Mazda has announced that it will begin remanufacturing parts for second- and third-generation RX-7 models as an extension of its heritage program first launched for the Miata back in 2017.
Toyota is on track to introduce an electric prototype powered by state-of-the-art battery technology in 2021, but its chief executive warned that banning the internal combustion engine too quickly is a short-sighted decision. He explained that blanket bans could trigger job losses and electricity shortages while making cars more expensive.
"When politicians are out there saying, 'let's get rid of all cars using gasoline,' do they understand this?," said Toyota president Akio Toyoda during a Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association news conference. He's the organization's chairman, and his comments were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is known as an affordable sports car that's just as home in the city, on a racetrack and a twisting mountain pass. Despite the car's exceptional credentials, the owner of a first-gen example in the United States decided to make his car unlike any other.
Mazda has added two more cars to its heritage parts program. Joining the first-generation MX-5 Miata will be the second- and third-generation Mazda RX-7. It's something fans of Mazda's rotary sports car have demanded for years, and now Mazda is making good with its loyal fans.
According to Japanese Nostalgic Car, the program was kicked off today in Japan with a list of 91 parts, 30 for the second-gen "FC3S" chassis and 61 for the third-gen "FD3S". The list is in Japanese and includes basic bits like bolts and washers, as well as vacuum hoses, seals, and bushings. Such rubber parts are typically the first to deteriorate with age and can be difficult to find in the aftermarket. There's even a throttle position sensor for the FD3S.
The 2021 Nissan Armada is the first product in the United States to wear the Nissan brand's new badge. It's a modern and sleek-looking logo, and it's well-suited to the properly sorted and genuinely impressive new vehicles Nissan recently launched. The new Altima surprised us in a good way; the redesigned Rogue and Sentra took huge leaps forward, and even the Versa is an impressive little sedan now.
However, the refreshed Armada is only that: a mildly updated version of the same Armada. Since it's the company's flagship SUV, it gets the honor of wearing the new logo first, even if it doesn't best exemplify the sea change happening at Nissan. Although the second-generation Armada debuted four years ago, its bones date back to 2011 when the internationally sold Nissan Patrol and its Infiniti QX56 (later QX80) offshoot debuted. The Patrol would be the basis for this Armada generation, but unfortunately, the updates for 2021 don't add any of the Patrol's extra off-roading equipment that have been missing since the beginning. That includes the locking front and rear differentials, disconnecting sway bar and Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension that links all four corners of the car hydraulically for better on-road control and less harshness off-road. The only off-road upgrade to speak of for 2021 is a two-degree better approach angle thanks to a reshaped front bumper.
The exterior cameras of a Model 3 have captured the moment the driver of a white Nissan Sentra crashed into the EV.
Most of our Nissan GT-R thinking energy these days goes toward wondering about what the R36 has in store. Nissan is out here thinking about what the GT-R will be like in 2050. If we continue along at the R35's production timeline pace, it might still be the R36 then. We kid, but hey, the R35's been out for over a decade now with no end in sight.
As an answer for what the future of Nissan performance looks like, Nissan has brought an intern's thesis project to life. It's called GT-R (X) 2050, and it's a fresh take on our dystopian future of sports cars. Jaebum Choi, a former student at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., set forth to design a vehicle for car enthusiasts in the age of self-driving cars (whenever that may be). Instead of leaving the project on paper and computer renderings, Nissan Design America decided to bring it to life in the form of an official Nissan concept vehicle.
The Nissan Murano, soldiers into 2021 bearing slightly higher prices, but the amount of the increase varies by trim level. The entry-level Murano, the base S with front-wheel drive, sees the highest increase at $780, while the most expensive version, the all-wheel-drive Murano Platinum, inches up by just $80.
