japanese cars
2012 Nissan Versa Set for New York Auto Show Debut Based on Smaller Micra Platform
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The debut of the new Nissan Versa is all but confirmed for the New York Auto Show in just two weeks time, although according to new reports the car is set for a significant change. Pictures of the 2012 Sunny (as it’s known overseas) have already been released and a sketch resembling those images has…
Garage Revolution Mazda RX-7 to Contest World Time Attack Challenge [video]
Coming up on August 5th and 6th at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, Australia will be the World Time Attack Challenge presented by Yokohama. This year, they are working on gathering some of the world’s most prestigious time attack cars along with throwing on a drifting exhibition with some of the world’s best. The goal…
Toyota Says It’s “Too Early To Predict” North American Plant Shutdowns
After a brief announcement on March 23rd stating that the natural disasters in Japan may affect North American production, Toyota has announced that it is still “too early to predict” whether plants in Canada and the United States, which build both Toyota and Lexus cars, will face shutdowns due to a shortage of parts from…
Nissan Altima Is America’s Best Selling Sedan, Unseating Toyota Camry And Honda Accord
For the first time in its life, the Nissan Altima has outsold both the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, taking the title of America’s Best Selling Sedan. Altima sales were up by 27 percent compared to last year, helping Nissan achieve a record month in sales. Currently, Nissan is offering a number of incentives, including…
Nissan Planning Product Blitz: Eight New Models in Next Two Years
Nissan‘s sales have been solid over the past year, managing a 16.9 percent increase in 2010, a somewhat surprising feat considering the age of many of its products. The vast majority of volume sellers in Nissan’s lineup have been on the market for almost their entire product cycle and are in danger of becoming stale….
2015 Mitsubishi Evo Previewed With i-MiEVO Electric Sports Sedan
Behold the future of the Mitsubishi EVO. April Fools! Looking surprisingly cool, the folks at Mitsubishi Canada have perhaps the best April Fools prank of the day, posting a creatively photoshopped version of the i-MiEV electric car, inspired by the brand’s Evo sports sedan, on its Facebook page. Claiming to be the 2015 i-MiEVO concept,…
Toyota Hiking U.S. Car Prices by 1.7%
Toyota has announced it will increase prices of its vehicles across the board by an average of 1.7 percent. The move comes not only in response to damages to it has sustained during the recent earthquake, but also due to the continued climb of the Yen. As a result, an entry level Yaris will see…
Nissan, Renault to Form World’s Fourth Largest Automaker; Or Not
Nissan and Renault are planning to officially combine into one automaker, solidifying a partnership between the Japanese and French companies that has existed since 1999. Or at least, they were planning to do so according to a report by Japan’s Nikkei, that quoted company CEO Carlos Ghosn. Today, however, both automakers are refuting that claim….
Lexus to Showcase Supercharged CT200h at New York Auto Show
As a part of a strategy to grow its presence with a younger demographic, Lexus will continue to showcase wildly modified versions of its CT200h hybrid hatchback, debuting the latest tuner creation at the New York Auto Show. Build by the team at Fox Marketing, the car promises a widebody kit and some sort of…
Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet Won’t Be Available In Canada, Lucky Us Or Lucky Them?
The new Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is an unusual vehicle, to say the least. It is convertible based on a SUV/Crossover platform, which could make it the ideal vehicle for a beach babe, or an automotive enthusiasts worst nightmare. Whatever it is, our cousins in the north don’t want it. We spoke to a representative from…
First Substantial Shipment Of Nissan LEAFs Arrives In US
Having left Japan just one day before the tsunami-inducing earthquake wreaked havoc, a large shipment of Nissan LEAF Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) has just arrived in Long Beach, Calif. Nissan’s Luna Spirit vehicle-carrying transport ship was safely on the open ocean when a 500 MPH wave passed under it, at about 3-inches high. About a…
2011 Honda Odyssey Recalled for Sticking Front Windows
Honda has announced it will recall 2,800 of its new Odyssey minivans to replace the windows on both front doors. The recall affects only 2011 model year versions of the Odyssey due to glass that can become detached from the mechanism that moves it, causing it to become stuck either open or closed. No injuries…
Mazda Suspends Dealer Orders For Japanese-Built Cars, Nearly All Mazdas Affected
Mazda is planning to close down their assembly plants again, while stopping orders from dealers in the United States for their made-in-Japan vehicles. The Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9 are all affected. Only the Mazda6 and Tribute will remain in production at their American plants, although the situation could change in light of…
Japanese Earthquake Could Cause 30 Percent Reduction In Global Car Production
The latest hiccup deriving from Japan’s earthquake may cause global automotive production to fall by as much as 30 percent, as parts suppliers remain crippled by the quake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan. “We could lose up to 5 million vehicles in a worst-case scenario,” said Michael Robinet of IHS, in an interview with Bloomberg. “This…
Infiniti Cuts Manual Tranmission from European Lineup
From Europe to Japan it seems like everyone gets better versions of cars than we do here in North America. Whether it’s a higher-performance Subaru WRX STI, a V-Spec GT-R or a Mercedes SL65 Black Series that weights 200-lbs less than ours because of carbon-fiber seats that don’t meet our safety regulations. But now, if…
Honda Plants Remain Closed, R&D To Be Rebuilt After Massive Damage
Honda‘s manufacturing plants will remain closed, while the heart of their company, the research & development facility in Tochigi, Japan, will undergo months of repairs after being severely damaged by the earthquake that devastated Japan earlier in March. Honda originally planned to keep their plants closed until March 27th but has decided to extend the closures until…
Lexus CT200h Demand in Europe Looks to Match Automaker’s High Expectations
While a niche-market vehicle in North America, designed more to help rebrand the stale luxury marque than to create revenue, the CT200h is the car Lexus is counting on in Europe. At the vehicle’s launch at the Paris auto show, execs commented that they were expecting this one model to double the brand’s sales in…
Toyota, Honda Shutdowns Continue In Japan, Rivals Have Resumed Production
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan has had a devastating effect on its people. Not only have many people lost their homes and loved ones, many companies are out of work as they struggle to get their businesses up and running. Japan’s major car companies have also been badly hit due to…
Chuck Norris’ Subaru Impreza Wagon For Sale – If You’re Man Enough
OK, so this car doesn’t actually belong to Chuck Norris, but you’ll forgive us for saying so once you read the for sale ad placed by the owner. The man of mystery behind this powerhouse of Symmetrical all-wheel drive has scribed a piece of prose that, we’d guess, is only superseded in awesomeness by the…
Lexus LF-Gh Concept to Debut at NY Auto Show
With a debut of the next-generation GS rumored for the New York Auto Show, Lexus has now confirmed as much, with the planned debut of the LF-Gh Concept in the Big Apple. The naming suggests the new luxury sedan will in fact be a hybrid, keeping true to the Lexus philosophy. And while Toyota uses…
Nissan to Resume Japanese Vehicle Production March 24th
With Mazda set to start up its assembly lines on March 22nd, Nissan has announced it will re-start vehicle production two days later. All but one of Nissan’s plans will open today including the Oppama Plant, Tochigi Plant, Kyushu Plant, Yokohama Plant and Nissan Shatai. Vehicle production won’t occur until the 24th, but some part…
2011 Honda Odyssey Recalled for Super Strong Wiper Motor, Weak Wiper Linkage
Issuing its second recall in as many days, Honda has announced it is taking steps to replace a potentially faulty front wiper linkage rod on the 2011 Odyssey. The recall affects 33,341 vehicles where the wiper linkage could be bent if the wiper motor is turned on, but the wipers themselves are frozen to the…
More Powerful Honda CR-Z Will be a Hybrid says R&D Boss
Honda will build a more powerful version of the CR-Z sport hybrid and it will continue to be a hybrid, according to R&D boss Tomohiko Kawanabe. Previous reports had suggested a CR-Z ‘Type R’ might toss the company’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system in favor of a turbocharger, but that will not be the…
Mugen CR-Z to Debut at Goodwood With “Type R-like Performance”
Mugen’s European division will launch a version of the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with significantly more ‘sport’. According to Mugen Euro, the car will use the same 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system, offering more horsepower and torque. Also included in the package will be…
