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2012 Detroit Auto Show Preview
 
With the calendar turning over a new page to 2012, the very first major auto show is set to open its doors in Detroit when the North American International Auto Show welcomes automakers - both local and foreign - to the Motor City. This year, American brands are coming to Detroit in full force where they will be joined by a number of international automakers in presenting a steady diet of concept cars, production debuts, and just about everything else in between. Among the notable debuts set to take place include the brand-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL, as well as the 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8. German automaker Porsche has also penciled in the 911 Cabriolet for the festivities, while Lexus will be on-hand to display the intriguing and mysterious LF-LC 2+2 sports coupe concept. As for the local contingent, Ford is leading the way with the premiere of the Fusion global mid-size sedan while Dodge is set to introduce their Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based compact sedan, the Dart. There’s plenty of action headed to Detroit when the 2012 NAIAS opens its doors on January 14th. Head over after the jump to check out a preview of all the cars scheduled to be part of all the festivities. Full story 2012 Toyota NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept
Toyota is offering their customer a glimpse on what the next Prius will bring with the unveiling of the NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept today at the Detroit Auto Show. When designing the new NS4, Toyota engineers were challenged to design a new mid-sized concept for potential global market introduction by 2015. "In this digital age, cars are becoming another spoke in the wheel of our electronic connectivity," said Jim Lentz, TMS president and chief operating officer. "NS4 demonstrates Toyota’s take on the human connection to the car with technology that considers both emotional and rational relationships, person-to-car and car-to-society." Also, the new NS4 concept offers a glimpse on the next-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive plug-in system by reducing component size and weight. As a result the fuel economy will be significantly improved, but also the car’s acceleration and the all-electric range. In the same time Toyota focused on maintaining a short charge time. Hit the jump to read more about the new Toyota NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Full story Toyota GT 86 set to be a playable car on Gran Turismo 5
One of the most talked about sports cars of the year was finally revealed a month ago, and since then, it’s been popping up everywhere, including in the popular racing franchise, Gran Turismo. For fans of Gran Turismo 5, the thought of finally getting behind the wheel of a Toyota GT 86 is certainly worth the $3.99 price tag attached to the second round of downloadable content for the game. Polyphony is set to release a Car Pack 2 program and Update 2.02 through the PSN Network just in time for Christmas. For the former, that means you can finally play a slew of new vehicles in the game, including the 2011 Mini Cooper S, the 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI R, the 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R, and the 2012 Nissan GT-R Black Edition R35. Other fixes and improvements that are part of the Car Pack 2 program include the ability to change wheels on Standard cars, free coupons that allow you to wash cars, change oil, overhaul your engine, or refresh the car body in GT Auto. The CP2 pack also allows you to see how the oil changes, aerodynamic parts, engine overhauls, and racing modifications will affect performance points and engine power in GT Auto. Meanwhile, in screens where the [Garage] and [Driver List] buttons are displayed in the A/B Spec events, Special Events, and Seasonal Events, pressing the ’square’ button will lead you to the [Garage], and pressing the ’triangle’ button will bring up the drivers list. Then, there’s the Update 2.02, which is important to get as soon as possible if for only one - and only one - reason. By downloading the update, you finally get your hands on a 2012 Toyota GT 86. 2012 Toyota iQ City Racer
