New car sales QQ in China

The monthly result was also a significant 15.12 percent below the previous month (March 2011).
The negative result has been blamed on a number of factors, with the effects of the Japanese earthquake and subsequent supply chain disruptions high among those.

Toyota production at all Chinese plants has been reduced to between 30 and 50 percent until the beginning of June, while Honda suspended production at a number of its plants for the first half of May.

Domestic issues also played a significant role in the softened sales.

Beijing was one of many cities to introduce a quota system this year, which dramatically decreased the number of new vehicles that could be registered, in an attempt to improve traffic gridlock and air quality.

The government has also raised taxes on small cars, and like in many countries around the world, Chinese motorists are currently faced by rising fuel prices.
China overtook the US in 2009 to become the world’s largest new vehicle market. Last year, a record 18.06 million new vehicles were sold in China, which represented a 32 percent growth over the previous 12 months.

Audi S4 Avant spy shots

Our spy photographers recently spotted this S4 prototype – in delicious Avant flavor – testing on the Nürburgring, showing off a newly facelifted front end.Much like the A6 and A7, the revised S4 will wear Audi's reshaped grille with slanted upper corners – a design element that will also trickle down to the base A4 and the A5. Additionally, it appears that the front bumper has been tweaked, with larger lower air intakes that are reminiscent of what we see on the smaller TTS. Our spies also suggest that the S4's taillamps will receive a once-over, looking more akin to what's currently used on the A6/A7.Mum's the word on powertrain upgrades, but we expect that Audi has a few tricks up its sleeve to keep the S4's performance prowess in check.

Enthusiasts Bucking E15

Car collectors and hobbyists are among those banding together to try to find alcohol-free gasoline—at a time when the percentage of alcohol in each gallon of typical pump gasoline is likely to increase significantly.

It's a trend we reported last year. Through forums, as well as Pure-gas.org, those with older cars are keeping tabs on stations that don't sell ethanol blends. That's because in older vehicles, rubber-containing components such as gaskets, seals, and fuel lines can harden and fail far earlier with ethanol-containing fuel, according to collectors and old-car restorers and mechanics. Higher ethanol concentration in fuel could, some have argued, shorten the life of catalytic converters in older vehicles.

Audi TT RS Confirmed For U.S

hottest of Audi's TT lineup will finally be making its way to America, due here in the third quarter of 2011. The credit is due in part to a Facebook petition called "Bring it to the U.S." which saw 11,500 signatures over the course of a month. If you're not up to speed on the TT-RS, you ought to be. The 360-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder variant of the TT delivers 4.6-second 0-60 mph times in the TT's svelte package thanks in part to its quattro all-wheel drive. The mid-mounted engine is so good it won the International Engine of the Year award in its category this year. For those fearing a two-pedal dual-clutch solution, relax: the TT RS gets a traditional six-speed manual gearbox. Unlike Europe, where a convertible version of the TT RS is available, we Americans will have to make do with the tin-top only. Pricing and other details for the TT RS's American debut remain undisclosed, but you can be sure we'll bring you the latest as it breaks

2012 Audi TT RS

Audi's adorable little TT has a bit of an identity crisis. It's so cute that you sort of expect it to be a Hyundai Tiburon for chic, gorgeous women with impeccable taste and generous budgets. Nothing against those kinds of customers -- in fact, any such woman gains ten points for driving a hot Audi like that -- but the TT has never really been taken seriously by the testosterone-laden enthusiast crowd.

Making matters worse was a product lineup that was a little too densely populated for such a low-volume car. Choices are a good thing, but when so many different TTs are on the lot - front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive; turbocharged four-cylinder, VR6; dual-clutch automatic, stick shift; coupe, convertible - it tends to overwhelm customers and work against forming a clear image of what a car is about.

new £1.2 million One-77 hypercar

It’s official! Aston Martin has announced that another milestone has been reached in creating its new £1.2 million One-77 hypercar. As part of the engineering sign-off process, the car’s engine has been certified as developing 750bhp and 750Nm, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated road car engine in the world today.

