Ford SVT Raptor commanding 300% of US MSRP on China's gray market

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has plenty of fans all around the world, but the desert-beating pickup is perhaps most popular where it can't be had at all: in China. The Detroit News reports gray market buyers in the Asian country are snapping up the trucks at the equivalent of $160,000, or nearly three times the MSRP here in the States. Analysts credit the boom to shifting consumer perceptions. Chinese buyers have typically view pickups as utilitarian tools instead of lifestyle purchases, but that's changing. The Detroit News reports buyers in China are showing more interest in specialty vehicles like the SVT Raptor.

Vehicles like those from General Motors' Hummer family laid the groundwork ten years ago, and when the Raptor bowed in 2010, Chinese enthusiasm for the truck exploded on the internet. Importers are so keen to demand for the pickups that they've imported too many prices are just now beginning to fall from their lofty heights. China has no laws against importing vehicles, though prohibitive taxes discourage all but the nation's wealthiest individuals from shipping in foreign models.
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2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S [w/video]

Eleven cars enter, one car leaves. Silently and with zero emissions.

Tesla has earned one of the most coveted prizes in the automotive world, as its Model S has taken home the golden calipers as the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year. In the process, the Model S beat out a field that included 10 other contenders.

In case you were wondering, this is the fist time an electric car has earned this accolade. No internal combustion here, folks. In an impressive run the Model S was also named Automobile Car of the Year and one of the 25 Best Inventions of the year by Time Magazine.

Motor Trend's very own Angus MacKenzie calls the Model S "perhaps the most accomplished all-new luxury car since the original Lexus LS 400." High praise indeed, considering how Toyota's luxury division ruffled feathers in challenging Germany Inc. way back in 1989. MacKenzie goes on: "At its core, the Tesla Model S is simply a damned good car you happen to plug in to refuel."

Two aspects of the Tesla Model S that weighed heavily on Motor Trend staffers were performance and efficiency. With maximum horsepower sitting at 416 and torque an astounding 443 pound-feet, resulting in a dash to 60 in just 4.0 seconds, and an average of 75.5 miles per gallon equivalent during MT's testing, this all-American electric sedan is worthy of accolades.

Somewhat shockingly, every single judge for Motor Trend picked the Tesla Model S as their winner, causing MacKenzie to sum up the pick this way: "America can still make things. Great things." Indeed. Read the official details from Motor Trend here, and scroll down below for a video.
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Ford SVT Raptor commanding 300% of US MSRP on China's gray market

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has plenty of fans all around the world, but the desert-beating pickup is perhaps most popular where it can't be had at all: in China. The Detroit News reports gray market buyers in the Asian country are snapping up the trucks at the equivalent of $160,000, or nearly three times the MSRP here in the States. Analysts credit the boom to shifting consumer perceptions. Chinese buyers have typically view pickups as utilitarian tools instead of lifestyle purchases, but that's changing. The Detroit News reports buyers in China are showing more interest in specialty vehicles like the SVT Raptor.

Vehicles like those from General Motors' Hummer family laid the groundwork ten years ago, and when the Raptor bowed in 2010, Chinese enthusiasm for the truck exploded on the internet. Importers are so keen to demand for the pickups that they've imported too many prices are just now beginning to fall from their lofty heights. China has no laws against importing vehicles, though prohibitive taxes discourage all but the nation's wealthiest individuals from shipping in foreign models.
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Mitsubishi boss confirms new Mirage for US; i EV enduring dismal sales

By March, Mitsubishi expects to have sold just 55,000 cars in the US this fiscal year. That's a tiny sum by comparison, Honda has sold over 276,000 Civic models thus far this year and that's just one vehicle, not an entire brand. Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko recognizes this is not a tenable position, and he's hoping the company will shift 80,000 units next fiscal year. Warding off speculation, Masuko has repeatedly stated that his company will not retreat from the US market like competitor Suzuki.

We reported on one part of Masuko's plan, the updated Outlander, and now he has confirmed that the small Mirage will be sold in the US beginning next September. The cut-price hatchback is selling well enough that Mitsu's Thailand plant is at its full capacity of 150,000 cars. "And even at that level it's not keeping up with orders," Masuko tells Automotive News. Masuko went on to say the plant would be expanded next year to handle an extra 50,000 units. We can also expect the Outlander plug-in early 2014.

