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Report: Hyundai/Kia will likely top Toyota/Lexus for No. 3 sales spot in May

Filed under: Car Buying, Japan, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Toyota

If forecasts from TrueCar.com are accurate, Hyundai and Kia will be the only automakers to post sales gains in the month of May. Mildly interesting news in itself, but the real shocking nugget is that the Korean conglomerate is expected to pass Toyota (including its Lexus luxury brand) as the third-best-selling automaker in the United States.

Surely there are multiple reasons why Toyota and Lexus sales are expected to drop in May (when compared to April, 2011 and May of 2010), but parts and inventory shortages stemming from the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan are front and center.

Credit also goes to Hyundai and Kia for the dramatic gains they have made on their Japanese and American competitors in the last few years, both in sales and in consumer perception. That said, Toyota seems likely to rebound in the coming months, so it will be an interesting exercise to follow the sales charts.

When all the numbers finally come in, TrueCar.com expects the month of May to show an eight-percent drop in sales from April. As you would expect, shortages of cars imported from Japan is partly to blame, but lowered incentives from all automakers is also cited as a contributing factor.

Hyundai/Kia will likely top Toyota/Lexus for No. 3 sales spot in May originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

2011 nissan juke crash test

Small cars score big in latest IIHS crash tests – Click above to watch video after the jump

Thirteen enter, six leave … with Top Safety Pick awards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spent some time driving (and smashing) a big group of small cars. Six of those cars received top honors from the IIHS by scoring a rating of “Good” across the board. The 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Hyunda Elantra, 2011 Lexus CT200h, 2011 Nissan Juke and 2011 Toyota Prius are all the small-car place to be in the event of an accident.

This crop of small cars are also quite fuel efficient. All vehicles in the top six offer a version that gets at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The rest of the vehicles tested faired well. Only the older Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some categories. Every car tested, however, received multiple “Good” ratings. Click past the jump to watch the IIHS talk about about the small car crash tests. Also, be sure to check out the breakdown of the ratings by vehicle (pdf file).

Continue reading IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 7th-generation Camry coming this fall, Prius expected to take top sales spot

Filed under: Sedan, Toyota

2011 toyota camry

2010 Toyota Camry – Click above for high-res image gallery

The current Toyota Camry has been carrying the mid-size sedan torch since 2006, so it’s high time for a remake. According to WardsAuto.com, Toyota is busily prepping the next-generation car, and it could be here by the fall.

The Japanese automaker has been seeing increased pressure from the latest offerings coming out of Korea and the United States, and now it’s time to update its own high-volume money maker. While Toyota sold 327,084 Camrys in 2010 – still at the very front of the midsize family sedan class – that figure represents the lowest sales total for the vehicle since 1994.

Somewhat interestingly, though, Toyota apparently sees the Prius hybrid range taking over for the Camry as Toyota’s best-selling model. Time, as they say, will tell.

7th-generation Camry coming this fall, Prius expected to take top sales spot originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare four-cylinder ’57 Ferrari Testa Rossa expected to top $4 million at auction

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ferrari

1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider

1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider – Click above for high-res image gallery

Wait a second, a Ferrari 500 with a four-cylinder engine? Come on, Autoblog – check your facts. Don’t we mean a Fiat 500? Maybe that special-edition Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari? Nope. What we have here is a genuine four-cylinder Ferrari. And a highly coveted one at that.

The Ferrari 500 TRC (that’s Testa Rossa Type-C) Spider was one of the last models Maranello ever built with an inline-four, the engine originally designed by Aurelio Lampredi for Formula Two, but later adapted for sports racing prototypes after the engineer’s departure. Derived from the Monza, this was the first Ferrari to bear the Testa Rossa name for its red valve headers. And though the styling is similar, it’s even rarer than the 250 Testa Rossa that followed: only 19 of these cars were built, all during just one year or production, making this rarer than the more powerful 12-cylinder 250 TR and 250 GTO that rake in the big bucks at auction.

This particular example – chassis number 0670 MDTR – was the sixth made, ordered by a customer in Sicily who entered it in numerous races around the world in its heyday. While other 500 TRC Spiders went on to claim class victories at Le Mans and the Targa Florio, this one took its class win at the Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb in Palermo – the same locale where we drove the Ferrari California on its launch several decades later.

The car stands as the latest consignment to RM Auctions’ docket for the upcoming Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it is expected to fetch €2,600,000 to €3,300,000 (equivalent to $3.6M to $4.6M at current rates). There it will stand alongside such notables recently covered on these pages as the collection of Bertone concept cars, the Talbot and Bugatti art-deco classics and the pair historic Zagato-bodied Kamm-tailed Alfa Romeos in what’s shaping up to be an historic event in its own right. Follow the jump for more details on the 500 TRC and take a closer look in the high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Rare four-cylinder ’57 Ferrari Testa Rossa expected to top $4 million at auction

Rare four-cylinder ’57 Ferrari Testa Rossa expected to top $4 million at auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota

2011 Ford F-150 IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Test

IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Testing – Click above for high-res image gallery

Like their body-on-frame SUV cousins, full-size pickup trucks are more prone to roll over than a standard passenger car. That’s exactly why it’s so important to have a vehicle that earns good marks in roof-strength tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released the data on its recent volley of tests on full-size pickup trucks, and both the 2011 Ford F-150 and 2011 Toyota Tundra earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation. The vehicles earned the highest possible rating of ‘good’ in the institutes crush test, where a large steel plate is pressed against one corner of the roof to calculate a strength-to-weight ratio.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Nissan Titan took home an acceptable rating in the rollover evaluation while the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, 2011 GMC Sierra and 2011 Ram 1500 netted marginal scores.

