In their perpetual game of one-upsmanship, Toyota has been rumoured to come out with a car that would rival Honda’s new CR-Z hybrid sports coupe.
While nothing yet has been confirmed by Toyota, Japan’s Best Car magazine has nevertheless taken its own spin on the matter, releasing a photo of what it says could be the Toyota MR-S – the long rumoured hybrid successor of the MR2.
We’re not exactly fluent in Nihonggo so we’ll just have to make do with an artist’s rendering of what the MR-S could potentially look like, and judging from the image, it looks like the ‘supposed’ MR-S – with those oh-so-groovy yellow green rims – has taken the reins from the CR-Z in the sportier-looking department.
Now, all of this may end up being just a rumor since Toyota already has a sports coupe that’s set to go out on the market soon in the FT-86, but then again, speculation is always fun, especially when it comes to the ‘what-you-can-do-I-can-do-better’ game Toyota and Honda have been having for quite some time.
The 2009 auto show season has pretty much come and gone and as the year continues to wind down, one of the last shows to happen will be the Los Angeles Auto Show.
One of the car manufacturers that are scheduled to participate is Toyota and the Japanese auto giants have begun releasing the fleet of cars that are scheduled to make their way to LA.
One of them is the all-new Toyota Sienna minivan, which will undoubtedly replace the existing model to become Toyota’s bet against the Honda Odyssey and the Chrysler Town and Country.
Toyota has yet to release further details regarding the new Sienna except for the fact that it’s scheduled to be rolled out to dealerships sometime in the next year.
Small cars are the perfect one for crowded cities. Expecially when you work for local authorities or police forces. Toyota UK will supply a number of 45 iQ for the Traffic Enforcement Systems that are responsible for traffic regulation and community safety.
Even if just a demonstrator car, the iQ will be equipped with a range of mobile CCTV and GPS systems, thermal-imaging cameras and numberplate-readers.
The iQ surveillance cars will be powered by a 1.0-litre engine coupled with the automatic transmission.
Press release after the jump.
> More
The Japanese automaker Toyota has also entered the 2009 L.A. Design Challenge with the LINK, playing up on the increasing college enrollment rate, Toyota has positioned their car of the future an affordable customizable, mass transit vehicle for students with high social networking demands and a continuously evolving list of likes and dislikes. Even if you have never gone to college you might be familiar with scraping by with little to no disposable income snacking on ramen noodles. The goal of the LINK is to allow these students to once again enjoy the freedom of an automobile and the ability to go where they want when they want, something that is becoming more and more difficult in the current environment where personal transportation has become more costly and a bit more taboo.
Perhaps the cleverest part of the Toyota from the year 2030 is its name. That is because once the operator climbs inside, the vehicle will seamlessly link up to a transportation based social network, and because those are all the rage with today’s youth they will most certainly be much more prevalent twenty years from now. The new network will allow connections with other drivers to share the commute, trade music or even compare class schedules. Either way this innovative personal transportation solution for 2030 is sure to be something worth linking up for.
More information after the jump.
> More
.
After three quarters of 2009 have come and gone, it looks like Volkswagen’s mission to become the world’s largest automaker is coming along sooner than anyone thought.
Thanks to a number of benefits from state-backed stimulus packages around the globe, Volkswagen has overtaken Toyota for the title of largest automaker after producing over 4.4 million cars for the first nine months of 2009 as opposed to the Japanese giant’s 4 million cars produced in the same span.
A big part in Volkswagen’s rise to the top involves the company’s infiltration of the Chinese market, which is also now the world’s largest car market. After launching a fleet of tailor-made VWs for the Chinese market, the company sold over 128,000 cars in the month of July alone – a sign that the Chinese seem to be warming up to buying imported cars like Volkswagen. In addition to their strong showing in China, VW also benefited from a number of cash-for-clunkers schemes in countries like Germany and in the UK.
As far as Toyota is concerned, the Japanese brand’s reign at the top didn’t last as long as it hoped after upstaging General Motors for the top spot just last year. It didn’t help matters when Toyota decided to ease up on the production of their cars as it continues to struggle in regaining its form after the global financial crisis.
