Thu, 18 Oct 2007, 00:06

(NewsUSA) - Whether it’s a concern for the environment or the increasing cost of fuel, more and more people are seeing the hybrid vehicle as a viable option.

Hybrid cars are appealing because they pair a gasoline engine with one or more electric motors to achieve higher fuel efficiency and extremely low emissions.

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Mon Oct 29, 3:36 AM ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares of Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) surged 14 percent in heavy trade on Monday, posting their biggest one-day rise in seven years after Japan’s No. 3 automaker reported a surprise gain in quarterly profit on a pick-up in global sales.

Nissan, owned 44 percent by Renault SA (RENA.PA), announced after the close on Friday that its operating profit for the July-September quarter rose 12 percent from a year earlier, handily beating the market consensus.

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Toyota’s oldest, burliest nameplate gets a makeover

Toyota may have sold only 3376 Land Cruisers in the United States last year, but the venerable nameplate boasts a longer history on these shores than any other vehicle on the Japanese maker’s roster, with a single unit selling alongside 287 Toyopets in 1958-the year Toyota began selling vehicles in America.

It’s appropriate, then, that the launch of the seventh-generation Land Cruiser accompanies Toyota’s 50th year stateside.

The Land Cruiser trades in its 4.7-liter engine for the Tundra’s meaty 5.7-liter V8, which gives the behemoth an additional 116 hp and 73 lb-ft more torque to drag around its 5690-pound curb weight. Output now peaks at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft.

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Race-bred and road ready

As with so many of its models through the years, racing prompted Porsche to develop the 911 GT2. The first generation, launched in 1995, was built to homologate components for international sports-car racing’s GT2 class, hence the car’s name. Based on the 911 Turbo, it featured a more powerful engine, rear-wheel drive and lower weight. The combination proved successful, with Le Mans class wins and a run of 200 road cars. A legend was born.

A successor followed in 2001. It was visually less flamboyant but more powerful and faster. Some 1300 were sold, leaving Porsche with little choice but to continue with the third-generation model launched at the Frankfurt motor show last month. Read the rest of this entry »

10/23/2007 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

The 2008 Honda Civic MUGEN Si Sedan is arriving at dealerships nationwide with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price1 (MSRP) of $29,500, plus destination and handling charges, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

Built on the foundation of the Civic Si Sedan and tuned by the prestigious racing and aftermarket performance company, MUGEN, the Civic MUGEN Si Sedan adds a track-tuned MUGEN suspension, 18-inch forged alloy lightweight wheels, a full aerodynamic body kit with adjustable rear wing spoiler, a rear diffuser and a sport-tuned exhaust system. Powertrain highlights include the Civic Si’s high-revving, 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with an 8000-rpm redline; a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission; and a helical-type, limited-slip differential.

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October 23, 2007 Perhaps the least outrageous of the Japanese concepts to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show – and thus the most likely to directly influence a production model, Nissan’s Intima concept saloon lays out the company’s definition of modern luxury. Slick exterior looks sit well with a glass-roofed interior that’s designed to soothe its occupants in an aesthetic sense as much as physically. Wide-angle barn doors on the driver and passenger sides give exceptionally easy access, and they’ve even included an 80-degree swiveling motorised passenger seat to assist the elderly or disabled in a comfortable and dignified entry and exit.

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Wed Oct 24, 7:30 AM ET

TOCHIGI, Japan - Honda (HMC) will deliver fewer than 100 of its new fuel-cell cars next year, when it’s scheduled for introduction in the United States, the automaker’s top executive said Tuesday at the company’s research and development headquarters here.

Though a small number, it is several times as many FCX hydrogen fuel-cell sedans as the automaker currently has on U.S. roads. Only two of those are in the hands of individuals and about 20 more are in fleet service by governments and other institutions.

Read the complete article HERE

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Source:
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

SANTA ANA, CA - September 18, 2007 - SRS Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SRSL), a leading provider of surround sound, audio and voice technologies announced today that Subaru has included SRS CS Auto (Circle Surround Auto(tm)) as an optional feature now available on the new 2008 Subaru Impreza.

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The Acura RDX is designated by the marketing wizards as a luxury urban sports utility vehicle. Powered with a 240 HP turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, this energizer bunny is targeted squarely at the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2 and the soon-to-be-released Infiniti EX35.

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Better fuel efficiency…at a price in performance

by Twain Mein

Pros

• It’s a hybrid!
• Honda reputation for quality and reliability
• Head clearance and rear seat room is exceptional

Cons

• Noisy under acceleration
• Abrupt stop-start
• Boring to drive

Introduction

I was really looking forward to road-testing Honda’s answer to the Prius. I was expecting sporty handling and a peppy feel that is the heritage of the Civic line up. Boy was I disappointed.

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TOKYO — Subaru’s Exiga concept for the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show is a new seven-passenger “proposal” that appears to combine design elements from the company’s midsize station wagon and Forester crossover vehicle — and it looks virtually showroom-ready.

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TOKYO — One look at Mitsubishi’s unimaginative Concept-ZT should convince any doubters that this Japanese automaker just doesn’t design great sedans. Under the skin, it’s a different story.

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Sun Oct 21, 12:15 AM ET

FRANKFURT (AFP) - The European Court of Justice is expected to rule on Tuesday against the so-called “Volkswagen Law”, paving the way for Porsche to take control of the continent’s biggest carmaker.

Striking down the 40-year-old law which prevents Volkswagen from being taken over would allow Porsche to raise its 31-percent stake to a majority.

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Sun Oct 21, 6:06 PM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - From a nightclub on wheels to a car shaped like a hat, many of the whacky vehicles unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show over the years have been consigned to the annals of auto history.

When Toyota wheeled out a futuristic Prius prototype in 1995 powered by a combination of petrol and electricity, many believed it would go the same way.

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Click on the link to view the video interview with Toyota’s Jim Lentz responding to the Consumer Reports ratings.

Video Interview

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Source:
Automotive News

Related article: Consumer Reports says Toyota reliability slips