Toyota “withheld relevant electronic records” that it was required, by law, to produce said Rep. Ed Towns, Chairman of the committee looking into Toyota’s current recall woes. Towns, (D-N.Y.), made the comments today during the continuing House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meetings that earlier this week saw Toyota CEO Akia Toyoda grilled by lawmakers over his company’s numerous and far-reaching recalls and its slow response time in issuing those recalls.

Famed Honda tuner Mugen has just released a full line of aesthetic and “performance” accessories for the new CR-Z. While in stock form the CR-Z doesn’t seem overly sporty with just 122-hp, Mugen is hoping to improve on that with a new stainless steel exhaust system which will be good for maybe a pony or two. New brake pads are also offered, as well as a completely new suspension. Also helping in the handling department are two new wheel designs in several finishes, which will no doubt be larger and lighter than the stock rollers with the ability to handle some slightly wider and lower profile tires.

After a leaked brochure earlier this week, Lexus has has now officially revealed the CT200h hybrid hatchback with news of “worldwide sales.” Set to debut next week at the Geneva Auto Show, the car was initially designed for Europe, but according to the Lexus press release Toyota’s luxury arm will offer the car in other markets – including the U.S.

In a salute to the the Frecce Tricolore, Italay’s famous air force acrobatics team, Pagani has released a new special edition version of its incredible Zonda supercar. Based on the Zonda Cinque, the car uses a special carbon-titanium weave for the body, which has been coated in a special clear blue lacquer. In addition it gets the red, white and green stripes of the Italian flag pinstriped up the front of the car.

Lotus has just teased us with a single image of a concept car that just has to be a concept, because it’s too good to be true. Based on the new Evora, it’s called the 414E Hybrid and makes 400-hp. But it’s better than that!

Lotus has designed the car to put the power down independently through the rear wheels, as a result each rear wheel is capable of 204-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough to propel the Evora 414E Hybrid to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. Lotus has equipped this range-extender engine with a single gear transmission, but it has designed transmission software to create seven imaginary gears for ideal performance driving.

Now all this power comes from the Lotus-designed 47-hp, 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine mated to two electric motors and a lithium-polymer battery pack. It works like the Chevy Volt, with only the electric motors powering the wheels, while the gasoline engine kicks in afterwards to deliver extended range. Lotus claims 35 miles of emissions free driving, while the gasoline engine allows for a total of 300 miles.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid with live coverage of the Geneva Auto Show starting March 1st.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

Official release after the jump:

Just a day after announcing the successful sale of Saab, General Motors today announced that a deal to sell its Hummer unit of SUVs has fallen through. GM has been negotiating with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd., but today announced in a statement that the Chinese heavy machinery maker was, “unable to complete the acquisition of Hummer.”

GM agreed to try and find a buyer for its Hummer brand upon exiting bankruptcy last year. GM decided to refocus on just four brands (Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac). Since then it announced the shut-down of the historic Pontiac brand and also the wind-down of Saturn after a deal to sell it to Penske fell through. Just yesterday GM completed the sale of Saab to Dutch automaker Spyker.

GM has said it will honor Hummer warranties and provide service support and parts to owners worldwide.

Official release after the jump:

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After the hot-hatch Aveo RS concept, that Chevy displayed at the Detroit Auto Show this year we have high hopes for the all new subcompact. Besides, Chevy is really going to have to step up its game in order to compete with the likes of the all-new Ford Fiesta as well as segment leaders like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent.

With a debut set for next week, a brochure of the European Lexus CT200h hybrid hatchback has leaked out online, although details are still hard to come by. The car is powered by a 1.8-liter VVT-i 4-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery, although no output numbers are available yet. Power does go to the front 17-inch wheels using a CVT transmission and Lexus has designed the car with three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. As a full hybrid it will be able to run completely on electric power for short periods of time.

Nissan is about to get back into North American motorsports in big way, competing with a pair of GT-R’s in the 2010 World Challenge GT Class. The cars will be run by Brass Monkey Racing, with assistance by Nissan North America, and will debut on the weekend of March 26-28 in St. Petersburg, FL, competing alongside Corvettes, Vipers and Porsches.

The two cars will be piloted by two-time series winner Tony Rivera and rookie Steve Ott.

Brass Monkey Racing first competed in the World Challenge series last year using a Porsche GT3, winning its first race and finishing third overall.

