Toyota

Toyota is reading to launch their high-performance sub-brand GAZOO Racing (GR) with the upcoming Toyota Supra - debuting next week at the Detroit Auto Show. But what comes next? "We have lots of requests from different countries, so it's really, really challenging to decide on the order [of performance models]," said Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the Toyota 86 and Supra. "It's not just Hyundai. Other car brands are doing this too, so we are researching this and we have to create the brand strategy." According to Carsales, Australian executives are pushing hard for a GR version of the Corolla Hatchback to bring the fight to the Hyundai i30N hatchback. No m…

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The Lexus IS is quite good vehicle - aside from the looks - but it has one big problem. The base 2.5L V6 is a bit of a dog. There isn't enough power to move the IS around. Luckily, Lexus has a solution for this problem in Europe for the time being. Meet the Lexus IS 200t which has the same turbocharged 2.0L four found in the NX crossover. This produces 245 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine will come paired with an eight-speed automatic. Lexus claims an 7 second run to 60 MPH and combined fuel economy of 33 MPG on the European cycle. The IS 200t will go on sale in September in Europe. The U.S. will be getting the IS 200t, but no date as to when we…

Tetsuya Tada, the man behind the Toyota 86 coupe (and sister models Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S) has some dreams that he would like the Japanese brand to take on. One thing Tada-san is adamant Toyota should do is launch a dedicated high-performance brand. “BMW has its M Division, Mercedes-Benz has Mercedes-AMG, Audi has quattro GmbH, so they have a stance of a sports car, but Toyota hasn’t,” Tada-san told CarAdvice. “So I would like to build that major sports car brand within Toyota, like BMW’s M.” The closest thing Toyota has at the moment is their TRD (Toyota Racing Development) arm. But Tada points to Gazgoo Racing - the group behind the racing efforts of…

Pricing: 2007 Lexus LS460/L October 6, 2006 – Torrance, CA - Lexus today announced pricing for the all-new 2007 LS 460 and the company’s first-ever long-wheelbase model, the LS 460 L. The fourth-generation LS blends new levels of performance, sophistication, contemporary styling, and luxury refinements while redefining the full-size luxury-sedan segment. With a base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $61,000 for the LS 460 and $71,000 for the LS 460 L, Lexus’ new flagship luxury sedans will represent a compelling value in their segments. "The new LS continues the heritage set by our original flagship luxury sedan by setting new standards in its class," sa…

Li-ion Not Ready for Prius Higher-mileage batteries no longer part of the plan — at least initially by Bengt Halvorson (2007-06-13) Link to Original Article @ TCC The Wall Street Journal reports that Toyota has decided against the use of lithium-ion battery technology - at least initially - in the next-generation Toyota Prius, which is still expected in fall 2008. The company will instead, at launch, use a new version of the company's existing nickel metal hydride battery pack in the new Prius, an inside source told the WSJ. The battery system that Toyota had been considering, which was to be supplied by Panasonic EV Energy Co., would have enabled significant packag…

Most enthusiasts have a deep love for wagons. So it should come as no surprise as many enthusiasts are falling head over heels for this Toyota 86 Shooting Brake concept that was shown today in Australia. The concept takes the 86's body and extends the roofline towards the back to create a wagon shape. What makes this concept really impressive is that it is fully functional as it has run a few laps on Toyota's various test tracks. Back in 2014, the chief engineer for the 86, Tetsuya Tada was visiting Toyota's Australia office where he was shown a one-quarter scale clay model. He was impressed by the work that he decided to bring this idea to life. A hand-picked tea…

Many luxury manufacturers are going downmarket to bring in more younger buyers and increase sales. But Lexus isn't one of them. Jeff Bracken, general manager for Lexus told the Automotive Press Association on Monday that the luxury automaker will not venture below the $30,000 mark. "You won't see Lexus go down below $30,000. We are fortunate to have Toyota to help us with CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) regulations so you won't see us going downstream. For Lexus to be truly luxury, the division needs to keep ourselves above $30,000," said Bracken. What Lexus will be doing instead is focusing on performance and high-end vehicles to bring in younger buyers and grow …

Even More FT-86 News: Leaked Spec Sheet William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com October 31, 2011 Related: Are You The Final Toyota FT-86? Maybe We're beginning to get a better picture of what the Toyota FT-86 (Scion FR-S for the US) will bring us once production begins. Some scans of what is purported to be the FT-86's training manual has been put on the FT86Club.com forum. If the translations are done correctly, the FT-86 will have a 2.0L flat-four producing 197 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 150 pound-feet of torque at 6,600 rpm. That might not sound like a lot, but if early reports of the handling come true, the engine should be ab…

