Category Archives: News

NEWS: Calsonic is no more, say hello to Marelli

As of September 9, Calsonic Kansei is no more. The company whose bright blue livery graced many a Bubble Era race car is now known as Marelli. That’s Marelli, as in Magneti Marelli SpA., the Italian supplier of electronics, fuel … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A Mazda Miata now holds the world record for most hairpin turns in 12 hours

While most automakers are chasing speed records on the Nürburgring, Mazda has been quietly unlocking an achievement of a different sort. Mazda Germany revealed last month that back on July 18, it had broken the world record for most hairpin … Continue reading

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NEWS: The best way to get around Kyushu right now is via Land Cruiser

Torrential downpours have struck Japan’s western region of Kyushu, where three deaths due to Typhoon Krosa have been confirmed and the government has issued evacuation warnings for 870,000 residents. Footage of vehicles up to their headlights in brown water is … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota and Suzuki’s stock share meld takes us one step closer to a Japanese Big Three

Some industry news out of Japan tells us that Toyota and Suzuki have made their courtship official in the way that multinational corporations do: by taking a stock stake in each other. The two companies announced a technology sharing partnership … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota may kill off the Land Cruiser in the US market

We desperately hope this is wrong, but rumor has it that Toyota plans to kill off the Land Cruiser in the US market. If true that would mean the longest running model in the company’s history, offered continuously since day … Continue reading

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NEWS: Lexus’ Nori Green Pearl is the new best color

Normally we don’t really report on a new car unless there’s some link to a past model, like a revived beloved nameplate, or some throwback design touches. There’s not much that’s retro about the new Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series, … Continue reading

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NEWS: Acura brings back yellow “heritage color” to the NSX

Acura is bringing back one of the most memorable colors for the NSX: yellow. According to Honda, Spa Yellow, named after the official racing color of Belgium and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, was the fifth most popular color for the first-generation … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota’s next supercar could cost $1.8 to $2.7 million

Another reason Toyota might have farmed out the production of the A90 Supra is that it might be coming out with another supercar that will blow the Supra, 2000GT, and Lexus LFA out of the water. Reportedly, Toyota is planning … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda still testing rotary engine in RX-8 mule

Last year we reported that Mazda appeared to be running an RX-8 test mule in Europe. The RX-8, as you know, has been out of production since 2012, and a rotary engine successor has gone through more cycles of rumor … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda might have a sporty 3 in the works

Mazda has trademarked a bunch of new model names in Europe, including one that might herald a sub-Miata sports offering: MX-30. The name recalls the sporty MX-3 hatchback of the 90s, which was sold in Japan as the Eunos Presso … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mitsubishi Motors relocating North American headquarters to Tennessee

Mitsubishi Motors is relocating their North American headquarters to Franklin, Tennessee. The move was announced by Tennessee governor Bill Lee today. The change of address is expected to strengthen Mitsubishi’s tie-up with Nissan, which moved to Franklin in 2006.

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NEWS: Acura might bring back the Legend

A beloved Acura nameplate might be making a comeback. Honda has filed a trademark application for the word “Legend” in the category of vehicles with the Europe’s intellectual property office. The speculation, of course, is that it would be applied … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda to offer more 30th Anniversary Miatas to US buyers

The Mazda Miata 30th Anniversary Edition sold out in just four hours after its introduction in February. All 500 allocated to the US market were spoken for during pre-order, but now Mazda is giving 143 buyers who missed out the … Continue reading

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NEWS: Nissan creates a watch for John Morton using his Datsun 510’s chin spoiler

Nissan has created a watch just for racing legend John Morton in honor of his SCCA championships behind the wheel of Datsun cars. The one-off timepiece incorporates not only design cues, but parts from the actual No. 46 BRE Datsun … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda is building a rear-wheel-drive straight-six platform

Mazda is working on a rear-wheel-drive platform to be powered by an inline-6 engine. An investor presentation posted recently on a Mazda website revealed that inline-6 engines running on diesel and gasoline (in compression-ignition SkyActiv-X guise) will be mounted longitudinally … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda restores a BD Familia hatchback

In 2015 Mazda launched an in-house restoration program of a 1967 Cosmo Sport. With a key goal of providing its younger employees with a connection to the company’s heritage, it resulted in the world’s most definitive restoration of an L10A … Continue reading

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NEWS: Japan’s new emperor takes first ride in a Toyota Century Royal

On May 1, Japan’s newest Emperor, Naruhito, took his first ride as the head of the royal family to a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Of course, the media was very interested in his inheritance of the swords … Continue reading

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NEWS: It’s the end of the road for the Nissan Z Roadster

The end of the Heisei Era has taken another model along with it. Nissan has confirmed that droptop versions of the Nissan Z will no longer be sold starting with the 2020 model year. While this doesn’t affect the Z … Continue reading

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NEWS: It’s the end of the road for the Toyota Mark X

All good things must come to an end, and today we must bid farewell to yet another steadfast nameplate of Japan’s automotive landscape. On the very same day that Mitsubishi announced the end of the Pajero, Toyota announced, after 11 … Continue reading

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NEWS: It’s the end of the road for the Mitsubishi Pajero

It’s always sad when a storied and accomplished lineage comes to an end with no successor in sight. Today, that fate belongs to the Mitsubishi Pajero. On Wednesday Mitsubishi Motors announced that the illustrious off-roader will cease sales in Japan … Continue reading

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