IIHS says that the roof on the Toyota Tundra stood up to 4.5 times the truck’s weight while the F-150 handled 4.7 times the pressure. A vehicle must withstand 4 times its weight before five-inches of crush is detected before being awarded a Good rating. Hit the jump for the full press release.

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Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz has pulled the wraps off its latest supercar, the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster. Gone are the gullwing doors and fixed roof; in their place are traditional entry-ports and a folding cloth softtop. The car is still undergoing testing, but these shots reveal far more of the car than we’ve previously seen in various spy photos. A more polished version will be revealed to the world at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Before the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster hits the show circuit, it needs to spend some more time with Mercedes’ engineers. The MB team has put a lot of work into this drop-top SLS, and ditching the fixed roof has required more than simply taking a sawzall to the bodywork.

Though the aluminum spaceframe was originally developed with both a coupe and convertible in mind, Benz engineers added beefier side-skirts to the roadster. This allows for improvements in both crash performance and overall rigidity. Further aiding in the quest for increased strength, a cross-member that supports the dashboard was given additional bracing at both the window frame and transmission tunnel. Despite this increased rigidity, the bodyshell of the SLS AMG Roadster weighs just five pounds more than the bodyshell of the SLS AMG Coupe.

Like its hardtop sibling, the roadster is capable of hitting an electronically limited top speed of 197 miles per hour. The convertible top is constructed from three layers of fabric, magnesium, steel and aluminum. It’s lightweight, strong and can be opened or closed at speeds up to 31 miles per hour.

You can see the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster being put through the testing paces by clicking through the gallery below. Be sure to click past the jump to read more about the new SLS convertible in the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabrio gets flirty with its top

Filed under: Convertible, Volkswagen

2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Have you been dying to pour through images of the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet? Good news, ~~everyone~~ Volkswagen fans! The automaker has just released this mega-gallery of its all-new drop-top.

It’s certainly a handsome little convertible, this Golf, but right now there’s only enough room in the United States for one redesigned Volkswagen with a disappearing roof. The U.S. has been designated an Eos-only country for the time being, meaning our high-res image gallery is the closest you’ll get to ever seeing one of these cuties in person.

Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabrio gets flirty with its top

Pics Aplenty: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabrio gets flirty with its top originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 21:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R.L. Polk: Toyota top brand considered among African-Americans

Filed under: Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

African-Americans purchased 641,090 new vehicles in 2010, accounting for 7.4 percent of all new vehicle sales. That’s a significant portion of overall sales, and a population segment that Toyota appears to be winning over.

R.L. Polk released a study showing that Toyota accounted for 15 percent of all new car sales to African-American car buyers last year. Ford came in second at 11.7 percent, followed by Chevrolet, Honda and Nissan. The top five automakers accounted for nearly 60 percent off all new vehicle sales to African-Americans.

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the African-American population will grow by 25 percent by the year 2030. In 2010 alone, auto sales among African Americans rose by 11.5 percent versus 2009. That’s 68.6 percent faster than the non-ethnic market increase of 6.8 percent, meaning that automakers would do well to reach out to this burgeoning customer segment.

“With the U.S. population growing faster in the African-American segment than others, there’s a significant opportunity for automotive manufacturers and dealers to begin to align marketing initiatives toward this specific audience,” said Marc Bland, product strategist at Polk. “Those companies that are ahead of the curve, like Toyota, are already reaping the rewards.”

While it appears that Toyota has already gotten the message that African-Americans represent a fast-growing market segment, others are beginning to get the picture. Buick sales, for example, are up 72 percent, while Hyundai and Kia area second and third at 53 percent and 34.2 percent, respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum, R.L. Polk says that Acura, Land Rover, Mercedes and BMW are not making inroads with African-American buyers. Hit the jump to read over the R.L. Polk press release.

[Source: R.L. Polk]

Continue reading R.L. Polk: Toyota top brand considered among African-Americans

R.L. Polk: Toyota top brand considered among African-Americans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac developing soft-top convertible to fit between ATS and CTS

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Cadillac, Rumormill, Luxury

Cadillac Emblem

Cadillac may be having thoughts of jumping back into the convertible game. Recent history hasn’t been kind to drop heads with a Wreath and Crest in the grille, but rumors kicking up on the web say that the automaker is planning to unveil a new convertible based on the company’s Alpha platform.

Car and Driver reports that the vehicle will slot between the upcoming ATS and the next-generation CTS and that it will borrow very little sheetmetal from either of its siblings. Buyers can expect to find a folding soft top instead of the heavier retractable hard top favored by some competitors.

What’s under the hood? Nothing’s set in stone at the moment, though we’d guess any number of six or eight-cylinder options could pop up behind the headlights. Given that the model isn’t set to debut until 2014, General Motors may get really wild and shove a turbocharged four-cylinder into the engine bay.

Regardless of powerplant options, the topless Cadillac will likely find itself squaring off against the Audi A5 Cabriolet and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet when it touches down. Stay tuned for more information, if and when it comes.

[Source: Car and Driver | Image: Zach Bowman / AOL]

Cadillac developing soft-top convertible to fit between ATS and CTS originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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