Toyota
Toyota Prius Plus Performance Package Gets TRD Styling and Handling Upgrades
Proof that the Prius isn’t just for greenie eco-nuts, Toyota has just released a new Prius Plus Performance package for the world’s most popular hybrid. Just don’t look for added performance under the hood – even if the parts are made by Toyota Racing Development (TRD). In many ways an aesthetic package, the list of…
Toyota Planning Electric Car Blitz in 2012 with Sales of Prius PHEV, RAV4 EV and Scion iQ EV
The leader in hybrid technology, Toyota will make a big push into further electrifying its fleet when it begins retails sales of the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, as well as two fully electric vehicles, next year. Toyota has confirmed that along with the Prius PHEV, it will begin selling an electric version of the RAV4 compact…
Toyota Issues Recall For Highlander And Lexus RX400h Hybrids
Toyota has officially announced a recall of certain 2006 and 2007 model year Highlander hybrid and Lexus RX 400h vehicles. The recall will affect 45,500 Highlander hybrids and 36,700 RX 400h’s. The issue stems from the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the hybrid system inverter that contains a control board with transistors. Certain transistors on the…
Toyota Prius c to Get All-Wheel Drive, Look Nothing Like the Concept
Toyota is promising a lot with its new Prius c. The upcoming baby Prius is set to up the driving enjoyment factor, while offering even better fuel economy than the standard Prius, while coming in at a price under the current model. And based on the concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this…
Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Lexus RX400h Recalled to Replace Hybrid Transistors
Toyota has announced a recall of its Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400h vehicles, dating from the 2006 and 2007 model years. According to a statement released by the automaker, improperly soldered transistors on the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the Hybrid System Inverter could become damaged due to excessive heat, causing the car’s hybrid…
U.S Auto Industry Recalls Declining
American automakers are performing much better regarding vehicle safety recalls compared to their Japanese counterparts. Approaching the middle of 2011, there have been 59 recalls, potentially affecting 6.8 million cars and light trucks. In 2010 at this point in the year, there had been 65 recalls potentially affecting 9.6 million light vehicles. Toyota, whose reputation…
Start/Stop Technology To Be Implemented In 55% Of New Vehicles By 2016
Stop/Start technology will more than triple in five years as automakers worldwide seek better fuel efficiency. This function allows a car’s engine to shut off when the vehicle is at rest, for example, at a stop light, and the engine restarts when the gas pedal is pressed. With the engine turned off for short amounts…
Toyota Camry Named 2011’s Most American Car
What’s the most American car? The Ford Mustang? Chevy Camaro? Dodge Charger? Nope. It’s the Toyota Camry. According to the annual Cars.com American-Made Index the Camry tops the list once again (for the third straight year) due not only to having its production based in American (at both the Georgetown, Ky. and Lafayette, Ind. Toyota…
Ford Fusion Overtakes Honda Accord In American Sales
Ask anyone to name a mid-size sedan, and they would most probably mention the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord. Both these cars sell in huge numbers and are a part of most suburban neighborhoods. But a look at the registration numbers of mid-size sedans sold in America, shows that the Ford Fusion is now…
36,000 Toyota Prius Hybrids Coming To The United States For Summer
America’s ongoing insatiable desire for the Toyota Prius is about to be sated: the Japanese factory is sending 36,000 examples our way, just in time for summer. Global availability of the Prius is still low. Currently, the Prius is at a 4-day supply in America and many dealers don’t have a single example on their…
Insure.com Releases List Of Least Expensive Vehicles To Insure
It’s time to buy a car and you’re weighing all the options before making a purchase – including insurance rates. Your timing couldn’t be better, because Insure.com has just released their list of the least expensive cars, vans, SUVs and trucks to insure in 2011, and the auto brands that will lower your insurance rates…
J.D. Power Survey Shows Toyota, Lexus Rebounding, Ford At All-Time Low
Ford‘s meteoric rise may have hit a speedbump with the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality results showing the Blue Oval at its worst ranking in a decade, coming in at 23rd. Meanwhile, perrenial quality champion Toyota rebounded from 21st last year to 7th this year, after an annus horriblus of recalls, lawsuits and quality defects…
Toyota GRMN Sport Hybrid Specs Revealed
Less than a day after releasing their GRMN Sport Hybrid Concept, Toyota has announced specs for their sporty new concept, the first vehicle we’ve seen from the brand since the MR2 sports car bowed out earlier in the decade. Using a 3.5-liter Type 2GR-FXE V6 engine that produces 249 horsepower, the front-mounted electric motor adds another…
Ford Ranger To Be Discontinued After Almost 30 Years Of Production
Production will end for the Ford Ranger on December 22, according to the United Auto Workers 879 June-August newsletter. The Ranger is currently built in Ford’s Twin Cities assembly plant and the truck has been built since January 1982. The Ranger originally replaced the Ford Courier which was based on the Mazda B-Series small truck….
