Japan
-
Making plans for the future is tough when the market is as shaky as it is now, but Honda is trying to find a way to get its Insight hybrid to market in the U.S. for less than $20,000. To do so, it may have to build the car in the U.S., but it won't be able to justify that step unless it can sell 100,000 of the cars in North America. Already on sale in Japan for about that price, the Insight is racking up sales, exceeding its monthly target by 200%. The Japanese price of ¥1.89 million ($20,623) already makes the Insight the least expensive hybrid vehicle on the market, setting it up to...
-
Zele reveals pricing for Infiniti G37 Gran Turismo editionArt imitates life, they say, though with video games getting so lifelike they look like playable movies, it's getting harder to tell which is life and which is art. Zele International has added to the confusion, showing off a new Gran Turismo edition body kit for the Infiniti G37, or Nissan Skyline...
Kenneth Hall -
IDING Power Ferrari F460GT conversion
With more power and even more aggressive aerodynamics than the factory-built 430 Scuderia, IDING Power's new F460GT offers a new take on a super-performing F430 variant. Boring out the engine and replacing stock parts with carbon fiber are the primary modes of improvement. As the name suggests, the...
Kenneth Hall -
Live photos: 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV
Nissan earlier this month revealed details for its new limited-production GT-R SpecV model, which goes on sale in Japan early in February and is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year. The SpecV is targeted specifically at enthusiast drivers who desire race car-level performance in a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Toyota to halve Japanese production
The global downturn in car sales is a familiar topic these days, and even the production juggernaut of Toyota is facing unseen declines in demand for its products. To help realign output with that demand, the carmaker recently announced plans to shut down all 12 of its Japanese plants for a total...
Jeremy Weber -
Volvo pulls out of 2009 Tokyo Motor Show
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) is still deciding whether or not to cancel this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, currently scheduled for October, but with a string of carmakers confirming their non-attendance the show’s current status is looking grim. America’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The global downturn in car sales is a familiar topic these days, and even the production juggernaut of Toyota is facing unseen declines in demand for its products. To help realign output with that demand, the company has planned to shut down all 12 of its Japanese plants for a total of 11 days in February and March. Toyota's move in Japan echoes similar cutbacks already made by the carmaker in the U.S. as the company struggles to find the right balance of production. A report by the AP reveals that the issue of slow sales isn't just limited to SUVs and pickups. "We are coping with a slump in...
-
Rumored full specs for Nissan GT-R Spec-V
Nissan execs have confirmed the existence of a Spec-V GT-R, a lighter and more powerful version of the already extreme Japanese supercar, and we now have what is rumored to be final specs for the car based on information revealed at this weekend’s 12th annual Nismo Festival in Japan. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Honda's Japanese-market Odyssey hits the sales floor
Americans know the Honda Odyssey as a solid-driving and fun minivan, but the Japanese get a vehicle by the same name that's more wagon than van, and even sportier to drive and look at. The newly redesigned version features several enhancements intended to make it feel bigger and more spacious while...
Nelson Ireson -
Toyota reveals Modellista enhanced iQ
Toyota’s iQ minicar officially went on sale in Japan this month and to coincide with the launch the company also revealed several new styling packs under the guise of its in-house accessories brand Modellista. Two different Modellista iQs are on offer - the Maxi and Mixture - and both are...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan defends GT-R Nurburgring lap time with second video
Earlier this month we reported on accusations hurled by Porsche towards Nissan, accusing the Japanese carmaker of falsifying the blistering Nurburgring lap time of 7m 29s recorded for the GT-R back in May. The accusations managed to reach the upper echelons of Nissan management, prompting...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche accuses Nissan of falsifying GT-R Nurburgring lap times
There’s something very puzzling about Nissan’s all-new GT-R supercar. Its official output figures read 480hp (358kW) and 588Nm (434lb-ft) of torque and its mass registers at 1,723kg, but the car can still outrun the 911 Turbo around the notorious Nurburgring by a healthy margin despite...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Despite fears Nissan’s new GT-R wouldn’t tolerate anyone tinkering around with its innards, Japan’s industrious tuning firms have managed to develop a number of aftermarket parts claimed to boost performance of the supercar. Initial testing showed that even simple mods such as adding new wheels or breathing mods could make the car’s ECU go haywire, but Japan’s Amuse has shown that it is possible to boost the car’s performance levels far beyond the claimed factory output of 473hp. Amuse has a long history of tuning the GT-R, with previous generations based...
-
Spy shots: Nissan’s upcoming Spec-V GT-R
Nissan has finally revealed its new GT-R SpecV. Click here for all the images and details. Nissan execs have confirmed the existence of a Spec-V GT-R, a lighter and more powerful version of the already extreme Japanese supercar, and latest speculation suggests the car could make an appearance at...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran
