2016 Toyota Tacoma Set for Detroit Debut

2016 Toyota Tacoma Set for Detroit Debut
Lexus Files Trademarks for LC 500, LC 500h
Chrysler Expands Takata Airbag Recall
McLaren’s Porsche 911 Fighter Spied Testing
2015 Mustang Recalled Over Possible Fuel Leak
Koenigsegg Aims for Nürburgring Lap Record

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The latest version of Toyota's small pickup truck is headed for a debut at the upcoming 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

Toyota believes that the small pickup truck market is due for a come back. "With the new entries coming in, the market should expand," Bill Fay, general manager of the Toyota division said. Those new entries are the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, both of which hit the market this year, representing the first new vehicles to hit the segment in quite some time.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Toyota Tacoma Review

Toyota is so confident in the new Tacoma that is calling for an increase in production at its Baja, California assembly plant. The Tacoma still dominates the segment in sales, although overall sales of small pickups have dropped by 2.7 percent this year while full-size truck are up 6.6 percent.

At the moment, nothing is known about the new Tacoma, although its probably safe to assume that the company has redesigned the entire truck including its powertrains. Make sure to come back to AutoGuide.com at the beginning of January to see the new Tacoma live from Detroit.

[Source: Auto News]

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Lexus Files Trademarks for LC 500, LC 500h

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Two new trademarked names from Lexus have given us a pretty clear hint as to the name of the brand's upcoming range-topping sports coupe.

The production version of the LF-LC was rumored to resurrect the SC badge when it is finally released, but now it looks like the car will retains its LC moniker. Lexus wants the new LC to act as a halo car for the brand, taking on the role that the LFA left behind when production was discontinued.

These new names also give us a clear hint at what kind of engines the car will use. The LC 500 will likely use the same 5.0-liter V8 found in the new Lexus RC F, which puts out 467 hp. This is pretty obvious, as the number in the badge denotes engine size, so the 500 represents a 5.0-liter engine.

The LC 500h will definitely be a hybrid, but the engine found under the hood isn't immediately clear. In other Lexus hybrids, like the GS 450h, the hybrid system adds one liter to the number in the badge, so the GS 450h uses a 3.5-liter engine. If that convention stays, that would mean that the car uses a 4.0-liter engine, which would likely be all new. The 5.0-liter V8 hybrid setup found in the LS 600h is another option that could work for this car.

Production of the new car is expected to begin in 2016.

[Source: Lexus Enthusiast]

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Chrysler Expands Takata Airbag Recall

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Chrysler is expanding its recall of older pickup trucks at the urging of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), although the government agency still doesn't think its enough.

Affected by this recall are about 149,150 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2003 model year. Originally, Chrysler limited its airbag recall to Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands because the humidity in these locations was believed to be the cause of the issue. Now, the company is expanding it to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.

NHTSA still doesn't believe this is enough, as this new recall covers only one type of airbag out of two different kinds used by Chrysler. "Chrysler's latest recall is insufficient, doesn't meet our demands, and fails to include all inflators covered by Takata's defect information report," the agency said in a statement. "NHTSA will determine next steps and take appropriate actions to ensure Chrysler acts to protect its customers."

On the other side, Chrysler issued a statement saying, "the company is unaware of any related injuries or accidents involving these inflators in the affected vehicles. Nor has Chrysler Group observed failures in laboratory testing of its air-bag modules."

Chrysler says that customers will be notified of the issued starting on Jan. 19, 2015.

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McLaren’s Porsche 911 Fighter Spied Testing

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Supercar maker McLaren's latest sports car is earnestly preparing to take the fight to the Porsche 911.

The new McLaren Sports Series will be the British automaker's new entry-level sports car that is being built to fight the best from Germany. A slightly detuned version of McLaren's 3.8-liter V8 will provide roughy 500 hp to the wheels from a mid-engine setup.

Styling looks to be mostly borrowed from the McLaren 650S, although the Sports Series is expected to have more passenger and cargo space to make it more of a daily driver rather than a dedicated supercar. A version of the 650S' carbon fiber body is also being used for the new sports car, though it will be slightly modified.

McLaren's latest is expected to debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show with a U.S. price tag sitting around $210,000.

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2015 Mustang Recalled Over Possible Fuel Leak

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Ford is calling back a small number of 2015 Mustangs.

A total of 728 cars equipped with the new EcoBoost engine are being called back into dealerships, where they will have their fuel pressure sensor inspected. Ford says some of these sensors have been installed incorrectly which can lead to a pressurized fuel leak. Of course, this could lead to a fire.

Ford says it doesn't know of any fires or injuries as a result of this problem. Only Mustangs built between Sept. 25, 2014 and Oct. 9, 2014 are affected by the issue.

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Koenigsegg Aims for Nürburgring Lap Record

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Koenigsegg plans on stealing the Nürburgring lap record from Porsche next year.

But the Swedish automaker doesn't plan on doing it just once. In fact, Koenigsegg plans on setting the production lap record with its Agera R model, besting the current record of 6:57 held by the Porsche 918 Spyder, then, the company plans to beat its own record with the 1,340-hp One:1 model.

According to Koenigsegg's founder, Christian von Koenigsegg, the One:1 is capable of taking "a very significant chunk" out of the Porsche 918 Spyder's current time. Koenigsegg believes setting the lap record is one of the ways to prove itself on the supercar market and the automaker has already done extensive testing this year and plans to make its record-setting attempts in 2015.

If you're simply comparing specifications, the Agera R is capable of dethroning the 918 Spyder and the One:1 is more than venerable enough too with impressive performance paired to a car that weighs 3,100 lbs. From the onset, the plan was to solidify the One:1 as the fastest car in the world and a Nürburgring lap record would only help support that stance.