Japan’s prime minister may also be the country’s richest politician, but parliament is no longer the preserve of the wealthy, according to an analysis published by broadcaster NHK.

Lawmakers from the country’s lower house of parliament declared an average of 31.5 million yen (around $350,000) in assets, down more than 18 million yen on a previous declaration four years earlier.

That’s partly because of the large  number of new lawmakers who made it to parliament in the Democratic Party of Japan’s historic election victory last year.  Seventy lawmakers, most of them newcomers, said they had no assets whatsoever, almost double the number in the previous announcement.

At the other end of the scale, the assets of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, a grandson of the founder of Bridgestone Tyres, weighed in at 1.6 billion yen, media said. 

Ruling party No. 2, Ichiro Ozawa, whose aides have been charged in a funding scandal, declared  about 190 million yen in assets, NHK said.

The Kyodo news agency said Ozawa declared no bank savings, but it noted that there was no obligation to declare cash kept at home. During the investigation into suspected misreporting of political funds, Ozawa was said to have told prosecutors he kept 300 million yen in cash where he lives.

Photo credit: Kim Kyung Hoon/REUTERS

Source: Isabel Reynolds

The auto world will be in Geneva next month and Renault is definitely not missing the bus! Renault will showcase its affordable Wind Coupe at the Geneva motor show which measures 3830mm-comparable to the outgoing Peugeot 206CC. Also, it is important not to confuse the Wind with the Megan CC as it is a two-seater coupe. The affordable Wind will feature a couple of engine options which include a 100hp 1.2L engine from the Twingo GT and the 133hp 1.6L engine from the Renaultsport Twingo. Renault Wind has a roof that folds down in 12 seconds but the retractable roof integration has in no way affected the luggage compartment which accommodates 270 liters, much more than the Twingo hatchback. As per Renault, the car is readily available and sales of the Renault Wind Coupe could begin before summer.

Source: Alex Ion

Over the years we’ve loved many different versions of the Alfa Romeo 159 and with 100 years for the moniker arriving, Fiat promises a special treat at the Geneva Motor Show. This one is a teaser sketch of the Stile Bertone’s version of the Alfa Romeo 159 which will expectedly be a two-door coupe. Other than this, famous Fiat design houses Pininfarina and Italdesign Giugiaro will also ready their design proposals for the event, which will surely please the Alfa Romeo admirers. While Bertone’s two –door coupe design will be launched to celebrate the centenary celebrations in 2012, the other two design firms will also contribute equally with Pininfarina already working on a two-seater spider. The spider will feature a 444hp producing V8 beast from the 8C Competizione. Bertone will sure reveal more teasers before the event to keep the fanatics interested.

Source: Alex Ion

We have lost count of the upcoming cars that have been spied testing for cold weather conditions and the latest addition is the Mercedes S Class AMG Coupe. A few of you may recognize it as the CL-Class but this is an S Class AMG Coupe which belongs to the third generation of W216 models. Set for a debut in Geneva next month, the Coupe was spotted with daytime running LED headlights, an all new bumper restyled taillights and a sturdier looking grille. Minor tweaks will be seen on the inside where the styling will be a tad different and the Coupe will pack in more technology. The Coupe which will break cover in a number of years will stay true to its engines that power the 2010 S Class facelifted model. The spied model features a Twin-Turbo V12 engine that can churn an astounding 604hp but we will to wait for long to see that engine power the factory finished model. [via WCF]

Source: Alex Ion

Monster World Rally championship is all set to welcome a new beast for the coming season-Monster Ford Fiesta-and it sure is an able contender. Dubbed the Monster Ford Fiesta rally car, it is based on the race winning European Rallycross Fiesta which was prepared by Olsbergs Motorsports Evolution. The beast is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L Duratec engine which can render 490hp at the max but the rally specified turbo-inlet restrictor restricts the output to 330hp. The monster is slated to compete in seven Rally America events and it will be Ken Block who will get behind the wheel in the Monster Fiesta.

Source: Alex Ion

A rare ride always grabs the attention on the road and here is a chance for the UK auto fanatics to drive home one. Infiniti has announced that it will sell a limited edition of 18 units of the Infiniti FX in the UK. The special edition commuter will feature a Black Obsidian exterior and to add to that ‘rare’ factor, Infiniti will sell the car with 21-inch ‘Turbine’ design wheels, dark graphite accents and smoked headlights surrounding the fascia. On the inside, it will come with graphite leather seats, illuminated entry guards, Alcantara headliner and carbon fiber trim.

The bling factor will be a Connectiviti+ technology package which will offer GPS navigation, an 11-speaker Bose Premium Sound System, a 10GB music box and connectivity for the iPod. The front seats will be ventilated and keyless entry system will also make it a standard. Engine options for the FX50S LE and FX37S LE will include a 320PS 3.7-liter V6 or 390PS 5.0-liter V8. Infiniti FX37S LE will cost £55,855 while the Infiniti FX50S LE will be a tad expensive at £62,035.

Source: Alex Ion

For the Japanese, a limited edition Mazda MX-5 Miata, celebrating the 20th anniversary is no surprise as the model has been already launched in Japan. For the rest of the world, the special edition Mazda Mx-5 Miata will make a debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Mazda will sell 2,000 units of the car each with an improved exterior and suspension along with a chrome line kit that will glorify the grille, the handles and the headlights. It will surface with a 1.8-liter European-spec engine that helps the car dash from 0 to 100km/h in 9.4 seconds. Imparting a unique identity to the car will be a set of 20th Anniversary-badged 17-inch alloy wheels. The 2,000 special customers will have three color schemes to choose from- Aurora Blue, Crystal White Pearl, and True Red.

Source: Alex Ion

Driving a Porsche 911 in the Netherlands and the cops take you on their radar? What do you do? Our advice, don’t run away, coz here’s what happens when you’re not a very good drive, yet you’re trying to escape the police.

Source: Alex Ion

The spiritual successor to the 300SL Gullwing has officially arrived and the good news is that it has hit the production floor. The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, factually speaking, the successor to the SLR McLaren, is now being produced with sales beginning in March this year. It is the first Mercedes automobile designed in-house by AMG and the gamers know that the luxury automobile is the cover car for GT5 on PS3. The very tangible version features a 6.3-liter V8 AMG engine capable of churning 563hp with 650Nm of torque. Courtesy of this stunning power, the car pelts from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and it has an electronically limited speed of 317km/h. Power transmission happens through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which is ideal for a heavy-duty powerplant like the AMG V8. On the outside, a lot of aluminium has been used (space, dual wishbone suspensions) but the SLS AMG still weighs 1620kgs, which is a good 60kgs heavier than the Audi R8.

Source: Alex Ion

The brains from Modena cannot ignore the fact that the world is turning “green” (protecting the environment, more or less, that is) hence why Ferrari has confirmed the debut of a 599 hybrid, a fuel efficient version of the 599GTB.

The Ferrari 599 hybrid will be break cover at the Geneva International Motor Show in March. Ferrari made the decision public at the introduction of the 2010 Ferrari F10 Formula 1 car. Ferrari is keen on bringing the F1 technology to the street vehicles and the 599 hybrid is being considered as the stepping stone where the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) has been evolved to reduce fuel consumption in tandem with regenerative breaking. It will run on a system based on Li-on batteries and an electronic motor which will be placed on either side of the transaxle. The KERS system will serve as electric power boosting the energy produced. The entire petrol-electric combination will improve the fuel consumption by 35% rendering combined economy ratings of 14mpg.

Source: Alex Ion