I’d held back reporting on the Lexus 200h hybrid’s introduction at Geneva, since we were told that it wouldn’t be coming to the U.S. market. Lexus has apparently changed their minds and will introduce the four door hatch at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

Sometimes, names that sound good in a Korean boardroom just don’t translate well into foreign languages. Take the i-Flow, for example, which sounds like a monthly problem experienced by women and preceeded by mood swings, water retention and cramping.

The second generation Porsche Cayenne is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but the widespread distribution of bootleg images on the internet have convinced Porsche to release press photos ahead of time. As you can see from the above and below images, Porsche was conservative with the restyling of their best selling vehicle. The sloping front end gives a more sporty, less truck-like appearance, and the updated rear causes the Cayenne to blend in with the rest of the crossover crowd. You can see styling elements pulled from the Panamera, but what fails on the sedan somehow works on the SUV.

More pics after the jump.

Way back in 1983 Honda released a nifty little two-seater sport coupe called the CRX. It was sporty, fun and economical with a focus on the younger markets. I remember these cars from back in the day because one of my classmates had one when I was in college. It was a red 5-speed and damn if it wasn’t a little firecracker of a car to drive. I remember rowing through the gears and feeling like a road racer. The little 1.6 liter 4-banger was a really rev happy little sucker and even though we weren’t going that fast, it sure as hell felt like we were. It also returned outstanding fuel economy and was rated by the EPA at 41 city / 50 hwy mpg.

Okay, so it’s not breathtaking news, but it is an excuse to post a photo of the Fisker Karma, just in case you forgot how damn sexy it is. Fisker says it’ll reveal the Karma’s “advanced aluminum space frame” at the Geneva Auto Show. Essentially, Fisker wants you to know that there’s some bad-ass engineering to back up the Karma’s gorgeous looks. The aluminum space frame reportedly gives the Karma “new levels of strength and rigidity.” Indeed. Hit the jump for some more Fisker porn and a shot of the stunning Karma Sunset convertible.

Source: Autoblog

Honda is planning on giving the Toyota Prius a challenge…..again. Although the consumers have spoken and proved that they prefer the Prius rather than the Honda Insight, Honda is not willing to wave the white flag.

These numbers do not lie……

2009 Honda Insight Sales: 20,572

2009 Toyota Prius Sales: 139,682

Honda Insight MPG City/Highway: 40/43

Toyota Prius MPG City/Highway: 51/48

Can you blame drivers for choosing the Prius over the Insight? Let’s just say the average American drives 12,000 miles a year, and the average gallon of gas costs $2.75. We could save ourselves a decent chunk of change with the Prius. Even though the Prius is slightly more expensive, with the amount of complaints we have seen about the Insight, it makes the price worth it. Honda needs to step their game up. They have already worked up a new advertisement campaign for the Insight, and they are also looking farther into the future in hopes of eclipsing the famed Prius. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito alledgedly has told his researchers to develop a hybrid that has a better miles per gallon rating than the world’s most beloved hybrid(Prius). If the the next hybrid is going to be an improvement to the already establish Insight or a brand new design is unknown right now but its going to have to be something quite impressive to knock off the reigning champ.

Moteur Development International(MDI), has built a car that doesn’t run on gasoline, electricity, or any biofuel. No, it is powered soley by compressed air, hence the name MiniCat, Compressed Air Technology(CAT). The developer, Guy Negre, may have come up with the most innovative engines in the car industry for several decades. The use of compressed air makes the MiniCat one of the most enviormentally friendly and economical cars ever. And with the addition of dual energy, which is the use of fuel and compressed air, the MiniCat can gain a range of over 1200 miles, emitting a noitceably less amount of pollution into the enviorment. Now if your air compressor is running low, gas stations are planned to supply an air supply and will only take a few minutes to refill. With all the the uncertainty of rising gas prices and the search for a more enviormentally friendly car, MDI has delivered the answer. Instead of having expanding fuel push the engines pistons back and forth, the MiniCat uses cold, compressed air which will also cool the inside of the engine. This breakthrough car will also include some of the most technologically advanced car features, wireless control system, voice recognition, gps guidance, and internet connection just to name a few. The MiniCat will run about $11,000, cheaper than the average car and it will also save us money at the pump.

In an announcement that should surprise no one whose been keeping even the most casual of tabs on industry news as of late, the 2010 Ford Fusion and Ford Fusion Hybrid took home honors today as Motor Trend’s newly crowned 2010 Car of the Year. While many the enthusiast has logged ample hours bitching and moaning about the objectiveness of MT’s annual awards, this is one instance where the selection seems incontestable. Despite an industry downturn and America’s apparent love affair with the bland, lifeless Toyota sedan (notice I say sedan, please don’t leave me irate comments trumpeting the superior off-road prowess of the FJ Cruiser or the astounding longevity of the 4Runner, I know), the Fusion managed to garner record sales numbers in 2009 and is contributing heavily to Ford’s celebrated success.

Last month, Toyota broke the news of their intention to translate the wild success of the Prius into an entire brand with the first model to be the Toyota Sai. Pictures and specifications were scarce at the time, but Toyota did stress that the Prius Sai (Sai Prius?) would be a sister to the dedicated hybrid from Toyota’s luxury arm, the Lexus HS 250h. Perhaps suffering from a poorly cooked dish of Indian cuisine, we immediately conjured up images of a Prius sedan that shed the odd and, to be quite frank, ugly aesthetic of the current Prius for a sleek new design. Obviously we were sorely mistaken.

As Toyota promised, the 2010 Sai is virtually indistinguishable from the HS 250h and despite its official classification as a sedan, it could easily be mistaken for the 5-door Prius. Fortunately, the Sai’s bland design language is not the only feature it shares with the HS 250h as power is sourced from the same 2.4L four-cylinder/Hybrid Synergy drive combination found in the Lexus. Thanks to this notable performance boost, the Sai achieves roughly the same fuel economy as the Prius hatch (35mpg) while still producing a respectable combined 187 horsepower.

There’s an old colloquialism, “You gotta work with what you got,” and Mitsubishi is obviously aware all they’ve “got” is the Lancer. Thus, in addition to the highly anticipated Lancer Sportback Ralliart set to bow in 2010, there are now rumors that Mitsu is planning a plug-in hybrid variant as well.

According to sources, the PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid concept that will be making its inaugural debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in a few days is a preview of the powertrain the Lancer hybrid would sport and if the preliminary specifications prove more than just exaggerated hype, we’re impressed. Despite the fact that the PX-MiEV’s primary objective is to achieve triple digit fuel economy, thanks to the addition of the Evo’s S-AWC system the PX-MiEV’s 1.6L engine and dual 81-horsepower motors purportedly make achieving 140 mpg downright fun.