You really don’t want to crash at the Nürburgring. Seems like a pretty obvious statement, right? Well it is, but not necessarily for the reasons you may be thinking. The ‘Ring may be one of the most feared racetracks in the world, with its 13+ miles of twists, turns and elevation changes, but the most frightening part of lapping the most famous course on Earth is the potential damage bill if you hit the wall. Forget fixing your car, that comes second to repairing the Armco barriers you’ve just dented. How big can that bill get? Hit the jump to find out.

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When it rains, it pours, as Toyota knows all too well. As if their spate of problems wasn’t enough, fate seems to be pouring even more salt in their wounds, as the company has been forced to recall their flagship Lexus LS460 sedan due to a steering defect in the Variable Gear Ratio Steering system. Toyota says the issue is both mechanical and software related.

Toyota plans to recall 11,500 vehicles in total, said Toyota spokesman Mieko Iwasaki. Toyota paid a $16 million dollar fine to the U.S. government Tuesday for their part in an unintended acceleration scandal that saw roughly 10 million vehicles recalled.

[Source: Business Week]

Porsche enthusiasts were up in arms when the brand launched their Cayenne SUV, but 8 years on, the car truck saved the brand from oblivion, and helped fund new, exciting models like the Panamera and the Boxster Spyder. For 2011, a more capable, more streamlined and less belligerent Cayenne is on its way and pricing has just been announced.

Porsche hasn’t issues a press release yet, but the pricing information has leaked on to its website. Starting at $46,700 for the 3.6L V6 version, the sticker rises to $63,700 for the V8 powered “S’ model, while the new hybrid, combining a supercharged 3.0 V6 and a hybrid motor and battery will run you $67,700. We predict that the hybrid will be massively popular with faux-eco types all over the world.

[Source: Porsche]

An Indiana post office was evacuated Tuesday after a suspicious package was discovered, addressed to a Toyota factory. The package was determined harmless by a local bomb disposal technician, but the scare follows 3 other suspicious packages sent to other plants as well as Toyota USA headquarters.

According to police, the package originated in Nigeria, and contained a small metal tube with electronic parts inside. Similar packages were sent to Toyota plants and offices in Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas. Both Toyota and law enforcement officials have no idea what is motivating these bizarre hoaxes and will not comment on their nature. The FBI, as well as other federal officials are now investigating the matter

[Source: USA Today]

Wald International is one of Japan’s premier tuner of high-end automobile brands. But as of the last recent years their brand name has lost some of its luster – strangely as the brand has also increased in popularity on this side of the Pacific. So when we got word that Wald would be showcasing a new wheel we were anxious and had high hopes. Well, the Germania G21 wheels are here and we have to admit, we’re a little underwhelmed.

Wald chose to use their Black Bison edition Mercedes-Benz E-Classes to display the new 21-inch wheel. Almost all of Wald’s wheels feature bold and in-your-face designs while maintaining a classy and refined style to them. They were always “just enough” without going “over the top”. But the new Germania G21 seems to lack a lot of depth. Sure we’re well aware that many manufacturers are turning towards a monoblock/one-piece style for cost savings, but having absolutely no concave or depth to the wheels really throws it off. We couldn’t help but think some of these photos were bad Photochops given how flat the face of the wheel is.

We like the chrome with contrasting black finish on the spokes, but overall the design of the wheel leaves a bit more to be desired. But hey, at least the two modified E-Classes make for great eye-candy.

GALLERY: Wald Germania G21 Wheels on Black Bison Mercedes E-Class

[Source: WorldCarFans]

As Nissan strives to sell the Leaf electric car at an affordable price point, the company is expressing concerns that the current subsidies offered by governments to encourage EV adoption will expire after three years, hurting sales and pushing the cost of electric vehicles back into unattainable territory.

“My assumption is that they won’t be cut off but they might be pared back,” Nissan Vice-President Simon Thomas said. “There’s no obligation for governments to extend those programs beyond the definitive agreement — and in some countries we don’t have a definitive agreement.”

Nissan is struggling to keep the Leaf below 30,000 euros. The car will make its debut in Portugal and the Netherlands this December, because the two countries offer a 5,000 euro credit for electric vehicles.  However, the company said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the cars would turn a profit, likely around the third year of production.

[Source: Business Week]

Believe it or not, this Chevrolet Trailblazer convertible (a one-off, thankfully), is not some backyard redneck conversion, but a professionally done job used for the Rose Bowl parade.

With more passenger and cargo room the a Jeep Wrangler, the Trailblazer convertible is also a more unique alternative, but the vehicle comes with a few limitations. It was never designed to be a convertible, so the structural integrity of the car is suspect, and there’s no soft or hardtop that you can install during bad weather. This is not a “rain or shine” vehicle, folks.

On the other hand, the car comes with a sweet set of chrome dubs, and some custom bodywork that removes the TrailBlazer’s unsightly body cladding. For those who must have this car, the seller only wants $15,000 or best offer, not bad for a car with under $30,000 miles on it.

Head on over to Motorz for more details, including the seller’s contact information.

[Source: Motorz]

Gallery: Chevrolet Trailblazer Droptop

A new report by J.D. Power and Associates claims that 49% of American car buyers opted for four-cylinder powertrains in cars and light-trucks purchased during the month of April. Concerns over fuel economy and gas prices helped spark a trend in consumers picking the smaller engines in the first quarter of 2010, with 46.5% choosing them, versus 41.9% last year.

Manufacturers are also hoping on the four-banged only bandwagon. Hyundai‘s Sonata and Buick‘s all-new Regal are both available exclusively with four-cylinder engines, and offer turbocharged variants for those who want six-cylinder power. The Regal has historically offered six or eight cylinder powerplants, but GM and Hyundai feel that technologies like direct-injection, six-speed gearboxes and turbocharging will give consumers the perfect blend of power and fuel economy.

With most four-cylinders developing the same power as the V6 engines did a decade ago, the reasons for buying a V6 sedan look increasingly redundant, and consumers are beginning to take notice. After all, who needs a 300 horsepower V6 family car when the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo puts out 274 horses and 34 miles per gallon on the highway?

[Source: USA Today]

Volkswagen patriarch Ferdinand Piech is no stranger to grandiose projects, having overseen the Volkswagen Phaeton uber-luxury sedan, as well as the Bugatti Veyron hypercar. While Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear lamented that the worst part about driving a Veyron is that after it was over,  he’d never be able to experience it again, it looks like there will be another opportunity.

In a speech given at a university in Vienna, Austria, Piech let it slip that engineers were working on an all new car that will develop 1200 horsepower. According to the poorly translated report, vehicles like the Koenigsegg CCXR have stolen some of the Veyron’s thunder by garnering ratings in excess of 1000 horsepower, and Bugatti is eager to take back the crown.

While power is a nice thing to have, a lighter curb weight would improve all facets of the vehicles performance, including acceleration, handling, braking and fuel economy. We hope that some weight reduction is in order for the next Bugatti, as the Veyron was anything but svelte, even if it was an awesome feat of technology.

[Source: TeamSpeed]

A Bugatti Veyron that appeared on the BBC hit show Top Gear was owned by a man recently sent to jail for pretending to be a member of Kuwait’s royal family and bilking retired nurses out of their pensions.

Koroush Pour operated a leasing firm in the upscale Kensington district of London. According to the UKPA, Pour operated what is essentially a Ponzi scheme, using other people’s money to cover various debts and financial obligations. Pour managed to defraud banks and other clients out of $875,000 before he was caught.

[Source: UKPA]