Car Blog

A Total of 40 Vehicle Debuts Already Anticipated at the Nov. 17 and 18 Press Days

The Los Angeles Auto Show announced that more than 20 World Debuts are confirmed for the 2010 Press Days, Nov. 17 and 18. Many important North American premieres are also anticipated, bringing the total vehicle debuts to approximately 40.

This year’s show will feature a greater number of significant World Debuts than ever before. Because the unveilings are coming from manufacturers in Europe and Asia, in addition to the U.S., more international media are expected to attend.

“The growing global significance of the LA show is clearly demonstrated by the number and importance of the debuts,” said Andy Fuzesi, general manager, LA Auto Show.

In addition to more debuts, the auto industry’s continued economic recovery has spurred greater participation and engagement from manufacturers at the show. Nissan and Infiniti are returning with a major presence after a one-year break from auto shows. Several significant World Debuts are expected from Nissan including the all-new Quest minivan, as well as, important news about the much anticipated all-electric Leaf. Also, Fiat is returning to the U.S. after almost a 27-year hiatus and will feature its new vehicle for the U.S. market, the Fiat 500-Cinquecento. Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota Motor Sales  U.S.A. announced that Lexus intends to conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 39,000 2003-2007 Model Year LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft condition. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this safety recall.

This action follows an announcement made by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan on July 29, 2010.

Lexus has determined that the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.

Lexus is not aware of any accidents related to this condition.

“At Lexus, we are committed to setting a new standard for quality customer care and aggressive attention to the safety of our drivers,” said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of Lexus. “Our engineers have thoroughly investigated this issue and have identified a robust and durable remedy that will help prevent this condition from affecting drivers in the future.”

The remedy for this condition involves replacing the snap ring with a newly designed one and the installation of an additional component to prevent separation of the steering shaft. Lexus will begin sending out notification to owners of involved vehicles by first class mail beginning in mid-August 2010, advising them to bring their vehicles to their local Lexus dealer to have this remedy performed at no charge.

Detailed information about this recall is available through Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall.

1990: Meetings begin concept work on Project G21, “a car for the 21st Century”, in Toyota City and Higashifugi Technical Center. Fuel economy target was 20 kilometers per liter, about 50% better than other passenger cars of the time.

1994 (January): Project team addresses drivetrain, chassis and packaging decisions. The team was granted the right to develop new parts from scratch “if necessary.”

1994 (July): G21 Project, Phase III begins, accelerating development for production of the Prius parallel to development of Toyota’s experimental hybrid system.

1995 (June): Toyota Hybrid System approved and code-named 890T.

1995 (October): Hybrid concept Prius displayed at Tokyo Motor Show with propulsion system described as Toyota-EMS (“Energy Management System”).

1996 (December): Anticipating the future EV and hybrid vehicle market, Panasonic EV Energy was established as a joint venture between Matsushita and Toyota.

1997 (December): Gen 1 Prius launched in Japan after a final design period of 17 months. Wins Japan Car of the Year award and Global Climate Protection Award from the U.S. EPA, among other accolades.

1998: Announced in July that Toyota would export 20,000 units annually to North America and Europe.

2000: Post-Prius era of automotive history begins. From this time on, the concept of environmental performance begins to take root, and all economy cars would be compared to the Prius.

2003: Prius sales hit 24,000 units, double the number originally planned.

2004: Second generation Prius launched, called “Car of the Year” by Motor Trend Magazine.

2007: Total U.S. Prius sales reach 500,000 units since it first launched in July 2000.

2008: National average gas prices hit $4.09 per gallon on July 7.

2009: Third generation Prius launched as 2010 model with larger 1.8-liter engine, 0.25 coefficient of drag and 51 mpg City.

Ten years ago Toyota launched a new kind of car in North America. It was the Prius, an affordable car with a hybrid gas/electric powertrain.

In the decade that followed, the Prius made an indelible mark on the automotive industry. The car with the signature wedge shape proved to be an agent of change, and a catalyst for innovative ideas. Over 1.8 million units have been sold in the world to date, with nearly 900,000 in the U.S. alone.