“We’re very excited to bring such an iconic car to the North American professional road racing scene,” Brass Monkey Racing Team Owner A.J. Brass said. “After such a successful season in 2009, finishing third in the Championship and winning in our very first race, we look forward to the challenge of bringing an entirely new platform to World Challenge. With Nissan’s assistance and great engineering and driving, we expect to contend for the 2010 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.”

“Many of the cars in the series have serious modifications to the engines and drivelines from the stock vehicles,” Brass said. “The beauty of the GT-R is that it is an amazing platform to start with and we are able to utilize all of the stock internal components and drivetrain. With the exception of some of the approved series aerodynamic items and an effort to bring the car down to a competitive weight, the car will remain incredibly stock compared to most of our competition.”

Nissan last competed in the World Challenge several years ago in the lower Touring Car class, using a Sentra SE-R Spec V model.

Official release after the jump:

While we’ve heard several rumors before that Acura is reconsidering getting into smaller cars, a new report by Automotive News is the most credible yet. According to AN, Jeff Conrad, the VP of Acura confirmed at a recent dealer meeting that the brand is looking at expanding its lineup with a new vehicle that would slot in underneath the TSX. While there’s some speculation that Acura would bring the Canadian CSX (essentially a rebadged and gussied-up Civic) to the U.S., the report says this new model would compete against the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30. It would also help Acura meet increasingly strict CAFE regulations.

According to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, his company’s stylish Alfa Romeo brand will return to North America in the next 24 months, meaning that models should be on sale in 2012. “I’m a lot more confident now that Alfa Romeo will reconstitute a product offering that is acceptable globally, and more in particular in the United States and Canada,” said Marchionne to Automotive News.

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With the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata 4-cylinder now on sale with its best-in-class power and fuel economy, the Korean automaker will launch turbocharged and hybrid versions of its mid-size sedan at the New York Auto Show in late March. The Hybrid Blue Drive model is expected to use the new 2.4-liter GDI Theta II engine and a lithium polymer battery pack. As for the Turbo, it will be a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with direct-injection and make at least 250-hp according to Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik.

After photos of the car leaked over the weekend, Audi has now confirmed that the RS5 will in fact debut at the Geneva Auto Show on March 2nd and, as we suggested, it will be powered by a 4.2-liter V8. Power is rated at 450-hp at 8250 rpm, while maximum torque of 317 ft-lbs is available from 4000 to 6000 rpm. Combined with Audi’s S-tronic dual-clutch 7-speed transmission, quattro all-wheel drive and a 3,803 lb curb weight the RS5 can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds – which isn’t quite as exciting as we might expect for a 450-hp car.

Ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month, a complete brochure for the Audi RS5 has leaked online showing the muscular coupe in all its bright red glory. Looking at the photos it’s clear that the RS5 will follow in the tire treads of the RS4 and RS6, delivering massive amounts of power in a low-slung, fender-bulging package.

Back in 2007 Buick showed the stunning Riviera Concept and now it appears just such a vehicle isn’t as far fetched an idea as might previously have been though. In an interview with Automotive News, Buick and Chevy design director John Cafaro said that his role at Buick involved, “being a zealot for getting Buick more youthful, more spirited and probing ideas for coupes, more expressive vehicles.”

According to AutoExpress, the automotive journalists equivalent to the National Enquirer, Honda is planning a CR-Z Type R model. While a host of modifications would be included, like larger brakes and a stiffer suspension, the real boost will apparently come under the hood.

While we can’t write any driving impressions about the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata due to an embargo that lifts Monday, we can tell you that during the vehicle’s launch our car achieved an incredible 46.8 mpg. And as impressive as that number sounds, it was still only enough to earn the team of AutoGuide.com Editor-in-Chief Colum Wood and TopSpeed.com Senior Editor Philippe Daix a bronze medal. First place went to the team of Donald Buffamanti of AutoSpies and Jaime Florez of Ruedas ESPN with a 52.8 mpg rating that would even impress a Prius.

Porsche has just announced the expansion of the Panamera lineup with two more entry-level models, powered by a new V6 engine. The all-new 3.6-liter engine uses direct-injection technology to make 300-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque, which is distributed to either the rear wheels in the Panamera or all four wheels in the Panamera 4. Both models will come standard in North America with Porsche’s 7-speed PDK transmission.

