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Toyota CEO lists favorite cars from other automakers

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During a meeting of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Toyota president Akio Toyoda offered a "Chapeau!" to his fellow CEOs by listing his favorite cars from other makers. He listed just one vehicle from five makers represented on the board, in alphabetical order: the Honda NSX, Isuzu Bellett, Mazda Cosmo, Mitsubishi Pajero (our Montero) and Nissan Skyline.

Toyoda didn't give his reasons for choosing these car beyond each being "memorable." Even so, going through the list any car enthusiast knows the Honda (Acura in the States) NSX needs no introduction nor explanation. The Mitsubishi Pajero is probably as well known for it's off-road excellence as it is for its name change in Spanish-speaking lands due to the word "pajero" - all the more intriguing when it's apparently named after an Argentine cat, Leopardus pajeros. And although the "Skyline" moniker was made famous overseas by the GT-R, the Nissan Skyline that Toyoda references has a long history and is our Infiniti G.

The Mazda Cosmo (pictured) was an Italian-esque little coupe produced from 1967 to 1995, the first series production vehicle with a two-rotor rotary engine. The Isuzu Bellett was that firm's in-house replacement for the English Hillmans it was rebranding, the first Japanese car to get GT badging (it would also get a GT-R version), and it would cover just about every segment with sedan, coupe, station wagon and pickup truck variants.

Toyota CEO lists favorite cars from other automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 21st, 2012

Pair Of Mini SUVs With V8 Swaps Are An Odd Find [Found On EBay]

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Perhaps the only thing stranger than dropping a small block Chevy in an relatively unloved mini-SUV is the fact that more than one person has done it. More »
May 5th, 2012

Report: GM first proposed $3B controlling stake in Isuzu

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Isuzu i-series pickup playing in the sand

General Motors initially wanted to buy one-third of Isuzu Motors Ltd, which would give it the right to veto board decisions, but has scaled back how much of the Japanese company it might try to buy, according to a new Reuters report.

At current stock prices, GM would have paid more than $3 billion for a controlling share of the truckmaker, which specializes in small trucks and diesel powertrains. GM is now considering buying a 10 percent share, anonymous sources tell Reuters, which would make it the largest single owner of stock in the company. Toyota and Volkswagen both have smaller shares of Isuzu.

GM once owned nearly half of Isuzu but sold off its last 7.9 percent of the company in 2006.

The GM/Isuzu partnership helped bring vehicles to the U.S. like the Geo Storm, Chevrolet LUV, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado. But there's no reason to expect a new small pickup for America this time around.

The potential deal, which sources tell Reuters is "very much preliminary", could open up the Southeast Asia market, where GM is currently a bit player. Additionally, GM could help Isuzu develop a hybrid or other environmentally friendly vehicles. It's almost enough to make us wonder why they ever sold it in the first place.

GM first proposed $3B controlling stake in Isuzu originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 2nd, 2012

Report: GM interested in taking stake in Isuzu again?

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isuzu i370 in sand

General Motors and Isuzu were partners for decades before parting ways in 2006. Even now, you can find the final hangover of an alliance that gave us vehicles like the Geo Storm and Chevrolet LUV in the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado smallish pickups.

The two companies may start negotiations soon for General Motors to once again take a stake in Isuzu Motors Ltd. with commercial vehicle sales in Asia and Central and South America as the goal, reports the Japanese Nikkei business daily.

GM would go in for ten percent of Isuzu, and this deal would likely spell the end for Toyota's 5.9-percent interest in Isuzu, as well as smother any capital partnership talks with Volkswagen. Isuzu developed the GMT355 trucks, and if lashed-up with GM again, a team effort to develop, produce and distribute pickup trucks is being considered. At ten percent, General Motors would pass Mitsubishi Corporation's 9.2-percent stake in Isuzu to become its largest single shareholder.

North American small pickup fans probably shouldn't get excited about this, as it appears aimed mostly at markets more suited to smaller trucks. With GM's new full-size pickups on the horizon, the General likely wants you to forget that there are any other choices for the time being.

GM interested in taking stake in Isuzu again? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April 30th, 2012

Isuzu: What To Drive When The Giant Lizards Come [Video]

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As I've mentioned before, I have an Isuzu pickup I'm pretty fond of, and part of why has to do with Isuzu's understanding of what a driver really needs. More »
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April 13th, 2012

See Isuzu’s Version Of The "Boy" Who Cried Wolf [Video]

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He was hardly a boy but Joe Isuzu, the star of this cautionary vintage advertisement, loved fooling the townspeople by "crying wolf" about his Isuzu Trooper being stuck in the mud or not having the capacity to carry a load of logs. More »
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March 18th, 2012
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