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One-Off Audi A1 Samurai Blue Celebrates Japan’s Soccer Teams: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
A unique Audi A1 got shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show today, garnering not only the attention of the media but also that of the locals. At first glance the Samurai Blue Audi A1 just looks like a car that can’t make up its mind as to what color it wants to be, but…
Mitsubishi Mirage Looks Like 3-Cylinders of Mediocrity: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Mitsubishi has officially unveiled its new global small car, which is expected to help expand the brand’s lineup in North America. Bringing back the Mirage badge this sub-compact offering is just 146-inches in length, or roughly a foot shorter than the Honda Fit. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, the display car features a 1.0-liter…
Toyota Prius c Revealed with Over 50 MPG Rating: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Unveiled as the Aqua at the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota will soon offer this small hybrid in North America as the fourth member of the Prius family of vehicles. Billed as the Prius c for the U.S. this Yaris-based machine is powered by a 1.5-liter Hybrid Synergy Drive engine which Toyota claims will achieve as…
Honda Electric SH-AWD to be Paired with Hybrid V6, 7-Speed Dual Clutch
Known for its technology innovations, Honda’s R&D efforts have been somewhat lackluster as of late. The Japanese automaker appears to have turned a corner, however, announcing a long list of new engines and technologies. Easily the most revolutionary is an electric SH-AWD system that will be paired with a new V6 hybrid powertrain and 7-speed…
2012 Tata Nano’s Insane New Commercial [Video]
The world’s least expensive car, the Tata Nano’s original purpose in design was to be a modern Ford Model-T, mobilizing millions of families in India. Despite the Nano’s noble intentions, only 1,200 examples were sold in the month of September when initial projections expected a rather optimistic 20,000 vehicles per month. A new approach may…
Chevrolet Cruze Plug-In To Debut As Early 2014
While Chevrolet is readying a diesel version of their Cruze compact in 2013, an interesting tidbit of information leaked out regarding another gas-saving variant of the Cruze – a plug-in hybrid model. Australia’s GoAuto reports that the Cruze will be a traditional plug-in hybrid, where the engine and hybrid system work in tandem, rather than…
Volkswagen Golf MKVII Spied
Volkswagen is out testing the 7th generation Golf, as seen here in spy shots, and the new car looks like it will retain much of the current car’s styling, but get a lower, wider and more aggressive profile. For North America, expect the 2.0TDI diesel to carry over, but the base 2.5L 5-cylinder is out, to be…
Latin Americas Best Selling Cars Are Unsafe
In recent years, the number of cars in Latin America homes has grown exponentially. To take advantage of this growing market, car companies are offering cheap models to attract more customers into their showrooms. Some of Latin America’s best selling cars pose high risks of life-threatening injuries and are considered to be two decades behind…
Audi A1 Sportback Offers Five Doors Of Fun: Tokyo Motor Show Preview
Even though this generation’s Audi A1 won’t be making it to North America, Audi has admitted that they’re considering launching the next-generation to us Americans. Nonetheless we have another variation to maybe look forward to, a five-door Sportback version of the Audi A1. Priced at a little under $23,000 based on today’s conversion rates, the…
Veloster an Early Success Says Hyundai
Hyundai hyped its Veloster and the automotive media had high hopes for the innovative odd four-door hatchback, but when the reviews came out, the praise was missing. Good? Yes. But great? Hardly. Still, Hyundai is calling the Veloster an early success, capturing the highest percentage of the “compact sporty car” market in its first full…
Fiat 500 Facing Supply Overflow, 20 Percent Of Dealers Unable To Sell Product
Fiat could blame American consumer sentiment. They could also blame J.Lo’s advertising debacle. Or perhaps, the fault lies with the car. Whatever the case may be, sales numbers for the 2012 Fiat 500 are disappointing. According to Automotive News, Fiat’s re-introduction into the United States reports will fall significantly short of its 50,000 unit sales…
Lease A VW up! In Germany For Only 95 Euros – Just Add Fuel.
