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Report: Toyota Prius minivan coming in 2011

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Toyota

Toyota Hybrid X Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've been hearing the rumors for over a year, and it's now looking increasingly likely that Toyota is getting ready to launch a new hybrid minivan that will wear the Prius nameplate. If true, this would be the first completely new vehicle added to the Prius stable, where it would join the well-known hatchback sometime in 2011.

According to Reuters (which is citing the Japanese Nikkei), this new Prius hybrid minivan may be the first such vehicle from Toyota equipped with an in-house developed lithium ion battery pack. The three-row vehicle, which we can only presume would also have sliding doors, would potentially seat up to seven people, expanding Toyota's hybrid technology further into the family-use market.

No other details are available other than the notion that Toyota would like to keep the price close to that of standard minivans currently on the market. Stay tuned for more as we hear it.

Gallery: Geneva Motor Show: Toyota Hybrid-X concept

[Source: Reuters via The Truth About Cars]

Report: Toyota Prius minivan coming in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota Prius minivan coming in 2011

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Toyota

Toyota Hybrid X Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Gallery: Geneva Motor Show: Toyota Hybrid-X concept

[Source: Reuters via The Truth About Cars]

Report: Toyota Prius minivan coming in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: Audi RS5 officially unloaded to the Internet

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Audi, Luxury

2011 Audi RS5 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Good news, Quattroheads: Audi has just unloaded a boatload of new images of the RS5 coupe in red, white and blue doing its thing all over some beautiful roads in Europe. We feel the need to point out where these shots were snapped simply because the German automaker has not yet announced any plans to bring its ubercoupe Stateside. And we therefore shed a tear.

Then again, maybe there's hope after all - we have heard rumors that Audi was at least considering blessing us Americans with the RS5... though nothing substantiated by any other reliable sources. In any case, it's always a good time to gaze upon 4.2 wonderful liters of naturally aspirated goodness with 450 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque sent to all four wheels, right? Right. So go ahead and click through the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Audi RS5

[Source: Audi]

Pics Aplenty: Audi RS5 officially unloaded to the Internet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:29:00 +0000

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, GM, UK, Specialty

Classic World Racing TVR Titan - Click above for high-res image gallery

Might the quintessential British muscle car soon be blessed with the quintessential American muscle car powerplant? If UK-based racing specialist Classic World Racing gets its way, the answer is yes. The car is the TVR Tuscan - and we're talking about the beautiful 1968 version, for what it's worth - and the engine is none other than General Motors' undeniably excellent LS3 V8.

CWR has somehow managed to obtain the original molds for the old TVR Tuscan that had been sitting unused for decades in an old barn, after which the company built a race car using the molds for a client in Malaysia. Shortly thereafter, demand for a roadgoing version was deemed strong enough to make the necessary modifications to make it street legal. In this new form, CWR chose to call the machine the Titan.

Power figures for the Yankee-sourced 5.7-liter V8 engine start at 480 horsepower and go from there, and those ponies will be sent to a limited-slip differential at the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. Couple that prodigious output with a weight of just 2,160 pounds (980 kilograms) and you've got a recipe for formidable performance. Price? Around £42,500 (plus VAT) in the UK - that's about $65,500 dollars. Check out our high-res image gallery below and read the press release after the break.

Gallery: Classic World Racing TVR Titan

[Source: Classic World Racing via Piston Heads]

Continue reading UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan

UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear takes blame for Icelandic volcano eruption

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Filed under: Etc., Europe, UK, Celebrities, Humor

Top Gear at Iceland's Eyjafallajökull volcano - Click above for high-res image gallery

It seems so obvious in retrospect, doesn't it? Consider the facts. Exhibit A: Top Gear has demonstrated a penchant for visiting the faraway reaches of Iceland for some of their memorable television stunts and was seen filming in the cold just last week in one of their beloved Toyota trucks. Exhibit B: The boys at Top Gear - and especially ringleader Jeremy Clarkson - don't exactly have a stellar reputation for respecting the planet. Exhibit C: A large volcanic eruption is taking place in Iceland as we speak.

We're not the only ones suspicious. Says media commentator Annalisa Kneejerk:

It has been scientifically proven that Top Gear is responsible for almost every evil in the modern world, so the eruption of a furious tectonic force barely a week after Richard Clarkson's 'visit' can hardly be viewed as mere coincidence... We have it on good authority that Jeremy Hammond [sic] drove one of his favourite Ferrari gas-guzzlers at 100mph, straight into the main magma chamber, which could quite easily have caused this geological catastrophe. Thankfully I've never watched the show.

Coincidence? We think not. After all, it's already been scientifically proven.

Gallery: Top Gear at Iceland?s Eyjafallaj�kull volcano

[Source: Top Gear]

Top Gear takes blame for Icelandic volcano eruption originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UD Replicas follows up Batman motorcycle suit with Wolverine, Iron Man

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Motorcycle, Design/Style

Ask yourself: What could possibly be better than your very own real-life Batman-inspired leather motorcycle suit? Well now, that would have to depend on your particular comic book leanings, wouldn't it? If your affections lie away from DC and more towards Marvel, we have some particularly excellent news to share. Soon, you'll be able to pick up a functional motorcycle riding suit made up to look like either Wolverine or Iron Man. Oh, and a Tron Legacy suit is also reportedly in the works.

If your desire is to dress yourself up as the adamantium-soaked Wolverine, you can head right on over to Universal Designs to order your brand-new officially licensed riding suit, based on the actual movie suit used in the X2: X-Men United. Sadly, go-go-gadget knuckle-mounted claws not included.

