Toyota
Toyota FT-86 Could Get 305-HP Subaru WRX STI Engine
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Previewed in concept form, the upcoming Toyota FT-86 was introduced as a budget sports car inspired by the Corolla AE86 and using a low-powered Subaru boxer engine capable of around 200-hp. Now, reports suggest that with increased development costs Toyota has decided to take the project further up-market, opting instead to run the WRX STI’s…
Toyota Says Prius Will Be Best Selling Car in America by 2020
With recently announced plans to unveil a Prius family of vehicles at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, Toyota believes the vehicle that’s synonymous with hybrid technology will be the most popular car in America by 2020. “We will end the decade with Prius being the number one nameplate in the industry,” said Toyota’s U.S. VP…
Top 10 Most Anticipated Vehicles of 2011
There’s no doubt that 2010 has been a monumentally important year for the auto industry and one worth looking back on. From the Toyota recall crisis, to the success stories at Hyundai and Ford, to the launch of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, there have been no end of major news stories in the…
Toyota Forecasting 8 Million Units For 2012
Toyota is projecting sales of 8 million units in 2012, according to parts suppliers who have been briefed by the auto maker. The projections do not include units sold by Toyota subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino. The last time Toyota sold such a volume was in 2007, when the company moved 8.42 million vehicles. Toyota expects…
$10 Million Awarded in Lexus Crash Settlement
Baker maintains the evidence from the accident investigation was flawed and that the real problem was caused by faulty electronics in the vehicle.
FT-86 Logo Revealed, Inspired by Boxer Engine
A design sketch of what is rumored to be the logo for the upcoming Toyota FT-86 has surfaced online, clearly highlighting the Japanese sports car will be powered by a boxer engine. The design sketch shows two horizontally opposed pistons; an engine design that has earned the ‘boxer’ title because of its visual similarity to…
Toyota Confirms Prius Vehicle Line; Prius MPV, Concept Debuts Planned for Detroit
Toyota will officially announce the launch of the Prius as its own vehicle line at the Detroit Auto Show in January with the introduction of two new versions of the popular hybrid. The unnamed new production model has been teased in the past and is believed to be an MPV-style vehicle with more functionality and…
66 Vehicles Win IIHS 2011 Top Safety Pick Award
It’s a banner year for safety, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) doled out its Top Safety Pick award for 2011 to 66 vehicles – double that of last year. The list of recipients, which includes 40 cars, 25 SUVs, and a minivan, were picked based on their ability to protecting people in…
Toyota to Pay $32.4 Million Fine to Feds Over Recall Timing
Toyota has agreed to pay a $32.4 million fine in order to settle an investigation into the timeliness of the recalls it issued. The fine is the maximum allowable by law, bringing the total value of fines Toyota has paid to government agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to $48.8 million for…
Goldman Sachs: Toyota To Lose Money Through 2013
Analysts at Goldman Sachs’ Japanese arm have a dim forecast for Toyota, projecting an operating loss through the 2013 fiscal year, with Goldman predicting continued sales downturns in the United States, Europe and Japan, which comprise Toyota’s three biggest markets. Toyota sales, hammered hard by recalls earlier in 2010, are not projected to keep pace…
Violence In Mexico Sparks Demand For Discrete Armored Cars
Armored cars are an expensive proposition, nearly always costing well above $100,000, and for this reason, they’re rarely anything but luxury sedans or SUVs. The problem with this phenomenon is that the places where armored cars are really needed, discretion is often better than driving an ostentatious bling-mobile. Texas Armoring, one of the leading armored…
Tesla Model S Gets 3,000 Pre-Orders
Tesla Motors announced that 3,000 people have submitted their deposits for a Model S sedan. Slated to go into production in 2011, Tesla also announced that crash testing and other necessities will begin next year, with deliveries starting in 2012. So far, Tesla has sold 1,400 Roadsters, and is helping automakers like Toyota and Mercedes-Benz…
