Excitement gathered around Toyota as the company announced a factory-backed return to Le Mans in the LMP1 category. Now, it seems like Toyota will be taking its racing efforts to a new level.

During its glory days, Toyota enjoyed 43 victories as well as seven FIA world rally titles. From 1973 through 1999, Toyota was a fixture in the sport.

Now, a report from the FIA World Rally Championship website revealed that Toyota has built a regulation 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant, which meets the WRC Global Race Engine technical regulations, and is currently performing a series tests at Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne. According to a spokesman from Toyota Motorsport, “We’re leaning towards an S2000-style of car which would be available for customers first. This is a development project, but it’s very early days –  the engine only fired up for the first time a few weeks ago- at the very earliest, a car won’t be available until next year. Obviously, this being a Global Race Engine, it could go in any car, but the Yaris seems to make sense.”

According to the anonymous spokesman, participation in rallying is a part of the automaker’s medium-term future goals. What’s more, a Super 2000 category vehicle may also suggest new plans for World Touring Car Championship, as the S2000 specification is split to cover both rally and touring car racing regulations.

[Source: WRC.com]

Despite the commitment of many automakers to go green, consumers do not share the sentiment. According to a Polk study released today, almost two-thirds of U.S. hybrid buyers do not return to the market for another hybrid.

The only exception in the survey is from the best-selling Toyota Prius, receiving a repurchase rate of 41 percent while the repurchase rate among other hybrid buyers has fallen to 22 percent.

From surveys recorded since 2008, customer loyalty ratings for hybrids have been inconsistent. While the loyalty rate for hybrids are at 22 percent now, loyalty once reached 41.8 percent during the second quarter of 2009. By the fourth quarter of 2010, the rate had fallen to 26.4 percent, but had risen back to a total of 35 percent for 2011.

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Taking styling cues from its big brother Maxima, Nissan unveiled the all-new Altima mid-size sedan this week at the New York International Auto Show.

Growing in size, the 2013 Altima keeps the same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 engines with a slight bump in power. The bigger news is the next-generation CVT transmission that helps improve fuel economy by as much as 15 percent. As a result, Nissan claims best-in-class fuel economy for the Altima.

To find out just how efficient, watch AutoGuide’s first look video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Nissan Altima

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Watch out Tesla. Step aside Fisker. With the reveal of the LE Concept at the NY Auto Show this week Infiniti has confirmed it is preparing to enter the luxury electric car segment.

Those new automakers may already have vehicles on the market, but considering the success parent company Nissan has had with the Leaf as the world’s first mainstream electric car, Infiniti is poised for success. Find out more about the car’s impressive design, premium interior and innovations that include wireless charging in AutoGuide’s first look video below.

GALLERY: Infiniti LE Concept

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A dramatic new styling direction for the brand it might not be, but the Acura RLX concept is a look at the hi-tech future flagship of the Acura brand.

Looking much like a larger version of the new ILX small sedan, the RLX is in some ways a backwards version of the upcoming NSX supercar, using a hybrid V6 engine and twin electric wheel motors, but with the engine in the front and the electric power in the rear.

To find out more about the upcoming RLX, unveiled at the New York Auto Show, watch AutoGuide’s first look video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RLX

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It may have been rumored as a rebadged Nissan Leaf, but Infiniti’s new electric car concept is unique, luxurious and innovative.

Unveiled today at the New York International Auto Show the Infiniti LE Concept is referred to as a “production intent” vehicle says Infiniti of the Americas Vice President Ben Poore, with plans to have a model in dealerships in two years.

Infiniti doesn’t say exactly what LE stands for, and while “Luxury Electric” comes to mind, so does the brand’s ownership by French automaker Renault.

“Infiniti believes the future of luxury is sustainable luxury and we intend to continue taking a leadership role, building on the foundation set by our advanced Infiniti M Hybrid and high-mpg Infiniti JX luxury crossover,” says Poore. As a result, the Le Concept offers a premium interior, stylish exterior, a powerful motor and some impressive new technology.

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All new for 2013, the Lexus ES has been completely revamped starting with a bold new grille with more angler and fewer curves. The result is more of the new GS from the front and more of the flagship LS from the sides and back.

Powering the new ES is a familiar 3.5-liter V6, although Lexus is now also offering, for the first time, a hybrid engine option. To find out more about the new ES and the ES300h, watch AutoGuide’s first look video from the NY Auto Show below.

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus ES

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Lexus introduced its all-new ES300h hybrid with a fuel-efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine at the New York Auto Show today.

Attaining a combined 39-mpg rating, Lexus boasts tech innovations in its 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine like low-friction components, a variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) technology and a 12.5:1 compression ratio, the in-line four-cylinder combines with Lexus Hybrid Drive for a complete ES300h power output of 200 hp. A surprisingly low figure for an all-new midsize luxury sedan, the ES300h gets from 0-to-60 in an unimpressive 8.1 seconds.

