GAC Honda, the joint venture between Honda and GAC Group in China, will absorb its wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Automobile (China) effective April 1, 2020.
Toyota has announced a recall for select 2020 Toyota Highlanders. On models with a 3.5.-liter V6 engine, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) might have an error that could cut off the fuel supply during start-stop. The recall, which affects up to 38,810 vehicles, is expected to start April 24, 2020.
Toyota filed an official Defect Information Report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 19, 2020, declaring an issue with the ECU on certain 2020 Highlanders. These Highlanders have a start-stop feature that shuts the engine down and restarts it while a vehicle is temporarily stopped. Due to a programming error in the ECU, the fuel system might malfunction during start-stop, and the gas might not make it to engine.
As with many other places around the world, the island of Puerto Rico is under a strict curfew these days over the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, but that didn't deter this 2020 Toyota Supra driver from barking up the wrong tree, or rather, rock.
The United States will soon have over 100,000 cases of CONVID-19 and Toyota is stepping up to help.
Transcript: Lexus' digital side-view camera and monitor. The digital side-view camera and monitor provide the driver with a high-definition view. When turns are activated, the monitor goes into "extended view" eliminating blind spots. The system has adjustable brightness, the option for automatic camera retraction, and it's designed with weather-proofing features. It even includes a built-in heater to prevent freezing so it can work in all weather conditions. The futuristic tech is currently available as an option on the ES 300h Takumi. U.S. regulations do not allow this tech.
In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. First, they talk about the cars that have been in their driveways, like the Mazda6, Lexus UX 250h and Honda CR-V, as well as Riswick's own BMW Z3 (where he actually recorded the podcast from). Then they discuss the news, which includes car dealers moving to digital commerce and other updates about — you guessed it — coronavirus, and how it's affecting the automotive industry. Finally, they take to Twitter to help a follower choose a weekend convertible for long, isolated drives in this week's "Spend My Money" segment.
In addition to major car shows being cancelled or postponed, the Osaka and Tokyo Motorcycle Shows have also been disrupted. That isn't stopping Honda from showing its wares, such as this Honda CB-F concept bike. The company decided to reveal it solely online, rather than at a show with people.
According to Honda, it's a tribute to the CB750F and CB900F motorcycles of the late 1970s and early 1980s. And the styling certainly reveals that. At a glance, the gas tank and bodywork look incredibly similar to those bikes, with boxy lines and and angular tail. But looking closer shows that the tank and bodywork blend together better, and the taillight has been shaped to fit the angle of the tail. The front mudguard is shortened and simplified, and there are no visible turn signals. It does still have dual horns visible on the front fork, though, and the paint scheme is a throwback with light metallic colors and accent stripes.
Up until now, it's mainly been the Big Three domestic automakers committing to manufacture medical supplies for the fight against coronavirus in the United States. Today, Toyota has pledged to join in by saying it will produce masks and face shields. It also has plans to help boost the production capacity of ventilators and respirators with at least two unnamed companies.
Ted Ogawa, incoming CEO of Toyota Manufacturing of North American said this in a statement:
The 2020 Toyota Highlander is the first vehicle to receive the newest and biggest touchscreen available in the company's expansive lineup. Measuring 12.3 inches diagonally, it is a widescreen unit, which matches the size offered in the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade. It is also the same size as that found in many Lexus vehicles, but that isn't a touchscreen — it's exclusively controlled by the perpetual punching bag that is the Remote Touch touchpad. Advantage Highlander.
The above video goes into detail about how the extra size is put to good use, and specifically, the widescreen design.
"You meet the nicest people on a Honda," according to a decades-old ad, but you might not run into anyone if you use the new Hunter Cub CT125 on the type of terrain it was designed to tackle. Unveiled online, it's an evolution of the perennially popular Super Cub C125 upgraded with components that allow it to venture off the beaten path.
Honda brought back the Hunter Cub, also often referred to as the Trail Cub, after a long hiatus to meet the growing demand for a leisure-oriented bike. It's based on the Super Cub but it gains more suspension travel, a stronger frame, bigger tires, and a skid plate that protects the engine. The exhaust is mounted higher to ensure it doesn't lose its first fight with a rock.
One of the best racing games of the previous generation of game consoles (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC), "Burnout Paradise" got a visual remaster and re-release a couple of years ago for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. This year, it gets added to one more system, the Nintendo Switch, so you can enjoy the fast paced vehicular destruction anywhere.
Besides offering high-speed fun on the go, "Burnout Paradise Remastered" coming to the Switch is significant because this is the first time it will have been available for a Nintendo console. With the original release, Nintendo's only home console, the Wii, didn't have the digital horsepower to handle the high-definition graphics of the then-new Burnout game. So publisher EA and developer Criterion Games didn't create a version for the system. The remaster skipped the Nintendo Wii U, too, which considering the system's sales, wasn't a terrible idea. So this marks the first time for Nintendo loyalists to play the game.
Johnny Schaer, known by his brand name Johnny FPV, zoomed onto our radar back in 2018 when he captured drifting with some of the best drone footage and handling we've ever seen. Based in Chicago, he's a drone racer and specialist who also uses his skills to create first-person video content that's unlike anything seen before. His most recent video, which dropped this week, explores all parts of Abu Dhabi, from the city to the track to the dunes.
The first Johnny FPV video we posted was strictly about Formula Drift, as was the second one we posted in 2019. While those clips were restricted to a racetrack, this video is a little different. Edited by New York City-based Jake Irish and set to a soundtrack from the two-brothers band Two Lanes, "Sandscape" visits Abu Dhabi's vast environment from an aerial perspective.
Chevrolet no longer makes a high-performance, street-oriented pickup. But if you want a new one, you're in luck because there's a 1990 C/K 454 SS with 26 miles on its odometer listed for sale for the price of a Toyota Supra.
Florida-based Classic Cars of Sarasota describes the truck as a brand-new example that has never been used, and the photos suggest that's no exaggeration. It looks like it rolled off the assembly line a week and a half ago. The protective plastic lining hasn't been removed from the seats or the carpets, the window sticker hasn't been peeled off, and there are still crayon marks on the instrument cluster's protective film. It came from a private collection of pickup trucks, and it was stored in a climate-controlled warehouse until the dealer purchased it.
Toyota will extend the current shutdown of all its plants in North America for an addition two weeks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and decline in vehicle demand. The Japanese automaker will keep all assembly and component parts plants in Canada, Mexico and the United States closed through April 17.
"The manufacturing facilities will remain closed through April 17, resuming production on April 20," the company said in a statement. "Our service parts depots and vehicle logistics centers will continue to operate. We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action in a timely manner."