Japan's carmakers are trying to tinker their way out of tariff pain
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Crystal Palace prepare for takeover battle just days after John Textor saga saw Eagles booted out of Europa League
Palace released a strong statement after their appeal was denied earlier this week TEXT MESSAGE Crystal Palace prepare for takeover battle just days after John Textor saga saw Eagles booted out of Europa League Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CRYSTAL PALACE'S new major shareholder Woody Johnson is set to be a target for a 'takeover' bid by Josh Harris. Johnson recently became Palace's biggest shareholder when he bought out John Textor's 43 per cent stake in the club — but may be willing to quickly sell that on for the right cash. 3 Woody Johnson also owns the New York Jets Credit: Getty 3 Josh Harris owns 18 per cent of Crystal Palace Credit: Alamy The 78-year-old American has yet to go public on his plans at Palace and may have got involved to help compatriot Textor, who needed out of Selhurst Park because of multi-club ownership issues. Harris already owns 18 per cent of Palace and is keen to extend his influence at the club. Steve Parish currently calls the shots at Selhurst despite having a ten per cent stake. A snag for Harris would be that adding Johnson's shares to his own would go against Palace rules. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL BACK ONSIDE Andy Carroll says he is back with Lou Teasdale after split & vows to cut booze No individual is currently allowed to own more than 50 per cent — unless Palace vote to change that. On Monday, Palace lost their appeal to be reinstated into the Europa League. The Eagles subsequently released a strong statement, which began: "At a time when we should be celebrating our victory in the Community Shield at Wembley, the decision by UEFA and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless. "When we won the FA Cup against Manchester City on that momentous day in May, our manager and players earned the right to play Europa League football. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "We have been denied that opportunity. "It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power. How Chelsea could line up in Crystal Palace clash after summer transfer splurge and two-week long pre-season "This growing and unhealthy influence has shattered the hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode well for aspirational teams all over Europe competing to progress when rules and sanctions are unevenly applied in the most flagrant way. "Multi-club structures hide behind the charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs such as ours, who have no connection to another club whatsoever, are prevented from playing in the same competition. "To compound the injustice, clubs that appear to have huge informal arrangements with each other are also allowed to participate and even possibly play against each other."
Auto Blog
4 hours ago
- Auto Blog
2026 Toyota Camry Trim Matchup: Base LE Vs. Flagship XSE
You have to build these Bronco and Bronco Sport projects yourself if you really want one. Good news is, Ford's selling the parts for you to do just that. The Fenomeno is the latest model to join Lambo's Few Off lineup, limited to just under 30 units worldwide. Ford cut 2026 Explorer prices, but heavy discounts on 2025 models may offer even better deals for buyers willing to skip the newest model year. View post: 2026 Ford Explorer Is Less Expensive — But Should You Get a 2025 Model Instead? Base Camry offers unbeatable value, while top model threatens some premium models Although still early in its life, it's safe to say that the all-new Toyota Camry has been a success. Not only is this hybrid-only sedan highly efficient and good to drive, but it has been performing well on the sales charts, too. If you're considering a new Camry, you may wonder which of the four trims is best. We've already compared the lower two trims, but how different is the entry-level LE to the top-spec XSE, and is the latter worth its $6,200 price premium? Let's find out. Camry LE Vs. XSE Pricing We'll start by looking at the pricing of the 2026 Toyota Camry. It starts at $29,000 for the base LE and goes all the way up to $36,725 for the XSE AWD. Between these trims, there is the SE ($31,300), Nightshade Edition ($32,300), XLE ($34,000), and XSE ($35,200). All these trims are available with AWD. Even after its 2026 price increase, the base Camry LE is tremendous value, but the range-topping XSE adds a number of desirable amenities, aesthetic upgrades, and tech features. Surprisingly, the driving experience is also markedly improved. Design: Rental Car Vibes Vs. Near-Premium Appeal Toyota Camry LE Toyota Camry XSE Sitting on rather small 16-inch wheels and with white paint (other colors are available), the base Camry LE does look a little plain. The XSE immediately makes a better first impression with its 19-inch wheels, a color-keyed sport mesh front grille, gloss-black air curtains, a black rear spoiler, and a color-keyed rear sport lower diffuser. Bi-LED projector headlights are standard on the LE, while the range-topping XSE gets dual LED headlights, premium LED taillights, and a sportier exhaust with dual chrome tips. Although not visible to the naked eye, acoustic noise-reducing front side glass helps to keep noise levels lower in the XSE. Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota The LE is available with a few more interesting colors than the white pictured above, but only the XSE gets access to a color palette with a black contrast roof. These changes don't necessarily make the XSE a better car, but it looks a lot better than the basic LE. Interior: It's Easy To See Where The Extra Cash Goes Toyota Camry LE Toyota Camry XSE All new Camrys get a smartly designed and practical cabin, but there are substantial differences between the base LE and the range-topping XSE. The LE is the only Camry trim with fabric-trimmed seats and manual adjustment for the driver's seat, whereas the XSE gets genuine leather upholstery, eight-way powered front seats, and standard heated seats. Touchpoints like the steering wheel and shift knob have a leather covering in the XSE. In the XSE, you also get the option of a Cockpit Red interior, a much more expressive look than the LE's black or grey interior colors. Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota Other features you get as standard on the XSE but which are not available for the LE include the following: Aluminum sport pedals Paddle shifters White LED ambient interior lighting 12.3-inch touchscreen 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster The LE has a smaller eight-inch touchscreen and seven-inch digital gauge cluster. On the options list, the LE can't be equipped with features like ventilated front seats, a head-up display, a panoramic glass roof, or the upgraded nine-speaker JBL sound system, all of which are available on the XSE. It's inside where one can most tell the difference between the base Camry and the top-of-the-range model. Safety Equipment Source: Toyota The LE matches the XSE in terms of the standard specification. Both trims come standard with eight airbags, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian detection, radar-based cruise control, lane departure alert, road sign assist, and more. The main difference exists on the options list. Here, you can upgrade the XSE with advanced features such as traffic jam assist, a surround-view monitor, lane change assist, front/rear parking assistance, and front cross-traffic alert. None of these are available on the XSE. Performance: Same Performance, But LE Is More Efficient Than XSE Both the Camry LE and Camry XSE are equipped with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. It produces 225 horsepower with front-wheel drive or 232 hp with all-wheel drive, so straight-line performance is comparable regardless of whether you go for the base model or the top one. All models have an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. In our review, we found the Camry to be an excellent drive. The powertrain is quiet and the gas engine kicks in more smoothly than before. There is more of a difference between the LE and XSE when the road begins to twist, though, as only the latter gets sport-tuned shocks and springs. 2026 Toyota Camry — Source: Toyota Whereas the LE prioritizes comfort, the XSE remains tolerable on rough roads but exhibits much tauter steering. Turn-in is more responsive and its body stays flatter through corners, so the XSE is the easy pick for more enthusiastic drivers. Due to its lower weight and smaller wheels, the LE is more efficient, though. With FWD, the base trim gets 53/50/51 mpg city/highway/combined, a superb effort for a spacious sedan. AWD drops that to 51/49/50 mpg. In the sportier XSE, expect 48/47/47 mpg with FWD and 44/43/44 mpg with AWD. When both are equipped with FWD, the LE will get an extra 52 miles per tank, which isn't insignificant. Final Thoughts Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota You can easily make a case for the base Camry or its fully loaded sibling. The LE is incredibly efficient, yet has the same outputs as the pricier XSE. Toyota has also done a good job of equipping the LE with all the essential tech features, whereas the nice-to-haves are reserved for the XSE. The range-topping Camry looks and feels like a much more premium product, and even though it has the same power, we were surprised at how much more engaging it was to drive than the LE. Many top-spec trims come across as superfluous, but that's not the case with the Camry XSE. If you can afford the price bump, it's still a bargain when compared to base midsize sedans from luxury brands. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
Auto Blog
4 hours ago
- Auto Blog
Bentley Debuts Faded Paint Finish For The Ultimate Ombre Look
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Besides the obvious differences in tech, the top Camry trim is also better to drive. Fair warning: the only thing I liked about it was how quick it was. Otherwise, I didn't feel like the $62,045 price tag was justified. Gordon Murray Special Vehicles reveals its first two bespoke hypercars, and they're just as exquisite as you'd expect. One's better for towing, and one uses less fuel but which one's the better truck overall? Bentley Reveals New One-Off To Show Off Monterey Car Week is in full swing, and Bentley is joining the festivities by revealing a new one-off creation at The Quali, A Motorsport Gathering. After the Mulliner Bespoke Studio launched a new color palette a little more than a month ago, it is now showcasing a new Ombre finish on a Bentley Continental GT, with this example transitioning from Topaz paint at the front to Windsor Blue at the back. On paper, it sounds simple, but the process for each car painted like this requires immense skill and precision. 2024 Land Rover Defender V8 review: Still wild at heart Watch More A Long Paint Process Creates A Gorgeous Effect The car is sprayed in contrasting colors front and rear, with the blend applied in stages using tinted paint mixed using traditional methods. Layer by layer, the overall fade effect requires two paint technicians working for approximately 56 hours per car. To ensure a uniform and gradual transition with paints that behave differently on application is a finicky process, and each car will be slightly different. Because of the complexity involved, Bentley Mulliner is only offering three color combinations at this point. By providing your email address, you agree that it may be used pursuant to Arena Group's Privacy Policy. We may receive compensation. This first example features Topaz paint at the front, gradually fading to Windsor Blue at the rear. Where they meet in the middle, the angle of the fade has been lined up with the shape of the rear haunch, and the front and rear wheels have been painted to match the end of the car they're on to maximize the effect. Graded Color Effect Inside, Too The color-splitting theme continues inside with Topaz leather on the front seats, steering wheel, instrument panel, and center console, and a darker Beluga hide in the rear of the cabin. Dragonfly is used as an accent color for the piping and stitching on the seats and doors, while Satin Beluga painted veneers have been applied to the center console, parts of the dashboard, and the treadplates. Bentley's trick Rotating Display has been specified on this commission, along with Naim for Bentley audio and Dark Chrome interior accents. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The Ombre finish is now available to order in three color combinations, but it has not revealed what those options are. Presumably, we'll see the alternatives as customers order them. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