The 7.3-litre V12 unit is being built with input from legendary engine-builders Cosworth, which also provides engines for F1 teams Lotus, Virgin, Williams and HRT.

The car is now in the latter stages of the sign-off process, which has included hot and cold extreme weather testing, as well as many punishing laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife undertaken from the firm’s technical base located just outside the circuit.

Aston boss Dr. Ulrich Bez said, “The One-77 is approaching a production reality and of course, there is considerable excitement in the project. Now the next steps are all about details and refinement to complete the composition. I know the final car will demonstrate what the Aston Martin team is capable of.”

Deliveries of the One-77 are expected to commence in early 2011. Aston claims that around half of the cars have been sold, with the remaining cars accounted for by reliable and strong expressions of interest.

Magnaflow Exhaust System Performance

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Lexus LS steering fault

2010 Lexus LS steering fault – Click above to watch video after the jump

Toyota seems to have learned from its recent brushes with the law over how the company handles its recalls. While the automaker has been judged to be less than transparent in both the floor mat and unintended acceleration sagas, the company has responded to recent Lexus LS recalls with plenty of information for both owners and the public at large. Example, you ask? How about the video after the jump? Toyota has apparently released a quick flick showing exactly what happens when the design defect rears its ugly head on the range-topping sedan. Apparently, if a driver turns the steering wheel to full lock in one direction and then rapidly turns it back the opposite direction, the steering wheel won't center itself even though the vehicle is traveling straight.

Eventually, the variable gear-ratio system will allow the steering wheel to right itself, but it takes its sweet time. Only around 3,800 of the vehicles with this problem are actually roaming U.S. highways, and all of them are eligible for a free fix. Toyota has said that the problem is both mechanical and software related.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport

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Volvo S60

2011 Volvo S60 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Volvo S60 has been priced: $37,700 plus $850 in destination charges is all you'll need. What happens when you put a comparably equipped S60 priced at $41,400 up against the BMW 335i xDrive, Mercedes-Benz C350, Lexus IS350 and Audi A4? The S60 undercut the BMW and Merc, while coming in above the the Lexus and Audi. Of course, none of those other cars include Volvo's Safe + Secure plan that offers five-year/60,000-mile warranty, maintenance wear-and-tear and roadside assistance coverage, so there's that.

The Volvo is also the most powerful of the bunch with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque, albeit in front-wheel-drive, sport-tuned Dynamic chassis guise, with power getting down through a six-speed Geartronic transmission. But wait, there's more: The Volvo also has Pedestrian Detection and City Safety systems that the others don't offer. Follow the jump for a press release with all the details, and see if the Swede has what it takes to get your lux dollars.

2011 Volvo S60

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Lexus IS-F with Torsen LSD and new options coming to the coasts of the United Kingdom

After the introduction of last year in Frankfurt Motor Show, which subtly revised 2011 Lexus IS-F its way into dealers in the United Kingdom with an on-the-road price of £ 55,595 (approximately U.S. $ 82,900 or € 62,150) .

For 2010 the Lexus premium sports sedan, a new limited slip differential as standard and a new satellite navigation system, guided by a disk of 40 GB, also a library on-board sound "function, with 10 GB of archiving.

In addition, the tuner in the IS-F with the 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround-sound system is upgraded to DAB broadcasts and a USB port is to get (in addition to the Aux-In) jack.

In addition, the 2011 IS-F will be ordered with a new white skin instead of the standard black finish and design of the new mesh 19-inch alloy wheels instead of the usual 10-spoke, with both functions Lexus says that the cost functions are not options.

Japanese tuning show

Our Tokyo Auto Salon man Phil Alex with the help of friends Mike and Aaron put their photo cameras to exceptional use today capturing the booth sirens on film for your enjoyment. And as you will soon find out, the Japanese tuning show is only interesting in terms of car presentations but also in terms of female presences... Feast your eyes out in our high-resolution mega gallery after the break.

Photos by Phil Alex , Mike and Aaron