Four-cylinder Toyota Highlander priced at $25,705

Toyota has just announced pricing on the 2009 Highlander SUV with its new 4-cylinder engine. The latest entry-level model in the Highlander lineup will arrive at the dealership with a base MSRP of $25,705. That figure cleanly undercuts the price of the Highlander V6 FWD ($27,600) and the Highlander Hybrid ($34,700). The new 4-cylinder engine displaces 2.7-liters and is rated at 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. Mated to an all-new 6-speed electronically-controlled automatic, it's enough motivation to get the SUV to 60 mph in a claimed 9.7 seconds, yet still return an EPA estimated 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway (22 MPG combined). For comparison, the Highlander V6 is rated at 18/24 and the Hybrid at 27/25... yes, the new gasoline-fed inline-4 is more efficient than the hybrid on the highway. Look for the new four-cylinder Highlander at Toyota dealers in January.


[Source: The Auto Channel]

Mercedes considering two-seat roadster based on the A-Clas

As goes Volkswagen and BMW, so goes Mercedes. Since VW/Audi are going to make a small roadster and BMW is toying with the idea of a Z2, Mercedes doesn’t want to be left out, and is exploring the idea of making its own roadster based on the A-Class.

Mercedes already has a few design studies to work from, and it’s looking back to the SLA concept from the Detroit Auto Show in 2000. "It is part of the regular new-model review at Mercedes-Benz to look at ideas from the past," a senior Mercedes-Benz official told AutoWeek. "When the SLA was originally proposed at the end of the last decade, we didn’t have a suitable platform; the sandwich platform is too high and too heavy. This problem will be alleviated with the arrival of the next A-class, whose new platform provides much greater scope in terms of the sort of variants it can support."

In fact, the next generation of A and B-Class cars from Mercedes are built with the possibility of multiple variations across multiple markets, including the U.S. So, if Mercedes is going to used its bubble car platform to make things like an SUV, the least they can do is give us a fun roadster as well.

The best part about all this is that when the German roadster wars are in full effect, we get to be the winners. There will be plenty of light, cheap(ish) drop top fun cars to choose from.


[ Source:Autoweek ]

Nearly 20,000 Range Rovers recalled

If you were fortunate enough to put a 2003-2005 Range Rover in your garage, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is delivering some bad news. According to a just-released recall, a total of 19,168 Range Rover models may have misaligned front driveshafts. If left unchecked, the increased wear on the front splines may cause them to fail... possibly leading to an accident. While this recall isn't exactly explosive in nature, it is an item that should be inspected and/or replaced. As a result, Land Rover will begin contacting owners after January 6, 2009 to schedule appointments for the installation of an updated design, if needed. In the meantime, if your beloved Range Rover is severely vibrating, or making a nasty front-end noise, please go have it checked before something ill happens.

[Source: Good Car Bad Car]

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 08V635000 EA07012
NHTSA Action Number: EA07012

Component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Potential Number of Units Affected: 19168

Summary:
LAND ROVER IS RECALLING 19,168 MY 2003-2005 RANGE ROVER VEHICLES. THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING SLEEVE AND THE PROPELLER SHAFT MAY BE MISALIGNED, RESULTING IN SPLINE WEAR OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. AS THE WEAR BETWEEN THE PROPELLER SHAFT AND THE DIFFERENTIAL SPLINE COUPLING PROGRESSES, NOISE AND VIBRATION ARE EXPECTED.

Consequence:
CONTINUED VEHICLE OPERATION CAN EVENTUALLY RESULT IN THE SPLINES SHEARING AND A LOSS OF DRIVE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED DESIGN OF THE PROPELLER SHAFT, THE FLANGE KIT AND HEAT SHIELD KIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 6, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LAND ROVER AT 1-313-594-7688.

Notes:
LAND ROVER RECALL NO. P041. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

We first saw Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watch for the Aston Martin DBS back in August, but we don’t mind showing it again now that we have video because it’s just so damn cool.

There might be higher-tech products out there, like proximity transponders that will unlock a car just by approaching it, but that doesn’t matter. Every kid who grew up with James Bond’s gadgets will drool for this watch. Just remember dribble does not look good on your tux.

BMW working on concept credit card key fob

This is not the first time we've heard that BMW is developing a more efficient way to lose both your car keys and credit card information, and now more details have emerged about its multifunction smart key. The Smart Key, which contains a security chip that can talk to a card reader over short distances, may start out with a smaller function set than it ultimately ends up with as the technology matures. Storing access passes for public transportation and information to facilitate electronic payments are two abilities that BMW feels will eventually appeal to consumers, for instance. More interestingly, the key can be used to carry your personal preferences from car to car like a dongle. Owners would have the fob personalized to their ConnectedDrive preferences, which would then make those options available in any BMW, not just the owner's personal car. It's a novel way to ensure that your favorite radio stations and other services travel with you, provided you always insist on a BMW.

[Source: BMW via 4 Wheels news]

Honda F1 team for sale, no buyer means no 2009 season

According to several reports, Honda has put its F1 team up for sale and if the automaker doesn't find a suitor before the start of the season in March, it won't be campaigning in 2009.

An unnamed source told Reuters that Honda team bosses Ross Brawn and Nick Fry said, "They have a month to find a buyer, otherwise they are closing the team." Autocar reports that a media lunch was cancelled this week and that a staff meeting at Honda Team HQ in Brackley was called this evening and an official statement will follow tomorrow morning from Japan.

The reason for the decision is due to the current economic climate and the cost of developing a competitive car that abides by the 2009 rules. Finding someone to back the team during these tumultuous times is going to prove difficult and there's already talk that Bernie Ecclestone may step in to attempt to work out a deal to keep Honda around.

More information should follow tomorrow. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Sources: Reuters, Autocar, ITV | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Nissan unveils NV2500 light commercial vehicle concept

Today at the Nissan Technical Center in Farmington Hills, MI, Nissan revealed its new NV2500 concept commercial van. The NV2500 is a preview of its upcoming light commercial vehicle that will debut in 2010. The NV2500 will be taking the place of the Titan pickup at the company's Canton, MS assembly plant and take Nissan into a new market segment in North America. Nissan's Communications VP Alan Buddendeck explained that the automaker competes in the commercial vehicle market around the world and wants to round that out with North America.

The NV2500 concept shows just one of many possible configurations of the vehicle. The concept and the production vehicle are based on a modified version of the current Titan F-Alpha chassis. Nissan will be partnering with Cummins to provide diesel engines for the new vehicles and ZF for the automatic transmissions. In the first three years of production, Nissan plans to introduce thee different vehicles off this platform.

In addition to the big NV2500, Nissan also showed the NV200 concept that appeared at last year's Tokyo show. The NV200 is similar in concept to Ford's upcoming Transit Connect and is built on Nissan's compact B-platform. There currently aren't any production plans for the NV200, but it is a possibility.

[Source: Nissan]