Sounds kinky, but the Nissan Elgrand Leather Series is the latest in the JDM luxury van wars. Based on the success of previous Elgrand special editions like the 250 Expressway Star Black Leather Edition and the 350 Expressway Star Red Leather Premium Edition, the new Elgrand Leather Series offers you a choice between red and black cowhide. Toss in an Around View backup camera and voilá, another special edition. (more…)
The latest limited edition Scion goes on sale in June. As per Scion naming convention, the first such special edition for the current generation xD (aka Toyota Ist) is called the Release Series 1.0. JDM fetishists (like us!) will love the DAMD body kit, TRD lowering springs, Razo shift knob, and rear spoiler. Hot Lava paint is slathered all over the outside, with similar accents throughout the interior. As with all Release Series cars, you also get an individually numbered badge telling you which car of 2000 that you own. Prices start at $14,550 for the MT and $15,350 for the AT. More pics after the jump. (more…)
Achtung! German Suzuki buyers will have a shot at one of 1200 limited edition Suzuki Swift “Black and White” editions in either Black or White Pearl paint. But if racial harmony still eludes you take solace in the 30GB hard drive, 16-inch wheels and DVD Navi system. See the Black one after the jump. (more…)
Nissan’s Serena, X-Trail and Tiida were all the top selling cars in their class for 2007. To celebrate, Nissan is holding a campaign that will give away one of these cars to a lucky Japanese citizen. Really though, it’s just an excuse to toot their own horn. One X-Trail, please.
[Nissan]
Drive.com.au got an interview with Nissan’s senior veep of global marketing, Junichi Endo, who revealed that the RWD Nissan we’ve been hearing about might just have a “50-50″ chance of seeing the light of day. With Toyota mulling the FT-HS concept, it looks like a hybrid sports car battle might be on the horizon.
[Drive.com.au via Autoblog]
Finally, a special edition car that gets my blood flowing. Here’s a dedicated performance version of the already potent Subaru Legacy tuned by Subaru Technica International, better known by its initials STI. (more…)
It’s now rumored that as part of the unholy Nissan-Chrysler Alliance, Dodge will sell Nissan-badged full-size vans to replace its current Benz-based Sprinter, now that its marriage with Daimler has fallen apart. Which van is unknown yet, but we do know Nissan is building a new light commercial vehicle factory in Canton, Ohio with 3 unique products for the US market. As you may recall, the next-gen Titan will be based on the Dodge Ram.
[Autoblog]
From the same presentation that leaked photos of the 370Z yesterday comes this image of the next-gen Nissan Cube, the one that goes on sale this November in Japan and will come to the US in 2010. Like the Scion xB, the boxiness has been replaced by something a bit rounder. That would be fine and all, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s called the Cube. Come on, Nissan, it’s right there in the name. Well, let’s face it. The current Cube is one of the all-time great automotive designs, and there was really nowhere to go but down.
[The Hollywood Extra via Jalopnik]
As of the end of April, Prius sales totaled 1,028,000 units, a significant landmark for the car that put green motoring on the map. It’s hard to believe, but the original Prius debuted over 10 years ago, in 1997.
[Toyota]
Don’t worry, it’s not another van. Although it looks like one, the Honda Zest is a kei car. That means you already know it’s got a 660cc motor. Like many kei cars, it’s available with FF or AWD. The only transmission option is a 4MT.
The just-announced Sports G Dynamic Special is a special edition version that comes with HID headlights, a rear roof spoiler, a colored grille and exclusive 14-inch wheels. At ¥1,270,500 base it’s a pretty good deal too, though if you choose pearl white, that’s an additional ¥21,000.
[Honda]