japanese cars
Scion FR-S Crashes the Party at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
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A Scion is about the last car you’d expect to see at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but the FR-S concept has a design worthy of a six-, or even a seven-figure price tag. Set to be unveiled as a Toyota model at the Tokyo Auto Show later this year, the production FR-S is…
Infiniti JX Video: First Look at Infiniti’s 3-Row Luxury Crossover
With a focus on functionality, innovation and safety, Infiniti has revealed its new JX crossover in Monterey as part of the week-long Pebble Beach festivities. Targeted at well-heeled families, the JX is just a concept for now, although Infiniti is promising this vehicle is nearly identical to the production version that will be revealed at…
Infiniti IPL G Convertible Gets Green Light for Production
First unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in concept form, Infiniti has now confirmed the IPL G Convertible will head into production, doubling the number if Infiniti Performance Line products. Much like the IPL G Coupe, the drop top makes 348-hp from its 3.7-liter V6 and includes a modest list of performance and style improvements….
2013 Lexus GS350 Video: First Look at the Future of Lexus
Unveiled at Pebble Beach, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda calls the new GS “the first generation of a new Lexus.” Most obvious is an all-new design, while Lexus has also upped its game in terms of interior quality, while promising a more engaging driving experience. GALLERY: 2013 Lexus GS350 Watch the video after the jump and…
Lexus GS450h to Debut at Frankfurt Auto Show
Set to debut tomorrow during the Pebble Beach festivities in Monterey, California, is the all-new Lexus GS. The model that will be shown, however, is likely to be just the GS350 V6 version, with the latest reports indicating that the GS450h will bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show in just over a month’s time. No…
2012 Honda Fit Gets New Content, Revised Style
There’s a lot more competition in the sub-compact segment than there used to be, and yet the Honda Fit continues on as a stand-out model. Those looking to see what Honda will deliver for the next generation of the car will have to wait a little longer. In the mean time, the Fit has received…
New Mazda MX-5 Miata Patent Drawings Leaked
One of the most famous sports cars in the world (as voted on by the people’s wallets) is the Mazda Miata. The next one will no doubt continue with this sales success, and with this leaked patent drawing, we can get a glimpse of what we’ll be seeing on the twisties. Any change from its…
More Than Half Of Japan Drives Kei-Cars
Each market has its favorites when it comes to cars. People in the Middle-East prefer powerful SUV’s like the Mercedes-Benz G-class, while in America the pick-up truck reigns supreme, especially the Ford F-150. In Japan, the most popular car is neither big, nor powerful, but it fills the needs of most of its motorists. Since…
Prius Plug-in Hybrid Set for Official Frankfurt Auto Show Debut
With a lead-up almost as log as the Chevrolet Volt’s, the production version of the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in just over a month’s time. Using a more powerful and smaller lithium-ion battery, the Prius PHEV is expected to have an electric-only range of around…
2012 Honda CR-V Photos Leaked
Honda has already teased us with a concept version of its new 2012 CR-V crossover, but now several images have hit the net of what appears to be the production model. Shots of the partially uncovered exterior don’t real much, although several interior images do give a much clearer idea of what to expect when…
2012 Toyota Camry Leaked: Full Specs and Photos
With several previous leaks and two teaser images, the 2012 Toyota Camry may not need an official introduction any more, after a copy of a French Canadian publication detailing the new sedan has hit the web. The overall shape of the new Camry is very close to the outgoing model, but exchanges angles for some…
New Suzuki Swift Sport To Debut At Frankfurt Auto Show
The next-gen Suzuki Swift Sport will debut at the 64th Frankfurt Auto Show on September 13. Compared to the standard Swift, the Sport model has a more aggressive exterior and promises a “high-quality” interior with, “features that heighten excitement about the driving experience.” Powering the Swift is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 134-hp, with…