Toyota’s decision to ‘decelerate’ production was the opening Volkswagen needed to seize the title of ‘world’s largest automaker’. Whether it retains that title longer than Toyota did is still up in the air, but if there’s one thing Volkswagen is confident of, it’s the fact that it has a lot of momentum on its side compared to its Japanese counterparts.
Toyota’s abrupt departure from Formula One has left a lot of people in stunned disbelief, especially when you consider that the supposed 2010 car was already completed well before the 2009 season ended.
Now that Toyota’s out, the question is what becomes of their 2010 car - and their whole design technology for that matter?
Well, they’re not putting it to waste, that’s what. According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, the Toyota F1 Team now has plans of selling off the data and designs of the car, preferably to one of the new teams that are set to make their debuts next year.
Out of the four teams – Lotus, Capos, Manor and USF1 - that are scheduled to have their inaugural race in Formula One in 2010, the two most logical teams to buy Toyota’s designs are Manor and USF1.
We don’t know exactly as to how much Toyota is selling their F1 technology, but we’re pretty sure that it’s going to come up for bid pretty soon between any of these new teams.
The obscene budget that Toyota has shelled out for its F1 division has finally caught up with them and combine that with the fact that the company is now re-directing its attention towards its core road car business prompted the Japanese auto giants to pull out of Formula One.
Off road racing in Southern California is one of the most popular and demanding forms of motor sport in the region. As part of the racing organization’s annual rounds of competition, their season always ends with the SCORE Baja 1000, a grueling 672 mile loop that must be completed in no more than 31 hours. This last race of the season is scheduled for November 20-21 and when all the buggies and trophy trucks line up in Ensenada, Mexico, Toyota will be on hand with one of their brand new fifth generation 4Runners.
The Baja 1000 is a test of both man and machine, "historically, only half of the racers finish this incredible test of man and machine, but we’re confident the Fifth Generation 4Runner will be a major contender in the stock mini class and can handle the grueling course." The Japanese automaker feels that their latest product is up to the task, and ensuring that they make it all the way to the finish line, Toyota has hired the multiple champion Ivan “Ironman” Stewart to pilot the 4Runner.
Press release after the jump.
> More
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest 30 to 40 billlion yen ($330-$440 million) to build a research and development center in China next year to meet the demands of the local market, the Nikkei Business Daily reported Thursday.
The new center will be built in the outskirts of Shanghai and it is part of the automaker’s plan to expand its business in China, which is the world’s biggest auto market, the Nikkei said.
Toyota only has a 6 percent market share in China, including vehicles produced at its 12 joint ventures with Chinese firms, the paper said.
Company officials have not commented on the new center.
The automaker plans to release its second-quarter results later on Thursday.
On Wednesday the Japanese carmaker announced it was withdrawing from Formula One Racing, citing a difficult business environment.
Toyota UK has launched a new top of the line version for the Aygo compact car. Called Platinum, the new version is based on the Aygo+ model and adds: 14-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, a six-speaker audio system, Alcantara and leather upholstery gear knob as well as Crystal Silver metallic paint.
The new Aygo Platinum is available in either three or five-door versions, both being powered by a 1.0-litre VVT-I petrol engine with Toyota Optimal Drive – winner of the sub-one-liter class of the International Engine of the Year awards for the past three years. Five-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard, with the option of Toyota’s Multimode system.
Toyota is also offering a new Aygo Xtra Protected pack for the new Platinum edition. The package adds: rear parking sensors and additional side and rear protection mouldings to help guard against the rough and tumble of urban driving. Vehicle Stability Control can also be specified as an option.
Prices start at £8995 for the Platinum edition and adds an extra £380 for the Aygo Xtra Protected pack.
The last model in Toyota’s line-up at SEMA Show is the Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG. The car was created in cooperation to Street Image and the the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system.
The exterior of the vehicle was given a sportier concept look with the installation of an aggressive body kit featuring a custom front grill and unique rear bumper that covers the tail pipe and exhaust system. The overall ride height was lowered on an adjustable coilover suspension, allowing the car to hug the set of 20-inch alloy wheels rolling on Toyo Proxy 4 tires. A new multi-colored vehicle wrap that features CNG and Surfrider logos completes the unique look.
Press release after the jump.
> More
Pages: 
Picture Gallery
Post a comment
RSS -
Webmaster free news |