There’s a lot in the news about cars in Brazil this week, so let’s take a look:

• Reuters reported yesterday that Toyota’s chief executive for the Mercosur region met with President Lula this week to discuss the opening of yet another Toyota factory in Brazil. Due to increased demand, the Japanese auto maker will open a new factory in Sorocaba, São Paulo, and will invest between $600 and $700 million in the project.

• The BBC reported last week that wealthy Brazilians have been snapping up bulletproof cars as a reaction to urban violence and theft. There are now an estimated 50,000 carros blindados, or bulletproof cars, in use in Brazil. It costs between $25,000 and $45,000 to outfit a car with this type of protection, and despite falling crime levels, 7,500 bulletproof cars were sold in the last half of 2007 alone.

• O Globo reported today that Brazilian consumers will soon be able to choose what car to buy based on how much carbon dioxide it emits. Based on a plan forged by President Lula’s new Environmental Minister, Carlos Minc, beginning in October every new car will have a sticker showing the levels of CO2 emissions from the particular make of car.

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