Video: Abarth 695 shines in Tokyo with full chrome job [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket , Performance , Hatchback , Tokyo Auto Salon , Fiat The Abarth 695 was originally intended as a Fiat 500 -based tribute to Ferrari . Hence the 695 Tributo Ferrari moniker. But this one looks more like a salute to McLaren . Created by Japanese tuner Office-K and unveiled this week at the Tokyo Auto Salon , this special Abarth has had its Scuderia Red paint hidden under a full chrome vinyl wrap – similar to the one we reported on back in May – and capped with a tricolore racing stripe up the nose.

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Video: Abarth 695 shines in Tokyo with full chrome job [w/video]

Report: Honda wins Acura RL collision warning system class action lawsuit appeal

Filed under: Sedan , Etc. , Government/Legal , Safety , Acura , Luxury Honda can thank Wal-Mart for the automaker’s recent victory in a class-action lawsuit over Acura RL models equipped with the company’s Collision Mitigation Braking System. The system was designed to warn drivers of a potential crash, tighten the vehicle’s seat belts and automatically apply the brakes. However, lawyers for approximately 2,000 plaintiffs sued the Japanese automaker, arguing that the system may warn the driver too slowly, and it may not work at all – the lawsuit also complained the system may shut off altogether in foul weather

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Report: Honda wins Acura RL collision warning system class action lawsuit appeal

Official: Kizashi to return to Super Bowl in new ad from Suzuki [w/video] [UPDATED]

Filed under: Budget , Sedan , Marketing/Advertising , Suzuki Suzuki is about as small as automakers get here in the United States, even if its parent company does mad business in Japan and other parts of the world. So when the scrappy purveyor of the SX4 and Grand Vitara says it will again be ponying up for Super Bowl ads featuring its Kizashi mid-size sedan, it raises some eyebrows, including ours. Super Bowl ads are notoriously expensive, and Suzuki sold just 26,619 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011.

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Official: Kizashi to return to Super Bowl in new ad from Suzuki [w/video] [UPDATED]

Official: Kizashi to return to Super Bowl in new ad from Suzuki [w/video]

Filed under: Budget , Sedan , Marketing/Advertising , Suzuki Suzuki is about as small as automakers get here in the United States, even if its parent company does mad business in Japan and other parts of the world. So when the scrappy purveyor of the SX4 and Grand Vitara says it will again be ponying up for Super Bowl ads featuring its Kizashi mid-size sedan, it raises some eyebrows, including ours. Super Bowl ads are notoriously expensive, and Suzuki sold just 26,619 vehicles in the U.S. in 2011.

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Official: Kizashi to return to Super Bowl in new ad from Suzuki [w/video]

Official: Lincoln MKZ Concept gives sleeker shape to familiar face

Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Sedan , Lincoln The Lincoln brand has been in the doldrums for years now, but Ford’s luxury arm is looking to stage a comeback (again) starting with the all-new Lincoln MKZ . The brand’s mid-size offering will be arriving in dealerships later this year, and we’re getting our first glimpse of what’s to come with this, the MKZ Concept that makes its debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show . The MKZ Concept features an all-new clean sheet design that head designer Max Wolff calls “simplicity with just a few strokes.” The MKZ continues to feature the latest version of Lincoln’s split wing front fascia, with a pair of tidy, multi-unit LED lights that flow out out of the grille.

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Official: Lincoln MKZ Concept gives sleeker shape to familiar face

Detroit: 2012 Nissan Pathfinder Concept goes back to unibody

Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , SUV , Crossover , Nissan Compared to most SUVs-turned-mommy-mobiles, the Nissan Pathfinder has had an odd 27-year existence. Like all ‘utes, it’s first iteration was built on a truck platform, which was then followed by a unibody second generation. But unlike the rest of the pack, the third-gen Pathfinder swapped back to a body-on-frame architecture and it’s stayed that way for the last seven years.

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Detroit: 2012 Nissan Pathfinder Concept goes back to unibody