Following on from its well received “100 Cars for Good” program last year, Toyota announced at the Chicago Auto Show that it would be returning for 2012.

The program will run over the course of 100 days, with Toyota awarding 100 vehicles to 100 non profit organizations in the US. In order to determine which non profits receive the cars, Toyota has organized a public voting pole on its corporate Facebook page, with the winners selected based on the highest number of votes.

Non profits interested in participating in the program can register online, beginning March 12, with the enrollment process lasting for two weeks or until 5,000 applications have been received. From these, an independent judging panel, whose members specialize in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility will select 500 finalists. These finalists are then invited to submit videos showing how the addition of a new vehicle would help them in their work. Each of the videos will be posted on the Toyota 100 cars website. From there, beginning in May, voters will then select the 100 winners over the course of 100 days.

“At Toyota, we appreciate what a big difference a new car can make for organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities across the country,” remarked Michael Rouse, Toyota’s vice president of philanthropy and community affairs. “Over the last 20 years, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits throughout the U.S. and  100 Cars for Good allows us to build on that commitment in important, new ways by making the public an integral part of these efforts and harnessing the power of social media to expand awareness and galvanize support for organizations that are having such a tremendous impact in neighborhoods nationwide.”

After revealing two PX-MiEV concepts, the second of which debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi has now released a few details on the production version of its new Outlander crossover, which will make its official world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Looking very much like the second PX-MiEV concept, the new Outlander promises to feature upgraded interior fixtures and proper third row seating, which seems to be the latest trend in the family crossover segment.

Sources say the new Outlander, which will initially go on sale in Russia this summer followed by other European markets, will be powered by 2.0-liter gas four-cylinder and 2.2-liter MIEVC diesel engines with a choice of front or all-wheel drive. Auto Stop technology and a six-speed automatic transmission are also reported to be in the cards, at least for some markets.

In early 2013, Mitsubishi plans to launch a Plug-in Hybrid version of the new Outlander, which will incorporate a variant of the 2.0-liter gas engine with dual electric motors (one for each set of wheels) and a lithium-ion battery pack. Clearly derrived from the second Px MiEV concept, Mitsubishi officials say that the Plug-in Hybrid version will deliver a driving range of more than 500 miles (800 km) and very low emissions output (below 50 grams per km is expected).

As for North American sales of the new Outlander, they’re expected to begin towards the tail end of 2012, though don’t bet on the diesel engine making it to our shores.

During the closing speech at this year’s National Automobile Dealers’ Association convention in Las Vegas on February 6, former president George W. Bush said he’d bail out US automakers again in a heartbeat if he had to.

Speaking in front of some 22,000 dealers from the US and around the world, the former president (shown above visiting the GM plant in Fairfax, KS while still in office), said that although he was a firm believer in the free market economy and corporations having to pay for consequences resulting from bad decision making; he also believed stepping in to save Chrysler and General Motors was the right thing to do.

“Sometimes circumstances get in the way of philosophy,” he said, yet if it came down to saving the US auto industry, “I would make the same decision again.”

While still in office, Bush pushed through a rescue package of some $25 billion in emergency aid; $4 billion set aside for Chrysler, while some $13.4 was allocated to GM. This was followed by an additional $60 billion from the Obama administration in 2009.

Chrysler paid back its loans last May, six years ahead of schedule and posted a net profit of $183 million for 2011, it’s first time in the black since 2005. GM, so far has paid back about $23 million of the money it borrowed, though some 26 percent of the company is still owned by the US Treasury.

Bush’s speech at the NADA convention was littered with humor, including remarks that he missed some of the perks of being C-in-C. “I had to stop at some of the stoplights coming from the airport,” he said, jokingly.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

It’s no idle boast, especially as many lithium-batteries are said to have a maximum life span of around 7-8 years, yet until now Hyundai hadn’t released any specifics on its lifetime warranty for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid’s battery pack.

As result, there’s been much speculation in regards to exactly what this battery warranty covers and doesn’t cover, though Hyundai, in an attempt to address these rumors has finally set the record straight.

In a statement issued from the company, it declared that, “the Hyundai Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee ensures that if the 2012 Sonata hybrid lithium-polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original owner. The coverage is not transferable, and does not apply to lease and commercial vehicles or vehicles serviced outside the U.S.”

