Toyota
VW Outpacing Toyota in Technical Innovations
According to a recent study by the Center of Automotive Management at the Bergish Gladbach University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Volkswagen ranks No. 1 when it comes to putting technical innovations into production. With 64 innovations that made it into cars last year, VW was ahead of second-place Toyota, which introduced 56 innovations that…
Turbocharged Toyota Yaris Makes 350-Horsepower, Runs 12s, Looks Mean
The Toyota Yaris was voted as the 2010 Best Overall Value of the Year. V-A-L-U-E, not F-U-N. But hey, who is to stop crazy enthusiasts from turning it into fun? Much like the Honda Civic Hatchback from say 1995, the Yaris wasn’t meant to be turbocharged, or taken down the quarter mile. It was meant…
Tesla Confirms No Plans to Build Electric Cars With Toyota, “and we may never do so”
It appears as though last month’s much-touted tie-up between Toyota and American electric car maker Tesla Motors was more of a publicity stunt than the start of a brave new electric world. In a recently filed IPO statement to the SEC, Tesla says that while there are a lot of good intentions to work together…
Automotive Lease Guide Says Gas Will Be Over $4 A Gallon By 2013
The Automotive Leasing Guide is what the auto industry uses to determine residual values for leased vehicles. It’s a pretty important guideline, and when the ALG speaks, people listen. So the ALG’s prediction of gasoline at $4.13 a gallon by 2013 has some pretty big ramifications for consumers and their vehicle choices. Naturally, the ALG…
‘Toyota: The Run Away Musical Hit’ Will Have You Laughing Out of Control
Toyota‘s had a rough year, with recalls, fines, and a brand image that has taken a Tito Ortiz-style punch to the jugular, and the latest jab comes from Minneapolis, MO’s Brave New Workshop, former stomping ground of Senator and political satirist Al Franken. “Toyota: The Runaway Musical Hit” has become quite the hot ticket in…
Supra 2JZ-Powered Ford Mustang Runs 8-Second Quarter-Mile Pass
We promised we’d follow up on the Toyota Supra 2JZ-Powered Ford Mustang of Jaw’s Gear and Axle and we finally have some results in. Recently the vehicle was taken to Bakersfield for the SCE Summer Nationals at Famoso Raceway with no prior testing. Weighing in at 3,530 lbs, Jaw’s Gear and Axle opted to race…
Toyota Boss Says to Expect Cars Like the Hybrid Sports Car Concept While He’s In Charge
Toyotas are notoriously un-fun to drive, but the company’s new boss aims to change that, infusing some driving character into even the greenest of the brand’s beige offerings. In numerous interviews since Akio Toyoda took over at the helm of the world’s largest automaker, he has repeated that the brand needs products that are more…
Nissan Leaf Gaining Conquest Sales From Toyota Prius; Surprised?
Is the Nissan Leaf set to overtake the Toyota Prius as the green-status-symbol of choice? According to market research sponsored by Nissan, a fair number of consumers who have put down deposits on the new Nissan Leaf electric car are current owners of the Toyota Prius hybrid, and are looking to take their outward love…
Report: Tesla CEO Elon Musk Is Broke
At 38 years old, Elon Musk has already lived a life filled with more adventures and pitfalls than most of us can fathom. The founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX was also a one time owner of a McLaren F1, the holy grail of car collecting, and served as the inspiration for Tony Stark,…
Audi DTM Pilot Mattias Ekstrom Tests for Toyota NASCAR Team at VIR
Here’s a story that is certainly going to get the rumors of Volkswagen‘s involvement in NASCAR started. Last week two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström was at Virginia International Raceway helping test a Red Bull Racing Toyota for the upcoming NASCAR race at Sonoma. The reason for the odd match isn’t about NASCAR ambitions says Audi,…
Toyota Sienna, Avalon and Lexus RX Awarded Top Safety Pick From IIHS
Finally, some good news for Toyota – three new Toyota vehicles have been given Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Getting the award are the 2011 Toyota Avalon and Sienna for achieving the institute’s highest ratings in front, side, rollover and rear crash tests. Also picking up an award…
Honda Says Brake Override Will be Standard in All Models by 2011
With increased pressure from Congress in the wake of Toyota’s recall crisis, Honda has announced it will include a brake override feature in all of its models by the end of 2011. “We are committed to applying Brake Priority Logic on 100 percent of Honda and Acura passenger vehicles produced for the North American market…