The Toyota iQ is far from a track-ready sports car. As a matter of fact, the mere thought of seeing a car like the iQ on track conjures up images of turtles participating in a quarter-mile race. But even if the iQ isn’t what you’d associate as a rocket-on-wheels, it doesn’t mean that it can’t look the part of one. That’s where the Toyota iQ City Racer comes in. Limited only to a little over 300 units while being exclusively marketed in France, the iQ City Racer is being introduced as a sexier and far more aesthetically pleasing dress-up on the iQ. It’s got numerous color options to choose from - Orange Tabasco, Red, Pearl White, or Gray Aluminum - and can also get dressed up with two current black bands on the hood and the roof. There are also new mirror covers, some faux carbon elements on the flanks, a rear apron with a black chrome exhaust, dark tinted windows, and a new set of 16" black alloy wheels. Output on the Toyota iQ City Car’s 1.33-liter Dual VVT-i petrol engine remains at 98 horsepower, which was expected considering that the whole point of the iQ City Racer was to make the car look more like a sporty racer, but not necessarily perform like one. As it stands, Toyota has priced the car at €19,950, which is around $26,000 based on current exchange rates. It’s a pretty steep price for a car that only comes with aesthetic improvements, but hey, some people will love its new looks, even if they won’t get any performance enhancements. 2015 Toyota Supra
The Supra was a sports car produced by Toyota from 1979 to 2002. Its demise was due to restrictive emission standards, and it went away quietly into the night. Or did it? Rumors have been suggesting that the Supra name would be making a comeback and the fact that Toyota has just renewed the "Supra" trademark registration that expired back in 2006, leads us to the one logical conclusion: we will soon be able to drive around in a Supra again. This evidence may all be there, but no one should expect the Supra anytime soon as Toyota is still busy fiddling around with their version of the FT-86. As if trying to outdo Subaru’s FT-86 wasn’t enough - Hey Toyota, good luck with that - Toyota is also planning on a new MR2 rumored to debut in 2013. So the Supra will be anything but chilling on the backburner until about 2015. The last generation Supra was powered by a turbo engine with an output of 320 HP at 5600 rpm and 315 lbs-ft of torque, but don’t expect the same to happen with the next generation Supra. UPDATE 12/05/2011: The return of the Supra name has been denied and confirmed by Toyota so many times, it’s equivalent to watching a tennis ball endlessly shooting over the net - back and forth, back and forth. Now, however, that game may finally be coming to a close. During the official debut of the GT 86, Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada, said there was room for a three-tier sports car line-up in the Toyota range, with one car sitting below the 86 and one above it: "Right now the 86 will be a mid-size sports car. I would like to have one smaller and one larger. One would probably be a Supra follower. Nothing has been decided yet. It would [be] like a Supra successor." We’ll see how long this story rides before Toyota throws another game into the set. UPDATE 12/13/2011: MotorTrend has offered new details on the new generation Supra set to be released in 2015. It seems that the car is being tested with a 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid system generating over 400 hp. It has also been rumored that the car will feature a design close to the FT-HS concept revealed at the 2007 Detroit show. Hit the jump to see why. Full story Avert Your Eyes! This is a Ferrari Mashup of Epic Proportions
It’s always sad when we have to report on a crashed supercar, but this latest accident takes that depression to epic proportions. Not one, not two, but eight Ferraris, as well as a Lamborghini, two Mercedes models, and two Toyota models have been utterly destroyed this past weekend during a terrible crash on a highway in Japan. The Ferraris destroyed were: several F355 units, an F-360, and an F-430. The losses are being estimated at around $1.5 million, but some are reporting losses of up to $4 million! Fortunately no one was seriously injured in the accident, but 10 people sustained bruising and minor injuries, probably to their egos as well as their bodies. "The accident occurred when the driver of a red Ferrari was switching from the right lane to the left and skidded," said Mitsuyoshi Isejima, Executive Officer for Yamaguchi Prefecture’s Expressway Traffic Police unit. "It was a gathering of narcissists." The driver responsible, a 60-year-old man may face up to three months in jail or a fine of as much as $1,280 - considering the damage, we’d say he got off easy. The police officers needed about six hours to clear the highway, although it may take the drivers a lifetime to forget this horrific experience ever happened. Hit the jump for the video. Full story 2012 Toyota Prius Super GT
