Honda has announced plans to test a real-time driving system that takes information from traffic signals to ensure the steady flow of traffic.

The Universal Traffic Management System (UTMS) utilizes a network of infrared roadside beacons placed at intersections and synced with the timing of traffic signals. Communications from the beacons are taken into account by on-board devices that factor in the vehicle’s speed and direction.

When the system senses that a car has enough time to pass through the intersection, it will display the speed at which the driver must travel in order to make the green light. If, however, the system determines that the driver will have to stop at the intersection, it will notify them in advance so deceleration can commence far ahead of the red light. In addition, drivers will also be notified of how long the light will remain red.

Honda hopes that this system will reduce unnecessary acceleration and braking, thus saving fuel, improving traffic flow, and reducing accidents. The pilot program will take place in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan and will be conducted in a partnership with local police and the UTMS Society of Japan.

100 Honda vehicles will be outfitted with the technology. The automaker will monitor their fuel economy, CO2 emissions and impact on traffic patterns to make a determination on whether to commercialize the system. Testing begins in April 2014.

More details have surfaced regarding the mid-generational refresh of the Toyota Camry. Back in January it was reported that Toyota sought to inject “emotional” and “impactful” styling into its best-selling sedan, and that it would challenge the expectations of a traditional mid-model change.

Now it seems we have the answer on what that is to entail: inspiration from the Scion FR-S sports car, according to AutoGuide. What that means in practice, it appears, is pointier headlights and a large lower grille dropping to the leading edge of the chin spoiler à la 2014 Toyota Corolla. The report further details that the grille will be mesh and bring the Camry’s look in line with that of the updated Corolla and Avalon.

Furthermore, the rear will bear closer resemblance to the Lexus ES, which will likely mean more traditional tail lights than the odd boomerang-shaped units found on the current Camry.

The interior, which has been lagging behind that of rivals of late, has been reportedly been improved, with better styling and technology than the Honda Accord. Top trim levels may get a new instrument binnacle with configurable TFT screen.

No improvements have been reported on powertrain options. If it is indeed to be unveiled at the NY International Auto Show next month we will have the full report then.

A new report indicates Jaguar is planning on launching a more hardcore version of the F-Type sports car that would slot above the existing R model.

Tentatively called F-Type Club Sport, the range-topping coupe will be up to 440 pounds lighter than the current F-Type Coupe thanks to a Spartan interior devoid of all superfluous equipment and numerous carbon fiber components including the seats as well as several body panels.

Power will likely come from the F-Type R’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine. The mill will send 541 horsepower and 501 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels, enabling the F-Type Club Sport to reach 62 mph from a stop in just 3.5 seconds.

Although undeniably sportier than any member of the F-Type model, the rumored Club Sport version will still remain comfortable to live with on a daily basis.

“It depends on how far you want to take a lightweight F-Type. I would like to take it to the point where it’s still this car and not a different car. I wouldn’t want to turn it into something like an Elise,” explained Russ Varney, the F-Type program director, in an interview with Australian website Motoring.

Jaguar is expected to rule on whether to bring the F-Type Club Sport to production before the end of the year. The automaker has calculated it would need to sell about 500 examples a year worldwide in order for the project to get the green light for production.

Hyundai’s Belgian arm has lifted the veil off of a more rugged version of the ix20 subcompact hatchback called ix20 Cross.

Riding on a modified Soul platform, the ix20 Cross stands out from a regular ix20 thanks to a new front fascia with a revamped grille and a deeper bumper. Plastic trim on the rocker panels and the wheel arches add a touch of ruggedness, and gray 16-inch alloy wheels mounted on all-season tires wrap up up the look.

Inside, the ix20 Cross boasts a long list of standard equipment including tinted windows, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, a touch screen-based navigation system, a rear-view camera, cruise control and automatic air conditioning. The car features seven years’ worth of free navigation updates.

Buyers can choose from a wide array of four gasoline- and diesel-burning engines whose outputs range from 90 to 115 horsepower. Although the ix20 Cross is front-wheel drive only, a slightly raised ground clearance and skid plates on both ends help it clear minor obstacles with relative ease.

On sale now, the Hyundai ix20 Cross carries a base price of €16,999 (about $23,450) once a €3,700 (approximately $5,000) discount is factored in. At the time of writing Hyundai is not planning on selling the ix20 Cross outside of Belgium.

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Combining heritage and modernity in equal measures, the special-edition Volkswagen Beetle GSR is the driver’s – and, potentially, the collector’s – choice of the new bug range.

On the one hand, it looks to the past in drawing its name and vivid paint scheme from an early ’70s Europe-only performance Beetle, the Gelb Schawrzer Renner (Yellow Black Racer).

More than just a nostalgia-tinged cruiser, the GSR also packs a punch thanks to the first North American application of Volkswagen’s new, third-generation turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Working with the buyer’s choice of six-speed manual or six-speed “DSG” dual-clutch automatic, the mill makes 210 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, and helps the GSR capture much of the driving magic of the legendary GTI hot hatch.

With only about 1500 GSRs expected to reach U.S. shores, our Ron Doron is here to evaluate whether it’s worth looking into this limited-run Beetle before all examples are spoken for. And for more information on the 2014 Volkswagen Beetle lineup, don’t forget to check out Leftlane’s Buying Guide.

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned brouhaha between automaker marketing departments and the latest fracas takes the Ford-GM rivalry from the drag strip to identity politics for the internet age.

On one side, we have the provocative poolside Cadillac ELR ad that aired during the Sochi Olympics. Depending on your political views, it was either an unapologetic paean to the American Dream or an annoyingly smug screed on American exceptionalism. Cadillac’s advertising director Craig Bierley told Advertising Age that the spot was aimed at those who earn $200,000 or more and have a “little bit of grit under their fingernails” that might be shopping for a $75,000 plug-in hybrid-electric luxury vehicle.

This week Ford retaliated with a shot-for-shot remake (parody?) of the ELR ad called Upside: Anything is Possible. The ad features a Ford C-Max Energi, the blue oval’s own compact MPV plug-in hybrid targeted at the plebeian masses and ringing in at a more affordable $33,745.

Instead of Neal Mcdonough, the video stars Pashton Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt, a Motor City startup that gathers organic waste such as food scraps and zoo manure, composts it, and uses the resulting soil to grow locally sourced vegetables. The tone is clearly aimed towards those who fall at the bluer end of the political spectrum, and those most likely to have been turned off by the Cadillac spot.

Not since the great Mercedes-Jaguar donnybrook of 2013 have we had a such an entertaining war of the words. Watch both videos below.