Toyota FT-86 Delayed Until 2013
Those eagerly anticipating the launch of the FT-86 affordable sports car from Toyota will have to keep waiting. According to a report by Japan’s Best Car magazine, the concept has been delayed from an original production date of 2011 until 2013. Reasons for the delay include the possibility of a different design direction (why?), as…
2011 Volkswagen Jetta Caught Totally Disguised
Nearly a day after it was first spied testing, the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta has finally been spotted completely undisguised, and if the car looks a little Toyota-esque, then that must be a good thing. Rather than occupying a quasi-premium spot in the U.S. market, VW is going for volume, so the Corolla resemblance is not…
NHTSA Ups Toyota’s Unintended Acceleration Death Toll to 89
Already overrun with legal issues relating to its unintended acceleration issues, Toyota‘s problems are about to get worse as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just increased the number of deaths that may be related to the faulty pedal and floor mat recalls. A new NHTSA document now places the total number of…
Prius Alpha: The 7 Seat Prius MPV
Reports of a Prius MPV model aren’t new, but now comes word that the car will be call the Prius Alpha. Set to go on sale next March, the seven-seat Prius will ride on a stretched version of the current Prius platform that is almost a foot longer. The car was first previewed in the…
San Diego Automotive Museum To Honor Datsun/Nissan With Special Exhibit
The story of Datusn (and later Nissan) in the United States is probably the most fascinating of all the Japanese auto makers . While early Toyota’s and Honda’s were ridiculed for their diminutive size and propensity to rust, Datsun was the first Japanese manufacturer to establish a reputation as a respected car maker. The 240Z…
UAW Putting Pressure On Toyota/Tesla To Hire Union Workers For New Joint Venture
The United Auto Workers is busy inserting itself into the Toyota/Tesla joint venture barely 24 hours after it was even announced. The two companies announced that they would be collaborating on electric vehicles, and Tesla would be taking over the revolutionary (at the time) NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, to build their new Model S…
Prius Drivers Tries To Flex His Hybrid Muscle, Lands In Jail
If one were to look up the definition of “pathetic” in the dictionary, the following story would be it. A Georgia driver of a Toyota Prius, tired of being mocked for his hybrid car, had enough teasing one day, and attempted to prove just how awesome his car’s acceleration capabilities are – by trying to…
Toyota and Tesla to Partner on Electric Cars; Tesla Buys NUMMI to Build Model S in California
Japanese giant Toyota Motor Corp and American electric car start-up Tesla Motors have announced a partnership that will see both automakers work towards future electric cars. In the short term, however, the deal has a more immediate result, namely that Toyota is spending $50 million to buy a significant stake in Tesla, which will then…
VW May Enter Formula 1 Under Audi Or Porsche Moniker – How’s That For Elitist?
The latest nugget of information surrounding Volkswagen‘s often-rumored foray into Formula 1 came at last weekend’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring race, with a VW executive claiming that the Volkswagen Group’s premium brands, like Audi or Porsche would be the best fit for the company’s shot at the world’s most prestigious motorsport. “Within the group, for…
Toyota Recalls 11,500 Lexus LS460 Models For Steering Defect
When it rains, it pours, as Toyota knows all too well. As if their spate of problems wasn’t enough, fate seems to be pouring even more salt in their wounds, as the company has been forced to recall their flagship Lexus LS460 sedan due to a steering defect in the Variable Gear Ratio Steering system….
Bomb Hoax Causes Panic At 4 Toyota Sites Across America
An Indiana post office was evacuated Tuesday after a suspicious package was discovered, addressed to a Toyota factory. The package was determined harmless by a local bomb disposal technician, but the scare follows 3 other suspicious packages sent to other plants as well as Toyota USA headquarters. According to police, the package originated in Nigeria,…
Toyota Boss Hints at Big Changes for Camry, Revival of ‘Neglected’ Scion Brand
With Toyota having recently undergone the worst period in its history, the grandson’s founder and man at the helm of the Japanese auto giant looks to be ready to make big changes in order to get the company back on track. More than just an executive, Akio Toyoda is a well-known car buff who loves…
