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Report: Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Japan, Hatchback, Toyota

prius v wagon

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for the high-res image gallery

In March, we heard that, because of production delays as a result of the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Toyota was looking at delays for the new Prius V and Prius + models set to go on sale in North America and Europe, respectively. The Detroit News is reporting that those delays could last as long as a year for some buyers due to battery pack shortages.

Despite the production problems, Toyota still launched the the larger Prius variant in Tokyo. But the lack of batteries means that the automaker can only build 1,000 of the three-row models with the lithium ion battery pack per month, and another 2,000 models with the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. That doesn’t quite jive with the automaker’s 18,000 orders for the nickel-metal hydride-equipped five-seater or the 7,000 orders for the pricier three-row model. And that’s just the orders for the up-sized Prius in Japan. The automaker intends to sell about 2,000 units per month each in North America and Europe as well.

In the big picture, Toyota has at least launched the new Prius, and new models should begin trickling in over the next few months. The Prius + won’t be offered in Europe until mid-2012, and it won’t be available in the U.S. at all.

Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automaker incentives sink to five-year low

Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

Toyota dealership

Auto sales have been on an upward trajectory for many months, and the latest data shows that cash on the hood isn’t one of the reasons. According to Automotive News, incentive spending was at a five-year low in April, down 14 percent to an average of $2,320 per vehicle.

Toyota had the lowest incentives among the top six automakers in the United States, with an average of $1,885 per unit. Nissan discounts dropped the most on a percentage basis, down 33 percent to $1,998. Honda actually increased spending to $2,187, bucking the industry trend. Buyers of Japanese autos can likely expect the dropping incentives to continue in the short term, as supply issues mean that fewer vehicles will be available on dealer lots.

As you may have expected, Ford’s strong product lineup has helped the automaker cut spending by 20 percent to $2,399 – the lowest among the Detroit Three. Chrysler was next with an average rebate of $2,806. General Motors came in last at $3,068 per unit, which is still down 8.1 percent from April 2010.

So what does this mean for car buyers? We’re guessing that incentives will continue to remain where they’re at, or perhaps even drop further in the months ahead. After all, April’s adjusted sales rate came in at 13.2 million for 2011, with no hint of slowing down, and analysts have expected 12.7 to 13 million sales for the year. About the only thing that could change that right now is the continuing rise of gas prices, which is a real possibility.

Automaker incentives sink to five-year low originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Lap winners live-streaming this year’s event

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan, Porsche, Racing

Topspeed Motorsports Porsche 911 GT2

Live stream of this year’s One Lap of America – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Doug Wilks and Leh Keen swept to victory in last year’s Tire Rack One Lap of America at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2. This year, Keen and Wilks have partnered up again, only this time they’ll be piloting a Nissan GT-R prepared by Wilks’ Topspeed Motorsports. Better than that, the pair will be live-streaming the eight-day event, thanks to an in-car webcam.

Besides live footage of every inch of the 3,000-plus-mile event, the pair will have Google Maps tracking their location, a blog and live interactive chat with viewers. All the interactive goodness is available on Topspeed as you read this.

With the power of the GT-R, already a proven One Lap winner, the Grand Am and ALMS driving skills of Keen and Wilks’ mechanical expertise, Topspeed Motorsports looks poised to make another run at the top spot. Click past the jump to see Topspeed’s live feed, or head over to their website for the full interactive experience. Thanks for the tip, Nathan!

Continue reading One Lap winners live-streaming this year’s event

One Lap winners live-streaming this year’s event originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

rachel gilbert toyota camry new hampshire motor speedway

100-year-old NASCAR fan drives NHMS – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’re not the biggest NASCAR fans in the world, but we can’t think of a much better way to celebrate a 100th birthday than with a few laps around New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Rachel Gilbert, a NASCAR follower since the 1960s, took five live laps around the speedway in a Toyota Camry pace car. Ms. Gilbert, we salute you.

The great grandmother of nine never passed 50 miles per hour, but she seemed pretty darn pleased with her shot at NASCAR glory. The good people at the speedway also gave Gilbert VIP tickets to the July Spring Cup and a shirt signed by Carl Edwards. Hit the jump to watch video of Gilbert as she cruises around NHMS.

[Source: The Daily What]

Continue reading 100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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21-year-old driver survives 200-foot plunge into Grand Canyon

Filed under: Etc.

grand canyon

Veering off the road is a scary event. Veering off the road that runs around the rim of the Grand Canyon is downright terrifying. Typically, a scenario that involves the terms “Grand Canyon,” “automobile” and “plunge” usually end with the phrase “the fat lady has sung.” For one particular 21-year-old man, that luckily doesn’t seem to be the case.