Porsche will bring hybrid technology to the race track when it debuts the 911 GT3 R hybrid at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Based on the GT3 chassis, the race car is powered by a traditional 4.0-liter flat-six engine making 480-hp at the rear wheels. In addition, two electric motors will be used to power the front wheels, with 60 kW of power going to each axle. The driver will be able to call up this extra power on-demand, giving the GT3 R a temporary all-wheel drive setup as well. The power surge is expected to last between 6 and 8 seconds.

Kia is working to infuse all of its vehicles with passion, even hybrids. Over the past year Kia launched the exciting Forte Koup, along with a related motorsports program and more recently it advertised during the SuperBowl for the first time with an edgy commercial featuring the all-new Sorento and a bucnh of life size toys – two of which made an appearance at the Chicago Auto Show. And so if Kia can make a mid-sized crossover seem fun, why not a hybrid?

As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for the 2010 Prius hybrid, as well as the 2010 Lexus HS250h model. The recall affects 133,000 Prius models as well as 14,500 HS250 models so that the automaker can update the car’s ABS software. The recall does not affect previous generation Prius models or any other Toyota, Lexus or Scion models.

The recall comes after over 100 complaints were registered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), by Prius owners who commented on a loss of brakes (or at least brake feel) under braking on icy or bumpy roads. The fix has already been made on all models produced since late January.

Toyota has said it will begin mailing recall notification letters to owners next week, with HS250h owners receiving their letter a few weeks after that.

In addition to this recall, Toyota has issues a separate recall on 7,300 Camry 4-cylinder models built for the 2010 model year, due to a steering hose that may touch the front brake tube, leading to a brake fluid leak.

Toyota owners with questions can find detailed information about these recalls and Toyota’s other recalls at www.toyota.com/recall or can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

For more Toyota recall news visit the AutoGuide Toyota Recall News Hub here

Official release after the jump:

Thanks to an all-aluminum block and a numerous other upgrades, Ford is promising the 2011 Shelby GT500 will offer more power, a lower curb weight and improved handling. The new aluminum block weighs 102 lbs less than the old cast-iron unit and puts out 10-more horsepower for a total of 550-hp at 6200 rpm. Torque is rated at 510 ft-lbs, 80 percent of which is available from 1750 to 6250 rpm. Plus, a new two-row intercooler delivers 40 percent better cooling so this sports car will perform with optimum potential even on the hottest of track days.

As expected, after delivering the 911 Turbo and then producing an updated model with 530-hp, the German sports car experts at Porsche have now revealed the 911 Turbo S with 530-hp – the very same amount produced by the GT2. Using the same twin-turbo flat six, torque has also been upped to 516 ft-lbs enabling an alarmingly fast 0-62 mph time of just 3.3 seconds. Top speed is rated at an impressive 196-mph.

Only yesterday the AutoGuide team was discussing the fact that with all the recent Toyota recalls, the next thing to be recalled might be the automaker’s Prius iPhone App. Well, truth may be stranger than fiction as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now said it will look into whether electronic interference from cell phones could be the cause of unintended acceleration issues with several Toyota models.

Amidst the continuing controversy and confusion surrounding the numerous Toyota recalls, we at AutoGuide.com have decided to launch the TOYOTA RECALL NEWS HUB. Featured on our home page and constantly updated through our news blog, we aim to bring you the very latest in recall-related news as well as list important information about what vehicles are recalled and what owners should be doing.

The Toyota Recall News Hub features two main sections, a CONSUMER section listing what owners of recalled Toyota owners need to know, as well as an INDUSTRY section reporting on all related stories, emerging news and the fallout from the ongoing crisis at Toyota that consumers and the general public want to know. The INDUSTRY section will also feature links to more salacious stories and breaking news alerts from AutoGuide affiliate TheTruthAboutCars.com, as well as from other major industry sources.

See complete Toyota Recall News after the jump:

The U.S. Department of Transportation has now said it will look into electrical issues as a possible source for the unintended acceleration of Toyota products. Toyota recently recalled 2.3 million cars and trucks due to pedals that stick or are slow to return and has since announced a fix for the problem that it says is mechanical, not electronic.

Easily the most talked about vehicle at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was the G Sports FT-86 Concept. With the FT-86 already garnering its fair share of attention, the G-Sports model is a high-performance version of the concept, from a new performance division.

A senior BMW official has confirmed that the wild Vision EfficientDynamics turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid is headed for production. BMW showed the concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year where it received an overwhelmingly positive reaction.

In an effort to assure its customers (and its stockholders) Toyota has now officially announced details of its plan to fix potentially sticky accelerator pedals in 2.3 million recalled vehicles. Repairs to affected vehicles will begin this week.

A “fix” has been developed for the recalled vehicles that includes reinforcing the pedal mechanism to eliminate the friction that could have caused a sticking accelerator pedal. In addition, Toyota has worked with the pedal supplier to create a new pedal that will be used on newly-manufactured Toyota models.

Toyota will, however, continue as planned with the temporary closing of many of its North American plans for this week.

The accelerator pedal recall affects 2.3 million vehicles in North America, including eight models: 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

No Camry, RAV4, Corolla or Highlander vehicles with VIN numbers that begin with J are affected, nor are any Lexus or Scion models.

In the event of a sticky gas pedal, Toyota advises to apply the brakes until the vehicle comes to a stop and to then turn the vehicle off. Experts also suggest that applying the brakes and then putting the vehicle into Neutral may help to slow the car.

Official release after the jump:

With the seemingly endless recall notices from Toyota over the past week, the automaker has decided to send out a list of Top 10 questions an answers that its customers might have. We’ve tried to answer many of them through several articles all week long.

For vehicles involved in the pedal recall see here:

Recall Notice: Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million Vehicles for Sticking Accelerator Pedal

For what to do if your vehicle does unintendedly accelerate, see here:

Owners Should Keep Driving Cars Despite Safety Issue Says Toyota

See after the jump for Toyota’s Top 10 Questions and Answers about the Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall:

Ferrari will show a hybrid concept at the Geneva Auto Show, based on the Italian automaker’s 599 flagship. Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo made the announcement while unveiling the company’s latest Formula One race car. Di Montezemolo also stated that this prototype is slated for production but did not give any timeline.

With the launch of the Golf R, Volkswagen is considering a Jetta R model that will help expand the brand’s soon-to-be-launched high-performance R division. This new Jetta R won’t be based on the current Jetta platform but on the all-new Jetta, which is known as the New Compact Sedan. The look of the car was previewed at the Detroit Auto Show recently, in coupe form, with the introduction of the New Compact Coupe.

What should you do if you drive a Toyota affected by the Japanese automakers latest massive recall? Toyota’s answer… just keep driving it.

Toyota has a solution to the sticking accelerator problem that prompted the automaker to recall 2.3 million vehicles, but there’s no word on how long it will be before consumers are able to have their car fixed. According to a report by Automotive News, CTS Corporation, which built the faulty part now has a replacement part, some of which have already been shipped to Toyota plants for use on new models.

One of Germany’s most respected tuners is set to unveil a new Grand Touring supercar at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Based on a Mercedes SL (or SL65 AMG Black Series perhaps), the C25 supercar from Carlsson has a significantly redesigned body as well as some expectedly serious performance under the hood.

General Motors has just announced it has reached an agreement to sell its loss-making Saab division to Dutch exotic car maker Spyker Cars NV. Saab and Spyker will form a new company, Saab Spyker Automobiles and the deal is expected to be finalized in February pending approval by several regulatory bodies and the Swedish government.

“Today’s announcement is great news for Saab employees, dealers and suppliers, great news for millions of Saab customers and fans worldwide, and great news for GM,” said John Smith, GM VP for corporate planning and alliances.“General Motors, Spyker Cars, and the Swedish government worked very hard and creatively for a deal that would secure a sustainable future for this unique and iconic brand, and we’re all happy for the positive outcome.”

The new Saab Spyker Automobiles company is expected to move forward with a plan to bring Saab more up-market, selling fewer vehicles but at higher (and more profitable) pricepoints. No indication has been given as to when Saab will re-start production, with enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the new 9-5 model (above), which dealers have already taken orders for.

Official release after the jump:

Recently we brought you the story of an ongoing saga between GenCoupe.com forum member McFly and the Kansas Hyundai dealership that refused to honor an eBay sale. The last installment of the story saw McFly thanking his supporters, which had inundated the dealership with emails and calls, to please stop as he had reached an agreement.

AMG has made its mark in the auto industry by building immensely powerful engines to propel large and luxurious Mercedes-Benz models to unimaginable speeds. But with Merc now looking at the lower end of the market, AMG is being forced to do so as well. AMG, however, has its own plans.

With companies like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Lexus all looking down-market, it’s no surprise that Infiniti is exploring its future and its expansion possibilities with a new entry-level model. What is surprising, however, is news that an entry-level Infiniti may in fact be a front-drive model.

