Deprecated: Function create_function() is deprecated in /www/wwwroot/japanbullet.com/plugins/system/sourcerer/helper.php on line 567
Displaying items by tag: auto - Page-44 | Japan Bullet

2020 Honda Civic Type R Exhaust Sounds Quiet

2020 Honda Civic Type R exhaust sounds quiet

Of all the sporty compact cars out there, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R would seem to be the one that would have the most obnoxious exhaust note. It has oodles of scoops and vents, a towering rear wing and fat fender flares. And yet, as we discovered in the above video, it's actually soft-spoken.

The video showcases start up, moderate acceleration, downshifting during deceleration, full-throttle acceleration, and free revving, in that order. The overall volume in all situations is low, which is a bit of a shame, because the tone itself is pleasant. It's a smooth, slightly bass-y note shared with many factory performance Hondas. Perhaps that's not so surprising since the Type R still uses a variant of the venerable K-series four-cylinder to make its 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Stay tuned for more details on the new Type R in our upcoming first drive review.

Mitsubishi Profit Plunges 89%, Worsening Automaker's Struggles

Mitsubishi profit plunges 89%, worsening automaker's struggles

TOKYO — Mitsubishi will focus on cutting fixed costs by 20% or more in the next two years after reporting an 89% drop in annual profit, its weakest performance in three years, and skipping its year-end dividend.

The coronavirus crisis has exacerbated Mitsubishi's struggles in a year where Japan's sixth biggest carmaker was already battling falling sales in China and also southeast Asia, its largest market which accounts for one-quarter of sales.

2021 Toyota Supra Tests With More Hp And Torque Than Advertised

2021 Toyota Supra tests with more HP and torque than advertised

In June last year, two Toyota Supras ended up on dynos courtesy of a Motor Trend run in Southern California and a Car and Driver tilt in Michigan. Both Supras put down more power at the wheels than Toyota rated them at the crank. This took no one by surprise since BMW's 3.0-liter B58 inline-six cylinder powers the Toyota, and BMW is known to suffer excessive modesty when quoting power figures for its engines. Car and Driver recently took possession of 2021 Supra, so naturally the proper course of action was to put it on the dyno in Michigan, along with another 2020 Supra in the mag's long-term fleet as a control unit. The runs would not only be a test of a regular production 2020 Supra, but also a measure of the 47 additional horsepower promised for the current model year. Supra buyers will be happy to know BMW still plays coy with outputs, both cars registering more horsepower and torque at the wheels than they're rated for at the crank.

The 2020 Supra's spec sheet notes 335 horsepower and 356 pound-feet of torque. On the Dynojet dyno at Livernois Motorsports and Engineering in Dearborn, Michigan, the coupe notched 346 horsepower and 409 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. Last year, C/D's tester Supra clocked 339 hp and 427 lb-ft. The mag notes that last year it ran the Supra on an all-wheel-drive dyno because the car's programming didn't like high revs while the front wheels weren't moving. This year, C/D learned how to say 'open sesame' to put the Supra into dyno mode, so testing occurred on the proper equipment. The tests were run in sixth gear, which has a 1.00:1 ratio assuming full torque converter lockup, peak rpm coming about 500 revs short of redline, within the Supra's peak power band. 

2021 Toyota Venza Is A Toyota Harrier

2021 Toyota Venza is a Toyota Harrier

The 2021 Toyota Venza marks the return of a crossover nameplate that dates back to 2009. That original model shared underpinnings with the Toyota Camry, and it was designed specifically for, and built in, North America, though it was later exported to Russia and Ukraine. This new Venza, however, is actually the descendant of a different crossover, one from the Japanese market called the Toyota Harrier, which has a history going back to 1997.

As it so happens, we got those early Harriers here in the United States, but they were rebranded as the RX 300 and offered here until 2003. The second-generation RX and Harrier were also same vehicle, and launched for 2004. In 2009, The Lexus RX became its own unique vehicle, leaving the Harrier to continue with the old design until it got a new model in 2013. That crossover had unique engines and interior and exterior styling distinguishing it from the Lexus. With the models diverging, the U.S. didn't get the Harrier either as a Toyota or a Lexus for a full generation. You can see the previous generations of Harrier in the gallery below.

Nissan Reveals Kicks E-power Hybrid For Thailand

Nissan reveals Kicks e-Power hybrid for Thailand

Nissan is launching an all-new version of the Kicks crossover in Thailand that features the brand's e-Power series hybrid setup. And while that powertrain setup is unlikely to make it to the states, the subcompact utility's new styling cues probably herald what's in store for the model that first debuted here in 2018 as a replacement for the polarizing Juke.

Let's focus on e-Power first anyway, because it's interesting technology, even if it's been around for a while. In the Kicks, it's comprised of a 1.2-liter, 12-valve three-cylinder engine that sends power to the electric-drive system; essentially, it's an EV you can't plug in that generates power for the battery from gasoline. There's also a 1.57 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, and electric motor, generator and inverter, which offer up a maximum 95 kW (127 horsepower) of power and 191 pound-feet of torque. The system allows the ability to route power to the electric motor from both the battery and the engine when it's needed, like climbing a hill or passing on the freeway.

Nissan Nv400 Becomes Japan's First Electric Ambulance

Nissan NV400 becomes Japan's first electric ambulance

Consumer passenger cars aren't the only vehicles undergoing electric transformations. We've seen the introduction of early electric fire trucks, and now Japan is getting its first electric ambulance. It's a Nissan NV400, and it will be used by the Tokyo Fire Department at the Ikebukuro station.

Though badged as a Nissan, the NV400 is at its heart a Renault Master Z.E. electric van. The powertrain is the same as the French van with a 33-kilowatt-hour battery (7 kWhs less than the base Nissan Leaf) and a 55-kW motor driving the front wheels. That translates to 74 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. That doesn't sound like much, but in as dense a city as Tokyo, it's not likely the NV400 will be able to reach high speeds at all, even if it had a Hellcat engine.

2021 Toyota Sienna Minivan Design Is Inspired By Bullet Trains

2021 Toyota Sienna minivan design is inspired by bullet trains

Toyota just revealed the 2021 Toyota Sienna and 2021 Toyota Venza, both of which are hybrids. At a virtual press conference for the media, several Toyota designers went into greater detail about the new Sienna's design. As it stands, minivans don't sell that well compared to their crossover and SUV rivals. Toyota thinks it has an answer to this problem with the redesigned Sienna.

"It's combining the best aspects of a minivan with an SUV," says Bob Carter, Executive VP of Sales for Toyota.

2021 Toyota Venza Vs Honda Passport, Chevy Blazer, Ford Edge

2021 Toyota Venza vs Honda Passport, Chevy Blazer, Ford Edge

The revived 2021 Toyota Venza is merely the latest in a steady flow of newcomers to the growing midsize crossover segment. Toyota's entry into this crowded — but somewhat narrowly defined — midsize two-row class comes out of left field, for better or worse.

It may seem like we're slicing this segment a bit thin, but identifying size classes in the crossover space can be nigh impossible, as manufacturers don't seem to agree at all on how large (or small) these things really ought to be.

2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid Crossover Revealed With Photos, Specs, Details

2021 Toyota Venza hybrid crossover revealed with photos, specs, details

The Toyota Venza is back, but it's not the same Venture Monza vehicle it was when Toyota discontinued the car-like crossover after the 2015 model year. Instead, the 2021 Toyota Venza is much more SUV-like, and it's only going to be sold in hybrid form. Measuring in at 186.6 inches in total length, the new Venza aligns itself with mid-size two-row crossovers like the Ford Edge, Honda Passport and Chevy Blazer. Though, it is on the shorter side (by about half of a foot) when compared to all of its future competitors.

Toyota has chosen to go with a highly stylized and sharp design for the Venza, mirroring the approach of others in this segment. There's some Highlander in there, but the aggression has been turned up a few notches. The Venza shares plenty with other Toyotas, as it rides on the TNGA-K platform that underpins vehicles like the new Highlander and RAV4. We've had excellent experiences with new TNGA vehicles from a driving dynamics perspective, so we're similarly hopeful about the Venza.

2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid Minivan Revealed With Photos, Specs, Details

2021 Toyota Sienna hybrid minivan revealed with photos, specs, details

There's a new minivan on the block. It's the 2021 Toyota Sienna, and the van is totally new from the ground up. Toyota hasn't given us a fresh new Sienna since the current-generation hit the roads for the 2011 model year, so this one is a long time coming. The big news here is the single hybrid powertrain choice Toyota is introducing to the new Sienna. There will be no gas-only option, and there will be no PHEV "Prime" option either.

We'll get into powertrain specifics in a second, but the Sienna's new design inside and out is another huge change. Toyota describes it as a minivan with SUV styling characteristics. One look at RAV4 sales is all you need to know why Toyota wanted to make the Sienna remind people of SUVs. Still, the traditional minivan shape is still very much intact with the short hood and long boxed-off body. The muscular flair and lines arcing down the side, though … that sculpting gives this minivan a much more crossover-like look and an air of aggression not seen in the minivan market today. As we bend around to the back, those taillights catch our eye immediately. The way the bottom black trim piece droops sharply downward, it reminds us of the Atlanta Falcons logo. That rear hatch is full of curves and things that pop out at you, too. The little tail that juts out above the "Sienna" logo even reminds us of the Supra's tail. Bravo, Toyota.

Subaru Posts 15.7% Rise In Fill-year Operating Profit

Subaru posts 15.7% rise in fill-year operating profit

TOKYO — Subaru on Monday posted a 15.7% rise in annual operating profit in the fiscal year that ended in March as it recovered from a raft of product recalls last year, but warned that sales of its cars would take a hit from the coronavirus outbreak.

Profit rose to 210.3 billion yen ($1.96 billion) for the year just ended, from 181.7 billion yen a year earlier under international financial reporting standards. It exceeded a consensus estimate of 204.7 billion yen profit drawn from 17 analysts polled by Refinitiv.

2020 Mazda Mx-5 Miata Rf Road Test | Automatic Transmission, Performance, Roof

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Road Test | Automatic transmission, performance, roof

Somewhere in Hiroshima, a parade of nearly finished Miatas glides along a track waiting to receive their beating hearts, the powertrains that'll let them ply their road-carving talents the world over. One – let's call him Fred – is eager to begin his new life as a 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata, bringing joy to his future owner and just generally being awesome, even if the RF power targa-ish roof that's already been applied to him is a tad dweeby. Visions of hairpins and power slides and expertly executed heal-toe downshifts dance in his head … and then it happens. He is given the one thing every new Miata dreads: an automatic transmission. Poor guy.

This will not, entirely at least, be yet another diatribe in the ongoing Quixotic campaign to Save the Manuals(!). Automatic transmissions can be quite good and even beneficial in sports cars, especially on the track where removing the need to operate a clutch and expertly execute those heal-toe downshifts lets you better focus on the steering, what the chassis is doing and just going faster. That the computers can shift quicker than you can is another obvious advantage.