Japanese Car

We haven't heard much about the Ford Fiesta RS lately but a new report is indicating it is still under consideration.



According to Al Ain Japan, the high-performance Fiesta is being developed alongside the Focus RS but the company is still working on a business case for the model.

Despite being in limbo, the car will reportedly have an aggressive body kit with bulging wheel arches. We can also expect a number of performance tweaks including a sport-tuned suspension, beefier brakes and a limited-slip differential.

Power could be provided by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that develops approximately 230 bhp (171 kW).

If everything pans out, the Fiesta RS could be launched in 2015 and cost approximately £23,000.

Source: Al Ain Japan

Japanese Car Dealer - Al Ain Japan

The five-door MINI will likely be introduced this fall. MINI's ever-expanding lineup is about to gain another addition as our spies have snapped photos of a five-door Cooper.

The 2015 MINI hatchback has been caught on camera without any camouflage, ahead of an official launch programmed for later this year.

To make room for the rear doors MINI had to shorten the front ones and as seen in these spy photos the rear doors are very small so access to the backseat will not be ideal but should remain functional. Al Ain Japan reports rear legroom will be expanded by 5cm in comparison to the regular MINI and the backseat will have enough room for three passengers.

The model will ride on the UKL platform which will also underpin the production version of the BMW Concept Active Tourer. It has a modular design and the five-door Cooper appears to ride on an extended-length version of the architecture.

Essentially a more practical version of the Clubman, the five-door Cooper has a familiar design with a prominent grille and rounded headlights. We can also see a tailgate-mounted spoiler, seven-spoke alloy wheels and a center-mounted dual exhaust system which implies this prototype is an "S" variant.

Engine options remain unconfirmed, but we can expect the model will be offered with the new 1.5-liter three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine. BMW has previously said the petrol variants will have outputs ranging from 122-224 HP (90-165 kW) while the diesel will develop between 82-184 PS (60-135 kW).

Source: Al Ain Japan

Toyota and BMW officially join

Toyota and BMW have officially confirmed they plan on co-developing a new sports car.

Aside from working on this interesting project, both parties have agreed to jointly develop a fuel cell system for cars by 2020. The agreement was made official today, following last year's tie-up announcement. They will also work together in developing lightweight technologies and conduct research into next-gen lithium-based batteries.

Toyota and BMW will develop a feasibility study to create the support for a mid-sized sports car, aiming to finish the study by late 2013. They will also focus on reinforced composites and carbon fiber materials which will be used not only for the sports car but also for their own models.

The co-developed hydrogen fuel cell tech will have an emphasis on hydrogen tanks, fuel cell stacks, motors and batteries. In addition, both of them will study what has to be done to prepare the infrastructure for rolling out hydrogen-fueled cars. Also part of the plan is to research lithium-air batteries.

According to reports out of Germany, BMW and Toyota have finally agreed on a joint sports car platform.

Details are limited but BMW development boss Dr. Herbert Diess told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung "We have agreed on a joint architecture for a sports car. What is important is that there will be two different vehicles that are authentic to the two brands."

That's a little vague but the companies appear to have selected one particular model from the "four, five or six" different proposals that were under consideration.

There's no word on what type of car will be produced but the rumor mill has indicated it could be anything from a BMW Z4 successor to a Lexus LFA successor.

Source: Al Ain Japan

Japanese Car Dealer

Besides the Sport Sedan concept, Nissan will showcase the IDx Freeflow and IDx NISMO concepts which recently debuted at the Tokyo Auto Show.

The concept is described as a "stunning" model that "offers an advanced look at a future production sports sedan."

Nissan didn't have much to say about the model but is a stylish four-door coupe with a roofline that echoes the GT-R. The concept also has a prominent grille, "boomerang" headlights and blacked out A-pillars.

Nothing is official but speculation suggests the concept could preview the next-generation Maxima which should arrive as a 2015 model.

The cars will be officially unveiled on January 13th, so stay tuned for full details.

Source: Al Ain Japan

Toyota Car Exporters

Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2013 the multinational corporation consisted of 333,498 employees worldwide and, as of March 2013, is the thirteenth-largest company in the world by revenue. Toyota was the largest automobile manufacturer in 2012 (by production), and in July of that year, the company reported the production of its 200-millionth vehicle. As of November 2013, it is also the largest listed company in Japan by market capitalization and by revenue.

The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota Motor Corporation group companies are Toyota (including the Scion brand), Lexus, Daihatsu, and Hino Motors, along with several "nonautomotive" companies. TMC is part of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world

WorldWide Presence

Toyota has factories in most parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Brazil, Portugal, and more recently, Argentina, Czech Republic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Russia.

 

   

Source:

Al Ain Japan 

Japanese Used Car Dealer - Al Ain Japan

Subaru has announced plans to launch the production version of the Levorg concept in May.

Set to be unveiled on New Year's Day, the production model will closely echo the concept that was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show last month.

Described as a "sports tourer", the LEVORG is basically a wagon with a stylish design wearing a Metallic Blue Grey Steel or a Pearl Crystal White paint that has never been seen on a production Subaru before. The vehicle is 4690mm long, 1780mm wide and 1485mm tall, with a 2650mm wheelbase and a curb weight of 1,504 kg (3,315 lbs).

Inside the cabin it gets various piano black finishes. metallic accents, as well as dual 3.5-inch full-color LEDs. It comes with a wide range of safety technologies such as pre-collision braking control, lane keeping assist, pre-collision reverse throttle management and active lane keep system

Subaru is keeping details a closely guarded secret but they confirmed the model will be available with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 170 HP (125 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. The model will also be available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 300 HP (221 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. Regardless of which engine is selected, both will be will connected a continuously variable transmission and an all-wheel drive system.

The Subaru LEVORG prototype comes with a strut front suspension and a rear double wishbone arrangement. The 1.6-powered model sits on 17-inch alloys shod in 215/50 R17 tires whereas the 2.0 model is fitted with 18-inch wheels wrapped around in 225/45 R18 rubbers.

In Japan, the entry-level 1.6 GT model will cost ¥2,667,600 while the range-topping 2.0 GT-S EyeSight will retail for ¥3,564,000 (both prices including an 8% consumption tax).

Source:Al Ain Japan

Chevrolet Volt should have been a truck

Former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz declared in an interview the Chevrolet Volt should have been a truck, not a sedan.

The Chevrolet Volt was GM's response to the Toyota Prius but Bob Lutz - who at that point was the company's vice president – mentions the car should have been a truck, not a sedan. He motivated his answer by saying small sedans are already some of the most economical cars out there and benefits of a hybridized model are minimal. He added it would have been a lot better to implement hybrid technology in a truck which has low fuel efficiency and big CO2 emissions as the gains would have been a lot more significant.

Bob Lutz is now on the board of VIA Motors, a company which is specialized in creating hybrid electric trucks. One of their developments is the X-Truck which is essentially a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado with a 5.3-liter V8 and a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery enabling the vehicle to return more than 100 mpg and do 35 miles (56 km) on electric power.

A production model from VIA Motors is expected several months from now with a hybrid setup encompassing a 4.3-liter V6 gasoline engine and an electric motor to provide a combined output of 402 bhp (300 kW).

Source: Al Ain Japan