It’s time to put on your thinking caps, because Toyota wants you to do some serious thinking. In the automaker’s newest marketing campaign, they want you to tell them what the plural of Prius should be.

This campaign comes after the introduction of the new Prius V at the Detroit Auto Show, and the announcement of the Prius C Concept, that is set to take the Prius further down-market with improved fuel economy – not to mention great looks. When added to the current Prius and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, the family of hybrids is about to total four.

The commercial is fun to watch and puts us in mind of the retro “School House Rocks” educational shorts that would distract us from Saturday morning cartoons in the ’70s and ’80s. Toyota has a head-scratcher on their hands. Now that the Prius line has expanded, what do you call more than one of these cars? The grammatical implications of this debate could be huge, so Toyota wants you to weigh in on what it should be. Should it be Prii, Prium, Priuses, Prien, or is it just Prius?

Vote for your pick here, and watch the commercial after the jump – you won’t be able to get the song out of your head for the rest of the day.
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Everytime we feel that Mansory can’t top its previous creation, it looks like the out-of-the-box vehicle builders have no end of out-of-the-box thoughts. Most recently, they’ve taken their already modified Porsche Panamera creation and have decided to splash a highlighter-bright yellow to its exterior.

Prestige Cars in in the United Arab Emirates will be offering the Bright Yellow Edition Porsche Panamera by Mansory that sports blue carbon fiber accents to contrast the bright yellow. The yellow/blue theme doesn’t stop there either, spreading to the engine bay and the interior.

Just like all the previous Mansory Porsche Panamera Turbo creations, this one received upgraded turbos and an exhaust system, bringing horsepower up to 690-hp and torque to 590 ft-lbs.

GALLERY: Mansory Bright Yellow Porsche Panamera

Winter, why aren’t you over yet? For drivers, winter is the slowest season of them all. As soon as the snow starts to fall from the sky, you can count on traffic jams until April. We’re late for work, our knuckles turn white from grabbing the steering wheel too tight and people forget that snow tends to make the roads slippery. Is there no hope for our winter roads?

It looks like our prayers have been answered by a U.S. engineer. Scott Brusaw, a 53-year-old electrical engineer from Idaho, is causing a stir with his idea for a solar-powered roadway, and already the U.S. government and General Electric are very interested in the project.

So here’s how the idea works: A sturdy glass material that would house solar cells would replace the existing petroleum-based asphalt. The new road would both heat up the surface (melting the snow) and provide electricity to power electric vehicles and signs on the road (and maybe even homes in the future).

Unfortunately, it’s going to cost some big bucks to put in place. Brusaw estimates the costs at $4.4 million (U.S.) for just one mile of solar-powered road. But, he also thinks that the cost would be made up by the clean energy it would generate.

“Our ultimate goal is to be able to store excess energy in or alongside the Solar Roadways,” the project’s website says. “This renewable energy replaces the need for the current fossil fuels used for the generation of electricity. This, in turn, cuts greenhouse gases literally in half.”

And you won’t have to worry about the glass used in the new roads, as Brusaw says “glass, especially when fused together in layers, is stronger than most people think.” Joining the project are top glass researchers at University of Dayton and Penn State, who are developing material strong enough to support vehicles and provide traction.

Watch the video after the jump learn more about this solar-powered road.

[Source: The Toronto Star]
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When it arrived on the market for the 2000 model year, the Ford Excursion monster SUV was a natural target for the green lobby, due to its sheer size and weight. Ford originally discontinued this leviathan back in 2005, but now it has returned, with a vengeance.

Custom Autos by Tim, a Guthrie, Oklahoma outfit will now build you a brand new Excursion to order, utilizing a current F-Series Super Duty pickup as the donor vehicle. From there Custom Autos locates rust free Excursions, primarily from the Southwest, which are then brought to the shop.

The rear sheetmetal of the tired Excursion is removed with surgical precision and grafted onto the back of your brand new Super Duty. The result is a vehicle that looks factory and Custom Autos even allows buyers to choose between four and six-door configurations.

However, the price for a ‘new’ Excursion doesn’t come cheap. The whole conversion package costs around $23,000. Factor in the $29,480 MSRP of an entry level F-250 Super Duty and you’re looking well north of $50,000 by the time all’s said and done.

Yes, a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL represents better value for money but for sheer impact and ticking off  a few humorless greenies, a new, 2011 Excursion is probably priceless.

[Source: Custom Autos by Tim]

While Infiniti has been a household name in North America for over 20-years, the luxury brand of Nissan is new to buyers in Europe.

To win them over, Infiniti is offering a new special version of the EX30d (yup, a diesel Infiniti) called the Black Premium Edition. Based on its diesel powered variant, the Black Premium Edition gets metallic malbec paint with a graphite interior. In other words, it’s black on black. You also get shiny 19-inch alloy wheels and shiny roof rails. Plus the usual sunroof and Bose audio system.

But wait there’s more. Buyers of this particular version will get to enjoy a night of fine dining for two at any of the hundreds of luxury hotels from the Relais and Chateau group.  You will also get membership to the swanky Club 5C.

