Nissan recently announced it would showcase a total of nine vehicles at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, and the Japanese automaker has now decided to take the wraps off its collection in advance of the show.

Above is the Leaf Aero Concept, which Nissan says is a peak into the future at what electric cars could look like. Also set to debut in Tokyo (see below) is the Juke Sporty Package, featuring accessory add-ons (including 17-inch wheels) that will be offered through dealers in both North America and Europe.

Seven other models will also take the stage in Tokyo, including a track-specific GT-R and even a NISMO-tuned version of the Elgrand (now sold in the U.S. as the Quest minivan).

GALLERY: Nissan’s 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon Cars

Having already introduced numerous special edition models for 2010, Aston Martin has just released a selection of three more, all based on the DB9. The three new models are named Morning Frost, Carbon Black and Quantum Silver and can be ordered as either a coupe or Volante convertible.

The Carbon Black and Quantum Silver models get black or silver paint (respectively), as well as special 19-inch alloy wheels, a sports exhaust, piano black interior trim and glass switchgear.

As for the Morning Frost edition, it takes the luxury up a notch with pearl white paint, 19-inch wheels and silver brake calipers, while the interior is finished in a metallic bronze leather with piano black trim.

All three models come with Aston’s 470-hp 5.9-liter V12 engine, and all come with a special plaque to indicate which special edition it is.

Fans of rear-drive domestic performance sedans suffered a blow when General Motors decided to close the Pontiac brand and cease importing the rebadged Holden Commodore as the G8. While rumors continue to suggest GM will bring back a rear-drive Australian-sourced performance machine, they may have to act fast as a recent report suggests Ford may look to imitate the Holden/Pontiac strategy.

According to one Australian outlet, the Blue Oval may look ‘down under’ to its Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) division in order to source a version of the rear-drive Falcon GT – complete with a new supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that makes 449-hp and 420 ft-lbs of torque.

FPV is eager to expand its offerings and former Ford Australian president Bill Osborne already admitted a plan was underway to export the cars to China and the Middle East. For Ford of Australia the rewards could be huge, with Holden’s sale of the Pontiac G8 in the U.S. doubling production of the car globally.

Ford is currently promoting a global vehicle strategy that will not only see mainstream cars like the Fiesta and Focus created to be sold in all markets, but will also focus on utilizing the company’s performance vehicles in regional markets. Ford’s VP of global marketing, Jim Farley, recently commented that the automaker intends to put a focus on rear-drive models for the U.S. market.

Farley recently told AutoGuide that more special ‘regional’ performance vehicles are set to debut in the U.S. in the near future.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

At this year’s SEMA Show, Dodge boss Ralph Gilles hinted that he’s looking to bring back the Cuda, a car that just came another step closer to production with Chrysler having just registered the name.

Combined with the fact that the muscle car wars have been heating up for several years now, the introduction of the Barracuda (easily one of the most iconic names in the auto industry) is a certainty. What isn’t clear are the details, especially considering the Cuda was a Plymouth product – and Chrysler killed-off the Plymouth brand in 2001.

The car will most certainly be based on the Dodge Challenger underpinnings, and we sincerely hope that like the historic cars it will be slightly smaller overall – as doubtful as that may be.

[Source: AllPar]

Talk about a Christmas miracle. A VW Bus that was stolen back in 1974 is finally back with its rightful owner.

Michelle Squires had parked her 1964 VW Bus at an upholstery shop in Spokane, WA., back in the 1970s when it was stolen. When the vehicle could not be found, the insurance company eventually paid out and Squires lost all hope of ever seeing her treasured Vee-dub again.

That is until a custom’s official at the port of Los Angeles discovered it. The Bus was by now fully restored and was on its way to Germany when the customs agent discovered the stolen title on the vehicle and contacted Squires. Reunited at last! Not quite.

You see, since the insurance company had paid out for the Bus, they were the new owners of this vehicle. The insurance company then sent the vehicle to auction, to which Squires also went to buy back her Bus, but she could not match the top bidder.

It looked as if the Bus was now gone again forever. But destiny had other plans. Thanks to an issue with the paperwork, the bus could not leave Southern California and this gave Squires another chance to buy back her Bus.

Finally the Bus and Squires are reunited for good, and this grandmother of three plans to use her Bus for a good old fashioned road trip.

[Source: Jalopnik]

At the recent U.N. Climate Change Conference, the announcement to launch an all-electric racing series was made. The new series will be called Formulec EF01.

This new series will be performed on tracks around the world and in terms of performance will rival the current FIA Formula-3 series, which uses 2.0-liter gas engines.

The new race car, which is developed by the French company Segula Matra Technologies, features a pair of electric motors, mated to a custom 2-speed transmission developed by Hewland.

All the racing rules and regulations have not been announced yet, for instance, how long the races will be and if teams will be allowed to change the lithium-ion battery packs during the race. The SAFT developed battery pack can currently run for about 20-25 minutes and can take up to 90 minutes to charge.

The frame and bodywork for the new race car was developed by Mercedes-Benz Petronas F1 team at their facility in Brackley, U.K.

Michelin will develop new energy saving tires for the series. The prototype was tested at the Magny-Cours and Le Mans Bugatti circuit, where it set some impressive performance numbers. 0-60 mph took just 3 seconds, and it hit a top speed of 155 mph.

