Imported Toyota Chaser at Maple Grove Drift Event!

On Saturday, April 24th, Maple Grove Raceway hosted The 2010 Greater Reading Auto Expo. Spectators had the option to either enter their car in the show or watch drifters all day long.

Conicelli employee, Eddie Bernstein, was at the event with his camcorder and found something you don’t see everyday. The one car that really caught his eye was an imported 5th generation Toyota Chaser X90 driven by Anthony Cruz. This right hand drive JDM Toyota sedan was produced for 6 generations (1977-2000). Most were RWD 4-door sedans, with the 2-door coupe discontinued after the first generation. Previous generations shared the shared the same chassis as the Toyota Cressida which was sold here in the states. Like the Cressida, the Chaser caught on camera shares the same motor as the Toyota Supra. This car was a competitor to the almighty Nissan Skyline.

With the Hyundai Genesis and other RWD sports cars being produced by different car manufacturers, hopefully Toyota will give in and produce another sports car in the near future such as a remodeled Supra or the FT-86 prototype.

Click here to check out more video from this Drift Event.

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Will the Hyundai Genesis Sedan Be the New Police Interceptor?

Police have been using the RWD Panther-platform Crown Victoria for decades, but Ford has recently introduced a new police interceptor. Ford made the decision to go with the unit-bodied, front- or all-wheel drive Taurus. This is now a problem since Police cruisers should be driven via the rear wheels.

Genesis sedan has either a 3.8-liter V6 or a more muscular 4.6-liter “Tau” V8 up front. Both motors propel the rear wheels. For police duty, we’ll go ahead and assume that Hyundai went with the more potent Tau option, as South Korean coppers will no doubt make use of the 375 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque (slight asterisk – that’s on premium fuel. Should you opt for regular gas, the V8 makes “just” 368 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque).

With this being said, Korea decided to give the Hyundai Genesis Sedan a try. The Hyundai is unit body, so it won’t be able to jump curbs when officers are in pursuit. The Genesis has above average handling, so they should have better handling driving around the curb, and will be able to catch the person in pursuit much more quickly.

Source: Goodcarbadcar.net and Autoblog.com

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Scion tC Convertible Planned for 2012!!!

Eager to rejuvenate slowing sales, Scion is planning to add a tC convertible to the lineup for 2012. Inside Line says “Toyota’s youth bent brand is looking for an easy way to inject some life into its lineup”. The tC just received its first redesign after 6 years in production. The xB got a complete redesign and the xA was replaced by the xD.

The Scion tC convertible will probably share the 180-hp four-cylinder engine and choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions with the hardtop model. Inside Line expects the convertible tC price to start at under $20,000.

Competition for the 2012 Scion tC convertible will come from the Ford Mustang, Mini Cooper and Mitsubishi Eclipse, which all cost well over the $20,000. Being the least expensive convertible on the market by $4,000 will almost guarantee that the tC convertible is a success.

There are only a few affordable convertibles on the market right now. Also, Toyota just got rid of their only convertible, Toyota Solara, so it makes sense that this would be a good move for Toyota. The only problem with the Scion tC convertible will be finding one during the first year after its release.

Would a convertible help to drop the brands demographic by a few generations? What do you think? Please comment below.

Full Time Lot Attendant Positions Available at Conicelli Autoplex!!

Conicelli Autoplex is looking for full-time lot assistants to work Monday thru Friday and some Saturdays at the dealerships located in Conshohocken on Ridge Pike.

You can fill out an application by accessing our website at Conicelli.com, click the tab “Inside our Dealership”, and then scroll to Employment. OR you can get to applications by clicking this link: http://www.conicelliautoplex.com/employment_app.htm

Job description:

A lot attendant must be highly organized and energetic, be able to schedule a rolling inventory, have good writing and math skills and be outgoing and comfortable with people browsing the dealership’s vehicle lot.

Lot attendants must have a valid driver’s license, good driving record and an ability to operate a standard shift. Must be able to make it to work on time.

People working within the automotive retail industry often have to work extended hours, evenings and weekends to achieve their goals.

Makes sure cars’ tanks are filled and properly serviced. Assigns stock numbers to cars and store’s keys.

Please contact Michael Hammond Jr. at Mikeh@conicelliautoplex.com if you have any questions.

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Rhys "Mad Skills" Millen Gets First Formula Drift Podium for Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The 550 hp Hyundai Genesis Coupe came up big for the Formula Drift Competition in Long Beach this week.  World Champion driver, Rhys "Mad Skills" Millen,  still hasn't won with the Red Bull sponsored Genesis, but he managed to get second place on the podium against over 50 other drivers.

Other drivers included past Formula DRIFT Champions, Tanner Foust, drove an 800+ horsepower NASCAR-powered Scion TC and Samuel Hubinette, was behind the wheel of an 800+ horsepower USAC-powered Dodge Challenger.

After rushing to get the coupe ready for the season opener a year ago, Millen's team spent this past winter thoroughly going over the car. Hyundai's Lambda V6 now produces over 650 horsepower compared to the 480 hp it turned out last year. Vaughn Gittin Jr. was at the top of the podium with his new Ford Mustang.

"I was in sync with my Genesis Coupe during the entire campaign and step one was to qualify first," said Rhys Millen. "The car had so much grip and power I was able to put it close to the walls and mirror the other competitors' cars' every move. Nothing compares to the pressure and thrill of the 'win it or lose it' factor while competing against more than 50 other cars and drivers."

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Renault-Nissan Joins Forces with Daimler!!

Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan alliance officially has been signed and the three automakers will collaborate on future products and will exchange shares in each other’s companies. Daimler has been looking for a partner to help spread the costs of small car development for years.

Under the signed agreement, Daimler will hold a 3.1-percent stake in Renault-Nissan and the existing alliance partners will hold the exact stake in the German company. They will develop a combined platform that will be used as the basis for the next generations of the Renault Twingo and Smart cars, including an all new four-seater. The expected launch date of these new vehicles will be 2013 and the current Smart factory in France will continue building the two-seat version. All three vehicles will be available from launch in gas, diesel and electric drive variants.

Powertrains will also be shared for other models between the three automakers. Renault-Nissan will provide small gas and diesel engines to Daimler for use in its smaller cars, including presumably the next generation A, B and even C-Class Mercedes-Benz models. Daimler will provide some of its engines to Nissan for use in some Infiniti models. The partners will also collaborate on light commercial vehicles, with Renault providing a new entry-level van to be sold as a Mercedes.

Source: Autoblog.com

Please comment below and let us know what you think of the new alliance!

Honda Launches “The Really Big Thing Sales Event” Incentive

Honda has launched a major leasing and financing campaign that will run through May 3 known as “The Really Big Thing Sales Event,” The incentive offers no money down and no security deposit on all Honda passenger cars and truck leases.

For example, you can lease a 2010 Honda Accord Sedan LX for $250 a month for 36 months and pay nothing at signing (excluding tax, titles and dealer fees).

The incentive offering is a response to the $395 million Toyota is spending on incentives this month. However, according to Jesse Toprak, vice president for industry trends and insights for consultancy TrueCar Inc., Honda’s expense on incentives is “not a dramatic increase” from last March. Honda is spending a total of $204, according to TrueCar estimates.

“It might appear that Honda is going wild with incentives on the surface,” Toprak said. “However, the upfront cash spent is minimal. Due to the low cost of money, and the improved used car market, the actual cost of special leases has gone down substantially.”

Come to Conicelli Honda and take advantage of these deals this month!

Please comment below and let us know what you think of “The Really Big Thing Sales Event”

Conicelli Toyota Continues Unbelievable 0% APR Through April!!!

If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Toyota's new incentives were just made public yesterday.  They will continue offering its March incentives through April. And why not? Those deals helped boost sales some 40 percent in last month, and after the dip in sales that resulted from its headline-hogging recalls, Toyota is anxious to keep sales rolling.

The deals include discounted leases on popular models like the Camry, Corolla and RAV4. And if leasing isn't your thing, Toyota Motor Corp. is also extending its zero-percent financing program.

Even better, the company plans to expand its two-year free maintenance program to all customers. It was previously available to return customers only, but based on its popularity, Toyota has extended the offer to any new car customer.

Source: Autoblog.com

Please comment below and let us know what you think about these incredible incentives.

2010 Toyota Corolla Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick Award

For the second consecutive year, the Toyota Corolla compact sedan has earned the "Top Safety Pick" award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The "Top Safety Pick" is the highest safety designation awarded by the IIHS. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear impact tests and be equipped with electronic stability control.

The IIHS is an independent non-profit research and communications organization funded by auto insurance companies. The IIHS testing became more comprehensive in 2010 when the rollover test was added to the qualifications. To earn the highest rollover rating from IIHS, a roof must be able to support an amount of weight equal to four times the vehicle's weight, where the government standard is just 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. In this test, the Corolla's roof withstood 5.1 times its vehicle weight.

All Toyota models meet or exceed the safety requirements of the federal government and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Source: http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/2010-toyota-corolla-and-scion-154547.aspx?ncid=12065

Check Out Scion's Online Episodic Reality Series "Reinvent The Wheels"!!

ATTIK and Scion are very proud to announce this six episode series, which is designed to give up-and-coming artists a chance to showcase their innovative ideas and build a car that will further their creative craft while pushing the boundaries of self-expression. ATTIK's ECD and co-founder Simon Needham says, "The primary goal of “Reinvent The Wheels” is to further Scion’s conversation with trendsetting, creative 18-24-year-olds. We're always looking for new ways to spread Scion's messages, and we know the target audience spends a great amount of time interacting online, sharing, socializing and watching. Developing an online reality show is a fresh approach to engaging and entertaining them, and also leverages social networking in igniting buzz.

The all new online episodic reality series from ATTIK and Scion entitled "Reinvent The Wheels” debuted online on March 29th at 9 p.m. Eastern time, 6 p.m. Pacific, exclusively at http://www.reinventthewheels.com/.

Please comment below and let us know what you think of the show.