It's customary these days for automakers to auction off the first production example of their newest halo cars for charity. Typically, these are the "it" sports cars of the moment, like a 2023 70th Anniversary Edition Corvette, which recently fetched a record $3.6 million, or the first fifth-gen Toyota Supra, which sold in 2019 for $2.1 million. However, the first production 2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone crossed the block over the weekend for $700,000.

As Toyota's new flagship pickup the Capstone is luxurious, with its Lexus LS-quality leather and walnut trim, but we don't know that it's worth the price of a Rolls Royce Phantom and Lamborghini Huracan Evo. Of course, the price was bolstered by the fact that every cent goes to the Toyota U.S. Paralympic Fund that benefits athletes with disabilities. The owner also gets bragging rights for owning a Tundra Capstone with a VIN ending in 001, meaning it's the first production Tundra Capstone to roll out of Toyota's San Antonio, Texas, plant. Also, neither the Bentley nor Lambo can tow a 10,340-pound trailer or haul a refrigerator, so there's that. 

Super Bowl LVI kicks off on February 13th and automakers will once again be fighting for your attention as the event is expected to be watched by more than 100 million people.

It's that time of year again: time for Super Bowl commercials. And one of the first out of the gate is Nissan. The company has chosen to show off the 2023 Nissan Z and electric Ariya in a star-studded ad, but it leaves us wishing for Z commercials of the past.

It kicks off with Brie Larson arriving on set in a Z. Eugene Levy spots her and the car, and is impressed by the Z. Larson offers the keys for a spin, and the mild-mannered Canadian is reluctant to drive something so sporty. But he tries it, takes off, has an awkward first shift, but starts to enjoy it, and also drives past Catherine O'Hara. Later, Dave Bautista and Danai Gurira see him, and they take off after him. Suddenly, everything turns into a big-budget action flick with a long-haired Levy at the wheel. It turns out it was an action movie everyone in the commercial put together.

Autonomous driving just became rad, as the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) today revealed that it has successfully managed to program a vehicle to drift around obstacles on a closed track.

When it comes to numbers, the 2022 Subaru WRX isn't much different from its predecessor. It has similar power and torque, and is similarly sized. And now it turns out fuel economy isn't much different either. In fact, depending on the configuration, it's actually worse than before.

The manual WRX is still the most efficient, but it's less efficient than last year's manual. In the city it gets 19 mpg, highway 26. Combined fuel economy is 22 mpg. All of these are down 1 mpg from the previous generation.

Toyota raised more than $1.2 million for its U.S. paralympic fund at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction by selling off two of the first production 2022 Tundras.

Toyota has revealed the Tundra's i-Force Max powertrain will be a $3,400 option on the Limited, Platinum, and 1794 Edition trims.

Toyota on Tuesday announced preliminary pricing and fuel economy estimates for the 2022 Tundra. The base hybrid model — a 4x2 Limited CrewMax model with the 5½-foot bed — starts at $53,995 (including $1,695 for destination). That works out to a $3,400 hybrid premium up and down the lineup, culminating with the $73,530 Capstone model.

That $3,400 gets you a 479-horsepower powerplant that returns up to 24 mpg on the highway. Yes, 24 mpg — the magic number for half-ton fuel economy. That's also the same fuel economy you get in a non-hybrid Tundra, albeit with significantly less power. The 2WD Tundra Limited i-Force Max manages 20 mpg in the city (2 mpg better than the non-hybrid) and is rated at 24 mpg highway and 22 combined in that configuration. Upgrade to 4WD and you're looking at 19 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Pro models are rated at 19/21/20. 

Photos: Zac Palmer / Autoblog

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Acura staged its Integra Prototype at a display at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, inviting enterprising amateur and professional photographers alike to sneak a peak at the interior thanks to the bright Florida sun. The photos you're looking at here are ones we took at Rolex, and they essentially reveal what the 2023 Acura Integra's interior will look like. If you recall from the car's initial reveal, Acura did not show photos of the Prototype's interior.

A host of car manufacturers have confirmed that they will air commercials during Super Bowl LVI, including the likes of General Motors, Kia, BMW, Nissan, and Toyota.

Nissan is ramping up toward its Super Bowl reveal of the 2023 Z with a series of teaser videos dubbed "Thrill Driver." So far, the company has released parts I and II in the action parody series starring Eugene Levy, Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista. The teasers introduce the stars as elements of a crew embarking on what we can only assume is some sort of heist. 

Mitsubishi is recalling nearly 17,000 units of the 2022 Outlander due to a potential issue with the fuel pump's wiring. It explained that not all of the SUVs included in the campaign are fitted with a faulty fuel pump, but it's recalling a relatively large batch of cars to be on the safe side.

The company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that affected examples of the Outlander were built with a fuel pump whose commutator and wires weren't fused properly during the production process, an issue which results in poor continuity. This can cause the commutator and the brushes in the fuel pump to wear abnormally, which can cause the part to stop sending gasoline to the engine — in turn, the engine would suddenly stall or not start. The issue is due to an error made by a subcomponent supplier, according to the firm.

We don't know how much longer Nissan's going to stand behind the Titan full-size pickup in the U.S.; the automaker quit supplying the truck to Canada in 2020, and sold 27,406 units here next year. That compares to 81,959 Toyota Tundras sold in the same span, and ridiculous oodles of trucks from The Big Three. It's not dead yet, though, so Nissan has given the 2022 version a new range of prices. Three model years after a comprehensive redesign eliminated the Single Cab and raised the entry-level MSRP by more than $5,000, there are more earthquakes coming for the piggy banks at the bottom of the range. MSRPs for the new truck and differences from the most recent 2021 Titan pricing, including the $1,695 destination charge, are:

That $41,475 gateway makes the Nissan more expensive than the offerings from Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford. The Titan does have its engine going for it, every trim powered by Nissan's 5.6-liter Endurance V8 putting out 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, the puissance sent through a 9-speed automatic transmission. All Titans also come with Nissan Safety Shield 360 technology that bundles six advanced driver-assist systems.

Japan is home to all kinds of wonderful cars but if we were importing a car from the Land of the Rising Sun, it certainly wouldn't be this.