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Japanese automakers ramping production for renewed American sales

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan took quite the toll on the automotive industry in that nation. Not content to lean on that tragedy as excuse for slagging sales, the Japanese automakers are planning on a major production expansion in North America. The aim is to reclaim the market share lost from the Tsunami-based dip, and overcome a dollar/yen exchange rate that makes exporting to America unprofitable.
Following the Tsunami, Japanese automakers ramped up production in their North American facilities to compensate, but according to Automotive News, Nissan, Honda and others have all reported plans for still-further increased production in the year ahead. As part of this ramp-up, Mazda will open a facility in Salamnca, Mexico before March of 2014. Part of that increase in output is 50,000 units of a Toyota-badged compact car, which Mazda will produce.
Other Mexican production facilities opening include a Honda plant, which will open in Spring 2014 in Celaya, and a Nissan plant, set to open later this year in Aguascalientes. Nissan also said that it will need another plant in North America within the next five years. According to Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn, the company aims to raise its stake in the US market from 8 percent to 10, and adding production will help achieve that goal. Even Mitsubishi is aiming to boost production at its Normal, Illinois plant. Production of the Outlander Sport is currently at 50,000, which Mitsubishi wants to raise to 70,000.

The Tartan Prancer is a 21st Century Wagon Queen Family Truckster

Have you heard of the Tartan Prancer? If you've been keeping up with the Vacation movie reboot, you have. The original flick from 1983 introduced us to the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, a George Barris-designed send-up of American motoring that almost immediately became a legend. For the Vacation reboot, the Prancer is the new Truckster, and it looks like underneath all that awfully wavy bodywork there was once a Toyota Previa minivan. Whereas the Truckster's unique feature set was mainly wood paneling and way too many headlights, the Prancer loads up on the kinds of features the 21st century buyer has to have, like a martini glass holder outside the vehicle, a gas tank, a diesel tank, and a plug to charge something, and four side mirrors. Inside, there's a drinking fountain. The video above is the Albanian spoof ad for the Prancer. It's in Albanian, but you don't need to speak that glorious language to understand the ad. It's a lot funnier than the actual movie clip showcasing the Prancer, which you'll find in the video directly below. The second video below is Edmunds' Carlos Lago doing a thorough comparo with the Tartan, the so-called "Honda of Albania," on one side and a real Honda Odyssey on the other. The movie comes out July 29 in the US. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Auto Express, JoBlo Movie Trailers, Edmunds.com via YouTube TV/Movies Honda Minivan/Van Special and Limited Editions Videos vacation toyota previa

Honda execs take 'quality-related' pay cut after Fit Hybrid's 5th recall

Generally, the best policy in life is to admit when you're wrong and just accept the consequences. However, that attitude generally seems to be a bit less common in the world of business - at least without some government or legal prodding. So, it's especially surprising to learn that top Honda executives in Japan are taking a pay cut for the next three months following the fifth recall of the Fit Hybrid (pictured above) in the last 12 months.
According to Reuters, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito is taking a 20-percent pay cut to make amends for the quality issues. Also, 12 other high-ranking executives are taking 10 percent drops in their salaries. In addition to those temporary changes, Honda is creating a new position in charge of monitoring vehicle quality.
The latest recall fixes "noise-related defects," according to Reuters, on both the hybrid and naturally aspirated versions of the Fit, both variants of the Vezel (the sibling to the future HR-V in the US) and the N-WGN. There have also been three recalls for problems with the hybrid's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. None of them have caused reported injuries or deaths, and these issues haven't affected US models.