxes, but just like a fat refund check, Chinese taxes on displacement mean that the 2011 Porsche Cayenne V6 will ditch the 3.6L V6 that is available in other world markets, and instead get the 3.0L Supercharged V6 available on the Cayenne Hybrid and the Audi S4. China taxes vehicles with a displacement…
Ford Shows 2012 Explorer’s Curve Control, Styling Remains A Mystery
Ford‘s new Curve Control system is arguably a bigger competitive advantage for the 2012 Explorer than the crossover’s new sheet metal, but for some reason, the Blue Oval was happy to demonstrate their new technology while covering the exterior of the car in black material. Essentially, Curve Control is an extra layer of protection on…
Nissan Launches Juke Microsite For Canadian Buyers
Nearly a year after Nissan Canada launched a successful social media campaign for their Cube subcompact, the company is getting ready to launch their Juke compact SUV with an innovative microsite. The microsite features an interactive, 360 degree view of the Juke, as well as product information relating to styling, technology, performance and “adaptability”. In addition, technical specifications,…
Aston Martin DB9 Given Facelift
Although it’s billed as the Aston Martin DB9s “most significant programme of upgrades since its world debut in 2003” (Aston Martin’s words, not ours), the DB9 facelift will probably be indistinguishable to everybody but those gearheads who still reside in the basement of their parents house (and there are many). A new front end treatment,…
Saab 9-4X Spy Shots Reveal Near-Production Model
Saab is about ready to launch its second model since leaving General Motors, the 9-4X, and new spy photos of the crossover doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Caught by the folks at AutoExpress, the 9-4X looks much as we suspected. When it does launch, presumably at the Paris Auto Show this Fall, it will…
Tesla Unveils Plans for Cabriolet, Crossover and Van in IPO Presentation
American electric car maker Tesla is about ready to launch its IPO and go from a small niche market automaker to possibly a large international electric vehicle powerhouse. But in order to make hat next big step CEO Elon Musk needs money, and lots of it. So before he opens up his company to the…
Nissan Juke Selling Well In Japan
Nissan‘s oddball Juke crossover is beating sales projecting in Japan by 300%, moving 1300 units in its first week. The turbocharged Juke is certainly unique looking, and its compact proportions and relatively low price should help make it an attractive proposition in a land where novelty and quirkiness are highly sought after traits in an…
MINI Countryman to Compete in WRC in 2012?
MINI is set to join the World Rally Championship in 2012, competing with the new Countryman crossover. Rumors to this extent swirled just ahead of the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year where the Countryman was unveiled, but nothing ever came of it. The MINI fans at MotoringFile say the project is still in the…