Only 500 of these special editions will be offered to customers across Europe at a premium of $5000 over the regular version. In America, the only version we get is the petrol powered EX35 and prices start at $34,150.

Toyota has just announced a recall of 1.7 million vehicles globally, with roughly 245,000 Lexus models in the U.S. Affected vehicles include the 2006 through 2007 Lexus GS300/350, the 2006 through early 2009 Lexus IS250, and 2006 to 2008 Lexus IS350 vehicles.

The issue with the vehicles involves a fuel pressure sensor that may not have been tightened properly during assembly. As a result, it could loosen over time and cause a fuel leak.

Lexus will notify owners by mail, at which point they will be asked to bring their model into the dealer for an inspection. If no leak is detected, the fuel pressure sensor will be properly tightened. If a leak is detected the gasket between the two parts will be replaced and the sensor properly installed.

Owners with questions are encouraged to contact Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall.

An additional recall for 1.2 million models for faulty fuel pipes includes the RAV4, Noah and Voxy models in Japan and the Avensis in Europe.

When you make machines as exotic, powerful and achingly beautiful as Pagani does, coming up with an encore is a tall order. The maker of ultra-rare exotics has, however, decided to do just that announcing that the Huayra would be the official successor to the Zonda. Now Pagani has revealed its latest destroyer of Prancing Horses and Raging Bulls well ahead of the car’s planned debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Details are still sketchy from the translated press release, but it’s clear that the Huayra makes over 700-hp and above 737 ft-lbs of torque from an Mercedes AMG-sourced 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. Power makes it to the ground at the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

No 0-60 mph time has been provided (and it’s mostly irrelevant anyway) as the machine is able to reach speeds of 230-mph. And weighing under 3,000 lbs thanks to a carbon-titanium monocoque, it’s certain to be an absolutely incredible track machine.

Outside, it’s hard to miss the catfish mouth that far less appealing than the timeless design of the Zonda. The Huayra also gets gullwing doors. The interior is typical Pagani extravagance, bordering on hideous, with enough carbon fiber to appease anyone and some stunning metal trim and cool blue lighting.

Check back for live photos from the Geneva Auto Show in March and see AutoGuide’s 2011 Geneva Auto Show preview here.

GALLERY: 2012 Pagani Huayra

[Source: Autoblog.it]

Official release:

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Volvo enthusiasts and station wagons go together like peanut butter and jam. This desire for Volvo-wagons is especially strong in America, where the brand loyalists keep complaining about the lack of wagons, especially since it was announced awhile back that the sleek new V60 would not make it Stateside.

Not to worry, the new CEO of Volvo Stephen Jacoby has heard your pleas and is coming to your rescue. He has now hinted that the new V60 might come to the U.S.A. perhaps as an “enthusiast vehicle.”

But before you start celebrating the return of something like the old V70R, this new model will get its power boost via electricity. Yes, Volvo is well on its way to develop a hybrid gas-electric vehicle and this technology might premiere in the new V60.

Hopefully this should be enough to keep Volvo fans in Volvo showrooms.

[Source: SwedeSpeed via Autoblog]

Considering how many years the MKIV Toyota Supra has been out of production, it’s amazing that the aftermarket continues to come up with new parts for it. But why not? The Supra remains one of the most versatile vehicles in the world when it comes to customization.

Veilside possibly has some of the world’s most famous Supras, and it looks like they wanted to make yet another statement at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon with the introduction of their 4509 GTR. Based on the MKIV Toyota Supra Turbo, Veilside decided to blend some luxury styling to the sports coupe.

A quick glance on the exterior and it’s easy to mistake the Supra with a Bentley, given its massive front grille. The front bumper also clearly hints at the Bentley Continental GT, while the headlights provide a tip of the hat to Audi’s R8 supercar.

And naturally, the Supra sports a massive widebody, allowing Veilside to squeeze 20-inch wheels in the front and massive 22-inch wheels in the rear. The custom body is constructed out of a combination of carbon fiber and fiberglass.

For the interior, the luxury theme continues with leather and diamond-stitched Alcantara, a sporty steering wheel and custom gauge cluster/panel.

Squeezing horsepower out of the Supra’s 2JZ is no secret nowadays, so it’s not too impressive, but worth noting, that Veilside’s Supra sports an HKS upgraded turbo kit to help put down 680-hp and 594.5 ft-lbs of torque. Complementing all the performance modifications is a new clutch, exhaust, Rotora big brakes and suspension mods.

GALLERY: Veilside 4509 GTR Toyota Supra

[Source: Carscoop]

Another automotive recall has been announced; this time it’s Saab, which is recalling approximately 4,400 9-3 models from the 2010 and 2011 model years.

The problem? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the cars affected were originally fitted with fuel pumps that did not meet the correct specifications. Consequently, they could fail, causing the engine to stall, which NHTSA believes could ultimately result in a crash.

The recall is slated to begin around February the 18th 2011; affected owners are encouraged to contact Saab Cars North America Inc. at 1-800-955-9007. Saab has issued a Campaign number for the recall: 15029 and will have dealers replace the affected pumps free of charge. Concerned owners can also call NHTSA’s traffic hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for any questions regarding the recall.