Few days ago we presented you a $25,000 kid-sized Ferrari F40 which was going to be sold in order to celebrate the first dealership of the Italian manufacturer in Moscow, Russia.

If you though that the Ferrari was expensive, well check this $76,500 all-platinum Datsun Fairlady Z created by a Japanese jeweler in order to mark the 40th anniversary of the model maker Tomica and the Fairlady Z. 7.4 ounces of platinum were used by the Japanese jewelmakerGinza Tanaka to create this car, a celebration of Tomica’s first line of toy cars. Tomica made its debut on the market back in 1970s and since then it sold more than half a billion of the die-cast toys, based mostly on Japanese domestic cars. There is a bad news though, the car is not for sale but if you want to see it Tomica will show it to you in Osaka between April 23 and May 5. Photos after the jump!

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Tags:car news, datsun fairlady z platinum
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As you may know already Ferrari is currently building the first Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi which will open its doors in the second half of this year. More than 20 rides and attractions will be available in this theme park, including two roller coasters.

The picture from above represents the so-called GT rollercoaster or a racing roll coaster. How does that work? According to our sources this roll coaster sends two Ferrari 430-inspired carriages along twisting parallel tracks on a race. This means that the lightest carriage will win and you know what this means: you and you’re friends who will visit this park have to lose some weight before making this trip! Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Ferrari, ferrari f430 roller coaster
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Mitsubishi’s 2011 ASX is already making waves in Japan. Dealerships received the car only last Feb. 17 but to date, the company has received 5,169 orders.

The carmaker had initially hoped to sell about 1,500 units each month. The ASX, which is known as the Outlander Sport in the US, is compact and is fuel efficient. Owners may also opt to outfit the car with four-wheel drive or a CVT. What makes the ASX more appealing is that it is included in Japan’s list of small, gas-sipping cars that can take advantage of a tax break. Of the 5,169 orders, about 75% chose the highest “G” specification with wide-angle HID headlights and push button start. The “M” spec attracted 18% of buyers and the entry-level “E” spec got 7%. The US-grade Outlander Sport will offer the 2.0-liter MIVEC four-cylinder as standard. This car will debut at the New York Auto Show later this month and will arrive at dealerships this fall. Mitsubishi has yet to announce further specifications for this car though. This car is believed to be popular in China because many of its buyers have chosen to downsize from luxury SUVs and large sedans. Whether the 2011 Outlander Sport will achieve the same success in the US is the big question.

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Tags:2011 mitsubishi asx, car news, Mitsubishi
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According to the latest reports, it appears that the Nissan LEAF Electric Vehicle will be sold in Japan for between Y3.5 million-Y4 million, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Wednesday. This means $38,600 to $44,190. The Japanese manufacturer also plans to launch the car in Japan, Europe and the U.S. this autumn. The new Nissan Leaf will even cheaper than Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV electric model, priced at around $44,300.

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Tags:car news, Nissan, nissan leaf price
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Mercedes-Benz has agreed to collaborate with Build Your Dreams (BYD) to develop electric vehicles intended for the Chinese market. BYD is starting to get quite a reputation for electric vehicle technologies.

Before BYD made cars, it had produced batteries. Mercedes-Benz is believed to be eager to gain local knowledge in China. Under the agreement struck between Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and BYD, the two firms will create a new brand to sell a vehicle designed for the Chinese market. Mercedes-Benz chief Dr Dieter Zetsche said that he considers the coming together of Daimler and BYD to be “a perfect match” considering that Daimler is known for its electric vehicle architecture and BYD has expertise in battery technology and e-drive systems. Meanwhile, BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu expressed his excitement at having the opportunity to work with Daimler, which it refers to as the “the inventor of the automobile.” As part of the agreement, Daimler and BYD are set to develop a technology center in China. So far, it has not been announced when the facility is expected to be completed or when the launch will take place.

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Tags:car news, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz byd electric cars, mercedes-benz electric vehicles
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Honda Motor Co.’s new CR-Z sporty hybrid went on sale starting Feb. 25 but already, there have been 7,000 orders received in Japan. This figure is more than half of Honda’s target of 12,000 units each year in its home market.