To say we were slightly disappointed to find out that the U.S.-Spec Toyota C-HR would only come with a 2.0L four-cylinder producing 144 horsepower would be an understatement. The European-spec C-HR has the choice of either a turbocharged 1.2L four or a hybrid, but neither of these powertrains will be showing up in the U.S. Car and Driver spoke with the C-HR's chief engineer, Hiroyuki Koba to find out why. Koba didn't say why the turbocharged 1.2L would not come to the U.S., but we're guessing Toyota didn't want to put the effort in getting this engine certified for the U.S. Also, performance numbers between the 2.0L and turbo 1.2L are similar (11 seconds for the 2.0 …

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 18, 2012 Lexus has a different philosophy on hybrids than their parent company, Toyota. Toyota has opted to use hybrids to deliver maximum fuel economy above all else (see the Prius). Lexus on the other hand uses hybrids as a way to provide performance of large engine, while delivering the fuel economy of a smaller engine. For example, the GS450h delivers performance equal to that of a V8, but gets V6 fuel economy. However, it seems Lexus is changing their mindset. Lexus ES and LS product planner Ketan Renade told AutoGuide that sales of the GS and LS hybrids have been extremely slow. “We did studies and focus g…

We reported back in April that the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma would be consolidated to a single modular platform for their respective next generations. Now Toyota is making a $391 million dollar investment into its San Antonio production line to help smooth the way. The investment is not expected to create any new permanent jobs. The new platform, internally called F1, will first appear in the next generation Tundra expected in 2021 and eventually spread to all of Toyota's pickups worldwide. Tacoma will move to the F1 platform in 2023 or 2024. The new platform will be capable of electrification. One of the engines rumored for the Tundra is a Twin-Turbo V6 Hyb…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 3, 2013 Ten years ago, Toyota introduced a new brand that promised young buyers fun and funky vehicles. That brand was Scion. Today, Scion is in a bit of a struggle. Originally conceived as a brand for young buyers, Scion has struggled to keep them in the fold. According to The Detroit News, 15 percent of Scion customers are under age 35. Meanwhile, 14 percent of Scion customers “We’re still a good 15 years or more below the average industry age,” said Scion chief Doug Murtha. While that is true, that number has been shrinking. In 2008, more than 20 percent of Scion customers were under 35 and less than 8 percen…

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Toyota is planning a big push with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to Reuters, the Japanese automaker is doubling-down on investments for fuel cell vehicles by making improvements to reduce costs and building different models including commercial trucks. “We’re going to shift from limited production to mass production, reduce the amount of expensive materials like platinum used in FCV components, and make the system more compact and powerful,” said Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the Mirai. Currently, Toyota hand builds the Mirai at a plant in Toyota City. Everyday, about 6.5 cars roll out of the plant. This is due to the detailed inspections that par…

The Toyota Prius V is an odd duck in the Prius family. The wagon/van shape offered buyers more space to carry stuff while returning high fuel economy numbers. But its run in the U.S. will be coming to a close at the end of this year. "After six years and nearly 160,000 units sold in the U.S., the decision was made to end Prius V production for the U.S. and Puerto Rico this December," said Toyota's East Coast communications manager Corey Proffitt to Green Car Reports. Proffitt went on to say the Prius V would continue to be sold in other markets around the world, but it is unclear whether Canada will be part of that or not. Declining sales is the key reason …

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Toyota and Suzuki have announce plans to formalize a technology alliance. Suzuki will purchase approximately $454 million of Toyota stock while Toyota will acquire approximately $908 million in Suzuki shares for a 4.94 percent stake in the company. The two companies will share technology and platforms. Toyota will provide technology for electrification while Suzuki will provide platforms for small vehicles. Both companies will collaborate in the area of autonomous driving technology. The two companies already have an agreement where Toyota will provide Suzuki badged variants of the RAV-4 and Corolla Estate for the European market, while a Suzuki model will …

Back in 2011, Toyota made a very bold prediction; the Prius would be the best-selling Toyota model in the U.S. by the end of this decade. This seemed legitimate as gas prices had been climbing a steady rate and the Prius was the most popular hybrid. But that meant beating the Toyota Camry which in 2010 sold 327,104 models (the Prius only sold 140,928 models in 2010). To do this, Toyota would create the Prius family with the introduction of the Prius C, V, and Plug-In Hybrids. Five years on after this bold prediction, Toyota is reconsidering their plans. Thanks to lower gas prices (and in turn, consumers returning to pickups and crossovers) and models such as the Camry…

Toyota to pay owners for engine damages Compensation for 3.5 million '97-'02 Lexus, Toyota vehicles may cost automaker billions. Christine Tierney Link to Original Article @ DetNews Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed to compensate owners of Lexus and Toyota vehicles that suffered engine damage due to a buildup of thickened oil, or sludge, in a settlement approved this week by a Louisiana state court. The agreement covers 3.5 million 1997-2002 model-year vehicles, although it is not known how many were damaged by sludge. Toyota agreed to settle the 2001 class-action suit last fall, and says the terms mirror a program the automaker put in place in 2002 to reimburse custome…

