Toyota announced today that they will build a small hybrid car in France, apparently based on the Yaris compact. Toyota already builds the Auris hatchback in Europe, which is available with a hybrid system.

In a statement released by the company, the Japanese manufacturer said “This decision fits in Toyota’s strategy to extend the full hybrid technology to an increasing number of models.” Honda is expected to unveil a hybrid version of the Fit subcompact, that would directly compete with the new Toyota model.

The new model Over 300,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrids have been sold in Europe over the past decade. The plant will get a $70 million investment as part of the hybrid production plans. Toyota is aiming to have a hybrid model of each car in its lineup by 2020.

[Source: Automotive News]

Nissan has finally hit the magic number of 20,000 Leaf pre-orders, and will not be taking any more pre-orders for the time being. An announcement posted on the website MyNissanLeaf states that

“Nissan aggressively anticipated reaching its goal of 20,000 consumer reservations by December 2010 and we are excited to announce that we have reached this goal 3 months ahead of schedule! Therefore, on 9/23/10, Nissan will shut down the reservation system in order to focus on providing the best level of customer service and premium ownership experience to those who have already reserved.

All current reservation holders will continue to have the opportunity to purchase or lease a Nissan LEAF. Those who are interested in the Nissan LEAF but have yet to make a reservation are invited to sign up for information and updates on http://www.nissanusa.com. A subsequent phase of reservations for those consumers will begin next year.”

Looks like any prospective Leaf buyers will have to wait it out for a little while. We’re sure that Chevrolet will be happy to take their money and quench their thirst for an electric vehicle.

[Source: MyNissanLeaf]

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Turbocharging is moving away from the performance sphere and into the mainstream as companies seek to get more power and fuel economy from smaller displacement engines.

Honeywell, a leading automotive equipment supplier and turbocharger company, estimates that by 2015, 35 million new vehicles with turbochargers will be sold annually, up from 17 million right now. While Honeywell has an obvious interest in promoting the use of this technology, their numbers are backed by independent research firms like J.D. Power, and the company is hedging its bets on the internal combustion engine.

“Despite the buzz around hybrid and electric vehicles, it is clear that automakers will be looking primarily at turbocharged engines to help ‘green’ their fleets and meet the regulatory targets like CAFE in the U.S.,” Alex Ismail, president and CEO of Honeywell Transportation System, told Wired magazine.

While alternative fuel vehicles have their merits, you’ll never find us complaining about more turbocharged gasoline engines.

[Source: Wired Magazine]

Ford‘s 2012 Focus has kept a low profile since it’s debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. While we heard endless stories about the Chevrolet Cruze in the run up to its launch, the only news coming out from the Ford camp is the admittedly big announcement about the Focus ST.

Now comes another nugget of information leaking out from Dearborn, this time in video form. A pre-production 2012 Focus is seen lapping the track, and while it’s hard to decode much from the video, The Truth About Cars seems to be enthusiastic about the car’s handling prowess. Judge for yourself after the jump.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

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BMW will allow consumers to try out their ActiveE electric car, based on the 1-Series Coupe, in certain markets, prior to a broader rollout of electric vehicles, culminating in the Megacity EV’s debut in 2013.

The ActiveE will be offered for lease starting next summer. The ActiveE will be offered in New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Boston and Connecticut – all places where an electric car is likely to be well received.  With a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 90 mph, the ActiveE is likely suited to these locales, where distance driving is not as crucial and having a BMW badge on the hood goes a long way in the status rat race.

Hit the jump to see the official press release

[Source: BMW]

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Today’s shocking bit of news comes from a Motor Trend article on the future of Cadillac. While discussing future plans for the big rear-drive Zeta platform, MT claimed that the next generation Holden Commodore would switch to the Epsilon II platform that currently underpins cars like the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Lacrosse.

Performance versions of the Commodore, along with the premium-positioned Holden Statesman would retain their RWD layout, but mainstream Commodores would move to front-wheel drive, a move that would likely shock buyers of the full-size Aussie muscle barge.

Rumors have been flying for some time that the Ford Falcon is going to front-drive, so the decision might make business sense, but will surely disappoint legions of hoons who rely on the Commodore for burnouts and other thrills.

[Source: Motor Trend]

The KTM X-Bow is already targeted at the .01% of the population who desires the ultimate in trackday-nutcase transportation. For that sub-segment of masochists who desire even more thrills, there’s the newly released X-Bow R.

Powered by a 300-horsepower Audi S3 engine, the four-cylinder turbo powerplant will be positioned lower in the car to provide a better balanced chassis. Two variants will be offered, a Sport version that’s road legal, and a Race model that can only be driven on the track.

KTM has yet to announce specific details, but said that current X-Bow owners will be given the chance to upgrade their current car to R specification.

[Source: Autocar]

Infiniti‘s FX crossover is getting a price cut for the upcoming model year, in light of a sales drop of 12.4% year-to-year. The FX35 gets a $1,250 reduction while the FX50 gets a $2,600 discount.

A rear-drive FX35 will start at$41,600 while the all-wheel-drive model will cost $43,050. The V8 powered FX50 tops out at $56,400.

The FX’s downturn is highlighted by its drop from 2009 sales, which were poor by normal standards. While Infiniti is up significantly this year, the FX appears to be lagging behind the rest of the lineup, and the brand is looking for ways to help move more units.

[Source: Infiniti]

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Not only is it not even for sale, Chevy hasn’t even officially unveiled the Camaro Convertible yet – but that isn’t stopping them from auctioning off one of the first models at the Las Vegas Barrett-Jackson even today.

That doesn’t mean the Camaro Convertible will be revealed today, however, as Chevy says the vehicle being shown at the Mandalay Bay auction will be the concept vehicle that has been touring auto shows throughout the world. Its not the first Camaro Convertible either, as that model will be kept by GM for its museum.

All proceeds from the sale of the car will go to help the YMCA of Southern Nevada.

How much would you pay for a Camaro Convertible?

GALLERY: Chevy Camaro Convertible Concept

Official release after the jump:

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To celebrate Pininfarina’s 80th anniversary, Ferrari has released its most exclusive vehicle ever – the SA Aperta. The name itself is in honor of Sergio and Andrea Pinfarina and just 80 of the vehicles will be built – all of which have already been sold. For the record, that’s just a fifth of the production of the notoriously rare Enzo.

Power comes from the same engine found in the 599 GTO, with 670-hp on tap from Ferrari’s incredible 6.0-liter V12 engine. In addition, Ferrari claims their engineers managed to remove the roof of the car, while retaining the structural rigidity and adding only a “negligible” amount of additional weight.

The body itself features a lower windscreen than the 599 and has a lowered suspension, while the two rollbars mimic the design of the seats and flow backwards into two aerodynamically designed bulges.

Ferrari will officially debut the SA Aperta at the Paris Auto Show, so be sure to check back for AutoGuide’s complete coverage starting September 30th.

GALLERY: Ferrari SA Aperta

Official release after the jump:

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