The plan is for the series to run 10 races on five continents. We wish this series all the best.

Beauty, it seems, is not in the eye of the beholder. True, while there’s some wiggle room for opinion, ugly is ugly and when it comes to the styling of a vehicle, the number’s don’t lie.

Acura has been highly criticized for its styling since it first introduced its beak front-end design with the 2009 TL and according to a new J.D. Power survey,those aren’t just the opinions of a few ivory tower auto journalists. The 2010 J.D. Power Avoidance Study has revealed that nearly half of all prospective Acura buyers cited the brand’s styling as their main reason for not purchasing an Acura. And to make matters worse, interior styling was cited as the second biggest reason for not picking an Acura.

Company representatives have continually toed the corporate line, defending the styling of vehicles as Acura rolled out its ‘shield’ design across the product lineup. Execs finally seem to have gotten the message, however, with the new 2011 models getting toned-down designs.

Not only are Acura’s designs hurting overall sales, but they are also having a negative effect on transaction prices which sit at an average of $37,665; a solid $5,000 less than it’s nearest rival reports TrueCar.

Were it not for the styling flop, Acura might be on a serious tear, as even with the design duds it has managed a 24 percent yearly increase in sales, putting it ahead of Audi, Infiniti and Lincoln in the luxury sales race but still well back of Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

Strong results like Automotive Lease Guide‘s No. 1 ranking for residual value and a No. 2 position in the annual J.D. Power Initial Quality Study can take a brand so far, but as the price of a vehicle increases, so does the importance of its design. With a rumored list of new debuts over the next few years, Acura would be wise to re-imagine what the brand should look like.

[Source: Automotive News]

Perhaps its a sign that the economy is recovering, or maybe it’s just escapism, but the most searched new car at AutoTrader.com for the past year is none other than the Ford Mustang. That’s right, not the ever-popular Ford F-150 or Toyota Camry (one a work truck, the other an appliance), but the iconic American sports car. And while the F-150 did come second, the Camry ranks fifth for 2010, behind the Chevrolet Silverado in 4th place and the Mustang-rivaling Camaro (which is poised to out-sell the pony car in 2010) in 3rd.

Of the Top 20 most searched new cars as listed in the AutoTrader.com November Trend Engine report (which also tallies results for the year as a whole), Ford claims a total of four positions. GM brands also score four spots, while both Honda and Chrysler (including Dodge and Jeep) each have three vehicles on the list.

For the Top 20 most searched used vehicle for 2010, the list includes many of the same names, with some shuffling going on. The biggest change is the ranking of the BMW 3 Series, which is listed as 2nd.

A notable trend that’s obvious from the report is the resurgence in popularity of trucks and SUVs. For the month of November, the Ford F-150 takes up the top spot, with the Chevy Silverado 1500 in 4th and the Dodge Ram 1500 in 5th.

See the complete Top 20 Most Searched Vehicles lists after the jump:

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Mustang Review by Clicking Here

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Mustang GT Review by Clicking Here

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For those customers who purchase a new 2011 Dodge Journey Lux or Durango Citadel, Dodge and Mopar are throwing in a three-year no charge scheduled ‘No Cost Maintenance Plus’  plan as part of the deal.

The program, which has a retail value of $1,100; includes oil, lube and filter changes every three months or 3,000 miles up to the 36 month period, scheduled maintenance every 6,000 miles, $35 per day courtesy car rental, up to a period of five days for any mechanical repairs, $100 sign up and go roadside assistance and a $1,000 trip interruption coverage, which covers up to $1,000 in rental car and lodging expenses, should the vehicle suffer from component failure covered by the factory warranty, more than 100 miles from home.

“Our mission at Mopar is to add value to our customer’s experience with our vehicles and our brands,” declared Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO – Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “With this specific no-cost maintenance plan, we are offering an added benefit to those customers who check all of boxes on their all-new Durango or Journey. In addition, we are helping these customers build a long-term relationship with their local dealer.”

Recycling components is nothing new in the automotive industry, but GM is taking the concept a step further by getting rid of some 100 miles of coated oil booms from last summer’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill and recycling them for use in the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

The project is expected to create enough material for use in under the hood components, primarily for plastic radiator parts that help improve airflow around the car for the entire first year production of the Volt, which is pegged at approximately 10,000 cars.

GM has worked with several companies to get the project underway, including Heritage Environmental, which collects the boom material from the Louisiana coastline; Mobile Fluid Recovery which literally spin dries the boom material, removing oil and other coatings, ready for diecast mold production; Lucent Polymers, which preps the material and finally, GM’s Tier I supplier, GDC which manufactures the pieces ready for installation on the Volt at GM’s Hamtramck plant in Detroit.

“Creative recycling is one extension of GM’s overall strategy to reduce its environmental impact,” noted Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety policy during a press conference.  “We reuse and recycle material by-products at our 76 landfill-free facilities every day. This is a good example of using this expertise and applying it to a greater magnitude.”

It’s also another notch on the belt for a car that’s already become a darling among the eco set; recently the Green Car Journal named the 2011 Volt its car of the year.

Read AutoGuide’s Review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt by Clicking Here