A little greater than a year ago, Japanese automakers, within the aftermath of the devastating April 2011 earthquake and tsunami, were adjusting profit forecasts downward on supply disruptions and a powerful yen. Now, the tables have turned, and an unusually weak Yen has made Japanese exports cheaper. The yankee Automotive Policy Council, a lobbying group for the Detroit Three, is urging the present administration to take retaliatory actions against the Japanese government’s policies looked as if it would keep the valuation of the Yen low. But John Mendel, Honda vp of U.S. sales, took umbrage to the AAPC’s suggestion, saying that the corporate builds 90 percent of the models it sells within the U.S. in North America, effectively minimizing any currency advantage Honda has, in accordance with Bloomberg. Mendel said...

It’s been several decades since NASCAR “stock” cars shared even a standard bolt with their showroom-spec namesakes, but starting with the 2013 season, the cars will begin to show a bit of more resemblance to their production versions, and probably the most anticipated, that’s scheduled to be revealed to the general public exactly one week from today is the Chevrolet SS sedan. What we all know obviously is that the Chevrolet SS would be a fullsize, rear-drive, V-8 premium performance sedan, built at the same chassis because the new VF-series Holden Commodore, and indeed, will make the trans-Pacific journey from down under to American showrooms. Sound familiar It’s the same formula to the late, lamented Pontiac G8, which won great critical acclaim, just because the brand was being wound down,...

Although crowds gathered around new reveals akin to the 2014 Toyota Tundra, or not-so-new-anymore cars just like the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, oddball cars parked within the nooks and crannies of the show-floor drew in smaller crowds with their weird appeal. Below are a couple of weird cars we saw up in Chi Town. Based off a personality in a brand new DreamWorks movie popping out this summer, the 2013 Turbo Camaro Coupe is pure exaggeration. Outfitted with lower rockers, fender flares, front splitter, and rear diffuser, the black Camaro coupe wears a vinyl chrome wrap that’s tinted dark to search like black chrome. Custom front LED lights illuminate in numerous colors, and large black wheels add much more impact, with the fronts measuring 24 by 10 inches, and the...

Written by: Alex Nishimoto [G+] on February 8 2013 2:50 PM Exterior design changes made to the refreshed 2014 Toyota Tundra can help you bring full-size pickup buyers to the Toyota brand, but with only carryover engines, the model is at somewhat of an obstacle against trucks with newer drivetrains. With updated engine options, the 2014 Tundra may be rather more than simply a cosmetic refresh. But what drivetrains should power Toyota’s full-size truck In preference to choosing practical, real-world options, we let our imaginations run wild. Listed here are some of our picks below. Diesel Hybrid Setup From Hino Box Truck: Many forget that Toyota has parts from its commercial truck subsidiary Hino at its disposal. One drivetrain specifically that may benefit the Tundra is the...

We all like big horsepower and rear-wheel drive, and Chrysler’s SRT performance division does a bang-up job at offering a various lineup of vehicles that almost all enthusiasts can’t help but respect – if not love. With the SRT lineup expanding with three new entry-level trim levels on the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, we wish to discover which SRT vehicle was your favorite for today’s Thread of the Day. SRT’s three new entry-level models are the 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core, the 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Core, and the Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee. All three are powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 making 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and all three offer five-speed automatic transmissions, while the Challenger also makes available a six-speed manual. The most cost...