Jeep Wrangler Ditches (Awful) Old Headlights for 2017, Dodge Caravan Heads Downmarket

Upgrades are coming to several Fiat Chrysler Automobiles models, with the automaker announcing it will ditch some of the worst headlights in the industry. No previously unannounced products are mentioned in FCA's 2017 model year changes, but many models will receive new equipment. In the case of the Dodge Grand Caravan, which soldiers on in […]

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The Original BMW “M3” – 1982 BMW 635CSi Observer Coupé

Mercedes-Benz has four convertibles now. As does Audi, with a fifth in a new R8 Spyder not far off. BMW has five 'verts you can buy. And if you count the various configurations of Porsches from which you can choose, the German sportscar maker has nine — nine! — convertibles. (Heck, there are seven different versions of the 911 […]

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Pixis Joy: The Cutest Little Japanese-Market Toyota You’ll Ever See

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Toyota's new Japan-only Kei-car looks like something that belongs in a Disney movie. And its name, Pixis Joy, is straight out of Disney World, too. Offered in three different versions with a variety of customization possibilities, the Pixis Joy almost seems like something that could've worked for Scion, that, less-than-dearly departed "youth" brand.

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Developed and built by Toyota's partner Daihatsu, the Pixis Joy fits into Japan's popular class of kei cars, all of which must be less than 133.9 inches long and use an engine smaller than 660 cc (0.6 liter). The Pixis offers both naturally aspirated and turbocharged three-cylinder engines making either 50 or 63 horsepower, both mated to a standard CVT. All-wheel drive is available on certain models.

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The range of models includes C, F, and S variants, all of which are adorable. The Pixis Joy F is meant to be the most elegant of the lot, with smoother body lines and a glitzier grille; the S is a "sporty" model (we're dubious because of its 63-hp output) with larger wheels, red interior accents, and different front and rear bumpers; and the C is a teeny-tiny crossover imposter with its extra body cladding and higher ground clearance.

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• Honda N-Box Slash: Retro Looks, Puzzling Name, Never Coming to America
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• Daihatsu Noriori Concept Takes Tiny, Wheeled Boxes to Their Zenith
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• Funky Fresh: The Weirdest Concepts of 2015
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As with all other kei cars, these Toyotas won't make it off the islands of Japan, as they're simply too small to work in other markets. But who knows? Maybe something like the Pixis Joy will soon grace the silver screen in an upcoming Pixar movie. It certainly has the right look.

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Cash Money: Owners of Cheaty VW TDI Diesels Prefer Buybacks to Fixes

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So far, the majority of Volkswagen TDI owners who've joined the company's settlement have chosen to sell their cars back at above-market rates.

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According to Automotive News, greater numbers of the 210,000 owners and lessees want the buyback instead of a cash payment and a free fix. The numbers vary depending on age, equipment, and mileage, but it seems that owners are opting for the simplest way out. Volkswagen must pay the trade-in value for a clean car listed under the NADA guidelines, plus $2986.73 and one-fifth of the car's determined trade-in value.

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• If You Own a Cheaty 2.0L VW Diesel Car, Here's How Much Money You Can Expect
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• Volkswagen Submits 4-Cyl TDI Fix for EPA and CARB Scrutiny
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• Everything You Need to Know About the VW Diesel Emissions Scandal
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Considering that Volkswagen offered the choice of cash payments from $5100 to nearly $8000 and buybacks between $12,475 and $34,000, we're not surprised by owners swaying toward extra cash. Of course, a buyback means they'll need to buy a replacement car, which might not be worth the effort or the extra cost. Another quarter-million or so eligible Volkswagen drivers have not made up their minds yet.

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Gratuitous Engine Video: The Ferrari 488GTB’s Turbocharged V-8

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If you're in the mood for some gratuitous video of an engine cutaway set to dramatic music, this clip of the Ferrari 488GTB's redheaded V-8 is just the thing you need.

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The twin-turbo 3.9-liter V-8 in the 488GTB and 488 Spider, as we've described, is a masterpiece of engineering and real pleasure to experience from the driver's seat. (A 661-hp engine tends to be fun.) While the engine doesn't have quite the same delectable aural character as Ferrari's naturally aspirated V-8s, this video is intended to show the lengths to which Ferrari went to ensure the instant response and progressive power delivery for which the 4.5-liter V-8 from the 458 Italia was famed.

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Our East Coast Bureau just had this blue 488 Spider for a week and happily reconfirmed its near-complete lack of turbo lag and even distribution of power. Unfortunately, it also reconfirmed our impression that this turbo V-8 just doesn't sound as good, being fairly quiet at start up and lacking the banshee wail near redline even in Race mode. Of course, these complaints are relative—the 488GTB is still spectacular.

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• First Drive Review: 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider
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• Beating Hearts: The 10 Greatest Engines You Can Buy Today
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• Booster Shot: How Future Turbochargers Will Deliver More Power and Efficiency
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Her Name Was Rio, and She Looks Bigger Than Before

Kia Motors has pulled the wraps off of its next-generation Rio subcompact ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut later this month, revealing a newfound love of straight lines that couldn't be more different from the bulbous previous generation. A longer, flatter hood, longer wheelbase, high beltline and upright C-pillar aim to make the 2017 […]

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2017 Cadillac XT5 AWD Review – Tennessee Flat Top Box

When the original Cadillac SRX appeared for the 2004 model year, it rode atop a rear-wheel-drive unibody platform, offered three rows of seats, and asked a question rarely asked today: "V8 with that?" Six years later, General Motors saw fit to yank the SRX out of that class and plunge it into the murderously competitive front-wheel drive, […]

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