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2013 Lexus ES Swaps Camry for Avalon Platform to Improve Global Appeal
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Unveiled at the New York Auto Show last week, the 2013 Lexus ES has an all-new look, along with the company’s new trademark grille. Underneath that new look, however, is something that’s even more unique, the platform from the upcoming Toyota Avalon. Previous Lexus ES models were based on Toyota’s Camry, and while the new…
Why Buy a Diesel Car? Get the Facts, Know Your Options
Price, looks and size… these are the few factors that used to decide what vehicle you’d park in your driveway. Looking for a cheap and small car? A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic will do. Need something bigger, perhaps a mid-size Hyundai Sonata or an SUV. Things used to be pretty easy. With increasingly high…
Average New Car Price Reaches All-Time High of $30,748
The average new vehicle sold in March in the United States reached an all-time high of $30,748, up from $28,771 a year earlier. Even though average car prices are going up, buyer preferences may also be shifting in a non-traditional direction towards smaller and cheaper cars. Sub-compact and compact car sales, for example, are growing…
New US Army Lab Complex Emphasizes Fuel Efficiency
The opening of the labs creates some 150 new job positions, in addition to the 1,500 souls already employed by TARDEC, which primarily consist of engineers, researchers and scientists.
Survey: Over 60 Percent of Hybrid Buyers Don’t Buy Another One
Despite the commitment of many automakers to go green, consumers do not share the sentiment. According to a Polk study released today, almost two-thirds of U.S. hybrid buyers do not return to the market for another hybrid. The only exception in the survey is from the best-selling Toyota Prius, receiving a repurchase rate of 41…
Acura RLX Video, First Look: 2012 NY Auto Show
A dramatic new styling direction for the brand it might not be, but the Acura RLX concept is a look at the hi-tech future flagship of the Acura brand. Looking much like a larger version of the new ILX small sedan, the RLX is in some ways a backwards version of the upcoming NSX supercar,…
Acura NSX Roadster Unveiled for Avengers Movie
Japanese automaker Acura has a huge involvement with the upcoming Avengers movie, which already looks to be a hit based on trailers and previews. We got a hint that Acura would be the official automotive partner for the movie when we spotted the Stark Industries Acura Super Car earlier this year. It appears that the super…
Chevy Volt Production Reinstated A Week Ahead Of Schedule
The Chevrolet Volt has had its fair share of teething problems. Soon after its birth, there were reports of some vehicles spontaneously combusting. This obviously had an effect on the cars reputation, and sales fell. To save money and rid themselves of backed up inventory, General Motors decided to halt production of the Volt at…
Infiniti LE Concept is French for Luxury Electric: 2012 NY Auto Show
It may have been rumored as a rebadged Nissan Leaf, but Infiniti’s new electric car concept is unique, luxurious and innovative. Unveiled today at the New York International Auto Show the Infiniti LE Concept is referred to as a “production intent” vehicle says Infiniti of the Americas Vice President Ben Poore, with plans to have…
2013 Lexus ES300h Has 200 HP and 39 MPG Combined: 2012 NY Auto Show
Lexus introduced its all-new ES300h hybrid with a fuel-efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine at the New York Auto Show today. Attaining a combined 39-mpg rating, Lexus boasts tech innovations in its 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine like low-friction components, a variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) technology and a 12.5:1 compression ratio, the in-line four-cylinder combines with Lexus Hybrid…
Acura RLX Replaces RL With 370 HP V6 Sport Hybrid SH-AWD: 2012 NY Auto Show
With its flagship RL never much of a rival to traditional luxury saloons and its once hi-tech SH-AWD system now more commonplace in the industry, it’s no surprise that the car was a certifiable failure. Unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, Acura has switched nomenclature to RLX for it’s big sedan, hoping to…
Fisker Atlantic Video, First Look: 2012 NY Auto Show
Originally code named Project Nina, Fisker Automotive unveiled its newest model on the eve of the 2012 NY Auto Show. Now called the Atlantic, it may be a concept car, but according to company co-founder Henrik Fisker it’s 90 of what the production car will be. Fisker didn’t provide a timeline on when it hopes…
GM to Extend Summer Shut Down at Volt Plant
