tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493292627321906042024-03-12T15:19:53.992-07:00Toyota CarsAll new Toyota cars review, test drive, gallery and more..satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-8279323658580943092009-06-05T10:37:00.001-07:002009-06-05T10:37:06.662-07:002009 Lexus IS F pursues perfection, might need more personality 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 satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-84046733115427078602009-06-03T05:47:00.001-07:002009-06-03T05:47:06.734-07:00Toyota to buy GM’s NUMMI stake, Watanabe considering helping GM’s restructuring efforts 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 satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-68309258237207066372009-06-02T20:52:00.001-07:002009-06-02T20:52:07.337-07:00Toyota sells F1 spare parts 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 satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-52206465894296391922009-06-01T20:03:00.001-07:002009-06-01T20:03:45.503-07:00Toyota Camry Hybrid gets nip/tuck for ASEAN market intro 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 bysatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-58424007516291016062009-05-28T06:22:00.001-07:002009-05-28T06:22:33.643-07:00Lexus LF-A achieving top speeds of over 218 mph, production model to look very different The Lexus LF-A has been long considered a competitor to the company’s Japanese-rival - the Nissan GT-R. Well, if AutoExpress is to be believed, the LF-A will leave the Nissan GT-R in the dust in terms of speed and price. Sources close to Lexus say that the engineers were not at all happy about the LF-A’s top speed of 199 mph. After some revisions, tuning and testing, the 550-hp 4.8L V10 enginesatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-60631346980915707072009-05-27T08:54:00.001-07:002009-05-27T08:54:31.350-07:00Toyota looking to boost 2010 Prius production Toyota said today that it is considering revving up production of its 2010 Prius to meet better-than-expected demand, a move similar to the one Honda made when it launched its 2010 Insight hybrid in February. “We are considering steps to increase production to meet demand,” Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said. While this is good news for treehuggers or those that hate the Honda Insight, the satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-59486099928249049022009-05-27T07:07:00.001-07:002009-05-27T07:07:55.866-07:00Lexus HS 250h luxury hybrid (First drive)(Credit: Lexus) When we first saw the Lexus' new luxury hybrid, it was being revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Recently we were given an opportunity to preview Lexus' new HS 250h, a vehicle that the automaker is calling the world's first luxury dedicated hybrid. It also calls the HS an economy luxury car, which to us seems a bit of an oxymoron. As I approached the vehicle, my first satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-42825587332919912152009-05-27T07:01:00.001-07:002009-05-27T07:01:36.009-07:00Lexus HS 250h - World’s First Hybrid-Only Luxury Vehicle With the introduction of the world’s first hybrid-only luxury car, the 2010 HS 250h, Lexus brings the promise of sustainable luxury to the forefront of the auto industry. In the process, the brand also elevates luxury transportation with innovative engineering and intelligent, driver-inspired design that offers excellent roominess and nimble satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-4942793780772618012009-05-27T07:00:00.001-07:002009-05-27T07:00:48.383-07:00Toyota Prius Harvests the Rewards of its Ecological Plastics When it comes to environmental performance, new Prius’s achievements are not just about the fuel economy and clean running offered by its Toyota Hybrid Drive full hybrid powertrain. Toyota’s determination to reduce emissions and promote sustainability prompted it to research and develop the world’s first injection moulded material to be derived from satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-35625202234684128322009-05-25T10:10:00.001-07:002009-05-25T10:10:55.742-07:00Toyota Aurion Touring Special Edition Celebrates 50th Anniversary Toyota has launched a new special-edition Aurion to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary in Australia. The refreshed Aurion “Touring” Special Edition offers more than $2700 of added equipment at no extra cost compared with entry-level Aurion AT-X sedan. Quad Cam V6 Aurion delivers more power than any other normally aspirated Australian-made satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-91557263669746369642009-05-23T02:52:00.001-07:002009-05-23T02:52:10.814-07:00New Generation Toyota Prius Unveiled A new chapter in the history of Prius opens at the Detroit motor show with the official unveiling of the all-new, third-generation of Toyota’s world-leading hybrid power car. With a heritage of more than one million sales worldwide since the original model was launched in 1997, new Prius takes the benefits of hybrid to a [...] satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-2504960671746500872009-05-22T20:10:00.001-07:002009-05-22T20:10:40.346-07:00Car Review: 2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport strikes agreeable balanceThe small crossover segment, where the neo-sorta-trucks live, is one of the hottest battlegrounds for consumer dollars. Small skirmishes go on in the border regions; confused vehicles don’t know whether to be mud-slingers with brash attitudes or optioned-up urban sophisticates. Toyota’s RAV4 certainly brings sophistication, and though it can venture off road a bit, it’s not a jumbled, mixed-up satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-9812251894532793452009-05-22T10:55:00.001-07:002009-05-22T10:55:38.948-07:00Toyota to further cut North American production Toyota announced that it would further cut production at many North American plants over the next few months in a move where it will try to reduce its vehicle inventory by half. “This is a tough environment, and it may continue for a while,” said Jim Wiseman, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America. Wiseman said that in addition to thesatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-86495509904918002362009-05-22T10:37:00.001-07:002009-05-22T10:37:15.894-07:002010 Toyota Prius US pricingThe redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid goes on sale in the US from late May with Toyota today announcing pricing will begin at US$22,750 - which in an