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One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.

2015 Audi A8, A8L and S8 unveiled ahead of Frankfurt Motor Show debut

At the upcoming Frankfurt motor show, Audi will announce a new A8 with more powerful engines, lighter-weight construction, new assistance systems and Matrix LED headlight technology. Audi says the new A8 will put the German automaker among the innovation leaders in the luxury class. It cites as an example the short-wheelbase A8 3.0-liter TFSI's 4,034-pound curb weight, best in class for all-wheel-drive models.

Few cars perform well in new insurance group crash test

The insurance industry has unveiled a new, tough frontal-crash test. The first batch of 11 luxury and near-luxury cars put to the test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety didn't fare so well--only three were rated as good or acceptable. The test rams the front corner of a car into a fixed barrier at 40 mph.