The Tokyo Motor Show is underway and information about new vehicles continues to flow out — The latest bit focuses on the Nissan Fuga hybrid which is expected to hit North American dealerships sometime in 2011 as the Infiniti M.

This vehicle features an electric motor capable of 50 kW and 200 pounds-per-feet of torque that will have the Fuga reaching speeds of up to 62mph on electricity alone. Couple that with a 3.5-liter 6 cylinder engine and you have yourself a luxury model that any fuel sipping driver would love.

Nissan is expected to release complete engine output numbers sometime next year.

via autoblog

Tags: hybrid, nissan fuga, north america

Nissan has recently confirmed its plans to offer the Micra in the United States. Three variants will be available which include a four-door sedan, five-door hatchback and “an MPV-like vehicle”. It might not be available until 2011 or 2012.

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If we’re talking rally car inspired consumer vehicles two models almost always come to mind; the Subaru Impreza WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The WRX is a nice car but for now we’re going to focus on the Evo as recent reports have surfaced that suggest the vehicle’s next iteration will feature plug-in technology.

Mitsubishi recently showed off the above Concept PX-MiEV at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show which is nothing more than an all electric SUV. However, the real treat comes from rumors that Mitsubishi is planning on using this vehicle’s drivetrain in the Lancer Evolution XI.

There isn’t much more information regarding this new Evo but our sources say it is expected to hit the market by 2013.

via autopia

Tags: concept px-miev, mitsubishi evo, tokyo motor show, xi

Lexus has today released the pricing scheme for their brand new 2010 LS and GS models. Now, none of these vehicles go on sale until the end of this month but they are by no means cheap so you better start saving.

Below is the full pricing breakdown courtesy of Kicking Tires:

• GS 350 RWD: $45,000
• GS 350 AWD: $46,950
• GS 460: $53,470
• GS 450h: $56,550

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• LS 460 RWD: $64,680
• LS 460 AWD: $68,205
• LS 460 L RWD: $70,225
• LS 460 L AWD: $73,750

Tags: gs, Lexus, ls, pricing

Recent reports have surfaced that BMW has a brand new 0 Series in the works based on the Mini platform. Seeing as the entire Mini lineup is, well, mini we’re going to guess that this new 0 Series will be a quite small one.

The need for such a series apparently came about by the demands of consumers looking for increasingly smaller vehicles. You know, the smaller the car, the better gas mileage? Yeah, that kind of thing. Further reports suggest that there will be several vehicles in the 0 Series lineup including a 3-door and 5-sdoor hatback along with some sort of convertible model.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

via motoringfile

Tags: 0 series, BMW, Mini, platform, rumor

Infiniti has come forth today to let us know that they will in fact be selling hybrid version of their M35. The proper title is the 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid and will hit dealerships sometime in 2011.

Under the hood you can expect a 6 cylinder engine, twin-clutch transmission along with a lithium ion powered electric motor all powering the cars rear wheels.

Unfortunately that is currently all the information we have regarding the 2012 M35 Hybrid but we’ll keep you updated as more is made known.

via kickingtires

Tags: 6 cylinder, hybrid, Infiniti, lithium ion, m35, twin clutch

GM’s Chevy Volt has yet to hit dealerships and already tremendous amounts of buzz has begun circulating partially due to advertising efforts.

This is only the beginning says GM’s Bob Lutz as when the car is closer to hitting dealerships GM will be “pulling out the heaving artilery and get Volt buzz going”. In other words, GM is going to pour unheard of amounts of money into the Volt’s advertising campaign in hopes that it will catch out.

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Tags: chevy volt, GM

The first we saw of Audi’s e-Tron concept car was at the Frankfurt Motor Show where it remained nothing more than a concept. Now, Audi has come forth to tell Autoweek that the 4,500nm torque of beast is on the drawing board to become a production vehicle. There’s not telling on when we will be seeing it at dealerships but Audi of America Johan de Nysschen reportedly expects pre-production models within the next 2 years.

For those who don’t know, the e-tron is a fully electric vehicle capable of a outputting 313hp (230kW), 4,500nM of torque (over 3,300 pounds-per-foot) and will hit 62 miles from a stand still in just 4.8 seconds and reach top speeds of 124 mph. Best of all, on a full charge the e-tron will be able to travel a full 154 miles.

Tags: Audi, audi of america, e-tron, frankfurt motor show, Production

Recent reports suggest that BMW is gearing up to send the V10 engine featured in their current generation M5 to the great beyond and instead replace it with a turbocharged V8.