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus ES300h

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At the 2012 New York International Auto Show, Mazda has announced that the production version of the new Mazda6 will be on display at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September. 

Today marks the North American debut of the Takeri concept car at the New York Auto Show, and it seems this is more than just a meaningless design, as Mazda revealed that this might be very close to the production Mazda6. Seeing how the production CX-5 looks very similar to its concept version, they could be onto something here.

The new Mazda6, will feature all the latest SKYACTIV technologies, from the engine to the gearbox, and its innovative chassis which is both light and very rigid. However, while Mazda is developing new SKYACTIV diesel engines, North America will only see the petrol variants of this car, at least in the start. We hope Mazda will start offering diesel models in North America soon.

The new Mazda6 will start arriving in North American showrooms sometime next year as 2014 models. No prices have been mentioned yet, but expect them to be similar to the current model.

With its flagship RL never much of a rival to traditional luxury saloons and its once hi-tech SH-AWD system now more commonplace in the industry, it’s no surprise that the car was a certifiable failure.

Unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, Acura has switched nomenclature to RLX for it’s big sedan, hoping to wow audiences with a purposeful hybrid system that works in tandem with a next-generation electric SH-AWD system.

Making “more than” 370 hp, Acura has mated a direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 engine with three electric motors. One motor works in unison with the V6 engine as a conventional hybrid drive, while two others power the rear wheels. As a result, the RLX now gets what Acura calls Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, allowing power to be distributed left to right in the rear to help the car rotate. A similar system, though with the gasoline in the rear, will be fitted to the next-generation NSX.

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Leaks aside, Nissan debuted its 2013 Nissan Altima today at the New York Auto Show, displaying a host of new features in its refreshed mid-size sedan.

Much of the information about the new Altima made its way onto the internet yesterday thanks to a set of loose lips, or careless fingers as it were but there’s still more to tell. ”NASA inspired zero-gravity seats” make their first debut in the car.

The automaker turned to  NASA in an effort to develop seats that keep the driver and front passenger in the most natural position possible for ideal comfort. Of course, people come in all shapes and sizes, so anything short of a test drive is probably inadequate to render judgement.

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Lexus debuted its new volume-seller midsize 2013 ES350 and ES300h hybrid cars today at the New York Auto Show featuring the same re-visited styling we’ve seen on the rest of its lineup.

“The Lexus ES brought new levels of refinement, sophistication and quality to the entry luxury segment when it entered the market in 1989 and through the years it has consistently been a sales leader for us. Now, with both gas and hybrid versions, the 2013 ES promises to lead Lexus forward once again,” said Lexus group vice president and general manager Mark Templin.

The ES 350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to a trick ECT-i (Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence) six-speed automatic transmission capable of smooth shifting and optimized fuel efficiency. New low-friction engine materials also contribute to the new ES’ higher mpg rating.

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Ahead of a planned reveal tomorrow at the New York Auto Show, the photos of and details on the 2013 Nissan Altima have leaked on VWVortex revealing an impressively fuel efficient sedan with plenty of styling borrowed from the Maxima.

Sharper lines and a more aggressive front fascia define the new Altima, due to dealerships this Summer. For 2013, Nissan’s volume-selling sedan gets a more efficient 2.5-liter inline four cylinder engine that takes advantage of variable valve timing for improved efficiency.

A rethought continuously-variable transmission (CVT), standard in all Altimas, also contributes to the improved fuel economy for an estimated 38 mpg highway, as well as 27 mpg in the city – the best of any non-hybrid mid-size sedan, even topping the Camry’s 25/35 rating. The efficiency-minded four-cylinder also gains seven horsepower for a total 182 and an estimated 180 lb-ft of torque.

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When last we spoke to Scion boss Jack Hollis, his interest in a small truck for the youth brand was undeniable. Now reports of increased production at the automaker’s RAV4 facility in Woodstock, Ontario have spawned new rumors about the as yet unconfirmed sixth model in the Scion lineup.

Increased production of the RAV4 (up by 25%) could simply be a method Toyota is using to keep costs down by reducing the number of RAV4 models it imports from overseas. However, it also supports the possibility that Toyota will build a Scion truck based on the compact crossover platform.

Currently compact pickups are a dying breed, with CAFE rules penalizing smaller trucks that still aren’t tiny. Toyota has bucked this trend with the Tacoma, due mostly to the compact pickup’s dominance in the segment and Toyota’s continued efforts to be a player in the truck segment.

A unibody “truck” that is designed more as a lifestyle vehicle and less as a work machine would continue to help out Toyota’s fuel economy, and could also be rebaged as a Toyota model and sold overseas.

With Toyota currently offering both a 4-cylinder and a V6 in the RAV4, this might also make way for Scion’s first-ever six-cylinder model.

[Source: TacomaHQ]

Spring is in the air, but in Northern Sweden, where these latest spy photos come from, winter testing is ongoing. Shown here are test mules for the next generation Infiniti G sedan and this rare glimpse of a Japanese car where the German automakers normally do their testing is no coincidence.

Spotted leaving a Mercedes-Benz test facility the cars also sounded distinctly like diesels. Infiniti and Mercedes have previously announced they will share engine technology and that Infiniti will get Mercedes diesel engines. More recently Infiniti filed for a trademark on the G22d name – in addition to the G35h and G30t signifying the model line will add both a hybrid and a turbocharged 3.0-liter.

The test mules seen here, while closely resembling the current G models, do feature a slightly wider track, as well as added air intakes on the front bumper – to help feed air to the intercoolers for both the diesel and turbo gasoline engines.

GALLERY: 2014 Infiniti G Test Mule

Since Renault and Nissan formed a strategic alliance in 1999, the two companies have made tremendous strides in streamlining their business, with sales performances significantly improving for both companies.

To further its efforts, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that it will establish a new company, Renault Japon Co., Ltd., to import and sell Renault vehicles in Japan.

While Nissan Trading Co. was originally responsible for Renault operations in Japan, the decision to form Renault Japon was based on the need to establish a flexible management system that is able to make quick marketing decisions. Renault Japon will operate as a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co., working closely with Nissan’s sales strategy.

While many new plug-ins boast the convenience and simplicity of recharging the car battery from a household wall socket, how many vehicles can claim to provide the opposite? 

Honda has installed an inverter in the trunk of one special FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, providing output power that could supply up to 8 kilowatts of electricity for more than seven hours from a full tank of hydrogen — a figure that is supposedly enough to power the average Japanese home for six days. This particular FCX has been delivered to the Saitama Prefecture government, which was also an early-adopter of a solar-powered hydrogen station.

Concerns over power shortages have heightened since last year’s natural disaster and the subsequent nuclear plant shutdown, causing a spike in interest for electric vehicles that may double as emergency power suppliers for homes. Last year, Nissan demonstrated its Leaf-to-Home, which claimed the power output could generate enough to sustain an average household for two days. Unlike fuel cells, an electric battery can only store electricity rather than generate it, resulting in a less flexible application when compared to fuel-cell technology.

GALLERY: Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell

In 2007, Top Gear aired the “Polar Special”, documenting Jeremy Clarkson and James May’s Toyota Hilux racing against Richard Hammond and a team of sled dogs.

Amid the childish antics of the three television presenters lay a landmark achievement — this was the first time any expedition had ever reached the Magnetic North Pole in an automobile.

Touted as one of the most indestructible trucks in the world, the Toyota Hilux continues to push the boundaries of extreme endurance further still, having tackled a 5,900 mile journey into Antarctica, a distance that is further than any vehicle of its type has managed ever before. Organized by Extreme World Races, the journey took four months, from November 2011 to this February.

Enduring temperatures dropping as low as -58° Fahrenheit and climbing wild terrain rising to elevations above 11,000 feet, the expedition called for thorough vehicle preparation for safety and success. In total, Extreme World Races outfitted three Hilux trucks for the event, including a “6×6″ models.

Modifications to the trucks included a heavy-duty crane to lift equipment, suspension and drivetrain strengthening, extra-large tires inflated to 2.0 to 3.o psi, which provided the arctic explorers with a footprint 17 times larger than those of standard tires and a 74-gallon fuel tank carrying jet fuel to best cope with the unforgiving cold. In the case of the 6×6, an even larger 211-gallon fuel reservoir was fitted instead. Surprisingly, the Toyota trucks retained the standard 3.0-liter D-4D engines without modifications. Other than a crawler gear, the transmission was left untouched as well.

Upholding its reputation for toughness, the three Toyotas completed the entire journey without a single technical hiccup. This latest feat, the longest expedition in polar history, now recognizes the mighty Hilux for its achievement in reaching both the Magnetic North and South Poles.

GALLERY: Toyota Hilux Antarctic Journey

Bringing together modern social media marketing and classic high-profile presentation, Infiniti and Cirque du Soleil collaborated in an one-of-a-kind, 11-minute live-streaming performance featuring incredible acrobatics and innovative engineering.

Now available on YouTube and Facebook, the performance, choreographed by Cirque du Soleil’s Special Events team, featured an Infiniti JX crossover suspended in the air with with nine acrobats.

