Without a named replacement for the Hyundai Tiburon, MOTOR TREND spotted a pre-production 2008 model running around in partial camouflage. These photos signal the end of the FWD two-door coupe. As you can see from the pictures only the front (below) and rear (above) sections of the car are revised while the rest of the car remains visibly the same. Expect the Tiburon, which competes primarily against the Honda Civic, to be replaced around 2010. That is when Hyundai is expected to come out with a new RWD platform to compete against the likes of BMW.

The worlds best selling small car, the Toyota Corolla will be on sale until at least 2008, said a Toyota official. The current Corolla design hit the U.S. market in 2002 and has been a success since then. People inside Toyota say the delay will help the company focus on other program launches in the coming year. But the delay could also have something to do with the last minute redesign of the upcoming 2008 model.

Toyota Motor Corporation will voluntarily begin recalling almost 160,000 of its full size Tundra pickup trucks that were built between 2002-2005. Just this week the NHTSA rejected a petition from Toyota officials to waive a federal safety regulation that will cause the recall. The requirement in question states: vehicles built after September 2002 which are equipped with a cut-off switch for the front seat air bag must also have a child seat anchor system, known as LATCH, installed. The Tundra, which competes against the Ford F150 and Chevrolet Silverado, did not come with the LATCH feature in the front passenger seat. So with the rejection of the petition it will be less costly for Toyota dealerships to disable the passenger air bag switch than it will be to install the LATCH system on all of the effected vehicles.

Nissan 350Z fans will have another enhanced flavor to look forward to if the dedicated group of Nissan development engineers have their way with the Marketing department. The Goodwood Festival of Speed (hosted July 7-9) hosted the first public outing of the Nissan 350Z GT-S concept, along with many other exotic road cars in the Supercar Paddock and in the renowned hillclimb course. A Novidem (Swiss) supercharger has allowed for a 25% increase in horsepower from 300hp to 382hp and an increase in torque to 314 lb-ft from 260 lb-ft. Zero to 60 mph times are cut by 2.5 seconds in the 0-100mph time over the standard Nissan 350Z, with the clock stopping 1 second earlier in the 0-60mph time.

Based on the stunning looks of the newest Honda Civic sedan officials within Toyota decided to spice up the design of the Corolla a little bit more. With an upcoming redesign due out as a 2008 model, Toyota is taking the opportunity to increase the rake of the front and rear windshields and break away from their boring image. Since the news is breaking so early in the development life cycle we do not have an official photo to share with you. Only this Motor Trend rendering is available to give an idea of what the next generation Corollas will look like. Check back as more information becomes available.

Not too much is known about the upcoming replacement for the current Honda CR-V other than a possible release date of this October. So Mr. Benjamin Hong was a bit shocked to see an early production vehicle driving around the streets of Vancouver B.C. without any coverings.

Recent scatter from Autocar has been fueling the flames about a possible Nissan 450z with a V8 powerplant. Just over a year ago, the rumor arose about Nissan squeezing its 4.5 liter V8 into a Z car variant for a potential 2009 debut. The new word on the street is that these plans are still being kicked around, but the stakes are a tad higher: 400 hp and all-wheel drive are on the table now. If all this transpires, the new model would be marked just above the GT-R, priced in the mid to upper $40K range.

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer will hold the honor of having the first continuously variable transmission (CVT) from the brand offered in the United States. The CVT is rumored to be mated to a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine in their venture with DaimlerChrysler AG and Hyundai Motor Company. Being down a bit on luck, Mitsubishi is looking to score and the continuously variable transmission may just fill a void in the fleet's fuel economy rating: CVTs are known to average up to a 20 percent decrease in fuel consumption. By using a series of belts and pulleys (instead of traditional gearing), CVTs transmit a robust and efficient amount of power to the wheels. Check out more on the CVT-equipped Lancer at AutoWeek.

This fall, Honda will be releasing a refreshed and sportier version of the Element. In contrast to the current Honda Element, the SC will add new styling features including Ridgeline-esque headlights, painted exterior panels (as opposed to flat composite), and an "aero-enhanced" grille.