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Japan's Prime Minister likes Toyota FCV's pickup, zero emissions

Japan's prime minister has a lead foot, apparently. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently had a photo op with Toyota's first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, even getting behind the wheel for a spin (no chauffeur for him, so much respect on our part). His primary impression was that the car had great pickup, before settling on the more politically correct view of noting the vehicle's lack of emissions. In the 87-second video below, we can see the prime minister's appreciation of the car's performance as Toyota Motor Corp. Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso dutifully rides shotgun. Abe also noted that he was "cheering" for the car's success. And he will apparently do his part there. The Japanese government will provide incentives worth about $20,000 per vehicle, bringing down its out-of-pocket price to less than $50,000 from about $69,000. Toyota in June announced pricing on the sedan, which will start sales next spring. The car can go 435 miles on a full tank from a hydrogen refueling station, wherever those can be found. Recent reports claim Toyota will name the model Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese, though the company hasn't made any official announcement. In the present, at least, it is making Japan's leader happy. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery Toyota FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) Hydrogen Concept View 24 Photos News Source: Toyota Green Toyota Hydrogen Cars prime minister shinzo abe

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.

The Fate of the Furious music video shows how much Demons love donuts

The new Dodge Demon is leaking into everything related to The Fate of the Furious in the lead-up to both the car and the film's debut in just over a month. The latest teaser involves Demons doing donuts and burnouts in the Get Off music video, with copious amounts of both tire smoke and hip hop to accompany the tire-shredding shenanigans. It also gives us a look at some of the film's other cars. Get Off is a song by Travis Scott, Quavo, and Lil Uzi that's featured on The Fate of the Furious soundtrack, which is out now. The teaser for the music video features a pack of Dodge Challengers - both Demon and non-Demon spec - along with a line of non-SRT related products. From what we can see, the movie will have a Scion FR-S/Toyota 86, a highly modified C2 generation Chevrolet Corvette, and a Mercedes-AMG GT S. In typical over-the-top fashion, the final shot shows a submarine bursting through ice in pursuit of several cars, including a Subaru WRX. We can't see much else as the full music video hasn't been released, but expect a few more teasers once it does. The Fate of the Furious debuts Friday, April 14, just days after the Dodge Demon's debut at the New York Auto Show. Related Video: News Source: Jetlag on Twitter TV/Movies Chevrolet Dodge Toyota music music video dodge hellcat the fate of the furious