The Volkswagen up! is now offering an incredible promo exclusively in Germany. According to Auto Express, a new VW up!, carrying a 10,000 Euro MSRP, can be leased for a mere 95 Euros a month. There are no strings attached either. There is no initial deposit necessary. Nor are there additional road tax, servicing, roadside…
VW To Increase Dealerships In U.S.A. To Sell More Cars
German auto giant Volkswagen is already Europe’s largest auto manufacturer, but it won’t rest until it becomes the worlds largest producer of cars. To achieve its goals, it needs to do very well in America, a market where it hasn’t made a profit since 2003, despite moving 256,830 units in 2010. VW wants to sell…
Laura Soave Out, Timothy Kuniskis In At Fiat North America
Rumors have been swirling for quite some time now that Laura Soave, arguably the person responsible for bringing Fiat back into the U.S. market, would be replaced as the head of the Fiat brand in North America. Well the news is official now, with a press release being sent out moments ago confirming Soave’s exit…
Subaru Crosstrek Announced as Brand’s New Entry Level Crossover
Subaru has confirmed that a successor to the Impreza Outback Sport will arrive next year, wearing the “Crosstrek” badge. Based on the XV model sold in other markets it is in most respects a high-riding version of the Impreza hatchback. The announcement was made by Subaru of America Executive Vice President Tom Doll at…
VW Refuses to Let Go of Suzuki Shares
The soap opera between Suzuki and Volkswagen has been ongoing for almost a year and now the Japanese automaker is looking to back out. Suzuki wants to buy back all the 19.9% of its shares that VW currently owns and that if the German automaker does not comply, Suzuki will seek mediation. According to a…
Ford Focus ST, Fiesta ST Video – First Look: 2011 LA Auto Show
If you’re a lover of hot-hatches then there’s a lot going on at Ford these days that will interest you. For starters there’s the new Focus ST, a high-performance version of the new compact hatch that’s set to take on cars like the Mazdaspeed3 and Civic Si. It makes 247-hp from a turbocharged direct-injection EcoBoost…
2013 Chevrolet Spark Video – First Look: 2011 LA Auto Show
Smaller than the Cruze. Smaller than the Sonic. The Spark is Chevy‘s new urban mini-car, designed for sale globally, the bowtie brand has now officially unveiled the Spark for the U.S. market, here at the LA Auto Show. Powered by a 1.2-liter 4-cylinder it makes just 85-hp and will compete against cars like the Smart…
Fiat 500 Abarth Video – First Look: 2011 LA Auto Show
The Fiat 500 was just an appetizer. This is the car Fiat fans have really been waiting for, the 500 Abarth. Built by the automaker’s in-house tuning division, the Abarth model gets a long list of upgrades, from a lower and stiffer suspension, to upgraded wheels and, most importantly, a turbocharged mated to the 1.4-liter…
2012 Chevrolet Volt To Qualify For California HOV Lanes
The Chevrolet Volt will be able to qualify for California’s High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in 2012, after General Motors announced the availability of a Low Emissions Package for their hybird-electric car. With traffic congestion in California a major annoyance for motorists, the ability to use the HOV lane – via one of the state’s 40,000…
Fiat 500 Abarth Ad is Much, Much Sexier than J-Lo [Video]
Fiat‘s ad spot featuring Jennifer Lopez might have been excellently targeted at the Italian automaker’s prospective female clientele, but it was jeered by the brand’s traditional male buyers – the ones who carried on the brand in America for decades, waiting for its return. Debuting the new Fiat 500 Abarth performance model at the LA…
Fiat 500 Abarth “Arouses without the need for a prescription”: 2011 LA Auto Show
Did he just say that? Yes, Fiat Brand boss Oliver Francois commented that the new Fiat 500 Abarth “arouses without the need for a prescription”. Spoken with a thick French accent at the vehicle’s launch today at the LA Auto Show, it sounds much more eloquent than “Viagra on wheels.” Powered by a 160-hp turbocharged…
2013 Honda Fit EV Gets 123 Mile Range: 2011 LA Auto Show
The Honda Fit EV just made its World Debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show and we want to take this opportunity to tell Nissan that it needs to watch its mirrors. Promising a range close to the Leaf Leaf (123 miles vs 138 for the Leaf), and a price of just $36,625, the new…
Volkswagen Beetle R Concept: 2011 LA Auto Show
Looking a bit like a junior DTM car, Volkswagen today showed off the “Concept” Volkswagen Beetle R, the same car that made its world debut a few months ago in Frankfurt – and it looks just as production ready today as it did then. While the German firm was a bit tight-lipped about the details, they did say…
