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BMW ActiveHybrid 5 to Bow at Toyko Motor Show
BMW will officially introduce the new ActiveHybrid 5 at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, which will open its doors to the press on November 30th. Confirmed details on BMW’s latest luxury sedan is a turbo-charged inline-six combined with a 40kW electric motor. During slow speeds, the BMW is capable of pure electric propulsion. Along with…
Chevrolet Volt Fire May Lead To New Safety Standards
A fire involving a Chevrolet Volt that had undergone government crash testing has led to authorities investigating the possibility of requiring emergency responders to drain the batteries of electric and hybrid vehicles following a collision. A Volt that underwent a 20 mph side-impact crash test caught on fire several weeks later, causing the Volt as…
BMW to Bring Diesels to Japan with X5 xDrive35d: Tokyo Motor Show Preview
For European automakers, diesels may rule the road back at home, but they’ve had a challenge convincing North American consumers to adopt the gasoline alternative. And if that’s considered an uphill battle, selling diesel cars in Japan, the land of the hybrid, is a virtual Mount Everest. To date, BMW has never offered a diesel…
Chevy Volt Not the Cause of Garage Fire Says Fire Marshall
In the case of a fire in the garage of a North Carolina home where a Chevrolet Volt was being charged at the time, the Volt has been proven – not guilty. When news first came out regarding this incident, many believed the culprit behind this fire could be the Volt, but Iredell County chief…
Daihatsu Previews Fun, Eco-Friendly Concepts Ahead of Tokyo Motor Show
Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu has announced its plans of bringing 12 vehicles to this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. Four will be concept cars, three of which we can reveal already. Daihatsu’s slogan for this year’s show will be “Big Answer from Small”, which clearly emphasizes technological innovations in a compact car. The first of the three…
Honda CR-Z “Type-R” Confirmed
Honda is moving ahead with plans to deliver a higher performance version of the CR-Z. In fact, according to a report by Temple of Vtec, CR-Z project leader Norio Tomobe-san has confirmed the car is already in development. The first rumors of a CR-Z “Type R” came from Honda itself, with the release of the…
Lexus HS250h Axed Over Poor Sales
Lexus was one of the first premier automakers to introduce a series of hybrids in its line-up. In 2009, Lexus launched its first dedicated hybrid model, the HS 250h. However, due to a failure to meet market expectations, Lexus has reportedly decided to end its run. Although a time frame has yet to be officially…
Chevrolet Volt Fires Investigated, Batteries Blamed
A Chevrolet Volt that went through crash-testing at a NHTSA facility in Wisconsin caught on fire three weeks after the test, prompting action from U.S. regulators. While the investigation hasn’t been made public, sources told Bloomberg that the fire was severe enough to damage surrounding vehicles. An incident also occurred at a private home in North Carolina,…
Honda Electric Sports Car, AC-X Plug-in Hybrid Concepts Revealed: Tokyo Motor Show Preview
Honda has revealed an extensive list of debuts for this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, with the main attraction being an electric sports car concept. Called the “Small Sports EV Concept” Honda promises it will be “fun to drive with excellent environmental performance”. Apart from that teaser, little else has been divulged. Two other concept cars…
Suzuki Previews Three City Car Concepts Ahead of Tokyo Motor Show
While Suzuki cars might not be very popular in North America, in its home market of Japan, they are a very big deal indeed. So to serve their home market, Suzuki is bringing a trio of concept cars for the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. These are the Regina, Q Concept and the Swift EV Hybrid….