Toyota's polarizing C-HR crossover went on sale earlier this year and it isn't doing so well in terms of sales. Through November, Toyota has only moved 21,889 units, way less than Chevrolet Trax (72,723 units) and Honda HR-V (86,491). Speaking to Wards Auto, Toyota Motor Sales USA's president Bob Carter said a key reason the comes down to the C-HR not offering all-wheel drive in North America. Most subcompact crossovers sold in the U.S. have the option of AWD. But if Toyota was to AWD to the C-HR, it would highlight another problem. The C-HR carries a base price of $22,500, making it one of the more expensive models in the class. The C-HR isn't the only crossove…

Toyota has announced that they will be bringing a new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to the Los Angeles Auto Show this year. The difference for this hybrid is that it will be a plug-in and it will also be more powerful. Toyota promises "spirited acceleration" in their press release. As we get closer to the show, we'll get more details on range, power, battery size, etc. The RAV4 is already the best selling crossover in the segment and that could mean that the RAV4 PHEV could end up being the most popular PHEV for sale. Globally that title currently belongs to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Toyota has twice previously made full EV versions of the RAV4, but limited their …

Toyota shuts down car factory in India indefinitely BANGALORE, India -- Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. indefinitely shut down its vehicle factory near the southern Indian city of Bangalore after workers went on strike last week to protest the dismissal of three employees, an executive at the plant said Monday. Workers began the strike Friday, demanding the three dismissed employees of the factory be rehired, said A.R. Shankar, the general manager of Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Ltd., the joint venture that directly runs the plant. The factory, which is 89 percent owned by the Toyota, rolls out about 70 cars a day, including Toyota's Innova and Corolla …

Toyota and Suzuki are teaming up to share platforms and parts for markets other than the U.S. Suzuki will get two hybrid platforms for Europe. Toyota will build vehicles on their RAV4 and Corolla Wagon platforms and also supply hybrid powertrain tech to Suzuki for use in other vehicles. Toyota will get access to Suzuki's new engine range designed for use under the new stricter EU emissions standards. Toyota will build the engines themselves in Poland. The two automakers are working together to build a two new compact vehicles for the India and four for the Africa markets. View full article

Toyota is well aware that they are quite behind competitors when it comes to electric vehicles. Facing a “now or never” crisis, the Japanese automaker announced a new plan that will see it sell more than 10 electric vehicles worldwide by 2020. The plan hinges on a significant acceleration in the development and launches of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and fuel cells. The new vehicles will be launched in China first, followed by other markets such as Japan and the U.S. Toyota is also planning on having an electrified version of every model in the Toyota and Lexus lineups by 2025. The goals mark a major departure for Toyota as they have tended to foc…

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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 15, 2012 Work on the next-generation Toyota Prius is already underway. A few weeks ago, we reported on Toyota considering a new design for the Prius. Now, we have gotten word on some mechanical changes. Auto Express is reporting that next-gen Prius and Prius Plug-In will come equipped with a e-4WD system. “The rear wheels will be driven by a motor in an e-4WD system. Targeting snowy areas, they will operate at up to 37mph,” a source tells the magazine. Also in the cards for the new Prius will be a weight drop of about 154 lbs thanks to a new platform. Other changes will include a more aerodynamic body, a modif…

In news that will likely not shock a lot of people, Toyota has dropped the Yaris Liftback for 2019. This was confirmed by Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell to CarsDirect. No reason was given as to why the liftback variant was being dropped, but we have to assume falling sales were the key reason. In 2018, sales dropped 77.6 percent to 27,209 models - only 1,940 of those were the liftback. Toyota is keeping the sedan variant but has dropped the price to $16,380. CarsDirect speculates this might have been a tough decision based on fleet documents that list the 2019 Yaris Liftback production as "TBA" for a number of months after issuing order guides. Interesti…

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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 11, 2013 With sales of Scion vehicles slumping down and Toyota telling its dealers who have Scion that they can step away from it with no penalties, it makes you wonder if Scion has any new models on the way to help out. Bob Carter, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Sales USA told Reuters that new products for the brand are coming later than sooner. "We have a very robust and very exciting product cadence coming for Scion, however, it's further down the pipeline," said Carter. Scion's sales peak was back in 2006 with 173,034 models. Last year, Scion only moved 73,505. Through August, the brand's total sale…

