Later this week at the Chicago Auto Show, Scion will unveil the yet another special edition tC model. Presumably the last limited edition tC, the tC Release Series 6.0 comes painted in the exclusive SpeedWay Blue, with a matte-black graphics package.

The same blue hue is used in the interior for the seats as well as for the stitching on the steering wheel. Additional upgrades include an 4.3-inch touch-screen Alpine Premium Audio system with navigation that features iPod and USB connectivity.

Just 1,100 RS 6.0 tCs will be built and all models come with an individually numbered badge. Pricing is set at $18,620 with a manual transmission, and $19,420 with an automatic.

Sales will start this March with the car being officially unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday, February 10th. AutoGuide’s will deliver complete Chicago Auto Show coverage starting Feb. 10th.

GALLERY: Scion tC RS 6.0

Official release after the jump:

As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for the 2010 Prius hybrid, as well as the 2010 Lexus HS250h model. The recall affects 133,000 Prius models as well as 14,500 HS250 models so that the automaker can update the car’s ABS software. The recall does not affect previous generation Prius models or any other Toyota, Lexus or Scion models.

The recall comes after over 100 complaints were registered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), by Prius owners who commented on a loss of brakes (or at least brake feel) under braking on icy or bumpy roads. The fix has already been made on all models produced since late January.

Toyota has said it will begin mailing recall notification letters to owners next week, with HS250h owners receiving their letter a few weeks after that.

In addition to this recall, Toyota has issues a separate recall on 7,300 Camry 4-cylinder models built for the 2010 model year, due to a steering hose that may touch the front brake tube, leading to a brake fluid leak.

Toyota owners with questions can find detailed information about these recalls and Toyota’s other recalls at www.toyota.com/recall or can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

For more Toyota recall news visit the AutoGuide Toyota Recall News Hub here

Official release after the jump:

Dodge is once again releasing a new special edition versions of its Challenger with another signature paint color. This time it’s Furious Fuchsia and as girly as it might be, the Challenger still manages to look like a man’s machine.

While it may be feminine, what’s under the hood most certainly isn’t with no V6 being offered. Instead, Dodge will offer the Furious Fuchsia Challenger as an R/T Classic and as an SRT8 model. R/T models get matte-black or bright white side stripe package, “Challenger fender badges”, 20-inch wheels, a body colored rear spoiler, function hood scoop and racing style fuel door. Inside, there’s the option of Pearl White seats with Dark Slate Gray and Furious Fuchsia stitching. Those who opt for a six-speed manual transmission will also get the Track Pak with a 3.92 differential, dual-exhaust system, and a pistol-grip shifter to help get all 376-hp to the ground.

Better yet, ensure exclusivity with just one of 400 SRT8 models with 425-hp. It gets much of the same items but includes the Pearl White seats as standard with a Furious Fuchsia stripe, 20-inch forged aluminum SRT wheels with Stain Black accents, chrome quad-exhaust tips and a limited edition dash plaque.

Pricing for the R/T is set at $35,140, while SRT8 models will run you $45,150.

The Furious Fuchsia is the latest “high-impact heritage” paint color that Dodge has released, with a Plum Purple model being shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. Dodge will show the Furious Fuchsia Challenger R/T and SRT8 at the Chicago Auto Show later this week. We’ll be sure to bring you a few photos.

GALLERY: Furious Fuchsia Dodge Challenger R/T and SRT8

Official release after the jump:

Just last week we thought we’d have to wait for the New York Auto Show in late March before we’d get to see the 40th Anniversary Edition 370Z, but Nissan has just announced it has decided to display at the Chicago Auto Show, starting later this week. Nissan has been noticeably absent from the auto show circuit over the past year, even missing the LA and Detroit shows, but it will be in Chicago, displaying alongside its luxury arm Infiniti.

The big Nissan debut will be the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition, celebrating 40 years since the original 240Z landed in North American. Starting out as a well-equipped manual-transmission Touring model, this limited edition vehicle also gets the Sport Package, which includes the SynchroRev Match transmission, a front lip spoiler and rear spoiler, Nissan’s impressive sort brakes, a limited slip differential and 19-inch Rays forged wheels.

Added to this is a special “40th Quartz” paint job and a red leather interior. Other highlights include red brake calipers; a high luster smoked wheel finish; 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and front strut tower brace; red painted door trim; red stitching on the center stack, shift boot and steering wheel; 40th Anniversary stitching on the seatbacks and floormats; a plaque of authenticity and a special car cover.

The 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition is set to go on sale this Spring, priced from $38,860.