Stating that he “accidentally drove over the rim,” the driver and his vehicle dropped 200 feet before winding up snagged in some trees. The man climbed back to the top of the canyon’s rim, flagged down help and was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. This leads us to believe the vehicle in question was either a Canyonero or the driver’s bones are made up of a mixture of horseshoes and rabbit’s feet. In any case, we’re glad he made it out alive.

[Source: AZ Daily Sun | Image: kasyhap_hc/Flickr CC 2.0]

21-year-old driver survives 200-foot plunge into Grand Canyon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Today Now! interviews 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of “Fast Five”

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Today Now! Fast Five screenwriter interview

Today Now! Fast Five screewriter interview – Click above to view video after the jump

With the debut of Fast Five just around the corner, The Onion sat down with its lead screenwriter, five-year-old Chris Morgan to get his take on the film. According to Morgan, the story brief for the movie was simple enough: “I wanted the cars to drive fast, and some of them to explode,” he said.

It may seem like a childishly simple way to conceptualize a movie, but the same idea has held strong through a franchise that has irrevocably left its skidmarks on American pop culture. Morgan says he enjoyed almost total creative freedom on the latest Fast and the Furious project, and the final screen play was little altered from the original.

To get Morgan’s full take on Fast Five and his impressions of the final product, check out the video after the jump.

[Source: The Onion]

Continue reading Video: Today Now! interviews 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of “Fast Five”

Video: Today Now! interviews 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of “Fast Five” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul Hamsters in

Kia Soul Hamsters in “This or That” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Kia has taken home the top honors in the Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year awards for the second year in a row. The company’s troupe of dancing hamsters managed to make the biggest impression on viewers in the “A New Way To Roll” spot in 2009 and the rodents managed to pull off a similar stunt in 2010 with the automaker’s “This or That” ad.

Nielsen hands out the awards based on response information collected from 2.5 million viewers across 24 networks, and according to Kia, the hamster spots have helped increase Soul sales in a big way. The boxy compact saw its sales figures increase by 50.8 percent last month compared to March 2010.

The Soul wasn’t the only winner, though. Ford took home two awards in different categories, with the Fiesta netting honors for the best green ad and the company earning best sales event spot with its “Swap Your Ride” commercials. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz grabbed the best luxury campaign trophy with its “Triumphant” spot for the SLS AMG and Toyota walked away with the Spanish Advertiser of the Year title.

Follow the jump for the press release, as well as a replay of the winning “This or That” ad.

Gallery: Kia Soul This or That music video stills

[Sources: Neilsen, Kia]

Continue reading Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Besturn B30 looks remarkably current for a 30-year-old VW Jetta

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, China, Volkswagen, Shanghai Motor Show

2012 Besturn B30

From the outside, China’s upcoming Besturn B30 looks like an appropriately modern, cheap, and cheerful econocar. Under the modern skin, though, lurks the skeleton of the second-generation Volkswagen Jetta. That’s right, China’s newest widely-affordable small sedan is little more than a rebodied 30-year-old German sedan.

It may seem ~~totally insane~~ a little strange to try and market a new car based on wheezy old VW architecture, but if cost cutting is your goal, it starts to make a little sense. Money saved on new technology can be put to use giving the car a sleek wrapper, while still keeping the MSRP in the basement.

The second-generation Jetta is apparently extremely popular in China, which means Besturn could have made an extremely shrewd move by updating the car’s looks and leaving its mechanicals alone. Thanks to its yestertech origins, the B30 benefits from an enormous base of spare parts and mechanical know-how even before its debut this week at the Shanghai Motor Show.

[Source: ChinaCarTimes]

Besturn B30 looks remarkably current for a 30-year-old VW Jetta originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanner Foust signs multi-year racing deal with Ford

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Ford, Off-Road, Racing

Tanner Foust Ford Fiesta jump

Tanner Foust Ford Fiesta jump – Click above for high-res version

Tanner Foust has carved out a place for himself in motorsports lore as a preternaturally talented drifter and rally racer. Partnered with Ford, Foust has raced in both the European RallyCross Championship and the brand-new Global RallyCross Championship, and dominated ESPN’s X-Games. Now, Foust has made the partnership last by signing a multi-year contract to drive for Ford.

Foust’s new long-term deal has him at the wheel of his familiar Rockstar Energy-sponsored 2011 Ford Fiesta in both the European RallyCross Championship and the inaugural season of the Global RallyCross Championship. Foust is also headed to X-Games 17 in July to defend his double gold-medal run from last year and his title as the most-decorated rally driver in X-Games history.

As well as his role as Ford’s RallyCross and X-Games pilot, Foust is bringing his talent and fame along to help launch the 2012 Ford Focus ST, Dearborn’s upcoming 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered hot hatch.

Gallery: Tanner Foust Ford Fiesta jump

Tanner Foust Ford Fiesta jump

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Tanner Foust signs multi-year racing deal with Ford

Tanner Foust signs multi-year racing deal with Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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