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Report: Toyota again hints that a new Supra is under development [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Videos, Toyota

Now that the NSX is on its way back, the list of sports car revivals most yearned for by US enthusiasts is probably down to the Mazda RX-7, Nissan 240SX, Lotus Elise and Toyota Supra. There’s been a lot of talk about that last one over the past year especially, with rumors of an all-wheel-drive coupe utilizing a CVT last May, a Toyota engineer declaring he was instructed to develop a new Supra in November (and another MR2 in case you’re wondering), a tie-up with BMW in January of this year that highlighted a “mid-size sports vehicle” and the incoming company chairman saying he wants something “comparable” to the Supra just two months ago. Oh, and there was Toyota UK going on a public stroll down Supra History Lane last month.

This week, Bloomberg spoke to Toyota USA Sales CEO Kazuo Ohara on a variety of topics, from pickup trucks to US hybrid sales to the value of the yen, then opened up the Supra issue in the last 40 seconds. While making sure to start his answer with the fact that nothing is confirmed, Ohara’s reply to the resurrection of the coupe was “We have several options… and a kind of Supra successor is one of the options we have.” That doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, but Ohara’s last line was, “In the future we can give you better news.” We don’t know if “better news” means confirmation of a Supra, or the announcement that they’ve confirmed something at all. So if you thought you could get off the edge of your seat, well, not just yet.

You can watch the complete Bloomberg interview below.

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Toyota again hints that a new Supra is under development [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Aug 2013 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Montezemolo hints at a “very different new Ferrari” for Geneva

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Rumormill, Luxury

Looking for a heads up on what’s coming down the pipe from Maranello? All you have to do is listen carefully to what Luca di Montezemolo has to say. The affable Ferrari chief has a penchant for leaking information on upcoming models before they arrive. This time, he is promising “a very different new Ferrari.”

Different how? In speaking with French sports publication L’Equipe, Montezemolo declared, “You will discover at the Geneva Motor Show a very different new Ferrari that proves that we adapt as the world changes.” Interesting. And while we won’t know for certain what form that proof will take, the Marquis seems to be hinting at something with a reduced environmental impact.

At the Paris Motor Show earlier this year, Ferrari unveiled a California with the HELE system – incorporating stop-start ignition, intelligent engine cooling, variable air-con and adaptive shift algorithms – and it showed the 599 HY-KERS hybrid prototype in Geneva last March. Will the next Swiss salon hold another green showcar for us, or will the Prancing Horse marque gallop its environmental obligations into something for production?

[Source: L’Equipe via autosblog.fr]

Report: Montezemolo hints at a “very different new Ferrari” for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Ford, Misc. Auto Shows

2010 Ford Taurus SHO Convention highlights – Click above for high-res image gallery

Blue Oval execs rolled out the red carpet for Taurus SHO owners last week in Dearborn, MI to welcome 100 privately owned examples and many more enthusiasts to town for the 19th annual national Taurus SHO convention. Ford would love nothing more than to win the approval of the already rabid SHO enthusiast community, many of whom appreciate the performance potential of two turbos and all-wheel drive but aren’t necessarily on board with the new super-sized model. To that end, Ford dropped some not-so-subtle hints on what could be in store for the next SHO, a model rumored to be on deck for 2013.

“365 horsepower is good. 400 is better.”

“The SHO is at the top [of Ford’s performance sedan lineup] and we’re going to keep it there,” said Steve Ling, Ford’s North American car marketing manager during a Tuesday lunch presentation at Ford World Headquarters. “365 horsepower is good. 400 is better.”

Advanced Engine Design and Development Engineer Brett Hinds spoke at length about the EcoBoost V6 during the Tuesday presentation, noting that the 3.5-liter engine had the potential for considerably more power, as we’ll likely see later this year between the fenders of the F-150. That version of the EcoBoost will definitely produce more torque than the SHO’s mill, but if the rumors of 400 horsepower for the F-150 are true, a more muscular SHO could indeed be just around the corner.

Gallery: 2010 Taurus SHO convention highlights

Continue reading Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention

Ford hints at 400-HP Taurus SHO and more during annual convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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