GALLERY: Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition

While the media was given a sneak peak at the all-new 2011 Infiniti  M37 and M56 models at a private event a few months back, the cars will be on public display for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show. After dropping out of most auto shows last year, skipping LA and then Detroit at the start of 2010, Infiniti and parent company Nissan made an 11th hour decision to attend the Chicago show.

For 2011 the M will be offered as both an M37 and M56, with both models being either RWD or AWD. Like the G37, the M37 is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 270 ft-lbs of torque. As for the M56, it gets a massive 5.6-liter mill with an impressive 420-hp and 417 ft-lbs of torque. In total, the new top-level M gets 95-hp and 81 ft-lbs of torque over its predecessor, the M45.

Those looking for even more sport can opt for a Sport Package (RWD only), that comes with 20-inch wheels, a sport tuned suspension, larger brake rotors with 4-piston front calipers and two-piston rears, 4-Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) steering, as well as a sport steering wheel, pedals and shift knob. Specific to the Sport Package are special double-piston shocks that deliver a ride that is both comfortable and stable. There’s even a unique front fascia.

Both engines come with Infiniti’s 7-speed sport automatic transmission, allowing the M56 to get even better fuel economy than the old M45.

As for the car’s size, it is larger than the outgoing M, measuring roughly half an inch longer at 194.7 inches, 2-inches wider at 72.6 inches. It is also roughly half an inch lower at 59.1 inches to help keep the car’s center of gravity low.

One of the most exciting features on the new M is Infiniti Drive that allows a driver to choose between four settings of throttle pressure and transmission shift points. There’s also an Active Tracing Control system that adjusts engine power and braking at all four wheels for optimum performance. Safety items include Blind Spot Warning and Blind Spot Intervention that helps bring the car back towards the center of the lane. There’s also an Eco Pedal feature that, when selected, uses green and yellow lights on the instrument panel to give the driver feedback on his or her driving, while also giving feedback through the gas pedal, pushing back to alert the driver when they are operating the vehicle inefficiently. Infiniti says that in testing this simple method has lead to improved fuel economy of five to 10 percent.

AutoGuide’s live 2010 Chicago Auto Show coverage begins Wednesday, February 10th.

GALLERY: 2011 Infiniti M37

GALLERY: 2011 Infiniti M56

With the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition set to debut at the Chicago Auto Show in just a few days, Nissan has announced a special European version of the sports car, debuting at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Called the 370Z Black Edition, it gets the same 19-inch Rays wheels, red-painted brake calipers, 40th anniversary badge and red leather interior as the North American-spec version. In fact, all that sets this model apart from its American cousin is the fact that Nissan will also offer the black edition in “quarts” grey (the same color offered in the U.S.) over in Europe.

Standard equipment includes a 332-hp 3.7-liter V6 engine, push button ignition with Intelligent Key and Nissan’s Hard Disk Drive navigation system. Both a six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic are available, with pricing set at £33,645 ( roughly $53,000).

GALLERY: Nissan 370Z Black Edition

Official release after the jump:

With a brake-related recall for the 2010 Toyota Prius expected any day now, Toyota is now said to be investigating the Lexus HS250h hybrid, which is also sold as the Sai in Japan. Using plenty of similar equipment to the HS the Prius has received over 100 complaints registered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as Japanese authorities. The NHTSA lists 10 brake-realated complaints for the HS.

Prius owners say they experienced a brief loss of braking capability when traveling over bumpy or icy roads. Toyota has admitted it knew of a problem that caused a brief loss of braking during the transition from the car’s regenerative braking to its traditional friction braking. Toyota refers to this as “slight unresponsiveness” and says it usually lasts less than a second. The automaker has said the issue has been solved on all models produced since late January but no recall has been ordered for models built before that time.

Over the weekend, Toyota engineers were busy testing the Prius at the company’s Higashifuji proving grounds. Toyota representative Ririko Takeuchi commented that the two models, “have very similar braking systems and we are currently checking whether they have the same problem.”

In the U.S., Toyota sold 6,699 Lexus HS hybrids last year, as well as 139,682 2010 Prius models.

[Source: Automotive News]

Having just announced the much-improved 2011 Shelby GT500 model, Ford is also debuting a new SVT Performance Pack for the car, which it says will deliver a 3.0-second per lap improvement on a 2.3 mile road course over the 2010 model.

So how is this possible? Well, along with the GT500’s 102-lb lighter engine, the Shelby team worked with Goodyear on a set of Eagle F1 SuperCar G2 tires, with a staggered 19-inch front and 20-inch rear fitment. Additional grip is also due to wider 265/40/19 tires up front. Ford claims the tires help deliver a 1.0 later g rating and a 7 percent improvement in braking.