“Toyota recognized in the 1990s that sustainable transportation would become a huge challenge in the coming decades,” said Jim Lentz, president and COO of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. “Those realizations proved accurate, and if anything, even more profound considering what we know today.”

It’s hard to say what would have happened, had there been no Prius in the U.S., but in the 10 years since the car has been available, significant benefits have accrued. Nearly 900,000 people who chose to drive a Toyota Prius versus the average car have prevented an estimated nine million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere,* conserved approximately 650 million gallons of gas,** and saved an estimated 1.5 billion of their hard-earned dollars.***

The first Prius came to North America in July of 2000. That year, the hit of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Hummer H2, and national gasoline prices averaged about $1.50 per gallon. Modest Prius sales goals of 12,000 units a year were set.

Not all early reviews were flattering. One car magazine said, “With a real-world 35 mpg, this is a car that neither enthusiasts nor greenies can fully embrace.” Competing manufacturers announced that hybrids were “not an economical or practical solution” to America’s future needs. Many insisted that Toyota had provided the solution to a problem that did not exist. Read the rest of this entry »

Hyundai Recasts Intelligent Luxury with Two Equus Configurations

Hyundai revealed additional engineering and feature information for the all-new 2011 Equus today. The Equus will be offered in just two configurations, Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate, both lavishly contented.

Equus Signature features the award-winning 385-horsepower Tau® V8 engine, a 608-watt Lexicon® audio system with 17 speakers, electronically controlled air suspension with continuous damping control, Vehicle Stability Management with pre-collision warning, Smart Cruise Control, HID headlamps, front and rear parking assistance system with rearview camera, premium leather seating, Alcantara suede headliner, driver seat massage, heated and cooled front seats, heated wood and leather steering wheel, and numerous other premium technologies and features. The Equus Ultimate adds features typically found only in low-volume special-order luxury sedans with six-figure price tags, including a forward-view parking and cornering camera, power decklid, reclining rear seats with powered headrests, cooled rear seats, rear seat massage and leg support, rear seat refrigerator and a rear seat entertainment system.

“When you’re spending this much for a new car, you don’t want to feel like you’ve been shortchanged on engineering, technology or features,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. “Equus Signature has the technology and content of fully-optioned flagship models from Lexus and BMW, while Equus Ultimate delivers a specification approached only by our competitors’ low-volume, special-order models.”

This straightforward lineup of just two extremely well-equipped configurations enables a simple and elegant purchase experience, a key aspect of Hyundai’s innovative perspective on intelligent luxury, which also includes “Your Time, Your Place,” the industry’s first at-home vehicle demonstration program, the Valet Service program, which provides at-home pickup for Equus service and maintenance and the industry’s first iPad-based interactive owner’s manual. Read the rest of this entry »

The first open-top Audi supercar will begin at $161,000 MSRP – The V10 Audi R8 Spyder achieves 525-hp and a top speed of 195 mph – Planned arrival for the RS5 Coupe in the U.S. market is 2012

Audi  announced that pricing for the new 2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 quattro® supercar will begin at $161,000 with the first of the hand-assembled models reaching U.S. showrooms as soon as next month.

Audi also confirmed today that it intends to sell the Audi RS5 in the U.S. market starting in 2012. The high-revving 4.2-liter V8 engine in the Audi RS5 Coupe generates 450 horsepower. Like all Audi RS models sold in Europe and other markets, the RS5 Coupe applies its power to the road with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Details on equipment levels, pricing and fuel economy standards will be released at a later date.

Anticipation has been building for the arrival of the first Audi open-top supercar since it appeared as the car of choice for main character Tony Stark in the blockbuster action film Iron Man 2. The newest Audi R8 maintains the perfect balance of form and function that has distinguished coupe models in the R8 sports car family. But the R8 Spyder adds innovative touches that integrate the soft top without altering the dynamic styling lines, optimal weight distribution or high-performance characteristics of the coupe models.

The 2011 model-year MSRP for the R8 Spyder 5.2 quattro is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »