To promote their forthcoming hybrid model, the CT200h, Lexus have launched an exciting new campaign that they are calling the ‘darker side of green’. The suave online promotion puts a cool, James Bond-style spin on eco-friendly motoring with a swish and stylish web page and online interactive game.
The vehicle itself looks set to take Europe’s luxury hatchback market by storm in early 2011, with the luxury arm of Toyota expecting its launch to double their business in Europe. Lexus have promised not to compromise performance for economy with the new CT200h, which will feature a 1.8L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gas engine. The four driving modes; EV, ECO, normal and sport, look set to ensure that there is a mode to suit any driving style and all conditions.
It has been several years since the design of the Honda Civic underwent any changes, but the Japanese carmakers have begun testing the next generation of Civic models in time for a 2013 release. The Civic has remained unchanged since 2005, but will get a futuristic revamp very soon, while there will also be a strong focus on reducing consumption and emissions to create a more efficient vehicle.
M3 owners are in for a unique treat as BMW have announced that they will be offering a new range of carbon fibre accessories for the popular luxury vehicle. The super-rigid material has been used by the German car giants to create custom parts for the high performance coupe, sedan and convertible variations of the M3.
There are a range of components included in BMW’s vision for carbon fibre plated cars, with some being available across the M3 range. Door mirror caps and lower front splitters will be obtainable for all models, while coupe and sedan owners will have the opportunity to purchase a rear boot lid spoiler.
MINI have announced that as of August 2010, all models in their range will bear new design features both inside and out, while the first diesel powered MINI convertible will also make its debut. This is just one of two new diesel engines that will achieve Co2 emissions of just 99g/km.
The new, reworked models will be available in showrooms from September, with MINI aiming to sneak their new diesel models in underneath the road tax threshold under the current system. The One D and Cooper D are the two reworked models that will benefit from a new super-efficient diesel engine, with other designs in the range undergoing a few other nips and tucks.
Having given their IS model a facelift as recently as 2009, it has come as quite a surprise to find that Lexus are planning a couple of improvements for the 2011 model year. Your used Lexus IS could be rendered outdated sooner than you had expected with this latest news, based on a recent company brochure.
The improvements that Lexus are likely to make are not incredibly substantial, but nonetheless will make a difference to the exterior aesthetics of the vehicles in the IS model range. The major change that will set the 2011 IS range apart from your used Lexus IS is the inclusion of LED daytime running lights incorporated into the headlights. The lights are in fact receiving something of an overhaul, with redesigned fog lights, bumper insets and new tail lights all looking set to feature.
MINI have attempted to take some attention away from the dastardly vuvuzelas at this summer’s World Cup by launching their own fan item, the Countryman Makarapa. Fancy trading in your used MINI Countryman for a new model with a giant workman’s hat on the roof? No, I didn’t think so, but nonetheless, the Makarapa is a fun little addition to the party atmosphere currently enveloping South Africa.
This new Countryman may not be the most practical invention that BMW have come up with, but their novelty model with a giant Makarapa (a customisable South African workman’s helmet) attached on top has certainly caused a stir on the South African streets as fans embrace the fun and festivities that have been bywords of this first African World Cup.
Bosses at the Japanese car giant are plotting a replacement for your used Honda S2000 with the manufacturers set to re-enter the sports car market a year after the original S2000 Roadster was phased out.
The design is believed to be a hybrid model, consisting of elements of both the S2000 and the original Honda Beat, a mini-car that was around at the start of the nineties. There have been hints for some time from the company that an alternative to their only current sporty model, the CR-Z are in the pipeline, although it seems unlikely that this particular model will surface any time before 2014. Even the next generation of Toyota sports cars, including a new small coupe are set to beat this new concept to launch, as they are due in early 2013.
In a remarkable 12 minutes, 30 buyers, most of whom are in all probability current owners of used BMW Coupes, were found for the 2011 BMW custom-painted Frozen Gray M3 Coupe. The 30 initial registration slots were filled in an incredibly quick time, leaving more than 50 disappointed potential customers left to settle for a place on a back-up list. Should any of the reservation holders fail to purchase the custom paint job model, which will ship later this month, then they will be in with a chance of getting their hands on the stunning 414-hp limited-edition motor.
British owners of Honda Civic Type R models now have the chance to choose from a new selection of parts for their car with the news that the Japanese carmakers will be bringing their partnership with tuning firm Mugen to the United Kingdom.
Mugen performance parts and accessories will now be available through a select band of eight Honda dealerships throughout the country. Following a limited run of Civic Type R Mugens, the Japanese motorsport firm is slowly beginning to take off on these shores. The range of new parts that will now be on offer include forged aluminium wheels, brake upgrades, quick-shift gearbox kits and sports suspension, while a range of body styling kits will also be available.
Plucky car brand MINI are not giving up in their campaign to arrange a race between their famous Cooper model and the Porsche 911. Having thrown the gauntlet down to Porsche boss Detlev Von Platen, the BMW-owned brand, whose famous history has made them a much loved and iconic group of vehicles across the world, are refusing to give up despite Von Platen’s rather dismissive response.
German car manufacturing giants BMW have rolled out their one millionth X5, further cementing their place at the summit of the luxury SAV market. At just under 100,000 units a year for the past 11 years, the X5 has been a prolific vehicle for its manufacturers and has outsold its competitors for the past seven years.
It is an impressive feat for the X5, with its units per year ratio comparing pretty favourably with some of the most successful cars of modern times. The VW Beetle, the most produced car ever to be sold, averaged around 320,000 units per year. For the X5 to have even reached six figures per annum is remarkable given the level of competition it faces and the fact that it is deemed a luxury SAV.
Having announced the production of 500 supercars back in October 2009, Lexus have recently announced that all of the LFA’s they are set to create have been pre-sold, marking a huge success for the Toyota-owned car firm.
Lexus have no previous history of manufacturing supercars, so the near immediate presale of 500 LFA’s is a big victory for the company, particularly given the fairly hefty launch price of around £330,000. It is not just Americans buyers that have swooped to reserve the supercars, with around a third of the models set to be sold to European drivers, with approximately ten thought to be headed to the roads of Britain.
Car giants Honda look set to revamp their popular minivan the Odyssey with a new, more ‘athletic’ design in 2011. Used Honda models certainly won’t look quite the same in comparison, with the new Odyssey being sculpted and shaped to round off some of the more squared edges that have become a feature of past models.
Honda claim that better fuel efficiency and increased internal space will also become features that will set the new Odyssey apart from used Honda models currently available on the pre-owned market. Many of the changes have been brought about through increased interaction with customers during the development phase. Owners were keen to take away the boxy look and give it better handling and a sportier feel, points that Honda have been quick to act on.
MINI gave enthusiasts a glimpse of the future last week, with a media preview of their forthcoming extended range of models. In addition to the variety of new and used MINI motors already owning the roads, MINI look set to add the Coupe and Roadster to their arsenal sooner rather than later.
It has been a long wait for MINI fans after the two concepts were first revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. But finally it would appear that both concepts are edging closer to the production phase, despite no official production date having yet been announced.
For the tenth year in a row, used Lexus cars have been voted best in customer satisfaction in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates vehicle ownership satisfaction study.
The award is another coup for Lexus, who possess a superb reputation for customer satisfaction. They finished top in three out of the four categories – quality and reliability, appeal and service satisfaction.
Lexus’s mark was up 12 points on their total from the previous year, with an overall total of 846 out of 1,000. The survey is based on results provided by over 17,000 car owners, and acts as an excellent indicator of the continued performance of used Lexus cars.
