Toyota Rav4-based Mitsuoka Buddy Retro-styled Suv Is Sold Out

Toyota RAV4-based Mitsuoka Buddy retro-styled SUV is sold out

Vintage trucks and SUVs, as well as their follow-ups, are in hot demand right now, and crossovers rule the world's sales charts. So few will be surprised to learn that Mitsuoka's quirky Buddy is sold out until 2023. Unveiled in November 2020, it blends styling cues reminiscent of 40-year old Chevrolet models with the efficiency and reliability expected from a new Toyota.

It's not entirely popularity that led to the Buddy selling out. Mitsuoka has never dabbled in volume, and the Buddy is no exception. It will only build 50 units of the Buddy in 2021, according to Motor1, and it will manufacture 150 more in 2022. There's no word yet on how many it will make in 2023. These numbers would be a rounding error if we were talking about the standard RAV4 (about 448,000 units were sold in America alone in 2019), but the Buddy is much more than a Toyota crossover with extra bling.

Canada's Limited-edition 2021 Honda Civic Type Rs Sold Out In Minutes

Canada's limited-edition 2021 Honda Civic Type Rs sold out in minutes

As the top-of-the-lineup performance variant, the Civic Type R is already a rarified vehicle, and Honda added to the car's legendary mystique with a limited-edition model for 2021. The Canadian market was restricted to only 100 examples of the special edition, and all 100 recently sold out within four minutes of the order books opening. That's quicker than the 2017 Type R's Nürburgring lap record.

The 2021 Type R LE, which is offered exclusively in Phoenix Yellow, offers slight apperance tweaks, as well as a lighter overall package. It features 20-inch BBS lightweight forged aluminum wheels that reduce unsprung weight by 18 pounds total, and those wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. Weight has further been cut by reducing the use of sound-deadening materials, though Honda does not get into details about where the materials were affected. 

Toyota Hybrids Reach Milestone: 15 Million Sold

Toyota hybrids reach milestone: 15 million sold

Toyota has made hybrid technology a key component of its business plan and company personality since it first launched the Prius back in 1997. The Prius was the first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid vehicle on the road, and it has been at the forefront of hybrid culture ever since. Nearly a quarter-century later, Toyota continues to be one of the leaders in the green space, a fact backed up by a recently reached milestone. Toyota, including Lexus, has now sold more than 15 million hybrids worldwide.

Although hybrids initially earned a reputation as quirky vehicles lacking, er, enthusiasm, the word is no longer a harsh restrictor. Today, Toyota has a fairly big lineup of vehicles with varying levels of hybridization and diverse purposes. In total, Toyota of America offers eight different hybrids, including the fuel cell Mirai. The bunch includes a small sedan, a large sedan, a premium large sedan, a two-row crossover, a three-row crossover, and two flavors of Prius hatchback. Plus, Tundra and Tacoma hybrid pickup trucks are also expected in the not-so-distant future.

Subaru Brz Final Edition To Be Sold In Germany

Subaru BRZ Final Edition to be sold in Germany

Both the Subaru BRZ and its Toyota 86 Sibling have been confirmed to have an impending second generation (well, confirmed before the pandemic), which means it's about time to start warmly saying goodbye to the current models. They deserve it, because although many will remember the sports cars for their lack of power, they should be remembered as affordable, sharp-looking, flickable sports cars with rear-wheel drive, manual transmissions, and an extremely fun chassis. As first reported by Motor1, Subaru Germany is sending the BRZ off with a limited-run Final Edition.

To start, no, the Final Edition does not have any powertrain upgrades. In Germany, the 2.0-liter remains the same at 197 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual is the base transmission setup, while a six-speed automatic transmission will cost an extra $1,850. 

This 1971 Datsun 240z Is The Most Expensive Sold On Bring A Trailer

This 1971 Datsun 240Z is the most expensive sold on Bring a Trailer

A little over a week ago, we told you to check out this spectacular, 21,000-mile 1971 Datsun 240Z on Bring a Trailer. Your chance has come and gone, but the good news is you probably couldn't have afforded it anyways. This gorgeous green coupe now appears to have earned the title of the most expensive example of a first-generation Z ever sold on the premium auction site, fetching a winning bid of $310,000.  When we first laid eyes on this immaculate Z car, we said it would be hard to imagine it not setting a record price. It appears we were right. With the winning bid, this Z nearly tripled the sale price of the previous record holder, a 1970 model that sold in June of 2019 for $124,240. It should come as no surprise that prices for clean, first-generation Z cars have climbed in recent years, but the good news is that aside from this and a few other particularly noteworthy and clean examples, most sale prices have been hovering around the $20,000 mark. In fact, only three have fetched six figures; even a minty 1973 race car topped out at just over $77,000 in back in late 2017. This Z cleared the $30,000 mark in just the first day of bidding.  This rare Racing Green over brown was given to the son of an Indiana Datsun dealer as a dental-school graduation present. It was alternately stored at home and the dealership, and was rarely driven. A dealer mechanic maintained the car for the owner until their passing in 2019. Thanks to this arrangement, the Z still shows fewer than 22,000 miles on its odometer, and none of it in foul weather, so the listing claimed.  This unrestored, almost mint condition Z shows its originality well. While there are some signs here and there of its age, it's in remarkable overall shape. BaT commenters nerded out over details like the original (green) distributor, original radiator cap, and original hoses. The only obviously non-original parts appear to be the wheel covers; some of the interior parts are still covered in protective shipping plastic.  If you missed out on this one, fear not. There's a very reasonable 1971 with a 5-speed swap still for sale on the auction site, along with a 1973 rocking a full-on L28 from the hotter 280Z, and those are just the two available at the time of publication. Z cars are fairly common on BaT, so more will come along soon enough.  Note: At publication time, the 240Z's winning bid was listed as $310,000; due to issues with the Bring a Trailer web site, this figure may not be accurate. We will update this story if necessary.