Honda CR-V, 2012: New edition images leaked on Japan site

Like several other manufacturers, Honda was planning to debut the new edition e of its most successful vehicles, the CR-V sport utility vehicle, at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Instead, the 2012 edition was unveiled accidentally or accidentally on purse in automaker's Japanese-language website. Images of the 2012 CR-V crossover are not-too-different from the photos of concept of the car unveiled in September. If the images are correct, the new CR-V features a more prominent grille and more pointed windows and more steeply angled rear lines. The CR-V will also reportedly features a new platform with more interior

Read more

Hybrid market expands in 2012, Toyota Prius v to BMW

Citing impressive statistics, the Auto Channel on MSN.com has a comprehensive listing of 2012 hybrids, from the industry standard Toyota Prius to its new sibling, the Prius v, as well as debuting high-end offerings from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. MSN.com states as many as 50 hybrids could be on the market by 2015 and that ghe overall hybrid market share has nearly doubled in 2011 to about two percent. Here, for example. is what MSN.com said about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Toyota Prius v: Hyundai Sonata: "This impressive hybrid entry is fast gaining converts, and it's not hard to

Read more

Hyundai Genesis, 2012: The most feared car in the world?

The 2012 Hyundai Genesis is one of the most feared cars in the auto industry. For a base price of $34,000 you get all of the luxury that once was the sole domain of car companies like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. You also get a 333 HP engine that pulls like a steam locomotive. You also get all of the features usually associated with luxury cars including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, heated and cooled driver's seat, as well as heated passenger and rear seats. You also get soft leather over almost every surface with traditional French stitching. Roman Mica,

Read more

Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, 2012: Fast, luxurious, expensive

Despite a lazy economy, you can still buy posh Mercedes-Benz models that accelerate like locomotives at full steam. And one glance at the revised 2012 Mercedes CLS63 AMG should tell you this is one very fast, luxurious car. It looks expensive and is expensive at $94,900 — without desirable options. With the destination charge, they pushed the price of my new test CLS63 AMG to $112,585. This four-door sedan has coupe-like styling, pioneered by Mercedes in 2006 with the original CLS and has been copied by other automakers. Some may feel the revised styling of the 2012 CLS63 AMG is

Read more

Another Saab story: Chinese buy ailing Swedish carmaker

Chinese distributor Pang Da Automobile Trade and auto manufacturer Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile have purchased Saab, the struggling 62-year-old Swedish automaker who proudly once marketed itself as "Built From Jets," for $142 million. If the transaction is completed by Nov. 15, it will designate the second time Saab has been purchased in the past two years. General Motors sold Saab to Swedish Automotive in early 2010 as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. Swedish Automotive is a Dutch company then known as Spyker, a high-end brand of hand-made sports cars. But Saab continued to struggle under the new ownership. China has

Read more

Ron Howard set to direct F1 film on Nikki Lauda, Ferrari

Ron Howard, whose long acting, directing and producing career have included auto-related movies Grand Theft Auto and American Graffiti, is in pre-production for another auto-themed film, Rush. The film, in which Ferrari will likely be consulting, depicts legendary Ferrari race driver Niki Lauda’s perilous quest in 1976 to repeat as Formula One Champion. Howard was recently in Italy and met with Lauda and Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who was in charge of the Ferrari race team Howard was given a tour of the Ferrari factory and nearby locations in a Ferrari — and with Lauda driving. Rumored for a

Read more

2012 Toyota Camry gets duties as Daytona 500 pace car

The 2012 Camry Pace Car, a specially equipped 2012 Toyota Camry SE that will start the field for the 54th Daytona 500 next February 26, will be on display Nov. 1-4 at the 2011 SEMA Show Toyota exhibit. It will be the first time a non-GM, Ford or Chrysler nameplate has paced the Daytona 500. The Camry Pace Car is based a 2012 Camry SE, which features a 268 horsepower V6. It is specially equipped with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric tires mounted on BBS RS 8.5 x 19 wheels, a StopTech Big Brake Kit, TRD custom stainless steel exhaust and

Read more

Scion tops Japan's reliability dominance in Consumer Reports annual survey; Ford stumbles

Scion lead the dominance of nine Japanese car manufacturers among the top 10, while Ford dramatically stumbled in the annual most reliable survey conducted by Consumer Reports magazine. The best and worst-performing brands is based on feedback from 1.3 million subscribers to the United States-based publication. The Scion xD was identified as the best model, followed by Lexus (CT 200h) as the next highest-rated model. Acura came in third place, followed by Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Subaru and Nissan. Volvo was the best-performing non-Japanese brand in 10th place. Hyundai and Kia, both of South Korea, took the next two spots,

Read more

Eyecare professionals offer tips for improved night driving

As days get shorter, night driving increases. As a result, statistics tell problematic a story. Nearly one in three drivers have more difficulty seeing while driving at night. Twentypercent of all drivers have difficulty seeing signs or exits while driving at night. And 20 percent of all drivers have difficulty seeing animals, viewing pedestrians and judging distances at night. On the new edition of Healthy Vision, host Dr. Val Jones discusses changes to vision in the dark and advice is offered by optometrist Dr. Cristina Schnider and John Ulczyski, Vice President of the National Safety Council, for improved eye care

Read more

Record price expected for 117-year-old steam motorcycle

A historic 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle is expected to establish a new world record for a motorcycle sold at auction when more than 400 motorcycles are offered Jan. 12-14 at Auctions America in RM’s debut at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The second of only two steam-powered motorcycles built by Sylvester Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts, arguably one of America’s first auto manufacturers, the 117-year-old motorcycle is regarded as one of the world’s oldest, predating early examples produced by Orient, Indian and Harley-Davidson. The current world record for a motorcycle sold at auction is held by a

Read more

Porsche Reunion 2011 at Laguna Seca gets Speed TV slots

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV, held Oct. 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and presented for the first time on the West Coast, will be broadcast on Speed TV five times beginning at noon (PST) Nov. 13. More than 350 of the rarest Porsches competed in the famed track on the Monterey Peninsula with more than 1,300-plus Porsches staged in the traditional car corral area. Here's the schedule (all times are PST): Sunday, Nov. 13, noon; Monday, Nov. 14, midnight; Saturday, Nov. 19, 1 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 30, 11 p.m; Thursday, Dec., 1 a.m. Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV was the

Read more

Ferrari fantasy: How about owning a F430 for a $1 donation?

The owner of a new charity website called TheFreeFerrari.com is likely offering the best fantasy car prize ever — a Ferrari F430. It could be won by someone who donates as little as $1. Brian McLane, whose brother was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's lymphoma, initiated the site, the proceeds of which will go The Cancer Patient Relief Foundation (https://www.TCPRF.org). With as little as a $1 donations, entrants' chances grow exponentially via the link they receive just by donating via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites. When their friends click, the donors receive additional entries for every entry

Read more

Toyota Prius v, Mitsubishi i among five best 2012 'green' cars

,

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI are the finalists for The Green Car of the Year award presented by the Green Car Journal yearly at the Los Angeles Auto Show. For the seventh consecutive year, the Green Car of the Year will honor environmental leadership in the automotive field, with the winner being announced during a press conference Nov. 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. These five finalists are also honored as Green Car Journal’s Top 5 Green Cars for 2012 for rising

Read more

Toxic cars sold in Japan seven months after nuclear meltdown

Seven months after the nuclear meltdown in Japan that occurred in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, vehicles contaminated by the radiation in the area have received new registrations and license plates and sold as used cars. Vehicles from the area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which suffered a series of meltdowns March 11, were scheduled to be destroyed. But dealers have been selling them, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. Dealers have traditionally bought used vehicles in Japan and exported them to Russia and Southeast Asia, according to the Telegraph. In June, Russian police turned back

Read more

Hyundai lands three models on Forbes' best used cars list

Hyundai has three vehicles among the best value used cars available in the U.S. market, according to a new report on Forbes.com. The Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Sonata all made the list among the 11 best 2008 cars selected. According to Forbes, the supply of used cars has diminished in recent years because car owners are keeping cars longer for economic reasons. Forbes also reports the average price of a 1-to-3 year-old used car has increased from about $15,000 in 2008 to about $23,000 in 2011. As one example, Forbes wrote about the 2008 Hyundai Elantra: "While the

Read more

Cars 2 driving across global boundaries, now online in China

Cars 2, the popular animated movie with myriad American movie stars, including Owne Wilson and Michael Caine, providing voiceover roles, now has a mainland China counterparts in the debut of the film online via the website, Tuduo.com. The availability of Cars 2 online, which began Oct. 24 and is between Tudou Holdings Limited and The Walt Disney Company, marks the first time that a full-length film from Disney's Pixar Animation Studios has been made available through an online video website in Mainland China. Cars 2 is available for on-demand viewing on Tudou's website for a fee. Viewers can choose among

Read more