Note how the above doesn’t mention the battery system’s integrated hardware, software and controllers. These are covered by a warranty, though in this case it’s the Sonata’s Powertrain warranty which is good for 10 years or 100,000 miles, which ever comes first.

Hyundai’s US CEO John Krafcik, has already stated that Hyundai is able to offer the battery warranty because after extensive durability testing, failure rates for the battery system have proved to be minimal.

That said, if owners do experience major battery failure on their Sonata Hybrids, they might want to consider the car’s mileage and condition before looking to cash in on the warranty program, as depending on the circumstances, it could still work out to be quite expensive.

[Source: Car & Driver]

In the auto business, 2011 proved to be the year of the Koreans; both Hyundai and affiliate Kia sold a record number of vehicles, while their shares outperformed those of other automakers, including the likes of heavyweights such as General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen.

That said, some of the sales in new vehicles from the Koreans actually cannibalized others within their ranks, notably the Kia Optima (K5 in South Korea), which after its latest redesign saw orders triple, though some of that came at the expense of Hyundai’s Sonata, which only saw demand increase by some 5.2 percent in the same period.

There’s every chance the same thing could happen again with Kia planning to launch the more upmarket K9, designed to go after the same customers as the Hyundai’s Genesis and Equus.

Frank Ahrens, a spokesman for Hyundai said the car-to-car rivalry between the two brands extends to all segments. Further complicating matters is the fact that although Hyundai and Kia are overseen by the same chairman (Chung Mong Koo) and share a development center, they are run as two separate companies and arch rivals at that.

There’s no question that Hyundai’s original 51 percent purchase of Kia Motors back in 1998 rejuvenated the brand and helped it grow into a purveyor of world-class vehicles with competitive prices. All the same, the companies need to sort out their differences now more than ever because it seems global competition is going to intensify in 2012 especially with Honda and Toyota returning to pre-disaster capacity.

This will likely mean Hyundai and Kia will need to develop a successful alignment strategy for their respective product lines, for example: focusing one brand on premium products and the other on volume sales. In doing so, they stand a greater chance of stealing sales from Japanese, American and European rivals instead of each other.

It seems that signs of greater product differentiation between Hyundai and Kia’s offerings are afoot; Kia’s European COO, Paul Philpott, said during a recent interview that “Hyundai will become the mainstream brand with Kia [functioning as] the sportier, dynamic little brother.”

[Source: Bloomberg]

When it comes to cars, what defines collectibility? In many cases it’s often a vehicle that breaks the mold, or one that delivers more style and sizzle compared to its more pedestrian counterparts.

In the case of the 2012 Buick Regal GS, which packs a 270 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder engine and can be teamed with a six-speed manual, that’s definitely true. Few cars have done as much to shake off the old fogey aura that’s characterized Buicks for the last two decades, than this spunky sedan.

Now, collector car insurance heavyweight Hagerty is singing the car’s praises too, a statement from the company said that “at a time when allegedly more sporting makes don’t offer real three-pedal manual transmissions, Buick is doing it with the Regal GS.”

This is particularly significant for GM’s North America President Mark Reuss, not only because it puts Buick back on the map, but also because it marks a fitting tribute to the legacy of his father, Lloyd Reuss. As Buick Division General Manager in the 1980s, the elder Reuss helped spearhead the development of the all-conquering Regal Turbos; cars that are now coveted collectibles, especially the 1987 GNX, which at the time of its debut was the fastest accelerating car in America (0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds according to Car & Driver).

“The Regal GS is a unique and thrilling vehicle for the Buick brand,” said Reuss. “As someone who drove a classic Skylark to prom and owned other incredible Buicks like an ’87 GNX, I can say it deserves to be viewed among the best Buick has built.”

The Regal GS now joins Hagerty’s annual “Hot List” of the 10 most collectible Buicks of all time, which besides the 1987 GNX, include the 1932 Model 90 Sport Phaeton, the 1936 Model 66C Century convertible (the so-called Banker’s Hot Rod); the 1940 Super Model 49 Estate Wagon; 1947 Roadmaster Estate Wagon; 1949 Roadmaster convertible; 1953 Skylark convertible; 1963 Riviera coupe and 1970 GSX Stage 1 (widely believed to be the quickest of all factory built four-seater muscle cars).

