Prepping your IS-F for the track just got a lot easier thanks to a new line of performance parts released by Toyota‘s TRD performance division.

The parts, first unveiled on the Lexus IS-F Circuit Club Sport concept car at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, include a new carbon fiber front bumper, carbon trunk lid, rear spoiler and diffuser. Also available are light weight wheels and a suspension kit.

Currently offered on TRD Japan’s website, it’s not clear if these goodies will be available in North America. Overnight parts from Japan anyone?

GALLERY: Lexus IS-F Circuit Club Sport

For the fourth year in a row, the Cadillac Escalade tops the list as the vehicle most likely to be stolen in America. The info comes from the latest Highway Loss Data Institute statistics, which looks at the number of theft claims per 1,000 vehicles. Data tallied for this latest survey comes from 2008 and 2009 and its important to note that a claim does not necessarily mean a theft has taken place, merely that the vehicle has been broken into.

With a claim frequency rating of 10.8, this means that there’s a one in 100 chance that an Escalade will be the target of theft. This number rises for the Escalade EXT, which has a pickup bed.

Understandably less than impressed, Cadillac released a statement to reassure consumers that its doing what it can to keep Escalades in the driveways of their owners. “We are currently implementing four new pieces of ‘armor’ on Escalade intended to reduce vehicle thefts, particularly those called push away,” said Bill Biondo, GM’s global lead, vehicle theft prevention.  “We are committed to beating the thieves and expect these new theft deterrent systems to greatly reduce the Escalade’s rate of theft and lower its position on HLDI’s list.”

The remainder of the Top 10 most stolen vehicles list are all domestic vehicles, with 8 of the 10 being trucks – often targeted for accessories or for work tools. Second on the list is the Ford F-250 AWD, while the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 comes in at third. The only two vehicles on the Top 10 list that are not trucks are two versions of the Chrysler 300, which Chrysler admits could be a target due to the high level of customization (particularly with expensive wheels).

While the Escalade is the most likely to be stolen, based on the number of vehicles sold, it is not the most stolen vehicle overall. That title belongs to the Honda Accord, followed by the Honda Civic and then the Toyota Camry, with these vehicles seeing overall higher thefts due to their higher overall sales numbers. The Escalade does, however, list as the fifth most stolen vehicle overall.

[Source: CNN]

The all-new 2012 Toyota Camry is here and the Japanese automaker is shifting gears with its mid-size sedan. While an excellent vehicle the Camry has always been criticized as the “safe choice.” Now, thanks to some shenanigans provided by NASCAR points leader Kyle Busch, the big “T” is looking to rebrand the Camry, while touting its technology and incredible fuel economy.

To do so Toyota has launched three new ads for the car. Watch then after the jump and read AutoGuide’s 2012 Toyota Camry review here:

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The stunning love child of Aston Martin and the Zagato design house will officially be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month, with both existing examples of the car taking center stage at the British automaker’s stand.

With the announcement, Aston Martin has also now officially confirmed it will build just 150 versions of the car, priced at £330,000 (or roughly $540,000). In celebration of 50 years since the original tie-up between Aston Martin and Zgato, the modified V12 Vantage uses a hand crafted carbon fiber and aluminum body and is powered by a 510-hp 5.9-liter V12 engine.

The two cars (Zig and Zag) will both be on display in Frankfurt after campaigning at the Nurburgring 24 Hour race. “Zig” will showcase the full race car aerodynamics package, while “Zag” has been converted back to something more closely resembling the production road car.

Joining the two Zagato cars on the stand in Frankfurt will be the new Vantage S, the Virage and the One-77 supercar.

GALLERY: Aston Martin V12 Zagato

GALLERY: Aston Martin V12 Zagato in Monterey

After the reveal of the all-new 2013 GS350 at Pebble Beach, Lexus is soon planning to unveil both the F Sport and 450h variants.

The 450h will be Lexus’ attempt at delivering V8 performance with a hybrid 3.5L V6 powerplant. While we can’t see any styling changes in these teasers, we anticipate there to be some slight changes – possibly to enhance aerodynamics – but Lexus is staying true to its hybrid branding by including blue-themed badges on the 450h.

The F Sport version will deliver a more aggressive design with F Sport badging and 19-inch wheels. Also look for a more performance-tuned suspension setup, as well as upgraded brakes and some minor interior trim upgrades.

The GS450h will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, with the GS F-Sport set to be unveiled at the SEMA Show.

GALLERY: Lexus GS F Sport and 450h Teasers

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus GS350

Watch video of the all-new 2013 Lexus GS after the jump:

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Looking for a uniquely British experience? 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences has you covered. Located in London, just around the corner from the Buckingham Palace, this luxury hotel has just announced the addition of a Jaguar-themed suite.