Lexus IS-F racer actually a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM car? Posted Jan 21st 2008 4:57PM by Jonathon Ramsey Remember that luscious Lexus IS-F racer study that received its fair share of unrequited attention the Tokyo Auto Salon? According to AutoBild, it turns out the car isn't an IS-F racer at all -- well, at least not beyond the hood and fact that it has four doors. The German paper reports that the car is actually a Lexus reskin of a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM racer (above, top). Even the engine is from the Opel DTM car, and not a Toyota V8. This could explain why no one at the Lexus stand at the salon would say a word about the car. So Lexus might get away with never clai…

Some Toyota Companies Have No Automotive Connection Link Remember the days when GM owned ElectroMotive, air-conditioning and appliance companies, rental car companies, and probably many others? Are we seeing Toyota's 2006 that will roughly end up being GM's 1957...without the style? At least most of GM's endevors had some sort of tie in to the main business. What does building pre-fab houses have to do with building cars?

Link - Subscription req. 12 July 2006| Source: just-auto.com editorial team More recall trouble may be brewing for Toyota in the US where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is eyeing Scion tC sunroofs. The safety agency opened an investigation following nine reports of shattered glass panels – seven involving the retractable glass panel section and two the stationary glass section. Some reports allege that breakage occurred while vehicles were being driven and one complainant reported cuts from the broken glass – all apparently ended up with an interior full of glass fragments. If the investigation turns up a safety-related defect, NHTSA coul…

2008 Toyota Highlander Preview Larger, more refined - and still with a hybrid by Marty Padgett | Link to Original Article @ TCC Toyota calls its new 2008 Highlander "intelligent and advanced," a step away from traditional SUV styling. The new vehicle was introduced at the 2007 Chicago auto show on February 8, and Toyota release pricing on the Highlander on June 20. The pricing for the new crossover will put the base front-drive vehicle at $27,300. The base 4x4 will be $28,750. Sport models will cost $29,950 and $31,400 for front- and all-wheel drive, respectively. And the Highlander Limited will go for $32,700 and $34,150 for front- and all-wheel drive, respectively…

Toyota has released an update to its funky little crossover/hatchback, the C-HR. The changes are slight and include a (slightly) revised front fascia, new wheels, two new colors, Android Auto and Apple Car play standard, and on the Limited trim, an adaptive front lighting system and 8-way power seats. The C-HR already comes with Toyota Safety Sense - P, a suite of safety technologies that include a multi-feature advanced active safety suite that bundles Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. The C-HR is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder…

So I had to go to a group eligibility review for my UI benefits yesterday along with 6 other people. During the class, someone was asking about temp work and how it affected drawing unemployment etc. To make a long story short, an older lady behind me (probably in her late 50s) was talking about people she knew that worked temp work for Toyota for up to 2-3 years and then being told that there were not being hired. The lady over the class said that its becoming a problem with the Georgetown plant, Toyota will hire a load of temp workers, telling them that they may get hired after the temp work is done, but really they just keep recycling temp workers. People will…

This morning, we reported on the rumor that Toyota was planning to its North American headquarters from California to Texas. Well this afternoon, the company has made it official. In a statement, Toyota announced that it will be moving from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas. The move will take about three years and affect around 4,000 people. Those 4,000 people include, 2,000 from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Headquarters in Torrance, CA 1,000 from Toyota Financial Services in Torrance, CA 1,000 from Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America in Erlanger, KY Some employees of Toyota Motor North America based in New York "With our major…

Here are some pictures I took of the 2009 Lexus RX 450H at the Montreal International Autoshow in Quebec, Canada on Tuesday January 20th. Man is it ever horribly ugly! That front end is terrible!

I can't wait to see the official announcement. I'm sure Toyota will come out of it okay, especially since they are a media darling, but it must be a little embarassing to have to shut a brand new plant down for 3 months to clear inventory of an "All new, best evar!" vehicle. Link HERE

Next Toyota Avalon Rumored To Have Looks Of A7, XJ (Stop Laughing) William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 5, 2011 The Toyota Avalon; the official car of AARP. Ok, not really, but the Avalon has become the Japanese Buick and Toyota isn't happy about it. At gathering of Toyota dealers in June, Toyota showed off the next gen Avalon due out next fall. Toyota says the Avalon's design borrows from the Audi A7, Jaguar XJ, and upcoming Lexus models. The Avalon will keep its 3.5L V6 and FWD layout but Toyota says the handling will be improved. We'll be holding our breath to see if this comes to any fruition. Source: Automotive News (Subscri…

Video: Lexus LS460 Parking Itself It's difficult not to meet Lexus' claim of a self-parking LS with skepticism. Can a full-size luxury car really tuck itself neatly into a tight parking space? And can it do so without killing an hour of time and 3 innocent bystanders? The following video taken at a recent Taste of Lexus event seeks to prove exactly that.

[source: Detroit News] No big surprise in our current market.