In order to make the Hot List, Hagerty says a vehicle “must be geared toward the driving enthusiast beyond just being a form of transportation. Like the other Buick classics listed here, the 2012 Regal GS will be remembered more than most of its peers for many years down the road.”

Despite the hype and sometimes controversy surrounding the Chevrolet Volt, one aspect that’s been decidedly overlooked, is the fact that from the outset it was designed to incorporate future upgrades.

During a three-day teardown by Munro & Associates at their Troy, Michigan based headquarters, representatives from the news agency Reuters were invited to witness the process and discovered some interesting facts about the Volt, specifically relating to its battery pack.

Examining the circuit boards, Munro’s CEO, Sandy Munro, remarked “this is, without doubt, the most advanced board I’ve seen General Motors put on and it’s got room to grow.”

John Scott-Thomas, an engineer with UMB TechInsights, also present during the teardown, said, in reference to a board containing 32-bit Freescale Semiconductor chips from the Volt’s battery inverter, ”there are places here where you can see that it looks as though you should be able to put an integrated circuit and there’s nothing there.”

Such commentary clearly indicates that down the road, GM plans to add additional circuits, with the goal of improving both range and performance, in fact, that was exactly what company engineer Doug Parks told Reuters during a recent interview.

However, Parks also said that despite the Volt employing double the number of Freescale chips found in a conventional internal combustion engined vehicle, GM deliberately played it safe when designing the car, with the view that future batteries would be considerably more efficient.

Although the Volt has come under recent criticism, following a NHTSA probe that showed coolant leaking from the battery pack could cause fires, GM is introducing a strengthened structure around the battery pack to prevent it from happening in the future.

It’s also likely, that given the amount of time and money invested in the Volt so far, it probably won’t be surprising if many of the features incorporated into the car’s battery pack show up in other GM electric and Hybrid vehicles, since not only will it make the technology more profitable, but having the ability to upgrade battery systems will also go a long way to addressing consumer concerns about EV/Hybrid longevity and practicality.

[Source: Auto News]

Dany Bahar, the current CEO of Lotus is reportedly looking for a buyer to purchase the company from current Malaysian parent Proton.

Given that Proton itself was recently acquired by Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, the reason for Bahar’s strategy is probably the fact that DRB has little interest investing in a small volume specialty sports car brand, especially since Lotus hasn’t earned a profit since being originally acquired by Proton in 1996.

At present, Lotus requires funding of around £500m ($790 million) for the development of future street cars, which includes new Elan, Elise and Esprit models.

So far, no offers for purchasing Lotus have been confirmed, though some sources say that Genii Capital, the international investment firm which currently owns the Lotus Formula 1 Grand Prix team, would seem the most likely scenario, though reportedly a number of Chinese companies have also expressed interest.

[Source: Auto Express]

There’s no question that Chrysler‘s “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad from last year will be a tough act to follow, nonetheless the automaker is doing what it can to exceed expectations again.

Sticking with a gritty theme, albeit in a different style, Chrysler has enlisted the services of veteran actor and director Clint Eastwood, who is expected to give the country a tough talking to in Walt Kowalski style, though we doubt the ad will feature a 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport or off-color banter.

Like “Imported from Detroit,” this year’s commercial will air for two minutes during this Sunday’s Superbowl XLVI. Considering that it costs around $3.5 million for just 30 seconds of air time during the game, Chrysler is clearly feeling lucky about making the audiences’s day this year.

[Source: wxyz action news]

Watch the ad below:

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In the automotive industry, recalls are a bit like taxes, you just can’t get away from them. One of the most recent revolves around Maserati Gran Turismo coupes and convertibles manufactured between June 2008 and March 2010.

The problem, concerns the vehicles’ lighting system, specifically the tail lamps, which can unexpectedly fail, compromising visibility in dark or misty conditions, potentially leading to accidents.

Maserati says that approximately 1,768 cars in the US are affected by the issue and ask the owners of these vehicles to contact their nearest Maserati dealer, so the problem can be fixed; they can also contact Maserati at 201-816-2200

Additionally, affected owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) toll free at 1-888-327-4236, referencing recall campaign number 12V024000.