Toyota Motor Corp. was named one of "America^s 10 Most Admired Companies" for the first time, according to Fortune magazine^s annual report card on corporate reputation to be published in the March 6 edition.

Toyota, ranked ninth, is the first non-American corporation to join the top 10 rankings since the business magazine started releasing the rankings in 2001.

In addition to its strong annual consolidated net profit exceeding 1 trillion yen, the magazine commended Toyota as a "pioneer" of new technologies such as its environment-friendly hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles.

Named number one is General Electric Co., which ranked second last year.

Major computer manufacturer Dell Inc. retreated to eighth from last year^s top slot while retail titan Wal-Mart Stores Inc. moved out of the top 10 rankings from fourth last year.

Fortune^s rankings are the result of the opinions of 10,000 executives, directors and securities analysts, who were asked to rate companies in their industry in eight evaluation areas -- innovation, employee talent, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investments and quality of products/services.

The companies covered include 1,000 major U.S. business corporations and big foreign businesses operating in the United States.

A fast, exciting, adrenaline fuelled weekend full of entertainment in a glamorous and exclusive environment, affordable and accessible to all the family.

With three days of on-track action, an A1 Grand Prix event offers a rare opportunity for fans to interact with teams and drivers. Exclusively inclusive, The World Cup of Motorsport brings the thrill of international motorsport to the fans in the U.S.

Taking in a mix of exciting new state-of-the-art facilities and tight twisty street circuits, A1 Grand Prix promises to deliver high-speed action at every turn.

Practise: Friday, Mar. 10, 2006
Qualification: Saturday, Mar. 11, 2006
Main Race: Sunday, Mar. 12, 2006
Location: Salinas, approx 20 minutes to downtown Monterey.
Track Length: 3.602 km
Turns: 11
Laps: TBA
Track record: Helio Castroneves 1996
Direction: Anti clockwise
Address: 1025 Monterey Highway 68, Salinas, CA 93908

Dodge Rampage concept truck, which rethinks the whole truck concept to reflect the way that many of today^s truck buyers actually use their trucks. The application of Dodge^s Stow ^n^ Go seats to all the passenger seats - giving a solo driver the option of a flat floor interior space is impressive.

The Only Things It Can^t Load More Of Are Style and Versatility.

Bold, powerful and supremely versatile, the new Dodge Rampage concept vehicle is a fresh look at how many families actually use the popular pickup trucks.

“It’s the truck for the non-traditional buyer,” said Scott Krugger, principal exterior designer. “This is a truck for the person who wants the functional aspects of a truck yet doesn’t want a traditional vehicle. The Rampage has the capability of a pickup without sacrificing occupant space.”

Combining the width of a Dodge Ram with the overall length of a Dodge Dakota, the Rampage features a host of people and cargo-carrying innovations made possible by a combination of unitized body construction, front-wheel drive, and unique independent rear wheel suspension. And as with any Dodge concept, the appearance is striking.

In order to achieve their twin objectives of a family-size passenger cabin and exceptional pickup utility, the designers dramatically reconfigured the proportions of the truck. The largest portion of the Rampage is devoted to the spacious passenger cabin, followed by the five-foot cargo box, and last, the engine compartment (which still accommodates a 5.7-liter MDS HEMI® under the abbreviated hood). To visually reinforce the fact that the majority of the vehicle is dedicated to passengers and cargo, a slim appliqué of brushed aluminum runs along the cowl, up and over the roof rails and around the top of the cargo box, a shimmering silver ribbon that contrasts dramatically with the Liquid Carbon exterior.

Up front, the Rampage exhibits a fresh interpretation of the Dodge truck style architecture – a new look for a new truck. The signature Dodge six-sided crossbar grille is set flush within a curving plane that encompasses rectangular wraparound headlamps. Featuring LED lighting, all exterior lamps rely on light-piping and both clear and frosted acrylic to achieve a cleaner look.

The body side is dominated by “double-muscle” flared fenders with the widest part of the body centered over the 22-inch brushed aluminum wheels. The framed doors feature a continuous fore-aft glass plane while the reverse-angle “pillar” on the rear door and distinctive triangular window give a sporty coupe-like profile.

