Egypt secure a record seventh Africa Cup of Nations title, after beating Ghana 1-0 in a tense final in Angola.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Japan, Recalls, Toyota

With Toyota’s woes seemingly multiplying by the day, you knew it was just a matter of time before the lawyers arrived on scene. Cue two law firms, Parker Waichman Alonso and the Becnel Law Firm, that are joining forces in a bid to sue Toyota’s pants off.

The suit hopes to attain class action status and is “intended to benefit all residents of the United States who purchased a Toyota vehicle of model years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and/or 2010 that is subject to the recalls.” How many cars is that? We don’t have a total off the top of our head, but considering the Camry has been the best selling car in the U.S. for all six of those years, and the Corolla has been number three or four over the course of that same time frame, we’ll go ahead and say the answer is a staggeringly large number.

But hang on one minute: Since all the affected cars have been recalled by Toyota and will (eventually) be repaired, what could the two law firms possibly be suing ToMoCo for? Away we go:

[Parker Waichman Alonso] and the [Becnel Law Firm allege] that, as a result of these recalls, Toyota owners lost the use of their vehicles, and sustained, among things, economic losses and severe emotional distress. The complaint charges Toyota with breach of implied warranty and negligence, and seeks compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages for the Class, as well as equitable and declaratory relief. It also asks the Court to enjoin Toyota from implementing any fixes in the accelerator pedals of the subject vehicles without approval from the NHTSA.

There you have it. And yes, they really did mention emotional distress.

[Source: The Auto Channel | Image: Corbis]

ThrottleGate: First class-action lawsuit filed against Toyota over pedal recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorcycle

The upper-middleweight naked bike segment, which currently has entrants from the likes of BMW, Aprilia and Ducati, is about to get an good ol’ injection of Japanese know-how as Yamaha readies its upcoming new FZ8 for production. Yamaha apparently sees room for a machine that splits the difference between the smaller FZ6 (and FZ6R) and the full FZ1 naked literbike.

As far as we’re aware, Yamaha has confirmed neither the FZ8 nor its fully-faired FZ8R sibling for North America (we’ll keep you posted), but it seems possible the models could make it Stateside if there’s sufficient interest… which is why we’re bringing you this initial official image of the FZ8. So, what do you think?

Judging from the photo, the FZ8 appears to be based on the current FZ1, and internet rumors suggest the 800cc mill will be a downsized version of the former R1 engine with an identical stroke and smaller bore. We’ll know soon enough – the official unveiling is scheduled for March 12 – but in the meantime, enjoy the teaser.

[Source: Yamaha, Asphalt & Rubber]

Yamaha pulls the covers off 2010 FZ8 naked sportbike originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Motorsports, Event Alert

Just like January equals Detroit, February means Chicago for auto show lovers. The major players will again descend upon McCormick Place in the Windy City, along the banks of the still-frozen Lake Michigan. Other auto shows in February include the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, plus regional shows in Philadelphia and Syracuse. Hot Rodders have the Sacramento Autorama to look forward to, while classic car aficionados have Boca Raton and The Desert Classic in La Quinta to get the Concours d’ Elegance season going.

The American motorsports season kicked off yesterday with the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but other series will kick it into gear in February. The Bud Shootout signals the return of bump-drafts as NASCAR starts the 2010 season with this all-star lead-in to Daytona, and drag racing action explodes back onto the scene with the 50th Annual Winternationals in Pomona. Meanwhile, Formula 1 and ALMS teams are busy practicing, getting ready for their season openers in March.

Besides those automotive events, there’s Valentine’s Day and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to keep non-car people occupied in February. If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don’t forget to use the comments to add or modify listings.

Continue reading Event Alert: February 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Event Alert: February 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Toys/Games

You know what we like almost as much as real cars? Toy cars. It’s gotten to the point where there mere existence of Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and the like seem like an ongoing conspiracy to suck an extra few bucks out of our wallets with every trip to the store.

Furthering that belief is Hot Wheels’ new Kmart promo, wherein if you buy 20 cars from the basic assortment (they need to match certain SKUs, just FYI), you can then mail in your stack of receipts to receive the special edition ’62 Corvette you see above. (A gallery of more detailed pics can be seen at HotWheelsCollectors.com.) It arrives on a special blister pack that notes its collector’s edition status, and is even shipped in a Kar Keepers protective case to help ensure that the heavy-handed employees at your local sorting station don’t wreck it in transit.

To qualify for the promotion, you must buy your 20 eligible Hot Wheels cars between Feb. 10 and Mar. 10, 2010. Additional details, official rules, etc. are available at HotWheelsCollectors.com. Now please excuse us – there’s a Jackson burning a hole in our pocket, and a Kmart within easy driving distance.

[Source: HotWheelsCollectors.com]

Attention Kmart Shoppers: Buy 20 Hot Wheels, get a cool ’62 Vette by mail originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten US nationals have been arrested in Haiti on suspicion of trying to smuggle over thirty children.

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President Barack Obama will propose in his budget plan on Monday a permanent place for his stimulus bond program.

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Filed under: Europe, Recalls, Toyota, Peugeot, Citroën

The massive Toyotasticking-accelerator pedal recall has spread from the United States to Europe and even beyond Toyota-branded vehicles. Approximately 90,000 Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 minicars have been added to the list of afflicted models. PSA, the parent of Peugeot and Citroën, has a joint venture with Toyota in the Czech Republic that produces the 107, C1 and the related Toyota Aygo.

The minis share the same electronic pedal assembly design used in the 2.3 million Toyotas being recalled in North America, as well a 1.8 million vehicles in Europe. In addition to the Aygo, Toyota has identified the iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis and Rav4 in Europe. In total Toyota is recalling 7.5 million vehicles worldwide.

We don’t know for sure but it seems unlikely with this many vehicles involved around the world that CTS is the sole supplier of these parts. If CTS is not the only supplier then it appears likely that the issue is more of a design problem than a manufacturing issue at one plant or supplier. It is also possible that it could be a software issue unrelated to the hardware itself.

Update: We checked with Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister who confirmed that Denso is the other major supplier of this pedal assembly.

[Source: The Guardian]

Toyota gas pedal recall woes spread to Peugeot / Citroën in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yemen rejects a truce offer by northern rebels, insisting they must agree to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia, officals say.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials

After gathering real-time transaction data from 8,900 automotive franchisees across the U.S., J.D. Power and Associates predicts new-vehicle retail sales will have declined for January 2010 compared to one year ago. January’s new-vehicle sales are expected to come in at 500,900 units, which represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 7.9 million units. In January of 2009, the SAAR was 8.8 million units. December 2009 was a particularly strong sales month – thanks to heavy marketing and aggressive incentive programs – making it a tough act to follow. To wit:

“January is typically a weak selling month, but this month is particularly impacted by December’s strong close and extra selling weekend,” said Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, the sales pace has been improving as January continues, which is an encouraging sign for the recovering industry.”

Not to be confused with new-vehicle retail sales, fleet sales are expected to increase significantly when compared to the same slow period last year. When fleet- and new-vehicle units are combined, the month’s outlook is more promising. According to J.D. Power, total sales for January 2010 are projected at 659,000 units, up nine percent from the same month last year. Carried forward, the global marketing firm is predicting 2010 total vehicles sales at 11.5 million – and these numbers may be even higher as the industry recovers, thereby loosening credit and improving leasing availability. Check out the press release after the jump.

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

Continue reading J.D. Power data suggests January U.S. new-vehicle retail sales decline from last month

J.D. Power data suggests January U.S. new-vehicle retail sales decline from last month originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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