When we first saw the Subaru BRZ GT300 race car at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the immediate question that popped into our heads was, "What’s Toyota’s answer for this?" Images of the Toyota 86 built to Super GT specifications immediately entered our imaginations, but from what we’ve been hearing, the Japanese automaker will be fielding a different Super GT car for next season. There have been no official statements from Toyota yet, but a sketch in the Japanese publication, Auto Sport Magazine, gave us clues as to what Toyota is preparing for the 2012 Super GT season. It’s a Toyota Prius GT300 race car. At first, it was hard to recognize the Prius-ness of the race car because it looks so wonderfully beautiful, but if you look a little closer, hints and traces of the Prius are clearly visible. The Prius GT300 is expected to be tweaked to adhere to Super GT regulations, so you can expect the full boat of racing modifications. That includes a tweaked powertrain that will produce 300 horsepower, as well as a stripped down interior that will only feature racing elements like the sport sets, transmission, and the full body roll cage. Further details of the Prius GT300 race car are expected to be announced soon. In the meantime, you can check out the sketch that was published in Auto Sport Magazine to give you an idea of what the car is going to look like. Toyota planning supercharged GT 86 to battle it out with Subaru’s BRZ STI
 We knew it was only a matter of time. Toyota has just released their GT 86 and Subaru their BRZ, and whispers in the industry are already buzzing about a supercharged version of the GT 86. In fact, Chief Engineer Tetsuo Tada has already confirmed the future model to British magazine, AutoCar, which cements the fact that Toyota is working on a car to match wits with Subaru’s planned STI model. The new supercharged GT 86 will be developed by Toyota Racing Developments and will add a supercharger kit to the current Subaru 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. This new system will add a minimum of 50 HP to the current 200 HP, which will still make it 50 HP shy of Subaru’s promised 300 HP. Nonetheless, expect to see improved performance times from the GT 86’s 0-60 mph sprint time of 6.8 seconds and top speed of 143 mph. The supercharged GT 86 will also be equipped with an improved suspension system and better brakes to handle the added power, but expect to also see a few exterior mods to differentiate it from a standard model. 2012 Toyota 86 "N1" Sports Track Competition by TRD
It’s not an understatement to say that the Toyota GT 86 is without question one of the most hotly anticipated models to come out of Toyota in quite some time. So when the car was officially revealed, we didn’t have to wait long to see a racing prototype come to life soon thereafter. Turns out, Toyota Racing Development has developed not just one, but two prototypes based on the GT86: The N0 and the N1. Official details behind the two models have yet to be revealed, but the Japanese website Response managed to take a few photos of the two cars as they were being prepared for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Compared to the 86 N0, the 86 N1 appears to be the more aggressively tuned of the two, as evidenced by the enormous carbon fiber rear wing the race car is sporting. The N1 also comes with the same logos and decals the N0 has, as well as special TRD badges found throughout the vehicle. As far as engine enhancements are concerned, we’re pretty sure that TRD did something to both models to improve on their performance capabilities. Nothing has been announced yet, but we expect details to be revealed sooner rather than later.
2012 Toyota G’s Prius
Set among the many debuts Toyota has planned for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show is the G’s Prius, a sportier and far more aggressive take on the Japanese automaker’s resident hybrid car. Toyota has yet to reveal the full specs regarding the car, but it certainly looks like this model is an evolution of the Prius G Sports Concept that the company unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Of the details we do have of the G’s Prius, we can tell you that the model has a White Pearl Crystal Shine exterior finish with red and black decorated stripes running along both sides of the car. One thing we’re thankful of, as far as the G’s Prius is concerned, is that Toyota opted for a more traditional look as opposed to the oddly-designed, rear-tire covered Prius G Concept. The interior of the G’s Prius also got a few styling tweaks in the form of a revised steering wheel, Recaro sport seats dressed in black leather with matching red stitching, a new information display, and aluminum pedals. Under its hood, the G’s Prius will come with the same power train as that of a standard Prius so expect a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an Electronic Continuously Variable transmission. This setup produces 99 horsepower and 105 lb/ft of torque matched to an electric motor that produces 82 horsepower. | featured reviews:Toyota cars reviews2015 2014 2013 2012
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