April 2019

2020 Toyota 86 pays tribute to international racing with Hakone Edition

(May 1, 2019) PLANO, Texas — Two hours southwest of Tokyo lies one of the great driving roads in the world, the Hakone Turnpike. This famous stretch of road is on the top of many bucket lists, and Toyota is paying tribute to this iconic spot, as well as other international sports car driving, with the 86 Hakone Edition.

Land Rover Defender reaches development milestone of 750,000 miles

(April 30, 2019) MAHWAH, N.J. — To celebrate World Land Rover Day, Land Rover has announced plans for the new Land Rover Defender to complete a final phase of field testing with Tusk Trust, on location in Kenya.

A Land Rover Defender prototype, wrapped in a unique camouflage, will experience life at the Borana Conservancy as part of Land Rover’s 15-year partnership with Tusk Trust.

Mercedes marks CLA Coupe sales release with new film 'Play by Your Rules'

(April 30, 2019) STUTTGART, Germany —  Mercedes-Benz is coupling sales release of the new CLA Coupé with an emotively appealing film which is being shown starting today on Mercedes-Benz YouTube. The five-minute film tells a story of youth and adulthood, of fitting in and non-conformity. In a fictitious inner dialogue a young adult looks back at the dreams and desires of their younger self.

Revitalization program continues at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

(April 30, 2019) MONTEREY, Calif  — The County of Monterey-owned WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, which is the heartbeat of the 542-acre Laguna Seca Recreation Area, is undergoing another phase of its revitalization program. The legendary facility that was built in 1957 has been the scene of many memorable moments such as Alex Zanardi’s “The Pass” in IndyCar, the retirement of Mario Andretti, Nicky Hayden’s epic MotoGP win, a Grateful Dead concert and a special mass in 1987 conducted by Pope John Paul II.

2018 Toyota Camry and Sienna get Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa retrofit

(April 29, 2019) PLANO, Texas — Toyota is committed to advancing the overall technology capabilities of its vehicles.  Toyota says, "When it comes to multimedia, we continuously seek to improve the experience and provide consumers access to the technology services they desire, always with an eye toward safety." Early last year, starting with the 2019 Toyota Avalon, we announced Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa would be accessible on many of our 2019 and most of our 2020 models.

Peterson to spotlight 'deconstructed' Iron Man Audi R8 V10 installation

(April 29, 2019) LOS ANGELES — The Petersen Automotive Museum has announced it will feature a deconstructed Audi R8 V10 originally driven by Marvel Super Hero Tony Stark in its upcoming “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” exhibit, opening to the public on May 5. The unique installation, inspired by the work of famed Swiss artist Fabian Oefner, will offer visitors a unique view into the complex inner workings of the iconic vehicle.

Building a sportier sedan: 35 years of the Volkswagen Jetta GLI

(April 29, 2019) This year marks the 35th anniversary of Volkswagen’s Jetta GLI — a performance version of VW’s best-selling sedan. Over the past three decades, multiple generations of the Jetta GLI have delivered an affordable, family-friendly package to automotive enthusiasts.

Mopar fires up pre-ordering for 1,000-horsepower HEMI crate engine

(April 27, 2019) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Pre-ordering is now powered up for the Mopar "Hellephant" 426 Supercharged crate HEMI engine. Mopar celebrated HEMI Day (4/26) Friday by unleashing pre-orders for the 1,000-horsepower "Hellephant" 426 Supercharged Crate HEMI Engine and Kit. Originally unveiled at the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas last fall, the "Hellephant" is a Mopar-first for a 1,000-horsepower crate engine kit offered by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), paired with a stunning 950 lb.-ft. of torque.
 

GM to add 400 hourly workers to Bowling Green Corvette plant

(April 26, 2019) BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — General Motors is adding a second shift and more than 400 hourly jobs at its Bowling Green, KY., Assembly plant to support production of the next-generation Corvette, which will be revealed on July 18. The addition of the second shift will increase the plant’s workforce to more than 1,300.