The 1,832 square foot abode is part of an exciting collaboration between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and Jaguar – both of which just so happen to be owned by Indian automaker Tata.

The project is more than just a convenient tie-up, however, with Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum overseeing the creation of the room, which includes the use of leather, metal and wood from Jaguar’s lineup of luxury cars. The experience within the pad starts out subtly at the door, with sleek wood paneling, but progresses to Jaguar damask lining the bedroom walls. The fireplace takes cues from the shape of Jaguar’s hallmark rear window. Custom made wallpaper with subtle Jaguar motifs can also be found throughout the suite. The ‘flat’ combines both classic and contemporary Jaguar models, from the legendary 1960′s E-type to the high tech C-X75 concept.

The suite is absolutely stunning. We highly recommend you check it out for yourself if you’ve got the loot. Otherwise, browse the photos below.

GALLERY: Jaguar Inspired Suite

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise has recently tested the Red Bull Formula One race car at the Willow Springs racetrack in California. Tom Cruise completed 24 laps with the Red Bull team, and guiding the top gun along the track was race car driver David Coulthard.

Coulthard took Cruise around the track in a passenger car, then set him off on his own. Tom Cruise set his own lap in the F1 car reaching a top speed of 185 mph, and cut his best time by 11 seconds. Amazingly, Cruise recorded a top speed just 4 mph off Coulthard’s best.

“Tom’s the real deal,” Coulthard told RedBull.com. “I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver. His recall was incredible considering how complicated driving an F1 car is. He’s a guy who really pushes the envelope in real life. This day was not green screened. He thoroughly impressed me.”

[Source: ESPN]

The Dodge Caliber is scheduled to go out of production this November, as a new Fiat-based compact car takes its place. Chrysler enthusiast website Allpar confirms the Caliber’s demise, and lists November 23rd as the final date for the ill-fated Dodge compact.

The Caliber’s replacement is said to get 40 mpg thanks to a government requirement for taking bailout money. Fuel economy was a chief complaint among Caliber owners, and the vehicle never really moved well in the marketplace. As time wore on and sales withered, the Caliber became little more than rental car fodder, and Chrysler’s decision to end production was probably a wise one.

[Source: Allpar]

Toyota’s all-new Camry will blitz the US market to regain sales lost after three years that included a recession, recalls and an earthquake. The new Camry was unveiled on Tuesday and is the first of 20 new and refreshed Toyota, Lexus and Scion models arriving by early 2013. Along with the Camry, Toyota this year will add the hybrid Prius v wagon, revamped Yaris subcompact, Scion iQ minicar and a modified Tacoma pickup truck.  Vehicles to be released in 2012 include, a plug-in version of the Prius, compact Prius c hybrid, a new Lexus GS sport sedan, a battery powered RAV4 and a rear-wheel drive Scrion FR-S sports car. Toyota is determined to keep the Camry the top seelling passenger car, a position that has been held by the model for 13 of the past 14 years.

Toyota’s best year for the Camry was in 2007 with 473,108 units sold. However, through July, Camry sales slipped 7.8 percent to 174,485 from a year earlier. Hyundai has been very successful with the Sonata up 27 percent in sales during the same time frame. Nissan’s Altima has gained 17 percent to 153,182 during the same time period as well.

Camry’s have the largest owner base of any midsize sedan in the U.S with Toyota estimating that there are over 6.8 million of them on American roads. Toyota has also slashed the price on the 2012 model, as the company hopes to entice those who might be thinking about moving away from the automaker to look at other car brands.

The four-cylinder 2012 Camry LE with an automatic transmission has been priced at $22,500, $200 cheaper than last year. The SE model is also $1000 cheaper, selling for $23,000. The top-of-the-line XLE has been lowered by $2000, to $24,725 (all of these models are equipped with the four-cylinder engine).

Camry is symbolic of Toyota’s success, CEO Akio Toyoda said in a speech Tuesday marking the start of production of the model in Georgetown, Ky. ”This is an opportunity to show the world what Toyota is all about,” said Toyoda, grandson of the automaker’s founder. “I can introduce the new Camry with 100 percent confidence,”, he said.

GALLERY: 2012 Toyota Camry

[Source: Automotive News]

Ever wonder how race tracks in modern racing games have such a realistic look and feel to them? If you’re as geeky about racing games as we are, you probably did and now thanks to the team at Turn 10, the people responsible for the Forza games for Xbox 360, will show you how its done.

In the video, the team at Turn 10 shows you how they take a real track like Hockenheim and turn it into a video game. They take centimeter accurate measurements and look out for details like elevation changes and cambers.

Forza Motorsports 4 comes out on October 11th of this year.

Hit the jump to see the official video

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