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Suzuki bringing compact iV-4 to Frankfurt

Even though American Suzuki Motor Corporation filed for bankruptcy last year and stopped selling cars in the US and Canada as part of its reorganization, there are still plenty of countries around the world where Suzuki continues to sell autos. For those markets, the automaker is working on a compact sport-utility vehicle, called the iV-4, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Suzuki says the iV-4 "embodies the basic ruggedness of an SUV," and that its styling is modern and innovative. We'll have to take Suzuki's word on that one, though the teaser above certainly looks the part, with the grille reminding us of the one found on the Jeep Grand Cherokee (minus a few slats, of course).
Scroll down for the short-and-sweet press release, and expect the full brace of information to be revealed in September.

Toyota and Suzuki partner up on autonomy with capital alliance

TOKYO — Toyota and Suzuki will take small equity stakes in each other, the Japanese car makers said on Wednesday, as they seek to develop newer technologies and meet sweeping changes upending the global auto industry. The tie-up is the latest example of automakers chasing scale to manage costs and boost development. Automakers — especially smaller ones like Suzuki — are struggling to meet the breakneck growth of an industry transformed by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), ride-hailing and autonomous driving. Toyota will pay around 96 billion yen ($908 million) for a 4.94% stake in Suzuki, while Suzuki will acquire in the market around 48 billion yen ($454 million) worth of shares in Toyota. That is equivalent to 0.2% of Toyota's shares as of Wednesday's closing price, before the announcement. The companies said in a joint statement they intended to overcome challenges facing the industry by "building and deepening cooperative relationships in new fields while continuing to be competitors". They said they would strengthen technologies and products in which each of them specialize in. The firms had said in 2016 they were exploring a partnership, citing technological challenges and the need to keep up with industry consolidation. Earlier this year they said they would produce EVs and compact cars for each other. Automakers around the globe have been joining forces to slash development and manufacturing costs of new technology. Ford and Volkswagen have said they will spend billions of dollars to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles. Shares of Toyota and Suzuki closed little changed before the announcement. TOYOTA'S ORBIT The deal brings Suzuki firmly into Toyota' orbit, alongside Daihatsu, Hino Motors, Subaru, Mazda and Yamaha. Rival Nissan has an alliance with France's Renault, although that has been shaken following the ouster of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, and with Mitsubishi Motors. Honda has a tie-up with General Motors. Toyota has been looking to expand scale in next-generation technology and said this year it would offer free access to patents for EV motors and power control units. It believes that move would help it cut by as much as half the outlays for expanded electric and hybrid vehicle components in the United States, China and Japan. Supplying rivals would greatly expand the scale of production for hardware.

Trick motorcycle rider breaks world record for fastest wheelie

The world record for the fastest wheelie ever was broken last week in a British racing event by certifiably crazy man Gary Rothwell. It goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway: don't try this at home, kids. On September 20, in at an airstrip in York, England, Rothwell rode his 540-horsepower turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa 209.8 miles per hour over while balancing entirely on his rear wheel. Rothwell beat the previous world record by a whopping 10 miles an hour, according to Gizmag. Rothwell was going overboard to ensure he cinched the title. He was still miffed over his failure to break the record last month. He only reached 197.8 miles per hour in that attempt, just shy of it. Rothwell also holds world records for being the fastest man on skis, which involved him jumping off the back of his bike and being pulled along at 150 miles per hour on titanium skis. He completed the wheelie at the last Straightliners Top Speed event of the year. Straightliners is known for hosting the fastest of anything. This year featured everything from a shed that traveled over 88 miles per hour to a jet-powered shopping cart. They also welcome trick riders of all flavors to come and share their expertise. Related Video: News Source: Gizmag Motorsports Weird Car News Suzuki Driving Motorcycle Videos world record top speed fastest wheelie