Ford and Honda Top J.D. Power’s 2010 Customer Retention Study
Automakers know how important customer loyalty is to the success of their companies. That’s why the good ones concentrate not only on making a safe and reliable vehicle, but one that’s fun to drive as well, and then back it up with great service. And J.D. Power is on top of which automakers are doing…
Honda Fit, Mazda2 Headline New B-Spec Road Racing Series
The Honda Fit and Mazda 2 will headline a new racing class, known as B-Spec, that’s been designed as a new showroom stock racing series. The rule set is expected to be finalized within the next 60 days, and both the SCCA and NASA sanctioning bodies have expressed interested in adopting the class. Using OEM…
2011 Toyota Sienna Recalled for Brake Issues, But Not What You Think
Toyota has just announced a recall for it’s new ‘Swagger Wagon’ Sienna minivan for an issue related to the braking system. Unrelated to any past brake recalls the recall involves the parking brake bracket that could become damaged by repeated use of the foot-actuated parking brake pedal. Toyota warns that damage to the bracket could…
Toyota Number One With Car Shoppers
Despite a year filled with recalls and bad press, Toyota‘s reputation appears to be mostly untarnished, as is evidenced by Kelly Blue Book announcing the Japanese automaker’s cars are the most considered by new car shoppers. Toyota has just re-established itself atop the most recent Kelly Blue Book (KBB) Market Intelligence Brand Watch study for…
Toyota Announces Pricing For 2011 Corolla And Matrix
Toyota announced pricing for their updated 2011 Corolla and Matrix, with a base Corolla starting at $15,600. A base model Matrix will retail for $18,545, with both base trims coming equipped with a 5-speed manual. The Corolla base trim with an automatic will retail for $16,400 while the mid-level LE will cost $17,300 while the…
Toyota Camry May Lose Spot As America’s #1 Selling Car
Toyota‘s Camry has long enjoyed a plum position as America’s best-selling car. But a strong dip in sales, combined with a resurgent Honda Accord and the success of the new Hyundai Sonata could conspire to knock the Camry off of its pedestal. Camry sales have fallen by about 8 percent this year, with November sales down…
Toyota Sues ‘Old GM’ Over Closure of NUMMI Plant
Now, Toyota is apparently suing the remnants of the ‘old’ GM (known as Motors Liquidation Company) for breach of contract, claiming $73 million in damages, namely to cover research and development costs, before GM pulled out of NUMMI last year.
Honda Cuts Insight Base Price By $1,600
Honda is cutting the base price of its slow-selling Insight hybrid by $1,600, and offering a base model that retails for $18,950, putting it $4,610 below the cheapest Toyota Prius. Honda achieved the price cut by removing features like Bluetooth connectivity and a GPS navigation system, while using cheaper seat fabric and a two speaker…
Hyundai Overtakes Toyota in Europe as Top Asian Automaker
Thanks to a slight bump in sales and continued struggles by Toyota, Hyundai is now the number one Asian automaker in Europe by volume. So far this year Hyundai (including Kia) has seen a four percent rise in units moved, while Toyota (including luxury brand Lexus) has seen its sales drop drastically by 17 percent….
Toyota Confirms iQ Will Get Electric Version
Toyota‘s iQ microcar will get a fully electric version in 2011, the Japanese automaker has confirmed. The iQ will come as part of a plan to launch 11 hybrid or electric vehicles by 2012, including a hybrid version of the Yaris hatchback, a plug-in version of the Prius Hybrid and a Prius-based minivan. In a…
Toyota Planning Turbocharging, Direct Injection Across Lineup
The recent switch to “down-sizing” technologies like turbocharging and direct-injection have allowed automakers like Chevy, Ford and Hyundai to leap past Toyota in the fuel economy race in recent years. During that time Toyota’s focus has been on hybridizing its lineup of vehicles, a move that does allow for more significant fuel economy gains, but…
LA 2010: Toyota RAV4 EV; 35 Test Models Being Built With 2012 Target for Retail Sales [Video]
Toyota‘s collaboration with American electric car maker Tesla Motors has been described by many as a publicity stunt, but Toyota’s announcement to build 35 test models with plans for a full production model in 2012 is silencing doubters. Debuting at the LA Auto Show, the RAV4 EV Demonstration Vehicle looks like an Acura RDX thanks…
