The 2011 model of the Toyota Highlander has been launched at the motor show from Moscow yesterday. This big crossover comes with a new appearance in the front of the car and in the fascias from the rear. The customers from Russia can choose only one engine, a V6 with 3.5L, with 273HP. The gearbox is an automatic with five speeds.

After the Mazda RX-8 had the same fate, now the Type-R Honda Civic has gotten the axe in Europe, as its 198HP engine with 2.0L doesn’t comply with the regulations concerning emissions. This is just a temporary setback, as the next version of the model will be fixed and it will comply with those regulations. Until then, this model will no longer be sold in European countries.

While the 2011 Ford Fiesta is being launched in the United States these days, Ford is considering the future already and its thinking about the 2012 model, which will come in Europe with a new look.

The rumors say that this model, which is sold as a hatchback in Europe, will come with a new front fascia, which will have LED lights, a redrawn front spoiler and a couple of extra options for the car’s interior.

What interests us though, is the fact that it will have new engines from the EcoBoost series. The regular Fiesta will come with a 1.0L engine with three cylinders and 90 HP, while the performance version will get a 1.6L gas engine with 180 HP.

One of the most impressive appearances at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show was the one and only Subaru Legacy B4 GT300. Back in September the car made its racing debut at Fuji Speedway and now it’s getting ready to compete in 2010 Super GT series in Japan.

As you can see from the picture below the body looks absolutely perfect boasting with some amazing carbon fiber spoilers, wings and widened fenders.

Under the hood the Legacy hides a 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer-four matched to a six-speed sequential transmission, delivering no less than 300 hp. What else can you wish for?

Back in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show, the Lexus LFA saw the light of day for the first time. This original version was followed in the following years by two other additional concepts but the final production version is scheduled to be presented to the public in 2011.

The rear-drive Lexus boasts with a 4.8-liter V10 engine with 552 bhp / 560 ps matched to a 6-speed sequential gearbox, 354 lb-ft torque. The car can run from 0 to 62 mph in only 3.7 seconds while its top speed will fly with 202 mph.

Only 500 units of this Super LEXUS will be available on the market and each will be sold for no less than $375,000.

10k Pontiac Vibes is recalled to the GM mother ship due to cold weather-related brake problems.

All these units are hiding under the hood a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and apparently their brake will hardly work in low ambient conditions. It will still be functional but we’re talking about a considerable increase of the stopping distances.

The dealers have been instructed to solve this problem by modifying the brake vacuum line free of charge. Even if the recall names vehicles sold / registered only in certain states, this campaign will also include vehicles sold in the rest of the country.

If you’re a Vibe owner and you’re having problem with the brakes then you can call Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-888-327-4236.

Next week at the Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru will unveil the Hybrid Tourer concept but until then we’ll have to quench our thirst with a new set of amazing pictures.

This new vehicle is the world’s first hybrid that uses a boxer four-cylinder engine. A powerful couple of electric motors offer blended electric boost, electric drive and last but not least regenerative breaking using as an energy storage medium a lithium ion battery pack.

The hybrid’s architecture is a joint project signed by Subaru and Toyota and we’ll be able to see it available in showrooms in the next few years.

As if all that wasn’t enough I would like to add that this hybrid system makes a great couple with a new direct injected version of the engine that will also be available in production vehicles.

The Internet is ruling the world and when it comes to shopping the catalogs are more than obsolete. Despite that, Neiman Marcus added in the pages of their Christmas Book the 2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus Edition.

50 units of this limited edition will be sold this Christmas and this year will be Jaguar’s third apparition in this catalog.

The 2010 XJ displays a splendid Celestial Black paint job with 20-inch double-10 spoke wheels and a custom nameplate „Neiman Marcus 1 of 50” will on the inside will run on a 5.0-liter V8 delivering 470 hp.

The original XJ will be available in showrooms all over US in 2010 so… keep your driver license close and your wallet even closer.

Toyota FT-86 Concept is the new flavor of the year. It’s a car that reminds a lot to the ‘80s Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe and it’s wearing the signature of Toyota’s ED2 styling studio in France.

This is only a concept and that’s why the details surrounding the FT-86 are still very poor but even so we know that the car runs on a Subaru-derived 2.0-liter engine.

Handling is very important and that’s why the vehicle is as light as a feather, its platform being a unique concept. The engine is comfortably located very low in the engine bay in order to help the aerodynamics. The Toyota 2+2 is measuring 69.29 inches wide and 163.78 inches long with a 101.18 inch wheelbase.

In November the FT-86 concept will be presented at the Tokyo Motor Show and the production model will be officially introduced on the market by the end of 2011 with a price tag of a little over $20,000.

The buzz around lithium ion battery technology is simply amazing because the jump from consumer electronics devices to electric vehicles was huge.

The pioneer in this field was Tesla Motors because the company built a battery pack consisting of 6,831 laptop-cells for the Roadster. Today Panasonic decided to put a new spin on things by producing nickel metal hydride and lithium ion batteries for Toyota’s hybrid and plug-in vehicles.

Apparently Panasonic discovered a new and cheaper method for connecting the cells by using existing production facilities.

Even so, the critics are a little bit skeptics because there’s a big chance that the EV sales will climb to the roof and this approach will still be insufficient.