#Hybrid

The next Honda CR-Z could wind up with real performance credibility courtesy of the new Civic Type R, even if the latter doesn’t make a trans-Atlantic leap.

How do you make a boring economy car exciting? Well, most automakers simply tack a letter “R” on the rear and call it a day. Fortunately the latest Toyota Yaris concept has far more substance than just a name badge.

August new-vehicle sales in the U.S. were up an impressive 17 percent compared to the same month last year, with almost every automaker posting solid gains. But perhaps a bigger surprise has to do with how well plug-in and electric vehicles performed on the market.

Hybrid technology isn’t just a Japanese specialty anymore, everyone is jumping on the electric bandwagon from the Detroit three to German automakers. Even the British are investing in cutting-edge batteries and motors.

Toyota is conducting two voluntary safety recalls. One applies to a couple of its hybrids, the other to a handful of Lexus models.

Germany’s vaunted Nürburgring is arguably the most famous test track in the world. AutoGuide’s intrepid spy photographers have just spotted the 2015 Lexus GS-F circling the famous “Green Hell,” and best of all the car was NOT camouflaged!

It’s hard to believe but the Frankfurt Motor Show press preview kicks off next week. Where has summer gone? Heating things up, here’s a glimpse of what storied German sportscar builder Porsche plans to display at the international event.

When it comes to hybrids, Toyota is the undisputed king. The Japanese automaker’s ultra-efficient Prius is practically the gold standard when it comes to economical motoring, but just because they’ve been successful over the past 15 years doesn’t mean they’re slowing down.

Kia just announced that the concept car it will bring to Frankfurt will be called the “Niro.”

Toyota pulled back the covers today at its Hybrid World Tour event in Michigan, giving a small glimpse of advanced fuel-saving technologies currently in development.

It’s not every day you get to sit inside a concept car, and driving one is an even rarer occurrence since these special vehicles are typically one-offs that are more precious than gold to automakers. Against the odds AutoGuide got a very brief test drive of the beautiful Infiniti Emerg-E show car at the Nissan 360 media event in Southern California.

Range Rover buyers will soon be able to satiate their appetite for hybrid technology. Was it ever very big?

Toyota is selling a hybrid version of the Corolla compact sedan in Japan starting today.

Porsche expects to sell about 10,000 of its Panamera S E-Hybrids over the life cycle of the vehicle.

Zoom-Zoom, it’s what sets Mazda apart from other car companies. The small Japanese manufacturer focuses on driving dynamics far more than other mass-market automakers. The result of that relentless toil is a lineup of cars and crossovers that are more entertaining than their competition. Paraphrasing one of the company’s TV commercials, if it’s not worth driving it’s not worth building.