This is What a Wrecked Chevy Volt Looks Like
Would you trust new technology with your life? One Chevy Volt owner did, and walked away from a rather serious smash-up mostly unharmed. A forum user on GM-Volt.com posted pictures recently of his totaled Volt on the New Jersey Turnpike. The car (number 187) became a martyr after a nasty highway collision. “Except for some…
Mitsubishi Reveals Near-Production Plug-in Hybrid Crossover: Tokyo Motor Show Preview
Later this month Mitsubishi will officially unveil its PX-MiEV II concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The second version of plug-in hybrid crossover, it’s one that points directly towards a production model in the near future. Using a plug-in hybrid system with a lithium-ion battery pack and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, the unique hybrid system…
GM Letting Dealers Sell all 2,300 Volt Demo Models
General Motors has probably put more effort in the Chevrolet Volt project than in any other car they have produced in recent times, and they are adamant about turning it into a success. The goal is simple, to sell 10,000 Volts this year alone. Till the end of October, GM has sold just 5,003 Volts,…
Toyota Le Mans Driver Lineup Includes Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima
Toyota has announced its three-man tea of pro racers, who will pilot the brand’s hybrid LMP1 car in the 2012 Le Mans and other races. The list includes former F1 driver and winner of the 2009 24 Hours of Le mans (under Peugeot) Alex Wurz, Team Oreca pilot and last year’s 12 Hours of Sebring…
Toyota Promises Fuel-Cell Vehicles on Sale by 2015
Japanese car firm Toyota is already a world leader in hybrid technology. Now it seems, Toyota wants to have a similar strangle hold of the fuel-cell market. According to vice-president of product planning and marketing for Toyota Europe, Alain Uyttenhoven, Toyota is planning on selling a few thousand fuel-cell vehicles starting in 2015. Sales are…
Widebody Honda Insight Spotted: 2011 SEMA Show
While perusing through the Central Hall of this year’s massive SEMA Show, we came across this little gem tucked away in AirREX’s booth. There was a bit of information that was lost in translation, but AirREX is an air suspension manufacturer out of Taiwan and decided to use a Honda Insight to show off their…
Honda CR-Z Supercharged Engine Concept Hints at Production Car: 2011 SEMA Show
Honda may in fact be closer to offering a supercharged CR-Z than expected. Tucked away in a corner of the Japanese automaker’s booth at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas is what Honda is calling the HPD CR-Z Supercharged Engine Concept. This engine follows after the debut of the CR-Z Hybrid R Concept at last…
Kia Optima Hybrid USTCC Pace Car Revealed: 2011 SEMA Show
After taking the championship in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge street tuner challenge this year, Kia is announcing further commitments to the world of motorsports. In addition to the 2012 Rio B-Spec racer, built by Kia Racing and Kinetic Motorsports, Kia has unveiled an Optima Hybrid pace car for the United States Touring…
AJAC Car Of The Year Finalists Announced
Our friends to the north have been keeping busy by choosing their pick for the car and truck of the year, before snow takes over. So over the last week, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) had assembled in the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to see which cars are the best in their category. The winners…
Meguiar’s To Debut Custom Lexus CT 200h At SEMA 2011
Meguiar’s will be heading to SEMA this year with this custom two-tone Lexus CT 200h. While it’s not exactly the crazy project one would expect from a SEMA display car, the 2012 CT 200h serves a purpose as a proper marketing tool for Meguiar’s. The yellow and black two-tone scheme is inspired by Meguiar’s Ultimate…
Toyota Partners with ORECA for Hybrid Le Mans Race Program
In the world of motorsports, it’s nearly impossible for a new team to come out of the box and be competitive. So what is a novice group that is looking for success to do? Simple, partner with one of the most successful teams in the sport. That is exactly what Toyota is doing by partnering…
Audi R4 Reportedly Back in Product Plan, Gas and Hybrid Versions Coming
As for chassis construction, there are rumors that the car could use a scaled down version of the R8’s aluminum space frame, though sharing a platform with VW and Porsche’s possible up and coming mid-engined small cars seems more likely.
Lexus Previews Extensive 2011 SEMA Show Lineup
Lexus will be bringing a fine collection of vehicles to this year’s SEMA Show, and AutoGuide has compiled a guide to all the ones we’re expecting to see. In addition to the previously mentioned GS 350 F-Sport, Lexus will also be showing off a custom GS F Sport and CT 200h by Five Axis, a…
Buick Envision Concept Headed to Production
While currently operating brands Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Wuling in China, the very first China division GM crossover, the Buick Envision, will come to market next year, according to a report from the Beijing Times Newspaper. Shanghai GM first introduced the Envision concept at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and presented a very progressive shape,…