Possibly BMW’s worst kept secret in recent history, the German automaker has just officially announced a new high-performance version of the 3 Series Coupe, called the 335is. Using the 335’s twin-turbo inline-six, the boost has been upped, the exhaust sportified and the cooling system upgraded. The result is 320-hp and 332 ft-lbs of torque. An overboost function will also permit short bursts of 370 ft-lbs of torque.

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Ford is planning an independent rear suspension (IRS) for the next-generation Mustang. Due out in 2014, this next model will celebrate 50 years of the iconic pony car.

A collection of amateur spy photos have emerged online showing what appears to be a production version of the Lexus LF-Ch concept, which first debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year. With a slightly less aggressive style, a new rear hatch and some OEM-equipment wheels, it is likely that Lexus is preparing this new model for an official debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Honda Racing has officially announced the HSV-010 GT will join Japan’s Super GT racing series this year, releasing a huge selection of photos for those who just can’t get enough of the car. Based on the discontinued NSX replacement (yup, we’re still crying about it too), the HSV-010 is powered by a 3.4-liter V8 that makes 500-ish horsepower and 289 ft-lbs of torque. While the road car was expected to be powered by a V10 and get AWD, this race car is RWD and the V8 engine is thought to be a version of the V8 found in the Acura ARX ALMS cars.

Apparently not all big debuts happen at the Detroit Auto Show. Volkswagen made a splash at the Montreal Auto Show, by showing, for the first time in North America, the Euro-spec Golf R. First unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year, VW has yet to confirm this model for production in North America, but the fact that it’s being shown here means the German automaker is testing the waters.

General Motors is asking Tiger Woods for its cars back, after an agreement with the golf star ended two weeks ago. A contract between Woods and GM’s Buick brand expired in 2008, but the controversial golfer was allowed access to GM products, including the Cadillac Escalade SUV that he so famously crashed in his Florida neighborhood. A clause in the contract that allowed him access to those vehicles expired on December 31st.

With a new version of the 5 Series now headed to dealerships, BMW is preparing to launch the all-new M5, with the super saloon likely to debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March. According to a report in CAR Magazine, they have all the deets on the 2011 F10 model.

Volkswagen will double its sales in the U.S. in the next two to three years says VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby. Currently the German automaker sells just over 200,000 units in the U.S. annually, moving 213,454 cars and crossovers in 2009, down slightly from 2008. Jacoby believes sales will rise to 400,000 to 450,000 units in the next 24 to 36 months, in accordance with a larger goal by the company to deliver U.S. sales of 800,000 units sold in the U.S. by 2018.

A brand desperately in search of a clear direction, Acura will soon deliver a hybrid model says Honda CEO Takanobu Ito.

The Aveo RS Concept, which Chevy has just debuted at the Detroit Auto Show, is intended to give a glimpse at what the future Aveo small car will be like. If the production model is close, we’ll be impressed.

Honda has just unveiled the production version of the CR-Z hybrid, looking like and taking after the original CRX. The CRX, after all, was introduced as a fuel efficient model, that quickly became a favorite of enthusiasts and tuners alike due to its sporty driving dynamics.

Audi has just unveiled a significantly updated version of the E-Tron electric sports car concept that originally debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year and the new look is much improved. Looking far more like a street car, this E-Tron is smaller, rear-wheel drive and a little less powerful.

Toyota has announced that it will expand the Prius name to become an entire family of dedicated hybrid vehicles. Launched today at the Detroit Auto Show, the FT-CH Hybrid Concept is a look at what the next model in the Prius lineup is likely to be.

Volkswagen is showcasing what it calls the New Compact Coupe (NCC) at the Detroit Auto Show. A stylish looking VW, this Jetta-sized model is actually a hybrid. A 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder makes 148-hp and 177 ft-lbs of torque and is mated to a 27-hp electric motor. When combined with VW’s 7-speed DSG transmission, the NCC gets an impressive 45 mpg. Acceleration isn’t exactly impressive at 8.1 seconds to 60 mph, but that’s better than initial reports about the Honda CR-Z have indicated.

Ford has just unveiled the first example of its new One Ford philosophy, the 2011 Focus. Offered as both a five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, both models look quite unique but offer the same aggressive front end and high-quality paint. At launch one engine will be offered, a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with direct-injection technology that makes an impressive 155-hp and 145 ft-lbs of torque. Ford has, however, confirmed that the Focus will be offered with an EcoBoost engine in all markets in the future. Presumably, this will be Ford’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost with 180-hp.