ideal world would mean an Australian price tag of $32,560. A stripped-down base model version will join the line-up late this year for just US$21,750. The third-generation Prius comes with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing 73kW satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-4883490088942544722009-05-22T10:29:00.001-07:002009-05-22T10:29:41.666-07:002009 Toyota Avalon Toyota’s 2009 Avalon is the automaker’s entry into the full-sized sedan market. The 2009 model is very similar to that offered in 2008. Likes: Lexus-quiet interior Smooth, almost pillowy ride Strong, silent powertrain Backseat space Dislikes: A snooze to drive Conservative look and feel Price overlaps that of Lexus ES 350 TheCarConnection.com has satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-89722672597563840212009-05-22T10:23:00.001-07:002009-05-22T10:23:31.254-07:00Toyota releases new EX-grade second-gen Prius in JapanBy: Sam Abuelsamid Sometime in early 2008, about the time when it became clear that Honda was planning to price its then-upcoming Insight hybrid very aggressively, rumors began to circulate that following the release of the redesigned third-gen Prius, Toyota was considering continuing sales of a de-contented second-generation version in order to compete. Ultimately, Toyota confirmed that plan, satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-67754592847426231712009-05-19T05:37:00.001-07:002009-05-19T05:37:59.955-07:00Toyota Receives 75,000 Orders for the 2010 Prius Toyota has received 75,000 orders for the all-new Prius according to the Nikkei business daily, which means its going to be a fierce battle between the new Prius and the Honda Insight. The Honda Insight was launched in Japan in February and in three months Honda has sold almost 20,000 units, which has surpassed Honda's initial goals. The Insight was also Japan's best-selling vehicle last satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-1595233925500895452009-05-16T01:36:00.001-07:002009-05-16T01:36:10.467-07:00Toyota forecasts first operating loss in 71 years Toyota has forecast its first operating loss in 71 years, citing falling demand and an appreciating yen as the key factors leading to its poor performance. Despite already cutting operating profit predictions by half last month to $6.6 billion, the carmaker now expects to post a ¥150 billion ($1.7 billion) loss in the year through March. Currently, Toyota's profit for the period from April satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-16937950617932442892009-05-12T20:12:00.001-07:002009-05-12T20:12:03.163-07:00Fox Marketing Prepping Twin-Turbo IS Convertible [Tuner Cars]The tuners at Fox Marketing, fresh on the heels of their twin-turbo IS-F, have returned to the RWD Lexus sedan for a convertible coupe version. Better still? The "Ecto Cooler" green color. The vehicle itself is not a an IS-F, but rather an IS convertible with an IS-F body and twin-turbos. It's unclear at the time which of the IS family's line of engines this particular model will get, satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-19539522844836207002009-05-11T08:11:00.001-07:002009-05-11T08:11:22.357-07:00Toyota First Quarter Losses Higher Than GMToyota forecasts a much bigger-than-expected $8.6 billion loss for the current fiscal year and sell one million fewer vehicles. Bigger news? They blew through $7.6 billion during 2009's first quarter! That's more than GM lost! That's some pretty big news — especially considering GM dropped $6 billion during the first quarter. Jeez, if only Toyota were building some fuel-efficient, dependable satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-11323673549798474092009-05-11T08:10:00.003-07:002009-05-11T08:10:54.038-07:00Toyota Tundra and Sequoia SUV facelift2010 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia has been launched in US. 2010 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia SUV comes with a new 4.6 L V8 engine capable of producing 310 HP and 327 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed auto transmission. This new engine delivers 34% more HP compared to the previous 4.7 [...] satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-15788291989519754132009-05-11T08:10:00.001-07:002009-05-11T08:10:03.728-07:001.U.S. Hybrid Sales Down 9.9% for 2008 Despite the fact that hybrid vehicles saw increased publicity in 2008 from record-high gasoline prices, sales of the fuel-efficient vehicles in the United States were actually down 9.9 percent over 2007. Vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic saw record sales when gasoline prices topped $4.00 per gallon, but when the price dropped and the economy started to really slide customers shied satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-38755857708094035382009-05-11T08:08:00.003-07:002009-05-11T08:08:48.684-07:00Abflug MRX We may be witnessing a little bit of a revolution the Pontiac Fiero has been the choice for many Lamborghini and Ferrari ripe-off body kits because of its cheap price and mid-engine layout. Japanese tuner Abflug may have just come across the next big thing. This Toyota MR-S has a striking resemblance to a Porsche Carrera GT. The kit may look good, but the MR-S' original 140 hp could only satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-8214425838038288482009-05-11T08:08:00.001-07:002009-05-11T08:08:29.860-07:00Attended: Bridgestone Winter Driving School The 2-ton SUV is sliding completely off its intended course. The steering wheel is at full opposite lock, yet uncontrolled oversteer flips the rear end of the Toyota 4Runner around like a cat with its tail on fire. In one last-ditch attempt to halt the pendulum process, I stab the throttle. All four tires desperately claw at the frozen surface, but it is too late to really help. The grip the satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549329262732190604.post-72589102454738397242009-05-11T08:07:00.003-07:002009-05-11T08:07:37.754-07:00All in the family: Toyoda grandson to take top job The Associated Press is reporting that Toyota will once again have a Toyoda at the helm before long. Akio Toyoda, the 52-year-old grandson of Toyota Motor Corp's founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, is reportedly about to be voted in by the board. If everything goes as planned, he will officially take over the presidency in June. It will be the first time in 14 years that a Toyoda will lead the company,satohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913871924506887022noreply@blogger.com0