Autoblog

Back in June, we brought you news that Toyota was in the process of suing a pornography firm for copyright infringement. Apparently the Japanese automaker didn't appreciate that adult film star Lexus Cash was using its luxury division's handle as her stage name and for her website. Evidently unwilling to stop its litigation campaign, Toyota is now turning its lawyers loose on a gay porn actor who also uses the name Lexus.

According to latest reports, the Japanese automaker's lawyers in DC sent a cease-and-desist letter to EBoys Studios in Switzerland. The EBoys honcho insists that his performer chose the name because of its association with Greek mythology, and not with the automotive brand, and that the company will not cave to the carmaker's demands to recall the two flicks it has produced with the actor using that name.

This has to be the funniest bit of news surrounding Lexus since that peacock had its way with one of their exhaust pipes.

[Source: Inside Line]

Toyota's not having an easy time with the Tundra so far. It's been criticized for lacking a fully-boxed frame, the internet is alight with Tundra-hate, and now along comes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Both Regular and Double Cab variants of Toyota's intended domestic-fighter were crashed by the agency, and both only managed four stars.

While a four star crash test rating isn't horrible, the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram all have the strength to ring the 5-star bell and win the stuffed bunny. The likelihood of injuries in a Tundra could be up to 10-percent greater than the domestic brands because of its one-star deficit. The difference could also be as small as one-percent, however, so this news may not be as significant as it sounds at first blush. All we can really say with certainty is that the Tundra performs worse when crashed into a concrete barrier at 35mph than its competition.

No doubt the Tundra's performance in this test will again focus scrutiny on the truck's frame, which is not fully boxed like its competition. According to Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com, the Tundra's frame is split into three parts and the front piece actually is boxed. However, the frame under the cab and bed are C-channel, and they are also affected by a frontal crash. As Levine told us, the rest of the Tundra's competition now has some ammo to aim back at the Tundra in their marketing efforts.

We expect that acceptance of the brawny fullsizer from Toyota will take a little while, and it may not come until the current generation Tundra is dead and buried, but when Toyota wants something, they don't mess around. They were up front in expecting the Tundra to receive five stars and a Best Pick from the IIHS, so don't expect this 4-star rating to last long.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Has the four-door Porsche SUV gone from quirky to commonplace as they pop up in every parking lot these days? A custom coachbuilt two-door Cayenne just might fit the bill...a $375,000 bill, to be specific.

DC Design, the Indian design house Aston Martin used to develop the beautiful V8 Vantage, coachbuilds the unique DC Star, based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Leaving the mechanicals in-tact, DC shapes a custom body and chops off the rear doors. Inside they've lined the cabin with Alcantara and special wood or aluminum trim, crafted a new center console with a 15" display and hooked it all up to a Mac Mini.

This car definitely gives Rinspeed a run for their money as the quirkiest of Porsche tuners.

[Source: Motor Authority]

What actor is bigger in Hollywood right now than the automobile? Pixar's hit CARS was full of them, James Bond was hardly ever seen without one, and today marks the release of Will Ferrell's octane-fueled Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Now you can add Citroen to the long list of car film credits. The French automaker worked on a new animated movie called Renaissance: Paris 2054 to design a futuristic Citroen in which the film's lead character, played by new Bond boy Daniel Craig, could fight the oppressive power of a corporate-driven government. While the plot may sound a little worn, the trailer for the flick is pretty cool. The film is the silver screen debut for a purpose built Citroen, and it will be hitting theaters elsewhere around the world in two weeks.

[Source: Inside Line]