If you can't quite pull off Wolverine's dual-horned head of hair, no worries. UD reassures us that it's hard at work on a licensed replica of Tony Stark's Mark V Suitcase Suit that will be seen in Marvel's upcoming Iron Man 2, which will be released in the U.S. on May 7.

In case you were wondering, there's actual safety built into these riding suits as well. According to UD, each suit "incorporates removable CE-approved body armor [and] gloves with built-in anti-skid Kevlar in the palm's leather lining." Finally, if you don't quite have a personal physique that matches your Comic hero of choice, you'll find solace in the news that there's "an interior, form-molded muscle suit sandwiched into the jacket's torso section." Hit the jump for the press release, and click on the image to enlarge.

[Source: Universal Designs]

Continue reading UD Replicas follows up Batman motorcycle suit with Wolverine, Iron Man

UD Replicas follows up Batman motorcycle suit with Wolverine, Iron Man originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota reportedly testing all of its SUV’s stability control systems

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:01:00 +0000

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Lexus, Toyota, Luxury

2010 Lexus GX460 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Further proof that Toyota is taking Consumer Reports' recent test and subsequent Do Not Buy rating of its Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicle seriously is a report from AutoWeek that the Japanese giant is testing all of the stability control systems used on every single one of its SUV models.

Toyota took the decisive action of issuing a stop sale on its new Lexus GX 460 here in the United States (also in the Middle East and Russia) after CR found that it was possible to coax the big 'ute into a massive sideways slide when the throttle is lifted mid-corner, seemingly defeating the standard stability control in the process. Under certain situations, the tall, heavy vehicle could potentially roll over.

According to Toyota, none of the 5,400 or so owners here in the States have reported any issues with their GX 460's handling characteristics, but that doesn't mean the issue isn't serious. Click here to read our own explanation as to what might be prompting the errant handling woes and expect to hear plenty more on these SUV handling issues in the coming weeks and months.

Gallery: 2010 Lexus GX460

[Source: AutoWeek]

Toyota reportedly testing all of its SUV's stability control systems originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota may be readying fix for Lexus GX 460 safety concerns as NHTSA begins investigation

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Lexus, Toyota, Luxury

2010 Lexus GX460 - Click above for high-res image gallery

That was fast. Just two days after Consumer Reports issued a "Do Not Buy rating "on the new Lexus GX 460 upon finding that it was possible to trip up the standard electronic stability control and initiate a potentially dangerous mid-corner tail-out drift of the big SUV, Toyota reportedly has a fix for the issue.

According to Japan's Nikkei daily, Toyota's solution to the GX's handling woes involves a reflash of the vehicle's electronic brain along with unspecified changes to "other aspects of the vehicle." Not particularly descriptive, but perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise considering how complicated of an issue such handling foibles can be.

In related news, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is just now beginning its own investigation into the 2010 Lexus GX 460. NHTSA has procured the GX that Consumer Reports had been testing and is working to determine if the machine meets its own federal safety standards. No determination has yet been made as to whether the 5,400 or so GX 460s sold so far in the States will be recalled.

Gallery: 2010 Lexus GX460

[Source: Nikkei - sub. req. via TTAC, The Detroit News]

Toyota may be readying fix for Lexus GX 460 safety concerns as NHTSA begins investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese-market Buick Excelle sedan caught without camo

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, China, Buick, Beijing Motor Show

Buick Excelle sedan caught in China - Click above for high-res image gallery

The next step in Buick's plan for ~~Chinese~~ world domination is a new small sedan based on the Opel Astra called the Buick Excelle. Following what's likely to be its debut for the Chinese market later this month at the Beijing Motor Show, Buick plans to bring the compact sedan to the United States in 2011.

So, with introductions out of the way, let's take a closer look at what will be the smallest car in Buick's completely revised stable. Naturally, the expected toothy, chromed waterfall grille is present and accounted for, flanked on either side by rounded-off, rhomboid headlights. Note, too, the twin vestigial chrome portholes on each side of the mostly flat hood.

Judging from these images, the rest of the car looks much less interesting. The wheels appear small and the profile seems derivative, though not unattractive. Out back are large taillamps with extremely overstated chrome eyelash-like trim pieces. But that's just our opinion. See for yourself in our image gallery below, courtesy of autohome.com.cn.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Buick Excelle in China

[Source: Autohome.com.cn via Carscoop]

Chinese-market Buick Excelle sedan caught without camo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM going to church to sell cars?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

Go to church on Sunday, sell on Monday? Well, not exactly, but General Motors will bring along the cream of its crop this Sunday, April 18, to the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church near Detroit, Michigan. For those interested in seeing the next wave of green technology, the procession will include the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

The event is being sponsored by GM Minority Suppliers and Dealers, and the automaker says the purpose of the shindig is "to build new relationships in the community and highlight the contribution of minority suppliers and dealers to the community and local economy."

We're not sure how common this sort of thing is with GM, let alone with other automakers, but we have to wonder if some won't find the event just a wee bit distasteful. That said, Reverend Dr. Charles G. Adams, pastor of the 10,000-member Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, says, "This is a wonderful opportunity to do something really special for Hartford church members. Something that has never been done at a church in Detroit."

Any who wants to know more or who are thinking of attending can find all the official details in the press release pasted after the break.

[Source: Hartford Memorial Baptist Church]

Continue reading GM going to church to sell cars?

GM going to church to sell cars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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