The company's Normal, Illinois, plant will also get an expansion to increase output of the Outlander Sport crossover. That facility will go from 50,000 a year to 70,000. Much of the additional production will be exported from the US to Russia, Latin America and the Middle East.

In other news, Masuko admits the company's bubble-shaped i electric subcompact is selling far more poorly than expected. At one time, the company had optimistically planned on 20,000 sales a year of it little EV, but thus far, Mitsu has only shifted 469 units through October. Because of that, don't expect to see the electric Mirage any time soon. In fact, Automotive News reports that the company plans to move away from pure electric vehicles and focus on hybrids and plug-in hybrids for the US market.

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Mitsubishi boss confirms new Mirage for US; i EV enduring dismal sales

By March, Mitsubishi expects to have sold just 55,000 cars in the US this fiscal year. That's a tiny sum by comparison, Honda has sold over 276,000 Civic models thus far this year and that's just one vehicle, not an entire brand. Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko recognizes this is not a tenable position, and he's hoping the company will shift 80,000 units next fiscal year. Warding off speculation, Masuko has repeatedly stated that his company will not retreat from the US market like competitor Suzuki.

We reported on one part of Masuko's plan, the updated Outlander, and now he has confirmed that the small Mirage will be sold in the US beginning next September. The cut-price hatchback is selling well enough that Mitsu's Thailand plant is at its full capacity of 150,000 cars. "And even at that level it's not keeping up with orders," Masuko tells Automotive News. Masuko went on to say the plant would be expanded next year to handle an extra 50,000 units. We can also expect the Outlander plug-in early 2014.

The company's Normal, Illinois, plant will also get an expansion to increase output of the Outlander Sport crossover. That facility will go from 50,000 a year to 70,000. Much of the additional production will be exported from the US to Russia, Latin America and the Middle East.

In other news, Masuko admits the company's bubble-shaped i electric subcompact is selling far more poorly than expected. At one time, the company had optimistically planned on 20,000 sales a year of it little EV, but thus far, Mitsu has only shifted 469 units through October. Because of that, don't expect to see the electric Mirage any time soon. In fact, Automotive News reports that the company plans to move away from pure electric vehicles and focus on hybrids and plug-in hybrids for the US market.

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2013 Nissan Titan gets modest updates, priced from $28,820*

Those looking for a full-size pickup alternative to what is offered by the American Big Three have two choices; the Toyota Tundra and the Nissan Titan. The latter of the two has received subtle updates for the 2013 model year, and its pricing has been announced.

Base MSRP for the 2013 Nissan Titan is $28,820. For that, you'll get the Titan S King Cab Short Wheelbase 4x2 model. Four-wheel drive will bring the price up to $31,670 for the same trim level, while a 4x2 Crew Cab model starts at $31,370. For the off-road crowd, the PRO-4X starts at $37,040, while the SL Crew Cab 4x4 sits atop the lineup and carries a base price of $42,740. All of these prices are *excluding the $995 destination charge.

As for the updates, most prominent is the new tailgate design that features an integrated rear spoiler. Other exterior and interior tweaks are subtle, and include now-standard side step rails, and a newly styled wheel for the S model. For 2013, the PRO-4X gets revised graphics and "Titan" seat embroidery.

All models of the Titan receive Nissans 5.6-liter V8, making 317 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. Coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission, the full-size pickup is capable of 9,500 pounds when properly equipped.

To read more on the updated Nissan Titan, check out the press release below.
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Opel curtails plans for Adam EV

With the price premium of electric vehicles still high, Opel is reportedly holding off on development of the Adam EV to avoid giving customers sticker shock. According to Automotive News Europe, Opel was working on an electric version of the Adam minicar that was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, but the price the automaker would have had to charge for the final product was apparently too high to reasonably ask for from customers.

The article says that Opel had already made an Adam EV test mule using components from the electric Chevrolet Spark that goes into production next year. Even using shared technology, however, the anticipated pricing made it a bad business case. Opel's head of sales and marketing, Alfred Rieck laid out the chicken-and-egg scenario, saying that some customers are not willing to pay the higher prices for EVs right now, but that the only thing that will drive the prices down is increased sales.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see where the Spark EV is priced and how well it does with customers.
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