Sure, the V10 is fast, that’s not secret, but the fact that it’s just about everything besides environmentally friendly has left BMW with no choice but to turn towards greener alternatives such as the above mentioned turbocharged V8.

If these reports are true, we should be seeing the a turbocharged V8 engine appear in the next generation M5 with right around 555 HP and 500 lb-per-feet of torque.

via autoblog

Tags: BMW, m5, report, turbocharger, v10, V8

If recent reports are to be believed we may in fact be seeing a drop top convertible version of the Ferrari 458 Italia entitled the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider appear at some point in the near future.

WCF says that reports come to us out of Italy where buzz is circulating that Ferrari will in fact begin producing the 458 Italia that surfaced after Ferrari’s Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was quoted to have said the Spider is coming withing the next couple of years.

Those who plan on purchasing the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider better start saving up now as it’s not going to be cheap. I mean, it is a Ferrari, after all.

Tags: 458 italia, convertible, Ferrari, Italy, rumor, spider

Ford Motors has entered a joint venture with Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) which resulted in a new plant that will be put up in Chongqing China. The plant is scheduled to be completed by 2012 and is Ford’s ticket towards expanding in the Asian Pacific and African regions.

The new plant is said to be capable of producing 150,000 units a year which jacks up the total annual production capacity of the CFMA to 600,000 to cover the growing demands for Ford brands in China. The investment was said to be valued at $490 million.

The new, highly flexible facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art automation and utilize Ford’s global manufacturing processes and systems. Capable of producing a diversified range of products in the future, the plant will begin manufacturing Ford’s next-generation Ford Focus in 2012.

(Source) Press

Tags: african regions, art automation, asian pacific, cfma, changan ford, chongqing china, diversified range, flexible facility, ford focus, ford motors, joint venture, manufacturing processes, Mazda, mazda automobile, next generation, state of the art

Recent reports have surfaced that suggest Zenn Motors will no longer be pursuing the cityZENN high speed all electric vehicle in addition to slowing down their efforts with their other all electrics. But this doesn’t mean they will stop work all together as they will instead be focusing on supplying ZENNergy Drive electric vehicle drive train components.

Below is a quote from Zenn Motors regarding the shifting of efforts:

Our decisions regarding cityZENN continue to evolve in response to advancements in electric vehicle deployment across the industry since we announced cityZENN a couple of years ago… Integration of ZENNergy Drive in Tier 1 and OEM product has always been our long term objective. The cityZENN program was always designed as a proof of concept for ZENNergy Drive.

So, let’s see if Zenn will keep true to their word and have production ready ZENNergy Drive electric vehicle drive train components by years end.

via autobloggreen

Tags: cityzenn, zenn motors, zennergy drive

It seems that Auto Express recently sat down with an anonymous spokesperson who told them that Rolls-Royce is in fact working an all electric version of this iconic Phantom. There aren’t many details regarding the fabled car but reports suggest that it will feature a very large lithium-ion battery (similar to the ones found in the BMW’s Mini E) along with a range extender (as found in the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept).

Now before you get too excited and started whipping out your Black AmEx, make note that this is just a rumor which means we won’t put my stock in it until we hear official word from Rolls-Royce or anyone involved.

Tags: all electric, Electric, phantom, rolls-royce, rumor

It seems that the government isn’t done lending out money just yet as it was recently announced that they have lent half a billion dollars to Fisker Automotive for work on their forthcoming plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Fisker reportedly has two plug-in hybrids in the works; a $90,000 one entitled the Karma (pictured above) and the much more reasonably priced Nina at $40,000. There’s no telling when the Karma is set to hit the road but with this new round of goverment funding Fisker hopes to have the Nina in the hands of consumers by 2012.

Even better, Fisker hopes that with the introduction of the Nina will come up to 5,000 new jobs, something this country desperately needs.

Tags: fisker automotive, funding, government, hybrid, Karma, loan, nina, Plug-in

Earlier this week Volkswagen took center stage at the Frankfurt Motor Show to show us their extremely futuristic looking diesel-powered L1 concept. They then followed suit and showed us the E-Up! concept, an all electric vehicle which we now know is expected to go into production by 2013.

Well, it seems that VW wasn’t done talking about the L1 concept as they have recently let us know that they expect it to enter production right around the same time as the E-Up! (sometime around 2013) and that it will get 170MPG. This goes along with the previous statement that the L1 will travel 100 kilometers using just 1.38 liters of diesel fuel.

While there’s no telling if the L1 concept will every actually hit the streets, if/when it does it’s sure to look nothing like what is pictured above.

via engadget

Tags: 170mpg, diesel, frankfurt motor show, fuel efficient, l1