japanese cars
Honda CR-V Recalled for Front Lower Control Arm Issues, 1,300 Units Affected
1
If you own a 2006 model-year Honda CR-V, you might need to keep an eye on your mail box. Honda is voluntarily recalling 1,316 CR-V’s because it suspects that the weld that they used to hold the right front lower control arm was improper. With time, that weld can break which potentially can lead to…
Mazda MX-5 GT Enters GT4 British GT Championship
Mazda announced that it will field its iconic MX-5 roadster for its first year in the British GT Championship. Last year, the Mazda MX-5 GT first ran a campaign in the Britcar Production GTN Championship as a developmental year. Demonstrating its strength instantly, the MX-5 battled hard during the final race of the season at…
Lexus Eco Challenge Grand Prize Winners Announced
Toyota supports environmental consciousness by holding the annual Lexus Eco Challenge competition, encouraging middle and high school students to practice eco-friendliness in creative ways. Since the program’s inception, $4 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to middle and high school students for their distinguished projects. “Through this program, more than 25,000 participants have demonstrated…
Acura Counts on ILX, RDX to Help Boost Sales 45 Percent
Earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, Acura brand VP Jeff Conrad made an astounding claim, telling the assembled press that the Honda luxury division is forecasting increased sales of 45 percent in 2012. Sharing the stage with Conrad were three models, the NSX, RDX and ILX, two of which are set to make…
2013 Acura ILX Fuel Economy Numbers Improve
With driving impressions of the new 2013 ILX under embargo, Acura has released a slew of specs on its new entry-level model, including improved fuel economy figures. At the car’s official reveal at the Chicago Auto Show, Acura announced estimated mileage numbers that, frankly, failed to impress. At the time the base 2.0-liter 4-cylinder was…
Lexus Releases Video Teaser Of New Models Including LS Flagship
The slow unveiling of the all-new Lexus LS luxury sedan has unofficially commenced when the sharp eyes of Lexus Enthusiast discovered a flash of an image of the concept within a Lexus RX crossover promo video featuring chief engineer Takayuki Katsuda. When Katsuda started to elaborate on the new and unique “spindle-grill” corporate face of…
Toyota Struggles To Boost Prius C Capacity as Demand Grows
Introduced for the Japanese market last December, the Toyota Prius C had only hit U.S. showrooms on March 12. In only its first three days in the U.S. market, the Prius C sold 1,201 units, eclipsing the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf’s complete February sales performance of 1,023 and 478 units respectively. However, demand for the…
Scion FR-S is Weighed and Measured by Excited Tuners
North American tuner companies were invited to Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, California to measure the new Scion FR-S and take a closer look at the car to begin the process of drafting future tuning parts. Many tuners were present at the event and the response to Scion’s new sports car has been overwhelmingly positive across the…
2013 Acura ILX to Cost Around $27,000
Acura continues to tease pricing figures for its new entry-level luxury sports sedan, with the latest number coming much closer to the mark. Officially unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February, at that time it was announced that the ILX would cost, “well below” $30,000. We now have a better idea of just how…
Subaru Forester Recalled Over Faulty Seatbelts, 275,000 Units Affected
Subaru is issuing a recall for 275,000 Foresters today, built between November 26, 2007 and March 13,2012. NHTSA cites a fault in the automatic locking retractor in the rear center seat belt assembly as the source of the issue. This specific seat belt connector is used for restraining child seats, and because of the faulty locking…
Honda Paying Bloggers for Good PR
Automotive journalism is riddled with pitfalls for corruptible folk, something automakers know all too well. Apart from the usual moral gray areas sponsored press junkets, sometimes questions of integrity are just black and white. In a recent piece of investigative journalism, Gawker car site Jalopnik (itself not immune to morally gray journalism) exposed how marketing firm…
Watch a Toyota GT 86 Crash While Hooning – Video
In a preview of things to come once the Scion FR-S goes on sale here and the stability control program gets switched off, here’s some video of a Toyota GT 86 crashing into a safety barrier. The accident occurred at the Mega Web, which is billed as a “Look, Ride and Feel Car Theme Park”…
Nissan Recalls 8,120 Infiniti M45 Sedans, Inaccurate Gas Gauge
Few people carry an emergency gas tank, even fewer carry it full but doing just that might be a good idea for a few Infiniti owners. Nissan is issuing a recall for 8,120 Infiniti M45 sedans made between March 7, 2002 and June 3, 2004 because the cars may run out of gas — unannounced….
Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Special Edition Production Details Confirmed
Infiniti has officially confirmed the production of its new FX Sebastian Vettel special edition sport-luxury crossover. Ceremoniously named after Formula 1‘s youngest two-time world champion, the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel project was a collaborative effort between Infiniti’s top designers and engineers and Red Bull Racing personnel and Vettel himself. In their mission to create the best…
Nissan Is Committed To Racing LMP2
Nissan executive vice president of engineering Andy Palmer has announced no plans of fielding an LMP1 race car for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the foreseeable future. For now, Nissan will remain committed to its production-based LMP2 entries, jumping into battle starting next week at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Expect its main…
Nissan Versa Sedan Earns Top Marks By IIHS For Its Safety
The 2012 Nissan Versa is not only one of the cheapest new cars for sale in North America, but it is also one of the safest. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has just awarded the new Versa sedan its top scoring honor of “Good” for front, rear, and side impact protection. It also…
Honda Looks To Its Dealers For Expansion Of CNG Station Infrastructure
Honda is currently the only automaker offering CNG vehicles in the United States. Although it is nice to own an exclusive niche in the vast automotive market, it does have its limitations. Compressed natural gas stations are uncommon in North America and Honda hopes to change this by installing pumps at its dealers as it…
Toyota Camry, Venza and Tacoma Recall Affects 681,500 Units
Over the last few years, the words “Toyota” and “recall” have gone hand in hand. While the companies previous woes are behind them, Toyota has since been extra cautious and issues recalls for everything it finds to have a potential defect. Just today, Toyota has announced a recall notice for three of its vehicles, the…
Infiniti Emerg-E Video – First Look: 2012 Geneva Motor Show
Infiniti is preparing to build a flagship performance car – or at least they’re thinking about it. Unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Infiniti Emerg-E is our first look at just what that halo model might be. Powered by twin-electric motors with a 3-cylinder range extender gasoline engine, Infiniti is promising some impressive…
Nissan Invitation Points to Next Versa Hatchback: 2012 Geneva Motor Show
Nissan’s Invitation Concept ,unveiled in Geneva could lead to that car, though as Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President stated, the Invitation was conceived very much with Europe in mind and will be built at the automaker’s facility in Sunderland, UK.
Toyota FT-Bh Concept is a Tiny 112 MPG Hybrid: 2012 Geneva Motor Show
With the recent launch of the Prius c sub-compact hybrid in North America and its European counterpart, the Yaris Hybrid, Toyota is looking at bringing its gasoline-electric technology further down-market. Looking like a tiny minivan that’s fading off in the distance, the FT-Bh (unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show) takes Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive…
Acura NSX Spider Patent Pending Images Leaked
Last year, we shared images of Tony Stark’s Acura NSX convertible on the set of the Avengers. Initially, Acura Spokesman Gary Robinson claimed an open-top NSX is a “one-off fictional car that was created just for the film.” Surprise! According to a Honda and Acura forum, six drawings of an open top NSX were filed…
Nissan Quest Recalled for Software Defect, 23,531 Units Affected
Nissan has announced a recall on Quest minivans manufactured from July 29, 2010 through February 21, 2012. Due to a flaw in its software programming, an insufficient supply of fuel to the engine may occur when the Quest is driven slowly along a descent or idling on a decline with a 1/4 tank of fuel…
Scion FR-S “First 86” Get Special Treatment
The first 86 people in North America to own a Scion FR-S are pretty lucky as it is, but their deal just got a lot sweeter thanks to some VIP treatment from Toyota. Apparently the privileged few who managed to get an order in ahead of the masses also get an expenses-paid trip to Long Beach,…
