Toyota Prius Inverter on 2040-parts.com

Toyota says quake-hit plants escape major structural damage

Toyota Motor Corp. has released the first damage report for its northern Japanese factories in the region hammered by Friday's massive earthquake, saying some equipment and fixtures will need repairs but that the plants sustained no major structural harm. For days after the quake, Toyota had trouble contacting it plants in the northern Japan quake zone, making it difficult to assess their status.

CAR interviews Shiro Nakamura: Infiniti's future (2009)

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 22 July 2009 15:48 CAR recently had a one-to-one with Shiro Nakamura, design director for Nissan and Infiniti. We were talking about the new Infiniti Essence GT concept car fresh from its Geneva motor show debut – and Nakamura san was talking us around his latest creation. Read the full transcript below, as we cover everything from future Infiniti design, how new cars can look ecologically friendly and the DNA of Japanese car design.Let’s start with the timeline of the Infiniti Essence.

Chrysler, Hyundai set pace as auto sales rise 11 percent

Chrysler Group, Volkswagen Group, Hyundai and Kia set the pace as U.S. light vehicle sales rose 11 percent in January from a year ago, signaling the industry's recovery is gaining traction. Chrysler's sales advanced by 44 percent last month, and volume climbed 40 percent at the Volkswagen Group.