This many orders mean that there is a three-month waiting time for delivery in Japan. In the US, the model will arrive at showrooms this summer. The two-seater CR-Z is equipped with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that’s mated to an electric motor, resulting to a fuel economy of 36/38 mpg. Honda forecasts sales of 15,000 units in North America annually. Meanwhile, in Japan, orders of the CR-Z are rising quickly, coinciding with the slowing down of sales for its predecessor, the Insight five-door hatchback hybrid. Honda’s Suzuka factory in central Japan produces both cars. In Japan last year, Insight sales totaled 93,283 units – clearly far ahead of its goal of 60,000. But with the start of 2010, the pace was sluggish. In the first two months, Honda only sold 6,947 units. In the US, sales are even slower with only 3,321 Insights sold in January and February. For the same period, its main rival, the Toyota Prius, racked up sales of 16,452 units, despite the recalls over an antilock braking defect. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Honda, honda cr-z orders
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At his Ferrari debut, Fernando Alonso conquered and took the top spot at F1’s season-opening Bahrain GP. Alonso had been at third place but Red Bull’s pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel encountered an exhaust problem, which brought him down to fourth place.

Ferrari dominated the race by taking the two top spots as team mate Felipe Massa finished second. Completing the podium is McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Michael Schumacher, on his F1 comeback, ended at sixth place while debuting Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg took fifth place. Coming in at seventh place is McLaren’s Jenson Button. The next spots are taken by Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Force India’s Valentino Liuzzi and Williams’ Rubens Barrichello. Of the new teams that participated, Lotus rose to the top with Heikki Kovalainen ending at 15th and Jarno Trulli taking 17th place. Lotus has been competing with the Virgin team for on-track position but both of its drivers had to retire due to reliability issues. Both of the HRT team’s drivers finished 20 laps in what was essentially a high-profile test session for the team. Watch out for the next race that will take place in Australia in about two weeks. See the full results after the jump!

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Tags:2010 bahrain gp, 2010 f1 news, alonso bahrain gp, car news, f1 news
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As you may know already, the Honda Accord Crosstour made quite a buzz at its debut because the American consumers didn’t know where to place the car in the Honda line up.

The new car is actually a mixture between an SUV and a wagon: it carrues the AWD system from the Honda CRV, but it doesn’t have the off-road capability of the bigger Pilot. Honda is currently testing the Accord Crosstour in China and might bring it to the Beijing Auto Show next month. According to the latest reports, it appears that the Japanese manufacturer might build the Accord Crosstour in China through its Guangzhou Honda. Guangzhou Honda currently has no SUV offerings and the most popular SUV in China, the CRV is currently sold via Honda’s other JV, Dongfeng-Honda. For those who don’t know, another manufacturer announced this week that it is planning to build its crossover in China: Bmw and its compact SUV X1. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Honda, honda accord crosstour china
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Through its joint-venture with Brilliance Auto, BMW will be assembling a series of models in China, according to a report by Gasgoo. The cars to be built there include the BMW X1 compact SUV, the BMW 1-Series and the stretched version of the BMW 3-Series.

At the Geneva Motor Show, BMW chairman and CEO Norbert Reithofer announced that the X1 would be the third model to be built at the Chinese facility. Earlier this year, BMW Brilliance halted the 3 Series’ production to expand the production site’s capacity. It compensated by importing the model. The plant will soon resume production. And this time, there will be updated production lines to enable it to assemble a new range of models. The X1 SUV is slated to enter the premium SUV market, where it will rival cars like the Audi Q5 and the Volkswagen Tiguan. A report by China Car Times reveal that these two VW Group models have been brought to the Chinese automotive market as imported vehicles but they will be domestically produced by the end of the year.

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Tags:Bmw, bmw x1, bmw x1 china built, car news
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Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the parent company of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., wants to expand its product portfolio further and has set its sights on purchasing Chinese special vehicle maker Zhejiang Zhongyu Automobile Co.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is expected to sign a deal to buy Volvo from Ford Motor Co. in the first quarter and to close the deal in the second quarter. So far, no financial details for the purchase of Zhongyu Auto have been announced. Zhongyu Auto is a small manufacturer in eastern China that makes premium special-purpose vehicles based on technology from Daimler AG. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, geely, geely chinese maker, Volvo
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