Toyota Heading Back to WRC with Yaris

Toyota Heading Back to WRC with Yaris
Watch All The 2015 Automotive Super Bowl Commercials Here
2016 Mazda MX-5 Officially Makes 155 HP
Lexus LF-LC Race Car is Brand’s Gran Turismo Vision Concept
BMW Releases M Performance Parts for SUVs
Rolls-Royce Phantom Nighthawk Unveiled for Super Bowl Festivities

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Toyota has announced its intentions to once again field a race car in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Starting in 2017, Toyota will be back in WRC with a Yaris rally car, built by Toyota's Motorsport division. The new car has already completed a preliminary test program on tarmac and gravel stages across Europe, though it will be further refined over the coming years.

Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder direct injection engine that makes over 300 hp. Several drivers have already tested the car, though only one, Eric Camilli, has been chosen as the first member of the junior driver development program.

The last year Toyota entered a factory-built car in WRC was 1999.

Discuss this story at our Toyota Forum

Watch All The 2015 Automotive Super Bowl Commercials Here

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Auto companies are big players when it comes to football's big game.

Brands love to roll out expensive advertising campaigns, as the Super Bowl gets a massive amount of viewers. Exactly how many? Last year, the NFL's big game became the most-watched television event in U.S. history with 111.5 million viewers tuning in.

Oddly enough though, many automakers opted out of this year's game despite the record-setting views last year.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 2013 Super Bowl Ads

That's not stopping a ton of other manufacturers from getting in on the fun. Scroll down to watch all of the automotive ads that will run at the 2015 Super Bowl. We included a few non-automotive spots that will air during the big game as well.

Mercedes-Benz: The Big Race

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  Kia: Unexpected
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    Toyota: How Great I Am
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    BMW: Newfangled Idea
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    Nissan (teaser): With Dad
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    Budweiser: Lost Dog
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    Snickers: The Brady Bunch
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2016 Mazda MX-5 Officially Makes 155 HP

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Official numbers are here for the new 2016 Mazda MX-5.

The small lightweight roadster will put out 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque thanks to its 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder engine. In other parts of the world, a smaller 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is also available with 129 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque.

SEE ALSO; Mazda MX-5 Cup Car Revealed

Official weights for the car are still unreleased, but Mazda has said that the new car is about 220 pounds lighter than its predecessor, which means it will have a better power-to-weight ratio despite making less power than the previous car.

Discuss this story at our Mazda MX-5 Miata forum

Lexus LF-LC Race Car is Brand’s Gran Turismo Vision Concept

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Lexus has revealed its upcoming Vision Gran Turismo Concept.

Called the LF-LC GT Vision Concept, the car is essentially a racing version of the LF-LC concept that Lexus has been showing off for over two years now. The Vision Gran Turismo program has given many automakers the chance to design a radical concept car that will only exist in the virtual world of the Gran Turismo racing video game.

The car was designed at Toyota's CALTY studio and clearly takes its inspiration from the LF-LC concept. No performance numbers were released, but Toyota did say that the car is designed to be competitive with other GT3 race cars.

The car will be available for download starting in Spring of 2015.

Discuss this story at our Lexus LF-LC Forum

BMW Releases M Performance Parts for SUVs

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BMW is adding M Performance Parts to its new racetrack-ready SUV lineup.

The German automaker has announced new M Performance Parts for the 2015 X5 M and X6 M. On the outside, both models benefit from exclusive radiator and side grille ornamental trim with black slats, black frame and M logo while customers can also opt for handmade carbon fiber exterior mirror caps. Those that really want to show off their M pride can also pick up motorsport stripes in the three signature M colors. Exclusive to the X6 M are gloss black rear fins.

Interior M Performance Parts accessories include LED door sill plates in brushed stainless steel with illuminated M Performance lettering as well as a plethora of carbon accessories including interior trim strips, carbon selector lever and center console trim finished with Alcantara. Also available is a BMW M Performance steering wheel in Alcantara with carbon trim and stainless steel pedal covers.

GALLERY: 2015 BMW X5 M M Performance Parts

GALLERY: 2015 BMW X6 M M Performance Parts

Discuss this story at our BMW forum

Rolls-Royce Phantom Nighthawk Unveiled for Super Bowl Festivities

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Visitors to this year's Super Bowl will get to see a bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom model up close and in person.

The British automaker has revealed the Rolls-Royce Phantom Nighthawk, a limited edition model created exclusively for the North American market.

Production will be constrained to just nine units and the first example will be on display in Phoenix, Arizona during the festivities of Super Bowl XLIX. According to Rolls-Royce, the Phantom Nighthawk was inspired by the sleek yet bold designs of stealth aircraft and boasts a lustrous Diamond Black Metallic paint with a Matte Diamond Black hood. In addition, the windscreen surround design has been inspired by radar-absorbent material (RAM) coating often used in aviation.

As expected with any bespoke Rolls-Royce model, the company overhauled the interior with the Nighthawk featuring carbon fiber throughout the Hotspur Red and Black full-grain leather interior. Carbon can be found on the dash panels as well as the door panels while the instrument panel now has carbon dials with incandescent orange tips, mimicking performance cockpit instruments.

"We commissioned 'Nighthawk' to demonstrate to our owners the unparalleled creativity of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke team. Bespoke is the underlying essence of our brand and its options are limited only by the imagination of our owners and how they can extend their vision to the next Rolls-Royce Motor Car they commission," said Eric Shepherd, President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America. "Additionally, 'Nighthawk' exudes an understated image of power with confidence, a characteristic many of our owners share."

Discuss this story at our luxury lifestyle forum

Car Reviews

Friday, 30 January 2015