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Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.

Rolls-Royce Ghost V-Specification gets 593 bhp

Rolls-Royce Ghost V-Specification (pictured) gets 593 bhp The Rolls Royce Ghost has been around for some time, and we’re expecting a reveal as early as the Geneva Motor Show in March. But ahead of a facelift for the Ghost we’re getting another limited edition Ghost to bolster sales – the Rolls-Royce Ghost V-Specification. The Ghost V-Specification is effectively the Ghost with the powerplant from the new Rolls Royce Wraith (itself the ‘Ghost Coupe’) which means power jumps from 563bhp in the standard Gost to 596bhp in the V-Spec.

Maserati banks on Chrysler to boost global sales

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has bold plans for the automaker's Maserati luxury sports car unit: to boost annual sales almost tenfold to 50,000 units from 5,675 last year. Three new models are key to this midterm goal and all are based on systems and components from Chrysler Group. Maserati will introduce two new sedans to replace its Quattroporte flagship model using technology from Chrysler's large sedans such as the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Avenger.