As yet another sign that sales of the Chevy Volt continue to fail to live up to expectations, General Motors will extend the scheduled summer shut down at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where it’s built. The assembly facility was already preparing for a two week production pause as part of a regular Summer break, but…
BMW i8 Spyder Concept Revealed in Video
Over the weekend BMW unveiled their i8 Spyder Concept. Today we have an additional video, showing the drop-top concept in action. For those not in the know, the i8 is BMW’s most advanced car yet. It features a 170-hp electric motor which powers the front wheels. Powering the rear wheels is a 1.5 liter, three…
BMW i8 Spyder Concept Revealed Ahead of NY Auto Show Debut
The i8 plug-in hybrid is the product of BMW‘s best engineering and innovation in an effort to create the most advanced automobile to ever come from the Bavarian automaker. Motivated by a 170-hp electric motor driving the front wheels and a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine producing 223-hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear, the…
Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Powers Japanese House For Six Days
While many new plug-ins boast the convenience and simplicity of recharging the car battery from a household wall socket, how many vehicles can claim to provide the opposite? Honda has installed an inverter in the trunk of one special FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, providing output power that could supply up to 8 kilowatts of…
Toyota Increases Pricing on Select Models
Toyota Motor Sales has announced MSRP increases for select Toyota and Scion models with the price jumps ranging from $150 to $270 from its previous model year to its current one. The 2012 Toyota Prius v Hybrid gets a price increase of $150 for the Two, Three, and Five trim models. The Camry L and…
2012 Infiniti M35h Gets Fuel Economy Tweaks
Infiniti focused on improving the M35h’s fuel economy and CO2 emissions for its 2012 model year, considering the performance aspect of the M35h are fine. Tweaks were made to the electric motor accuracy and battery charging by the Japanese automaker, allowing the M35h to rely more heavily on electric power during a cold start. CO2 emissions…
Google Self-Driving Car Chauffeurs Legally Blind Man – Video
What’s the real benefit to autonomous cars? To be able to eat your Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch while it drives you to your destination of course. In all seriousness, Google’s self-driving car just did its biggest and best promotional video yet. The autonomous Toyota Prius shuttled around Steve Mahan, a legally blind man, through…
Fisker Battery Supplier A123 Systems Face Financial Obstacles
Start-ups are inherently risky and while many bright-eyed visionaries initially display great potential, up to fifty percent of new enterprises run out of money. Unfortunately, Waltham-based A123 Systems Inc. are at risk of becoming a statistic. Earlier this month, Consumer Reports reported that a brand-new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with less than 200…
Toyota, BMW Sign Lithium-Ion Battery Research Agreement
After announcing an initial green car partnership at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, BMW and Toyota have now signed a collaborative research agreement to develop the next-generation of lithium-ion battery cells. The plan by both automakers is to focus on improving the performance and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells, using new materials for cathodes, anodes…
Opel Ampera Wins 2012 Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally
When Opel/Vauxhall first announced that its Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would participate in the 13th International Monte Carlo Rally for alternative energy vehicles, it made a point to challenge the Tesla Roadster, which won the previous two years. Completing the racing stages from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monte Carlo from March 22 through 25, the Opel Ampera of Bernard…
Lexus LF-LC Could Be A Production Reality
Typically at any big auto show, car companies come up with concept cars to not only attract the attention of the press, but also to bring buying consumers onto their show stand. However, the only turns most concept cars ever see are on the turn-tables at auto shows, not the turns of a road. Some…
New Chevy Volt Ads Feature “Happiest Drivers on the Planet”
There’s no denying that Chevrolet Volt sales have been sluggish. GM has admitted as much with production halted currently until April 23rd. So the American automaker went back to the drawing board to come up with a new ad campaign for its Volt. Because no doubt, the ad created for the Super Bowl had less…