“I am very proud that we were able to work so closely with Cirque du Soleil to create a truly inspired performance for our thousands of social media fans around the globe. There has already been an overwhelmingly positive response to the all-new Infiniti JX, and I am very honored to have been able to leverage our unique partnership with Cirque du Soleil to create, for our enthusiasts, something that, before today, seemed only imaginary,” Infiniti Canada director Wendy Durward said.

On sale this month, Infiniti’s full-size, seven-seat premium crossover aims to become the Japanese premium brand’s second best-seller, right behind the G sports sedan line-up. Competing against industry heavyweights like the Acura MDX and Lexus RX, the JX starts at $40,450 for the front-wheel drive model and $41,550 for the all-wheel drive. Packed with Infiniti’s latest tech features, the JX is available with the world’s first Backup Collision Intervention technology, an eight-inch touchscreen display with XM Nav Traffic, a 15-speaker Bose Cabin Surround sound system, and Infiniti Voice Recognition and Streaming Audio via Bluetooth. Learn more about the Infiniti JX from our car review here.

Check out the Cirque du Soleil/Infiniti JX collaborative performance after the break: Continue Reading…

Money goes a long way in this word, but having a title (and money) goes even further. We’re not taking about Doctor, or CEO. No, special privileges really abound when you’re royalty.

Case in point, Prince Albert II of Monaco, who recently havd the unique opportunity to drive the Nissan Leaf NISMO RC, a race car loosely based on the world’s first mainstream electric vehicle. The Prince, an avid proponent of alternative powertrain vehicles (he even ordered a bespoke convertible Lexus LS600hL for his wedding) took the nearly-silent race car for a spin around tiny principality, leaving his palace and arriving at the Grimaldi Forum on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Seeing the video its hard not to imagine a field full of electric race cars hitting the world-famous Monaco F1 circuit.

GALLERY: Prince Albert II and the NISMO Leaf RC

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We fell in love with the Toyota GT 86 when we first drove it, so how could it get any better? Well, try more than doubling the car’s factory displacement by swapping out the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter boxer 4-cylinder for a 5.0-liter V8.

Donated from a Lexus IS-F, this custom machine is the ride of choice for Japanese drift and road racer Max Orido, who will compete in the D1 drift series this year.

Watch the video below and we sure to check out our Scion FR-S First Drive here:

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Smaller downmarket SUVs are in Lexus‘ future lineup according to one company executive who spoke to Auto Express. 

The engineering wizards of Nissan continue to massage more power and performance into their halo GT-R.

As a MY 2013, Nissan has just released its right-hand-drive Nissan GT-R Track Pack for the Japan, UK, Australia and South Africa markets this month. While initial reports suggested that the Track Pack is intended as a right-hand-drive exclusive, Nissan has announced that the hard-core package will be available in left-handed markets as well.

Despite being available in right-hand-drive markets right now, the dates for the other markets are unknown at this point. However, a source suggests left-hand-drive production begins in May. Unfortunately, the Russian, Ukraine and US market are omitted from the initial offerings, but as a hollow triumph, we’re relieved to know it’s not out of the question.

The Track Pack was designed for drivers that want a more authentic experience on a racetrack. Offering a harder edge while remaining road legal, the Track Pack horsepower rating will remain the same as Nissan is not concerned with the GT-R’s power, but more focused on its delivery. the Track Pack sports new cooling vents, front and rear, to increase the airflow over the brakes, dropping the temperature by as much as 100 degrees when driven hard.

Suspension has also been worked on, as different spring rates optimize track stability. Finally, performance Recaro front seats help keep the driver snug while the rear seats are removed for weight. Another weight saving measure, the Nissan GT-R Track Pack gets signature lightweight six-spoke RAYS alloy wheels with a black gloss finish as well.

A limited production model, look for the Track Pack emblem on the center console.

GALLERY: Nissan GT-R Track Pack

[Source: CarScoop]

Since its unveiling, the Lexus spindle grille has spun a web of new vehicle designs that has yet to stop growing and the ES sedan is the latest addition to that network.

The company issued a press release today saying that it will debut the new ES at next week’s New York Auto Show. We don’t get any more details than that, but the picture you see above was a part of the announcement. From it we can see that the ES will follow suit with the rest of Lexus’ newly restyled cars which implement the signature spindle grille first seen on the LF-LC concept in Detroit.

LED headlight accents, differently-styled fog lamps and chrome touches will lend new style to the front fascia. We’re expecting more than just an updated face, though. Lexus said its sixth-generation ES will introduce a “dynamic new driving experience.”

If current car design trends are any indicator, bet on seeing LEDs in the tail lights and the same sharper lines found on the rest of the automaker’s new lineup.

While we’re not sure what that means, we’ll be reporting live from New York City next ween on April 4.