To draw attention to the generous occupant space, a U-shaped chamfered element runs above the sill and travels up the body along the leading and trailing edges of the door sets. Accented with brushed aluminum, this detail is subtly repeated on the exterior door handles. 

Access to the interior is exceptional. When either door is opened, the sill pivots down to expose a handy step assist.  While the front door is hinged conventionally, the rear door slides open to reveal an imaginative and supremely practical interior, entry to which is enhanced by the absence of the customary B-pillar.

“The interior of the Rampage is durable, functional and efficient,” said Irina Zavatski, principal interior designer. “Everything is there for a reason.”

Structural elements are exposed. The contoured center stack, for example, “floats” above the surface of the instrument panel. Composed of satin silver finished “framing,” the center stack can be pulled rearward and rotated toward either driver or passenger to access the navigation, HVAC and entertainment functions. The free-standing instrument cluster has a similar look and moves with the adjustable steering column while the steering wheel spokes harmonize with both cluster and center stack.

Overhead a “ladder-type” front-to-rear console with storage and entertainment units incorporates distinctive mood lighting along its edges. Flanking the console are fore-aft “skylights,” bringing welcoming daylight to rear seat passengers as well as those up front.

“The seating is designed to be athletic, comfortable, yet rugged,” said Chris Welch, designer of the seats, which are contoured around specially-fabricated folding framing finished in satin silver. To facilitate ingress/egress to the rear compartment, milled silver handles are integrated into the outboard sides of the front seat backs. The dark charcoal seats are trimmed in a smooth polyurethane-coated material and a three-dimensional open texture “spacer knit” fabric which is also used as a non-glare covering on the instrument panel. Contrasting red-orange fabric on the seat inserts echoes similar accents on the instrument panel, steering wheel and door armrests.

With all seats in use, the Rampage is able to carry five passengers, but that’s just the beginning of its functionality. The right front seat and the 60/40 rear seats can be folded into the floor, marking the first use of Dodge’s popular and innovative Stow-N-Go™ Seating and Storage Unit in a pickup truck and the first Sto-N-Go front passenger seat ever.

The stowing process is facilitated by headrests that flip down into the seat backs, a solution that also allows taller-than-normal seat backs for greater support. To enhance the available interior volume with seats dropped into the floor, the armrests on the front and rear passenger doors also fold out of the way, maximizing the cabin’s cargo-carrying capacity. As with all Sto-N-Go seating, with the seats upright, the bins beneath become handy storage areas for sundry items.

Since the interior is designed to accommodate both people and cargo, a durable marine-type rubberized material is used for the cabin flooring.

Behind the rear seats the backlite retracts into a midgate which in turn folds down into the forward part of the cargo bed. With the both midgate and one or more of the passenger seats in a stored position, lengthier items can be carried without having to lower the tailgate.

After the midgate, the five-foot box offers many utility options, including retractable cargo hooks and built-in formations arranged to secure 2’x4’ boards. The three-position tailgate can be deployed upright, folded down 98 degrees, or dropped further to an angle of 117 degrees. In this position a stored-in-the-tailgate slide-out ramp can be extended to the ground to permit easy loading of wheeled cargo like motocross bikes, ATVs, etc.

And the unexpected features don’t stop there. Rampage delivers exceptional cargo carrying capacity above and below the dual-bed floor. Acting as a second tailgate, the rear bumper fascia also drops down to reveal an enclosed storage space extending (with the seats up) far enough forward to provide room enough to accommodate a stack of 4’x8’ plywood sheets.

“This is ‘clean storage,’” says Krugger, “something most pickups today don’t have.”

Combined with the Sto-N-Go seating in the cabin, these cargo box features give the owner -and his or her family – unrivaled flexibility sure to be appreciated, whether going to the store to buy materials for a weekend project or taking the family off on an outdoors outing. Another thoughtful touch: In order to keep the rear of the vehicle free of bothersome heat and fumes when accessing the dual cargo beds, the engine exhaust exits via specially-trimmed vents forward of the rear wheels.

“Bold, powerful and superbly capable in creative new ways, the Dodge Rampage concept vehicle offers a new vision for the American pickup truck and the active lifestyle people who drive them,” said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Design, Chrysler Group.

Audi^s all-new V8-powered RS4 is expected to sell for about $170,000, it was revealed this week. New from the ground up, the Audi RS4 will be officially launched in April.

Volvo has long made safety a priority with its vehicles, but most of their advancements have focused on the ability to cope with or avoid an accident altogether. But with the S80, Gothenberg^s boffins have turned their focus on owners^ personal safety before they even enter their cars.

As part of the S80^s Personal Car Communicator (the all-in-one fob-like computer used to govern keyless entry, among other things), Volvo is claiming the world^s first OEM application of an anti-carjacking measure. As part of its three-stage alarm, the Swedes have added a heartbeat sensor inside the vehicle, which warns approaching drivers whether a car is locked, if the alarm is active, or if there is a would-be attacker crouching in the back.

Among other revelations, the New Zealand Herald^s article on the big Volvo indicates that the company hopes to move 50,000 new S80s per year globally, of which an optimistic 70-percent are hopeful conquest sales.

With such interesting cars as Nissan^s own Urgearound the show, it was easy to get carried away and ignore mainstream cars, such as the Nissan Versa, that also made their debut at the Detroit Motor Showthis year. The Versa may not be as exciting to look at as the Urge, but there is a significantly higher possibility that you will drive it someday.

Though badged Versa in America, this car is sold as the Nissan Tiida in other markets around the world and we expect it to come to Europe later this year as a replacement for the aging Almera hatch and four-door saloon. Nissan and Renault develop cars in co-operation these days and the influence of the Renault Megane is obvious. The Versa does without the opinion-splitting rear end of the Megane, instead looking more like a Peugeot 307from that angle. At the front, the Versa features a nose that reminds us of the new Nissan Note, with the smiling face first seen on the latest Micra.

In side profile, it is plain to see where the Versa gets its ample interior space; this is quite a high car, with similar proportions to Honda^s outgoing Civic. It could almost be called an MPV in the vein of the Almera Tino. We^ll know more about European specifications later this year, probably at the Paris Showin September.

James Bond fans rejoice! At the Detroit Auto Show, Aston Martin unveiled a four-door sedan with a monstrous 480-horsepower engine. Dubbed the “Rapide”, this new sporty ride is based on the DB9 coupe, stretching the body by 11.8 inches. Just like the V8 Vantage, this car makes use of the same aluminium VH architecture.

The styling is classic Aston Martin, and when you pop the hood, you can be sure the muscle will match. Discover the 480-hp 5.9 litre V12, and go for one wild ride on the highway (be sure to adhere to all posted speed limits). The transmission is a ZF manu-matic, and despite being a true four-door sedan, the Rapide is a mere 309 pounds heftier than the DB9 coupe.

This is the latest in a line of ultra-fast four-door sedans, following the trends of the CLS from Mercedes-Benz and the Porsche’s future Panamera offering. No official word on whether this will actually make it to production, but if you want your martinis shaken, not stirred, you better keep your fingers crossed that the Rapide will make its appearance in Aston Martin’s 2008 line.

Phoenix — The Aston Martin spy car from the James Bond movies Thunderball and Goldfinger — complete with machine-guns and tire-slashers — sold for $2.1-million (U.S.) at a vintage motor cars auction.

The winning bidder for the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 was not identified Friday by RM Auctions officials.

It is one of only four cars originally constructed and used for 1964^s Goldfinger and 1965^s Thunderball, as well as promotional tour use. The auction car was primarily used for promotion.

Some of the special James Bond options on the Aston Martin include Browning machine-guns, a wheel-mounted tire-slasher, a retractable rear bulletproof screen, an oil slick-ejector and a smoke-screen system.

Formerly the property of Sir Anthony Bamford, the famed James Bond Aston Martin was one of several celebrity cars offered from Tennessee^s Smoky Mountain Car Museum, where it has been on display since the late 1970s.

Also at RM Auction^s one-day event at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, Al Capone^s 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan sold for $621,500, while Hank Williams Jr.^s 1964 Silver Dollar Pontiac convertible was auctioned for $214,500 and a 1934 Packard Twelve Runabout Speedster sold for $3.2 million.