2012 Toyota Camry Photo: Second Teaser Image Released
Toyota has just released the second official teaser photo of the new 2012 Camry. This picture follows a series of leaked unofficial shots and videos that ended up online in the last few weeks, not to mention the first official teaser image – of the headlight. Today’s photo shows angular taillight, with some of Toyota’s…
Subaru XV Teased Ahead of Frankfurt Auto Show Debut
Subaru announced today that it will exhibit the all-new XV model at the 64th Frankfurt Auto Show this September. The vehicle will be unveiled at the Subaru press conference, scheduled at 9:30 on September 13th. The crossover will go on sale in Europe later this year, however there has been no confirmation as to whether…
Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet Wins Title of Most Disliked Car of 2011
Rolling in the tire tracks of icons of failure like the Pontiac Aztek and Mercedes R-Class, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet has been awarded the title of Most Disliked Car of 2011. Sort of… In fact, the award is less of a title (and there’s certainly no statue associated with it), and more of a journalistic…
Subaru Rally Team USA Pilot David Higgins Mt. Washington Record Run [Video]
Back in June Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins demolished the previous Mt. Washington Hill Climb record. And now there’s the video to prove it. With a time of 6:11.47, Higgins beat the standing record of 6:41.99, set by the original Audi Quattro back in 1998 by a half a minute. The time was…
Dealership Refuses To Honor Nissan GT-R Ebay Sale
Xou Vang thought he scored a sweet deal on eBay: $55,100 for a 2009 Nissan GT-R with just 36,069 miles on the clock. But Honda of San Marcos, Texas, is refusing to honor the sale, pressuring Vang to pay the full $59,000 sticker—and violating eBay’s stringent rules in the process. As of yesterday, the GT-R…
Nissan Exploring Facebook, Not Phones, as the Future of Customer Service
When the change will happen, remains to be seen, for now Nissan will continue to use operators at 1-800 numbers to deal with customer complaints.
Mitsubishi Adding Lancer SE Model With AWD, Priced Near $20,000
Yoichi Yokozawa, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America confirmed that a new Lancer SE model will be arriving this fall as a 2012 model. The SE model will receive all-wheel drive, like its Ralliart and Evolution siblings, however it will be powered by the naturally aspirated engine found in the DE, ES and GTS trims….
2012 Toyota Yaris Priced from $14,115
In a seemingly unprecedented move, Toyota has released pricing on the all-new 2012 Yaris… before they’ve even revealed the car. Expected to look nearly identical to the Euro-market model (above), the Yaris will start at $14,115 for the base model 3-door version, while 5-door models will start from $15,140. A 5-door SE model will get…
Acura TSX Might Be Dropped from Lineup in Product Shuffle
When the Acura TSX first went on sale in North America it broke with convention, proving a luxury sports sedan could not only use a 4-cylinder, but also be front-wheel drive. Having grown in size since then it’s lost some of its charm. Rather than re-invent the car, Acura may look to delete it completely…
Acura MDX, RDX and TL to Gain Hybrid Powertrains
A brand that is starving for something new is about to get it with Acura planning to equip its most popular models with a new hybrid powertrain. Both the RDX and MDX crossovers, which could arrive as early as next year, will be completely redesigned and feature the new hybrid setup. The compact RDX will…
General Motors World’s Largest Automaker, Volkswagen Second, Toyota Third
General Motors is back on top as the world’s largest automaker, outselling Toyota in the first 6 months of 2011. Both GM and Volkswagen managed to surpass the Japanese automaker in sales, with March’s earthquake and tsunami blamed for severely hampering Toyota’s overall production. GM moved 4.536 million cars in the six-month period ending June…
Acura RSX Sedan to Arrive in 2013, Coupe to Follow
On of the largest growth areas in the auto industry is the premium compact segment. Acura had it all locked-down with the Integra and then the RSX and then made the foolish move to axe the car. Now, the RSX is poised to return, arriving in the Spring of 2013, but as a sedan. A…
