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Part of the trick to attending the Tokyo Auto Salon (or SEMA, for that matter) is having the ability to wade through the automotive detritus and find the good stuff. Thankfully, when Car and Driver decided to send someone over the Pacific to cover the show, they employed one Mr. Jared Holstein, whose knowledge of JDM goodness has been tested through and through.

Below, we’ve assembled links to what we believe are the best cars we’ve seen come out of this year’s TAS, including a twin-turbo V12 Supra, an 871-hp carbon fiber S2000 and a few other vehicles that caught our attention and spurred our imagination. Enjoy!

• Top Secret TT V12 Supra
• Toyota Corsa Drift Machine
• The wonderfully wild world of bondo experimentation
• Nissan Fairlady Z NISMO 380-RS-Competition
• Top Fuel S2000

[Source: Car and Driver]

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click above to view a pair of high-resolution images

Kia will be using the 2007 Chicago Auto Show as the venue to debut its Rondo SX Concept. We don’t have much information on the car, besides the fact that it’s based on the Rondo and features a more aggressive front end with a big lower air intake and a revised rear with what we assume to be faux diffusers nestled between a pair of tailpipes. A glimpse of the driver side front wheel shows five-spoke alloy rims that are definitely not available on the current Rondo, as well. Kia says that the suspension will be tuned for performance and that there are other performance mods on the Rondo SX. The regular Rondo can be had with either a 162-hp… Read the rest of this entry

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The WCOTY awards are kind of like the Miss Universe Pageant. Sure, the universe is bigger than America, but we Yanks just love rooting for our local gals in the Miss America Pageant (Congrats, Miss Oklahoma!). In the same way, we’re all a twitter to hear which models have won the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, but the World Car of the Year awards presented at the New York International Auto Show in April often don’t get the same attention (unless you count this). Well, let’s change that by actually giving a hoot this year. The top ten finalists for the World Car and World Performance Car of the Year awards were announced today, and you… Read the rest of this entry

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click on above image to view previously unseen pics of the new Fiat Bravo

Following its presentation yesterday in Rome, we can now deliver to you the official photos of the new Bravo, Fiat’s new compact that’ll arrive in Europe in the next few weeks.

Despite the length of the press release we’ve pasted after the jump, you’re best served scrolling to the end to find the real information (unless you’re interested in flowery prose about Cirque du Soleil). We can tell you that the gasoline engines available at launch are a 1.4L 16v making 90 HP and a pair of new turbocharged T-JET mills that also displace 1.4L but have outputs of 120 and 150HP. Buyers can also opt for one of two 1.9L Multijet turbodiesels that also deliver either 120 or 150 horses.

Additional goodies for the Italian Golf-fighter include niceties such as the Blue&Me navigation/telematics… Read the rest of this entry

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click above to view more high-resolution images of the HUMMER H2 Victory Red Limited Edition

HUMMER announced this morning a new version of its H2 SUV called the Victory Red Limited Edition, which is marked by its bright “Victory Red” paint job that extends to body-color fender and rocker moldings. Available for the H2 and H2 SUT, the limited-run package also includes a low-profile, roof-mounted light bar, chrome bits dotting the exterior and 17-inch chrome wheels. We take umbrage with the decision to use carbon fiber appearance accents on the interior, but dig the rear-vision camera system that displays video from a camera out back on a 3.5-inch display that slides out the side of the rearview mirror. Other premium touches include a heated windshield wiper system and rear-seat DVD entertainment system with headrest-mounted screens and wireless headphones. All these premium bits add up to a premium price tag, with… Read the rest of this entry

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A new Rolls-Royce Phantom starts in the neighborhood of around $330,000. Its styling is polarizing, however — not everyone is enamored with the Phantom’s imposing look. That hasn’t hurt the car’s sales, as Rolls-Royce has continued to expand to new markets and added an even more massive long-wheelbase version of the ultra-sedan since its introduction. Those who want to individualize their machines can work through the automakers bespoke program to tastefully customize the car.

What some deem tasteful, however, doesn’t jibe with how others define the term, and as such, we see items like the Rolls-Royce Phantom “Centurion” depicted above. It’s listed on eBay, and the item description says that it “will become one of the most historically significant Rolls Royce Phantoms of recent times.” We tend to agree, as bad things do make history. Our “favorite” parts of this unfortunate custom (which was made for an unnamed “Las… Read the rest of this entry

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click above image to view high-resolution photo gallery

Much has been said about Hyundai’s rise from being a pusher of Point-A-to-Point-B transportation to the purveyor of high value, safe and stylish vehicles. Nearly its entire lineup is full of ready for primetime hardware, save the Tiburon that idles into 2007 with merely a refresh of its aging design. The Azera debuted as a 2006 model to replace the XG350, a Korean import that filled a hole in the company’s lineup but whose claws weren’t sharp enough to play in the tiger pit that is the large car market in North America.

Like all the new models Hyundai has marched out in the past few years, the Azera looks great on paper and stacks up extremely well against other large cars in its class, like the Toyota Avalon, Ford Five-Hundred, Buick Lucerne and Chrysler 300. It starts with a low… Read the rest of this entry

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Flicker user “lithuimbomb9999″ bought this ‘73 BMW Bavaria back in 2001 and informs us that instead of one of the stock engines from its time (either a 2.8L or 3.0L inline 6 making 170 – 190 HP), the engine compartment of this old Bimmer hides a 3.5L six-cylinder from an ‘88 535i. That gives the car somewhere between 200 and 220 horsepower and, as lithiumbom puts it, “boatloads of torque.” Other mechanical updates include a metric mechanic sport cam, dual weber 32/36 DGAV carbs and later-model springs and sway bars.

Appearance-wise, the car’s subtle, elegant look is augmented by a set of vintage Alpina wheels (nice) and Recaros from a 320i. It was restored in 1982 and is finished in its original color. The owner says that it’s due to be revisited, as there’s some paint and bodywork required to address some rust issues that have popped up… Read the rest of this entry

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I’ll admit it. The first exposure I had to the HKS R33 Nissan Skyline drag racer pictured above was when I won it as a prize car in the monumentally great Gran Turismo 2 for the original Playstation. That was 1999 or 2000, and sadly, despite the car’s formidable in-game stats, it was a bit of a drag (no pun intended) to play with because the dragstrip was not included in the U.S. release of the game. (Suffice to say the car was not the most awesome thing to use at Laguna Seca, for example.)

Pity, because the real-life HKS drag car certainly walked the walk. In 2001, it made a 7.671-second run in Japan, setting a record for AWD cars that stood for several years. HKS announced this week that after years of entertaining fans, the car is being officially retired. It’ll be displayed at an import drag… Read the rest of this entry

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Do you design hats? You do? Then what the hell are you doing reading Autoblog? However you got here, it’s your lucky day. Because perhaps for the first time in Autoblog history, we have a post on headwear design. All you dedicated readers stop your groaning, it’s not totally off-topic. Chrysler’s giving away not only a trip to the 133rd Kentucky Derby, but a new Sebring convertible as well. (See, we brought it back on topic.)

You have a month to design a Kentucky Derby-worthy hat inspired by (and utilizing parts of) Chrysler’s 2008 Sebring soft top. Get your best sketch along with a 100-word essay to Chrysler by March 5 to qualify. Complete rules and other important notices, disclaimers and promotional verbiage are all in the official press release after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

And They’re Off…Chrysler Brand Announces the “Sebring Hats Off to the… Read the rest of this entry