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Infiniti doesn’t want to be left out of the premium compact hatch segment, and has reportedly began work on an upscale hatchback for the competitive European market. The hatchback, if built, would compete directly with the upcoming Lexus CT200h hybrid, and the established Audi A3 and Citroen DS3.
Mercedes-Benz custom outfitter Brabus has created a one-off example of the Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series for a lucky owner, which it calls the T65 RS Vanish. The Vanish, good enough to star in an upcoming Batman movie, has a few upgrades over the already ridiculously tuned AMG Black Series model.
Read more | Mercedes-Benz News
Mazda has responded quickly and firmly to quell public outcry over a Canadian dealership that sold a Mazda6 to a woman with a learning disability, for a whopping $25,000 Canadian ($24,500 USD) over sticker price. Adding insult to injury, the Mazda in question wasn’t even new, and had been fitted with ugly steel wheels with hubcaps removed.
Nissan made its electric Leaf vehicle available for presale this week and has already taken over 6,000 orders in just three days. The reservations were made online and required a $99 refundable deposit, making it easy to claim a copy of the upcoming zero emissions electric vehicle.
The Department of Energy agreed Friday to give Fisker Automotive a $528.7 million loan to help speed the development of alternative energy vehicles. The loan will help build the high end Karma plug-in hybrid as well as a more affordable model code-named Project Nina.
As you already know, Honda is planning on releasing its updated CR-Z sometime this year as a 2011 model. As we approach this date, more and more spy photos and videos are surfacing. The photos below are still shots from a recent video leaked on the web.
Venezuela’s ‘President’ Hugo Chavez has temporarily redirected his anger from America to Japan, as he has begun threatening to expropriate Toyota’s assembly plant if it doesn’t produce more vehicles for Venezuela’s rural areas as well as bring improved technology.
For the more hardcore enthusiast, Toyota has preliminary plans to offer a factory built, stripped-down special edition FT-86 that would be perfect for drifting. EVO Magazine has recently mentioned that Toyota is planning on building a lightweight version of the FT-86, with larger brakes and stiffer springs, as well weight reductions to include the removal of the air conditioning system and the radio.
There have been rumors since 2007 that Toyota will launch a larger Prius model, but a new report finally confirms that the upcoming model will hit dealership lots next year. According to the Yomiuri newspaper in Japan, Toyota is readying its new model launch for 2010, although it is still uncertain what type of body will be used for the upcoming vehicle.
This story should be sad: The driver of one of only 15 beautiful Bugatti Veyrons in the USA loses control of his car and drives straight into the water. Unfortunately for the driver, once you hear how it happened, you will probably stop feeling bad for him and just laugh.
As always, BMW is hard at work on its next M car, but this time, it won’t be an M3 or M5. A report out of the U.K. confirms that BMW is hard at work turning the next generation 135i into a high performance M machine. The report states that the new ‘entry level’ M has become the top priority at the M division, which recently shuffled its management team and reprioritized its model lineup.
OmniAuto just released a substantial amount of LF-A photos and specs just before the Tokyo Motor Show. Below is the information on Toyota’s upcoming supercar with a 450 hp V10 pushing out over 116.5 hp per liter. ‘Wow’ is an understatement!
Toyota and Subaru have remained tight lipped about their upcoming joint venture, the Toyota FT-86, or as Subaru calls it, the 086A. All we know is that the base model will be a lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe with a 200 hp naturally aspirated engine. Fortunately for us, Japan’s Holiday Auto has rendered a drawing of what the tuned STI model could look like.
Read More | Subaru News | Toyota News
A new regulation named “Cool Car” being implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires manufacturers to install expensive windows designed to keep out 60% of the sun’s energy by 2016. These restrictions are so strict that they will require advanced glazing that could wreak havoc for GPS systems and cell phones, and potentially ban the soft top Jeep Wrangler.