“These tires are as close as you can get to a race car tire,” said Eric Zinkosky, SVT technical specialist. “We have a tire that’s way more capable, with better grip, is firmer and more race-oriented. From there, we tuned the chassis around it. The tires told us what we had to do.

Compared to the stock rollers, the new SVT light weight forged aluminum wheels weigh 4.7 lbs less up front and 2.8 lbs less in the rear.

Additional upgrades include stiffer springs that are 11 millimeters lower up front and 8 millimeters lower in the rear, while a longer 3.73 rear axle ratio is better suited to the car’s power on the track. Some aerodynamic improvements include a new rear spoiler Gurney Flap as well as a modified front end that delivers 25 percent better front downforce.

Pricing for the 2011 Shelby GT500 and the SVT Performance Package have not yet been released. Ford will officially debut the car and the package this Wednesday, February 10th at the Chicago Auto Show.

GALLERY: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Official release after the jump:

Thanks to an all-aluminum block and a numerous other upgrades, Ford is promising the 2011 Shelby GT500 will offer more power, a lower curb weight and improved handling. The new aluminum block weighs 102 lbs less than the old cast-iron unit and puts out 10-more horsepower for a total of 550-hp at 6200 rpm. Torque is rated at 510 ft-lbs, 80 percent of which is available from 1750 to 6250 rpm. Plus, a new two-row intercooler delivers 40 percent better cooling so this sports car will perform with optimum potential even on the hottest of track days.

Of that 102 lbs, 8.5 lbs was saved by using a state-of-the-art plasma coating for the cylinder walls, rather than having to use steel sleeves.

The result of this drastic reduction in weight, especially over the front axle, will result in a much more neutral vehicle to drive, especially at the limit. The weight reduction will also work to improve acceleration and braking, and even has tangible fuel-economy benefits. While owners aren’t too likely to care that the EPA rating has gone from 14/22 mpg (city/highway) to 15/23 mpg, they will when they discover that this improvement means the 2011 GT500 is the first modern Shelby to avoid the gas guzzler tax.

Along with the weight loss, additional handling improvements come from Ford’s new EPAS electronic power steering, which the automaker says delivers a better feel and a more precise movement, while also enabling less effort during low speed maneuvers.

Also new for 2011 is an optional glass roof and standard HID headlights. Convertible models are now 12 percent stiffer. Oh, and lets not forget an all-new 2.75-inch exhaust system, with more volume when you want it and less droaning when you don’t.

Those seeking even more performance from their GT500 will want to opt for the SVT Performance Package with some aerodynamic changes, lighter wheels shod in new Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar G2 tires, a higher rear axle ratio, a lower ride height and stiffer springs. Ford claims that on a 2.3-mile road course, the SVT package will net a 3 second per lap improvement!

Ford will officially unveil the updated 2011 Shelby GT500 at the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday, February 10th.

GALLERY: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Official release after the jump:

BMW has just released information and pricing on the refreshed 2011 X5 model, with an impressive new base engine and base price. For 2011 the old 3.0-liter straight six and xDrive30i model is replaced by BMW’s single-turbo six and xDrive35i model making 300-hp. This is enough to deliver a respectable 6.4 second to 60 mph time, which is the same number the old xDrive48i model hit. Along with the added power, improved acceleration comes by way of a new 8-speed automatic gearbox that BMW claims also improves fuel economy. Better yet, the new base price is down almost $1,800, with the 2011 model starting at just $46,675 including destination.

For 2011 the 48i has been replaced with a new xDrive50i model, using the same 400-hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 as found in the 5 Series GT, X6 and 7 Series. It also gets an 8-speed automatic transmission. Pricing for the 50i model goes in the opposite direction, however, increasing by about $2,100 over last year’s model to $59,275.

Other highlights for 2011 include larger air intakes and a new lower front fascia. In addition, more of the body panels will be painted, rather than left black, giving the SUV a more-premium and less rugged look. Also included for 2011 is a new Brake Energy Regeneration system that only recharges the battery when the vehicle is coasting or braking to reduce parasitic loss on the engine and reduce fuel consumption by one-to-two percent.

As for the diesel-powered xDrive35d, it gets aesthetic, but no engine changes.

BMW has said it will release new fuel economy numbers later this year, with the 201 X5 set to debut at the New York Auto Show in late March.

GALLERY: 2011 BMW X5

Some complete 2011 model year details after the jump: