All the Automotive News You Missed This Week That You Should Know About

The LC 500 needs no introduction and little help; it's one of the coolest cars on the road today. Every so often, though, Lexus tries to spiff it up even more with an "Inspiration Series" version — a design-focused limited run.

The fifth one in the series, seen here, is restricted to just 100 copies, and sets itself apart with features like a gorgeous hand-finished carbon fiber spoiler and a black-and-tan interior loaded with leather and Alcantara. It hits dealerships before spring.

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Of all the electric VWs coming our way in the next few years — and there's a bundle — none is quite as exciting as the new EV interpretation of the iconic Type 2, better known as the Microbus.

Sadly, it seems we won't get it as soon as we'd hoped; Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh told Automotive News its American arrival has been pushed back until sometime in calendar year 2023. Blame issues with reformatting the factory for EV production for the delay.

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The new Nissan 400z, as we're expecting the all-new version of the Z to be called, is one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the year. Nissan teased it with last year's Z Proto concept, but recently discovered patent images found by CarExpert suggest that the production car will likely look pretty dang similar to that model. The big question, of course: will the production 400Z also keep the Z Proto's twin-turbo V6 and stick shift?

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When Dodge announced the Durango would be gaining a Hellcat version for the 2021 model year, our first reaction was, "What took them so long?" It seemed, however, that the 710-hp SUV would remain rare even in life; FCA said it would only be in production for one model year, with around 2,000 expected to be made.

This week, though, Mopar Insiders caught word that dealerships have received word from Dodge that production will be stretched out, with new builds coming off the line all the way until June.

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If the name "Nio" doesn't ring a bell, don't sweat; after all, the Chinese carmaker doesn't sell anything here in the States. Still, the EV-only carmaker has some impressive accomplishments in its rearview already, including building an electric supercar that's set lap records at multiple Formula 1 tracks.

But it's Nio's latest car, the ET7, that could finally vault it into global contention. The company says it'll use a solid-state battery —the tech that's expected to bring in a vast improvement in charging times — that offers up to 621 miles of range.

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Few automakers bother to sell diesel-powered cars in the United States anymore, so it was a bit of a surprise when Mazda announced a couple years back that it would be bringing its Skyactiv-D oil-burner to America in the CX-5 crossover. Much less surprising: news this week that Mazda is axing said model.

CarsDirect heard the word from a Mazda spokesperson, citing "consumer demand" as the reason for the decision. In other words: nobody was buying them. Considering the diesel was only offered in the most expensive CX-5, cost more than $4,000 over the gas-powered version and barely bettered the gas model's fuel economy, and the fact that diesel costs more than regular gas...we can't say we're shocked.

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The new Sonders Metacycle is the latest addition to the growing menagerie of electric motorcycles going on sale — but it has a couple interesting things that separate it from the pack. For one, it's affordable, ringing up at just $5,000. That still gets you 80 miles of range, thanks to a swappable 4-kWh battery; plus, its electric motor can push the bike and rider along at up to 80 mph. Oh, and it looks pretty freakin' awesome, on top of all that.

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