2009 Lexus IS F
The Lexus IS F is the sole Japanese contender in a crowd of compact high-performance sport sedans. Boasting a full complement of performance upgrades, including a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, the 416-horsepower sedan blasts to 60 mph in well under five seconds. But the stats only tell part of the tale. Do the sum of the IS F's parts make it a contender against the best from Germany and America? Let's find out.
It was reported yesterday that Toyota is looking to continue its NUMMI partnership with GM at the California plant where both produce the Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Tacoma and Corolla. However, since GM is killing the Pontiac brand by the end of the year, it sees no need to continue its NUMMI partnership with Toyota.
“The Vibe will go down with the phase out of Pontiac so there would be no need for NUMMI,” CEO Fritz Henderson told reporters.
Toyota is now saying that it may consider buying out GM’s stake since its products already account for nearly 80 percent of NUMMI’s output, reports Automotive News.
Toyota’s spokesman Hideaki Homma said that Toyota hasn’t received a proposal from GM. He said that Watanabe would consider aiding GM in its restructuring efforts; although, Homma didn’t provide any specifics.
Here's a little problem to solve: Although budgets are shrinking, it still costs million to run a Formula One team. On the other hand, the teams go through spare parts like a rib joint does napkins. Meanwhile, collectors and enthusiasts have proven willing to shell out big bucks for authentic memorabilia. Found the magic solution yet? Several F1 teams have, opting to sell off parts of last year's cars for big bucks. And the latest to join the fold is Toyota.
Now available for purchase from the Toyota F1 team's online merchandise shop is a wide variety of spare parts and bodywork at various price points, ranging from a 200-euro alloy wheel (around $280 USD), brake disc or suspension wishbone all the way up to a full engine cover bodywork assembly pictured above, complete with underfloor and rear wing aerodynamic elements, for 5,000 euros (nearly $7,100). If that seems pricey, consider that's just a fraction of what you'd have to shell out for parts from a race-winning Ferrari, for example. In sports memorabilia, pedigree is worth its weight in gold, but when you consider that Toyota is ahead of Ferrari in the standings this season, now may be the best time to get that F1 nose-cone up on your wall. Think of it as an investment.
[Source: Toyota F1 via Inside Line]
It may have taken a year to make it happen, but the locally-built Toyota Camry Hybrid is finally ready to go on sale in Thailand. This new version of the Camry Hybrid is the first of its kind (not assembled in Japan) and features unique new front and rear fascias that are derived from the Australian Aurion. Our take? The front grille is vaguely reminiscent of the three-bar chrome schnoz used by Ford in America, although it also reminds somewhat of the Venza, as well.
Although final pricing has not yet been announced, Toyota expects to sell the new Camry Hybrid in Thailand with just a small premium over the standard model due to a reduced 10% excise tax on locally-built hybrid vehicles. Thanks to this favorable pricing situation, Toyota expects the Hybrid to make up 60-70% of all Camry sales in the region. Soon, the Japanese automaker will begin exporting the Thai-built Camry Hybrid to other countries in Southeast Asia.
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