Overkill? Wald International's Bentley Continental Flying Black Bison

This time, Japan's Wald International has set its eyes on the Bentley Continental Flying Spur luxury sedan with the introduction of a Sports Line Black Bison styling package.

The makeover includes a new front bumper with added air vents and LED daytime running lights, side skirts, a revised rear bumper with -you-guessed it- air ducts and something that's supposed to resemble a diffuser, nifty quad-pipe exhaust and a rather subtle carbon fiber boot lid spoiler.

The package is completed by a set of trim spoilers on the front and rear side windows plus carbon fiber pieces on the B-columns, and Wald's own multispoke alloy wheels.

Via: Autoblog.nl

Honda Jazz Hybrid: More Details and New Photos Released ahead of Paris Show

Being that the 2010 edition of the Paris Auto Show is just around the corner, Honda has released a new batch of photos as well as a few more details on its new hybrid variant of the Jazz, which is called Fit in the U.S. and other markers.

The smallest member of Honda's gasoline-electric hybrid family features the same IMA parallel hybrid system found on the Insight, combining a 1.3 liter engine with a 10 KW electric motor. The system allows the car to operate with engine only, engine and motor or electric motor only at low to medium speeds.

In the Jazz Hybrid, the IMA battery pack and power control unit are stored under the boot floor, keeping the normal boot (above floor) area of 300 liters, while also allowing the car's so-called "Magic Seats" to fold in the same manner as the non-hybrid version to provide a boot space of 831 liters.

Honda said the new Jazz Hybrid returns a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.4 l/100km [53.5 mpg US] in the European cycle. That's the same as the Insight and faintly better than the European variants of the Civic Hybrid (4.6 lt/100km) and CR-Z 2+2 (5.0lt/100km).

However, the Jazz Hybrid has CO2 emissions of 104 g/km, which is slightly higher than the Insight's 101g/km. Honda claims this is due to the Jazz's "taller, more flexibility focused shape."

The Japanese automaker said the Jazz hybrid will go on sale in some European markets in the early part of 2011, with prices, homologated emissions levels and full specifications to be announced in "due course". Currently, there are no plans to offer the Jazz Hybrid in North America.

Totoya new cars

Early Thursday morning in Tokyo, Japan, Toyota officials said that the automaker was considering "some kind of measure" that could include the recall of 270,000 vehicles worldwide involving eight models of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

As of Thursday morning, however, Toyota had not alerted US safety regulators of a recall of Toyota and Lexus models for possible engine stalling while driving.

No accidents or injuries have been reported in relation to the engine problems.

Toyota said that decisions by government regulators would determine if a recall was necessary in this instance for the eight models, which include the Lexus LS460 and Toyota Crown. The models involved have 3.6-liter and 4.6-liter engines.

This engine issue is just the latest in a series of safety issues that have been plaguing the world's top automaker since last September. The biggest issue to date has been one involving potential acceleration. To date, 7.3 million vehicles have been recalled in Toyota's largest market - the United States

Honda Launches Refreshed Fit and New Fit Hybrid in Japan, Receives 10,000 Orders for Gas-Electric Model

Honda on Friday introduced the Japanese domestic market version of its new Fit (Jazz in Europe) Hybrid alongside the regular Fit model, which benefits from a minor cosmetic refresh and equipment upgrades for the 2011 model year.

The company's head of domestic sales, Hiroshi Kobayashi said Honda has already received 10,000 orders for the Fit Hybrid, which was given its world premiere at last week's Paris Motor Show.

The newly-added Fit Hybrid will be offered locally at the starting price of 1.59 million yen (about US$19,300 at today's exchange rates), making it the most affordable gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle in Japan.

Honda said the JDM version of the hybrid model has a fuel economy of 30km/liter [equal to 3.3 lt/100km or 70.6 mpg US] under the Japanese highway test system.

The car, which makes use of the same IMA system with a 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine as the Insight Hybrid, will go on sale in certain European markets from early 2011 as the Jazz Hybrid. According to the Japanese automaker, the Jazz Hybrid's fuel economy is estimated at 4.4 lt/100km [53.5 mpg US] in the combined European cycle. Honda has not yet said if and when it will offer a Fit Hybrid for the North American market.

The new Fit Hybrid is joined in Japan by a subtly refreshed version of the regular gasoline-powered Fit with a 1.3-liter engine. The modest facelift is limited to new grille and bumper (front and rear) designs which are said to help improve the car's aerodynamic efficiency, plus revised tail lamps and updated interior trims.

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