By Ben Schaffer

The Real JDM

Normally a post with a title like that would have an ! or some other method to convey excitement. What can I say here… Top Secret has been hard at work on two new cars for their tuning line-up. The ZE2 Honda Insight and the ZVW30 Toyota Prius. (yes I name dropped the chassis codes…one day when the ZE2 and the ZVW30 both become Tsukuba Circuit time attack record holders we’ll affectionately call them by these codes like we do R35s and S15s…or not).

All sarcasm aside, Top Secret has put in some considerable work to be appreciated by the eco-loving hybrid drivers out there that perhaps also own a Top Secret tuned Supra or GT-R. Both cars feature Top Secret original aero kits designed both for looks and also for aerodynamic efficiency (better miles per gallon er… kilos per liter). The cars both run RAYS eco drive wheels designed for maximum weight reduction, in this case the 15″ RE30 Volk is fit for duty of cranking up the ECO further. Continue reading at The Real JDM

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

This happened just a mile or two from CarDomain World Headquarters, but honestly, we had nothing to do with it. Perps driving “a loud throaty-sounding SUV” smashed in the windshields of several Priuses in the Ballard neighborhood on Saturday. Story at My Ballard.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Ryan just sent this to me. Nicely done.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Or not…

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

As more and more major automakers jump on the Prius bandwagon, expect mainstream hybrids to get smaller and cheaper. Nissan’s been showing off its JDM electric Cube and toying with the idea of bringing it stateside, while Hyundai, the quintessential cheap-car producer, is debuting its own hybrid “Blue-Will” at the Seoul Motor Show. It’s funny that just a few years ago, proto-green rides like GM’s EV1 and the first-gen Honda Insight spooked consumers by being too petite. But today, the exploding popularity of the smart car and the horde of startup companies showcasing pocket-sized EVs have beaten a path to consumer acceptance of the “small is beautiful” credo. Meanwhile, Honda’s revamped Insight hybrid, while appearing to be a Prius copycat, will be a couple of inches smaller than its competitor in both height and length, and will undercut Toyota’s iconic hybrid by several thousand dollars–the Insight can be had for under $20K. Toyota, rattled by the Prius-killing potential of this development, has responded by announcing a new “dedicated” hybrid based on the ultra-econo Yaris subcompact platform. Suddenly small is the new black, and it kind of makes you wonder if this race to the bottom is going to make a stillborn out of GM’s comparatively chunky, $35-$40K Volt–but with all the problems in Detroit, maybe that issue is moot. Stay tuned.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

What do you think? Via Jalopnik

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

There were very few car makers at the Melbourne International Motor Show who did not have some sort of ‘green’ car. Toyota was promoting its Prius and new hybrid Camry. The Prius has been upgraded and improved, featuring new developments such as solar roof panels in the roof that supply power to the ventilation system. It has a more powerful 1.8 liter Atkinson-cycle engine which has increased the performance in fuel consumption and emissions. Personally I wouldn’t buy one, it still looks like a dustbuster on wheels.

Continue reading "The Dustbuster is Back" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I snapped this pic of our 300C SRT-8 test car at a rest stop on I-5 on the way back from Portland this weekend. I’ll share my thoughts on the big bad Mopar tomorrow, but for now I thought I’d just toss this out there. So is this left lane vs. right lane? Union built vs. non-union built? 18 mpg vs 48 mpg? V8 vs I4? Hemi vs. hybrid. Red state vs. blue state? Form vs. function? Retro vs. modern?  Past vs. future..?

Continue reading "Showroom Showdown or Caption Contest?" »

So, everybody knows that Coca-Cola was originally spiked with Bolivian marching powder—but 7-Up also had a secret ingredient! As it turns out, the company’s "Never had it, never will" slogan doesn’t apply to lithium. Today, lithium is used to treat bi-polar disorder, but back in the roaring ’20s, it was just a hangover cure. Damn, I knew I was born too late. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Honda has released images of the new Insight, and it looks very similar to the Prius, which means it’s hideous. So what’s the deal? Must hybrid cars be visually repellent to function? Is this why Tesla can’t seem to get its act together? Autoblog
• Yesterday, a Reno woman got wasted and hopped behind the wheel. Then she filled her tank and drove away with the pump’s nozzle dangling. The kicker? She mistook an ambulance for a police cruiser and pulled over. At least nobody got hurt. The Weekly Vice via Jalopnik
• With the Big Three begging for government loans and auto sales in the toilet, it’s easy to see Hummer as doomed. But while its fate seems certain, there’s a chance the Ruskies might save the beefy brand. Seriously, ever seen a Russian "road?" New York Times
• If somebody stole my moped—not that I’d ever own one—I guess I’d be pretty stoked if the thief tried to make right. Of course, I might be a little pissed if it took him 25 years. Reuters

The AutoLabo Prius is an actual production aero kit, not a strange sci-fi movie car. It is modified for increased aerodynamics says AutoLabo, thus increasing fuel efficiency even further than the standard Prius. You could call it eco-tuned. I wanted to cover this car because there is simply not much on the net about it. Its one of those interesting company demo cars that just slipped through the cracks of every magazine, blog and form of media out there.

AutoLabo offers the following Prius eco-tuning parts: front bumper, side skirts, rear fender skirt, rear bumper, rear carbon wing and coilover suspension

What do you think? Would you drive one of these? More pics after the jump!

Continue reading "AutoLabo Prius" »