Ad Watch: Renault Wind Roadster and Lexus CT 200h Hybrid

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different. Read more »

Toyota Recalling 106,000 Prius Hybrids Globally Over Steering Wheel Issue

The newest Toyota recall affects approximately 106,000 Prius hybrids globally built from 2001 to 2003 for a fault with the electric power steering system. The Japanese automaker said the voluntary action affects around 52,000 Prius models sold in the United States.

“If the steering wheel is repeatedly and strongly turned to the full-lock position, there is a possibility the nuts securing the pinion shaft in the steering gear box assembly may become loose,” Toyota said in a statement. The company added that if the owner leaves the condition uncorrected, over time they will gradually notice significant increased steering effort when making a left turn.

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Toyota Mulling a Larger Hybrid Minivan than the Prius V with Seating for Seven

The all-new Prius V five-seater minivan isn’t due to arrive in U.S. showrooms until this fall, yet Toyota is already looking into the development of a larger model capable of seating seven passengers as well as carrying their luggage, according to Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager. The larger Prius won’t be based on the Japanese market Prius Alpha nor the European specification Prius+, both of which pack a retractable third row of seats into the Prius V’s cargo area.

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First Photos of Honda’s Hot CR-Z Mugen, Early Tests Show better Performance than Civic Type R

Honda's sporty-looking CR-Z hybrid will finally get the performance to back its looks, as the Japanese carmaker teamed up with its tuning partner Mugen Euro to develop a high-performance version of the hybrid model. As we wrote earlier this year, the car will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but until then, you can take a look at the first official photos of the car to see if they match the sketches released by Honda two months ago.

The Japanese company says development of the CR-Z Mugen is on track, with “performance figures already looking promising”. Honda revealed that early tests with a prototype car based on a standard CR-Z and a mid-tune engine have given 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint times around that of the European market Civic Type R (6.6 seconds). Later on, Mugen increased output by another 15 percent and reduced the chassis' weight by 50 kilograms, so that overall performance is expected to be even better than the Type R's.

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Lexus CT200h Race Car to Debut at the Nurburgring

The Lexus CT200h compact hybrid will debut in racing car guise at an endurance race this weekend at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. Entered by Gazoo Racing, the same organization that races the Lexus LFA, the CT200h will compete in the Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy. Around 200 cars will line up at the start of the six hour-race. Read more »

Lexus LS 600h L Getting Prepped for the Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco

With monthly average sales of around 2,000 units this year, Lexus’ cars continue to be a scarce commodity on Europe roads and we somehow doubt that being crowned the official vehicle of His Serene Highness [very sic…] Prince Albert II of Monaco will help improve the Japanese automaker’s position in the market. Read more »

Lexus LS 600h L Getting Prepped for the Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco

With monthly average sales of around 2,000 units this year, Lexus’ cars continue to be a scarce commodity on Europe roads and we somehow doubt that being crowned the official vehicle of His Serene Highness [very sic…] Prince Albert II of Monaco will help improve the Japanese automaker’s position in the market. Read more »

Kia’s Brand New 40mpg Optima Hybrid Priced from $27,250

Kia is ready to talk pricing on its first ever hybrid vehicle in the States, the all-new Optima Hybrid, which we first saw at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. A sister model to Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid, with which is shares the same gasoline-electric powertrain, the Optima Hybrid will reach U.S. showrooms in June with a starting price of $26,500, not including a $750 destination and handling fee that lifts the cost to $27,250. By comparison, the hybrid version of the Sonata starts at $25,795, excluding destination charges. Read more »

Lexus Turns the Roosevelt Hotel into the World’s Biggest 3D Billboard

The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most iconic hotels in the United States, nay the world. Built in the 1920s, it has since featured in countless movies, television shows and music videos. So it figures that sooner or later someone would get the bright spark idea of using it as a giant billboard for their product.

Enter the world of Lexus who, with the help of some cutting-edge 3D projection mapping technology, turned the side of the Roosevelt into a Michael Bay Transformers-esque advertisement for its new CT 200h hybrid hatchback. Walls shift around and rotate; gaping holes appear and flowers, roadways and other objects all spring to life out of the eighty plus year old façade.

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Chevrolet Begins Taking Orders for Volt in Canada

General Motors is adding Canada to the list of countries that will soon get the Chevrolet Volt as starting from today, the company’s dealers in seven key regions across the country will begin accepting orders for the extended range electric vehicle, with prices starting from at CA$41,545 (equal to US$43,780 at today’s exchange rates). Read more »

VIDEO: Geely’s McCar Bundles Four Seats and a Scooter in a Mini Package

At the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Chinese automaker Geely displayed an interesting concept car called McCar, whose funny name reportedly stands for “Magic car” and “Motorcycle Car” , and has nothing to do with the famous chain of fast-food restaurants – unless you take into consideration the fact that there is a folding electric scooter sandwiched between the rear seats of the car… Read more »

Sic…Lexus Becomes Official Supplier to HSH Prince of Monaco who will use an LS Hybrid for his Wedding

For those who still believe in the institution of monarchy and the legitimacy of kings, queens and royalty in general in this day and age (…some 2,500 years after the Athenians gave birth to democracy), 2011 will be marked by the royal weddings of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, and to a lesser extent, Prince Albert II of Monaco to Miss Charlene Wittstock.

If you wondering what all this has to do with the world of automobiles, Lexus’ European division announced today that it has received the royal stamp of approval from His Serene Highness [HSH] Prince Albert II of Monaco. The latter appointed the Japanese automaker as the official supplier of luxury cars to the blue-blooded residents of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

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Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf Receive Top IIHS Safety Ratings in Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released the results of the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars, with the two EVs earning the highest safety ratings. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf were awarded the top rating of “good” for front, side, rear and rollover crash protection.

Since both cars are fitted as standard with electronic stability control systems, they also qualified as winners of Top Safety Pick, the Institute's award for state-of-the-art crash protection.

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Chevrolet Reveals 38-MPG 2013 Malibu ECO at New York Auto Show

Along with the standard version of the all-new 2013 Malibu, Chevrolet also introduced the ECO-flavored variant of its mid-size sedan at the New York Auto Show. The Malibu ECO returns a fuel consumption of 38 mpg (6.19 liters/km) on the highway and 26 mpg (9 liters/100 km) in the city, with Chevrolet boasting that it’s the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in the company's 100 year-long history.

The new version features GM’s eAssist “light electrification” technology, which is the company’s way of saying it is a micro-hybrid car. The eAssist uses a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking electric assist and start-stop functionality.

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New Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge Concept Previews Hybrid Version

Since Toyota launched the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius in 1997 (because let’s face it, Toyota was the one that made hybrids a household name), more and more automakers are following in the Japanese automaker’s footsteps. Oddly enough , Suzuki isn’t one them, at least not until now as the carmaker has expressed its intention to launch a hybrid version of the Kizashi sedan in the very near future.

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Toyota Rolls Out Online Ordering Site for Upcoming Prius Plug-In Hybrid

In preparation for the 2012 market launch of its new Prius Plug-in hybrid (PHV), Toyota's U.S. division announced the introduction of a new online order system that will kick off later this year.

Customers who are interested in the Prius Plug-in hybrid are invited to register on Toyota's website in order to have first access to the online order system when it becomes available later in the year. Appropriately, the first phase of the online order program, called Priority Registration, will launch on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

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