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Japan may aid carmakers facing U.S. tariff threat

TOKYO — Japan is considering giving carmakers fiscal support including tax breaks to offset the impact from trade frictions with the United States and a sales-tax hike planned for next year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Going into a second round of trade talks with the United States on Sept. 21, Japan is hoping to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement that could put it under pressure to open politically sensitive markets, like agriculture. "If the trade talks pile pressure on Japan's car exports, we would need to consider measures to support the auto industry," a ruling party official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the matter. The auto industry accounts for about 20 percent of Japan's overall output and around 60-70 percent of the country's trade surplus with the United States, making it vulnerable to U.S. action against Japanese exports. Japan's biggest automakers and components suppliers fear they could take a significant hit if Washington follows through on proposals to hike tariffs on autos and auto parts to 25 percent. Policymakers also worry that an increase in the sales tax from 8 percent to 10 percent planned for October 2019, could cause a slump in sales of big-ticket items such as cars and home. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has twice postponed the tax hike after the last increase from 5 percent in 2014 dealt a blow to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy. To prevent a pullback in demand after the tax hike, the government may consider large fiscal spending later when it draws up its budget for next year, government sources said. "One option may be to greatly reduce or abolish the automobile purchase tax," one of the government sources said. The government is also considering cuts in the automobile tax and automobile weight tax to help car buyers, the source added. Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa and Tetsushi KajimotoRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Government/Legal Isuzu Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota Trump Trump tariffs trade

Toyota updates 86 in Japan with this weird special edition

In their constant drive for perfection, Japanese automakers Toyota and Subaru have both announced some minor updates for their jointly produced sports car specifically for their domestic market. Both the Toyota 86 (known in these parts as the Scion FR-S) and the Subaru BRZ are getting a revised version of the electric power steering system they were designed with in the first place as well as a reworked suspension. The more intriguing news, though, is the strange restyling Toyota is offering on the 86 Style Cb edition. Ditching the aggressively angular front end of the existing model, this special edition gets rounded headlamps and an extended nose to give it a much less severe face. The Toyota 86 Style Cb is also being offered with an optional two-tone paint scheme and gets unique LED turning indicator strips, a special badge on the bulbous snout and revised interior trim. We'll chalk it up to a matter of personal taste, but as far as JDM specials go, this special edition isn't one over which we'll be terribly disappointed if it never makes it to US showrooms. We'll be sure to keep you posted if and when any of the mechanical updates make the trip across the Pacific, though. Related Video:

Police bravely rescue mannequin from cold car

Police in an upstate New York town broke into a car last week to save an elderly woman only to discover she was a lifelike mannequin. Police in Hudson, NY, got a troubling call on Friday, December 16, that a woman had frozen to death in a car, ABC News reported. HPD rushed to the scene and found what appeared to be an elderly woman unresponsive in a snow covered Subaru. The weather was bitter cold, and police feared the worse. Sergeants leaped into action and smashed out the car's rear passenger window. That's when first responders realized that the supposed victim in the front seat wasn't a person at all, but an extremely lifelike, life-sized mannequin. The mannequin was dressed in a sweater, blouse, slacks, and shoes and had an oxygen mask covering its nose and mouth. Glasses, lifelike hair, teeth, and even a smattering of liver spots on the hands and face completed the illusion. Eventually, the Subaru's owner showed up and explained the strange situation. He told police he was a sales manager for a medical supply company, and that the mannequin was a CPR training device. He told the officers that he regularly transports the mannequin buckled into the front seat of his car. The HPD was not particularly happy with this explanation, while the Subaru owner was annoyed that his car was smashed open. "I can't put what he said on air, but he was not very happy with the police department for forcing entry into his car," Hudson Police Department Sergeant Randy Clarke told WTEN. "If it was a joke, it was a very poor tasteful joke. If it was a matter of convenience for him, it was a station wagon, carry your mannequin a little bit better. The mannequin was in the front seat with a seat belt and appearing to be a passenger in the car." There are no charges pending in the incident, HPD said. Related Video: News Source: ABC News, WTEN Auto News Weird Car News Subaru hudson