After dethroning Porsche for the first time in three years, Lexus is once again atop the J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study. The latest study also revealed that quality at Ford and Chevrolet is now virtually on par with that at Toyota.

The last chapter on Toyota’s Supra sports car may not have been written yet as a new report indicates the program is still alive and well within Toyota. It was believed that Toyota killed its new-age Supra program last year, but the sleek two-could emerge by the end of this year.

The Fiat 500 is slated to be the only Fiat-badged model to be sold in America under the recently inked Chrysler-Fiat alliance, but that doesn’t mean the Italian automaker will limit the MINI competitor to just one model. Fiat today released a new series of 500C convertible images, and with it came a flurry of new reports suggesting the drop-top will soon be available in the U.S.

Based on assumptions that Chrysler, Ford and General Motors will only further reduce the number of cars they build over the next three years, a study released today suggests that by 2012, foreign automakers might build more cars in the United States than Detroit’s Big Three combined.

While Chrysler and General Motors are reducing their dealership count, BMW-owned small car manufacturer Mini says it is going to increase the size of its retail outlet count from 83 to 100 within the next 18 months. The automaker says that the majority of its new stores will be in markets new to the brand.

Buick announced today that its upcoming 2010 LaCrosse four-door sedan will offer a fuel-efficient, direct-injection 182-horsepower 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine. Capable of 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, General Motors says that the four-banger LaCrosse will be among the most efficient in the segment.

Chrysler’s mid-size sedan offerings – the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger – haven’t exactly set the sales charts on fire, which has the Michigan automaker considering a whole new direction. While front-wheel drive has been the standard in the segment for years, Chrysler is considering moving its mid-size offerings to a rear-wheel drive platform.

Diesel may be in the dumps when it comes to light-duty pickup trucks but things are starting to get hot in the heavy-duty segment. New federal emissions rules set to take effect in 2010 have sent Ford and General Motors back to the drawing boards. Dodge, with its 6.7L Cummins engine, already meets 2010 emissions standards.

A long time coming, but it’s finally here: The 2010 Ford Taurus. The one that Ford’s Alan Mulally said should have been built in the first place. Gone is the J Mays-influenced Passat-on-’roids cum Ford Five Hundred with enough headroom for a stovepipe hat worn by none other than honest Abe himself.

Chrysler’s bankruptcy was supposed to serve as a blueprint for General Motors’ Chapter 11 filing and its turning out to be just that. Just as several Chrysler bondholders threw up objections to the automaker’s quick sale to Fiat, several vested parties are protesting GM’s asset sale.

The state of New Jersey has already banned the use of cell phones without a hands free device and texting while behind the wheel, and using a GPS device could soon join the list. One New Jersey legislator has introduced a new bill that would make it illegal to use a non-voice operated GPS device while driving.

Despite relatively strong sales during the current economic downturn, Volkswagen says it needs to trim production to keep pace with weaker-than-normal demand. The German automaker will temporarily idle portions of its Puebla, Mexico, assembly plant beginning this week through early August.

Subaru and the EPA say that the 2010 Legacy 2.5i sedan is capable of 31 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in the city with its base engine and CVT. Manual transmission drivers will find that the six-speed 2.5i is rated at 19/27, while the turbocharged 2.5GT and naturally aspirated 3.6R six-cylinder are rated at 18/25 – improvements across the board compared to the outgoing model despite increases in power.

In a move to help sweep its dire financial situation under the rug, Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has scolded two company board members for speaking negatively about the company’s financial standing. Porsche is trying to keep its poor financial condition quiet as it seeks more than $2.4 billion in government loans.

General Motors has received more than $47 billion from the federal government over the last few months, but the Detroit automaker will be limited to a $40 million to $50 million monthly advertising budget while under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Now that Chrysler has officially inked a strategic alliance with Fiat, the Michigan automaker’s future lineup is starting to come into focus. We were already privy to the fact that vehicles like the Fiat 500 and Panda were headed our way, but a new report seems to outline all the new vehicles Chrysler-Fiat has planned.

Ford’s new smaller commercial van, the Transit Connect, will begin arriving in dealers almost immediately, the automaker says. The Turkey-built van, which was initially designed for European users, is aimed at commercial users seeking something a little smaller and more efficient than traditional options available in North America.

Mercedes-Benz’ mid-size coupe offerings have been a bit confusing over the years – with the lines between the E- and C-Class being a blur — but the German automaker could finally sort things out by 2011. Mercedes recently launched the new E-Class Coupe – replacing the CLK-Class – and a new report indicates a C-Class Coupe could also be on the way.

Drive between two of the world’s best-known playgrounds of the rich and famous, Lake Como, Italy, and St. Moritz, Switzerland, and you will undoubtedly come across countless BMW 5-Series sedans. Ubiquitous icons of the upper and upper-middle classes, these four-doors boast a history of sophistication unknown to almost all of their owners.

Russia has not historically been one of Lamborghini’s biggest markets, but the Italian automaker is threatening to pull its partnership with Mercury – Lamborghini’s Russian distributor – if sales do not improve in the coming months.