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Lotus withdraws from the 2013 Paris Auto Show

According to Car and Driver Magazine, the English automaker has pulled out of next September’s Auto show. With the recent firing of CEO Dany Bahar in June, the financially-struggling company has stalled vehicle development for two months now.

Lotus has been on a downward spiral since presenting 5 concept cars in 2010, namely because of its involvement in IndyCar and Formula 1, though the company has seen some success with Formula 1 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

Mazda6: latest production has begun in Japan

The newly redesigned 2014 Mazda6 is now in production at Mazda’s Hofu Plant No. 2 in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture. About 500 people attended the official kick-off ceremony, in the presence of Mazda’s CEO, Takashi Yamamouchi.

The first vehicle off the assembly line was the Mazda6 wagon, built to European specifications and powered by the SKYACTIV-G 2.0 gasoline engine. The Hofu Plant should produce about 120,000 units annually. Furthermore, this Mazda6 will be the first model to benefit from the automaker's new i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology.

The new Mazda6 will be on European and Japanese roads before the end of 2012, and will be available in North America, beginning 2013. The Mazda6 sedan will premiere at the Moscow International Automobile Salon 2012, opening on August 29.

 Infiniti LE Concept at the New York Auto Show

New York, NY — Of all the automakers, Nissan-Renault has placed the biggest bet on electric vehicles. The partners have gone on record saying they intend to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016, and believe EVs will have a 10 percent market share by 2020.

Not surprising then, that Nissan's premier division, Infiniti, also gets electric marching orders, and the first Infiniti EV will be a production version of a concept that got its world debut at the New York International Auto Show — the Infiniti LE Concept. Nissan president Carlos Ghosn had the honours of revealing the Infiniti LE and stated that the sleek sedan is “85 percent accurate to what you will be able to drive in the next 24 months.”

The 2012 Infiniti prototype was unveiled last week at the New York International Auto Show.

The first aspect of LE to point out is that it is not a re-badged Nissan LEAF. Far from it.

“The challenge to the engineers and designers was to make it nothing like the Leaf,” noted Andy Palmer, a Nissan vice-president with a lot on his plate, including global operations of Infiniti.

Palmer said LE Concept diverges from LEAF most in two technical areas — aerodynamics and weight savings.

LE features lightweight aluminum body panels. Its coefficient of drag is a fantastic 0.25.

Infiniti also decided that its first EV had to be on a platform designed specifically for electric power. “When you make a transformation, you end up putting the battery where the fuel tank is, and end up with awful weight distribution,” said Palmer. “We will not put an Infiniti badge on something that doesn't ride and handle properly.”

It should accelerate properly too, thanks to an e-powertrain with 240 lb-ft of torque, juiced by a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. A full charge is expected to give the LE a range of 160 km (100 miles).

The LE can be plugged in via a receptacle behind the Infiniti badge on the grille. But it also features wireless charging. In fact, if all goes according to plan, the LE should be the first production vehicle with a built-in wireless charging system.

2013 Subaru Legacy: still the most fuel-efficient car

With fuel consumption varying between 6.0L/100km (Lineartronic CVT) and 7.0L/100 km (standard 6-speed manual transmission) for highway driving, the new 2013 Legacy remains the most economic mid-size AWD sedan in its category.

For the 2013 year model, Subaru introduces several modifications, particularly at the aesthetic level, i.e. restyled front end featuring new headlights, grille and front bumper. As for the engine, the Legacy is powered by either a 3.6-litre H6 or a new, more efficient 2.5-litre, 173-hp 4-cylinder powertrain with new a twin overhead camshaft.

Subaru also lowered prices, much to the delight of customers. That means the 6-cylinder version is now offered at $34,695 ($1,000 less) whereas the 4-cylinder model starts at $23,495, a drop of $500.

Subaru a aussi revu ses prix à la baisse, au grand bonheur de ses clients. Ainsi, la version 6 cylindres est maintenant offerte à partir de 34 695 $ (baisse de 1000 $) tandis que le modèle 4 cylindres débute à 23 495 $, soit 500 $ de moins.