For 2021, the Nissan Murano S starts at $33,605, including the $1,095 destination charge. Compensating for the higher tariff, the S now includes Nissan's Safety Shield 360 batch of driver-assist features, which was previously standard only on the SV and higher trims. The bundle consists of forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and automatic high-beams. All-wheel drive, previously a $1,600 upcharge, now will set you back $1,550 on the S and on all other Muranos.
The Subaru Forester is headed for the first facelift of its latest generation. New spy photos of a lightly camouflaged Forester tell us that we should expect some light updates for Subaru's hot-selling crossover.
One item not totally covered in these photos is the grille. Instead of the horizontal slats we get on the current Forester, this one has a honeycomb design that gives us flashes of Audi Sport. It'd be a departure from the friendly and boring face the Forester is stuck with currently, and while there's nothing sporty about how it drives, the look would inject some attitude into the front end. The camouflage covers the whole front of the car, so we expect the Forester will likely get a new front bumper and a revised foglight cutout design in the corners. We can make out what look to be non-production foglights in the inserts — those will be replaced with production units as Subaru gets closer to setting this update loose.
The totally new 2021 Toyota Mirai fuel-cell vehicle is over $9,000 cheaper than the old Mirai.
The Mirai XLE (base model) will start at $50,455, including the $955 destination charge. If you want the Limited with every option in the book, that'll cost $66,955. One of the premium paint options will add another $425 to either trim. Optional chrome 20-inch wheels are available on the Platinum for an additional $1,120. And the XLE has a Technology Package that adds a 360-degree bird's eye camera, front and rear parking assist w/automated braking and footwell illumination for $1,410.
There was one glaring problem with the Lexus LS 500 prior to this year's refresh: the Remote Touch infotainment system. To put it simply, it was a nightmare to use and a potential deal breaker. As it does in other Lexus products, Remote Touch featured a large display controlled by a laptop-like touchpad that was difficult and distracting to use. Lexus has surely tired of hearing the complaints from reviewers and customers alike, and for 2021, there's a touchscreen. Hurrah!
That's clearly the biggest update for the 2021 Lexus LS 500, but the four-door flagship is treated to a number of other improvements for its mid-cycle freshening as well. Considering the totally new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is bearing down in the Lexus' rearview mirror, it's smart timing. Lexus allowed us to live with both the 2020 and 2021 LS 500s for a couple days to ensure we'd notice every last difference between them.
DETROIT — Honda is recalling over 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. to repair drive shafts that can break, window switches that can overheat and a software flaw.
The software recall includes 737,000 Accords from 2018 to 2020 and Insights from 2019 and 2020. A programming flaw in a control computer can cause the rear camera, turn signals and windshield wipers to malfunction. Owners will be notified in late January about when they should take their vehicles to a dealer for repairs.
Lexus launched production of the LFA, a limited-edition supercar still venerated in 2020, in December 2010. While fans would undoubtedly love to see a second-generation model to mark the occasion, the Japanese firm is celebrating 10 years of LFA production by releasing a paper model that enthusiasts can print and build at home.
500 units of the life-sized LFA were made by hand in Japan between 2010 and 2012. The paper model will be hand-made, too, but builders need to arm themselves with scissors and glue instead of wrenches, and production isn't limited. Anyone can print out the templates (which are included in our gallery) and put the car together.
We know there are plenty of people out there with more than enough money in the bank to surprise their significant other with a brand-new car for Christmas. And we're also sure that Lexus' annual "December to Remember" sales event must be successful enough that the automaker commits to running it each and every year. But for the vast majority of Americans, the idea of slapping a big red bow on a crisp white Lexus remains little more than a pipe dream.
Apparently, we're not the only ones wondering who is surprising their loved ones with new cars. The crew from Saturday Night Live — Beck Bennet, Heidi Gardner and host Timothée Chalamet — put together a very humorous skit that reminds us of the fact that this December is a wee bit different than past Decembers, and that maybe an expensive purchase could have negative side effects. And in fact, end-of-year sales campaigns from many industries have been reframed as the pandemic rages on.