Toyota And Honda Plan To Hire 5,000 Workers As Japan’s Industry Recovers
Toyota and Honda plan to hire as many as 5,000 temporary workers in Japan for the first time in more than a year as the automotive industry recovers from the March 11 earthquake. Toyota will be hiring between 3,000 and 4,000 temporary workers from mid-July as the company plans to increase production in October. This…
Toyota GRMN Sport Hybrid Concept II Revealed; “Next Step” in Hybrid Sports Car Development
Toyota‘s plans for a true hybrid sports car are edging closer to reality with the debut of the GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II. Over a year ago Toyota first revealed the MR2-based hybrid sports car and this updated version of the car proves the automaker’s commitment to the project In a press release Toyota points…
Americans Choose Fuel Efficient Compacts Over Hybrids
Even with high gas prices, Americans are choosing fuel effiecient compacts with conventional gas engines over pricier gas-electric hybrids. Sales have steadily increased with the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze while hybrids are showing little activity. Hybrid sales in the U.S peaked in July,2009 peaking at 3.6% and last month sales were down…
Rod Millen Hosts Hillclimb Event on His Newly-Paved Driveway Racetrack [Video]
What better way to spend more time on the trace track than to build one in your own back yard. Or better still, your front yard, as your driveway, tempting you to set a new record lap every time you return home. That’s exactly what former Pikes Peak record holder Rod Millen has done at…
Toyota To Compete At Le Mans Next Year With Hybrid Racer
Automotive giant Toyota has achieved just about everything it has ever set out to do, however there is one goal that has eluded this Japanese car firm thus far, winning the Le Mans 24-hour race. Since this famous, annual race began in 1923, Mazda is the only Japanese car company to have won this prestigious…
Toyota Repossesses Murdered Mother’s Camry, Gives It Back Later
24-year old Aaron Knudsen, sadly, has a lot to deal with right now. His mother was murdered by her estranged boyfriend in May, and between dealing with investigators and grieving over the loss of a family member, he also had to deal with outstanding payments on her mother’s 2005 Toyota Camry. Police investigators had impounded the…
Chevrolet Prices 2012 Chevrolet Sonic From $14,495
General Motors has officially announced pricing for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The sedan has been priced to start at $14,495 and the five-door model will start at $15,395. At that price, the Sonic will come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 138-hp and 125 lb-ft of torque. The car will also come equipped with a…
The New Toyota Yaris? Yes? No? Maybe So?
The all new stylish 2012 Toyota Vitz model, sold here as the Yaris, appears to have new photos, that is if these pics from a Hungarian Toyota dealership’s Facebook page are anything to go by. In an age where fuel economy is a major selling aspect, the subcompact B-segment is more important than ever, and…
Toyota’s Bringing Iconic Cars Of Past And Present To 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Toyota will be bringing an interesting blend of past, present and future cars to this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Climbing up the famous hill this year featuring Toyota’s moniker includes their GT One sports car, Dynojet Racing’s Avensis, a rare MR2-based Group S rally car, the famous “King of Africa” Celica Twin Cam TA64,…
Prius PHEV to Gain Driver-Selectable EV Only Mode, Full Regenerative Braking
When Toyota‘s Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle finally makes it to market next year it will come with two new features that weren’t on the prototype we first drove last October. The first of the tech additions will be a driver-selectable EV mode, while the second will be a full regenerative braking system. Allow us to…
