Toyota
105 articles in this category
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Toyota isn't immune to the falling sales of passenger vehicles as more buyers trend towards trucks and SUVs. In the first ten months of this year, cars are down 11.1 percent. Meanwhile, trucks are up 7.7 percent. This has the Japanese automaker considering dropping some models. "We are taking a hard look at all of the segments that we compete in to make sure we are competing in profitable segments and that products we sell have strategic value," said Jim Lentz, Toyota's North America CEO af
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October 2022 was the startup again of production of the bZ4X as well as the announcement of the bZ3, the second EV in the bZ series. This second electric sedan was jointly developed between Toyota, BYD and FAW Toyota of China. Many would have thought that Toyota was finally on the bandwagon for moving forward with EVs as they had announced 30 new EVs to be produced and released by 2030. This in comparison to companies like Hyundai or GM where they have committed to having EVs replace full
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According to L'argus.fr a french news reporting site, they have uncovered that the first 100% electric SUV from Toyota is to be called BZ4X with X standing for AWD. This BZ4X will be a class equal in size to the current Toyota Rav4. This news site states that Toyota will unveil the BZ4X on April 19th 2021. As stated, Toyota a strong Hybrid auto builder and strong believer that Hydrogen is the real future has found itself playing catch up to an industry that is now dominated by Europea
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Toyota corporation and it's CEO has been very clear from the start that they do not think people want EVs and have stated this with their dedication to Hydrogen cars that have bombed in their limited sales, fuel infrastructure and more. Toyota then came out with their first EV the bz4x that was a full-on recall / buy back only months later after production started in 2022. Now as Toyota is changing leadership as t
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Toyota believes there is a need in the market for a mid-size SUV that prioritizes interior comfort for all-three rows and their answer is the Grand Highlander. Lisa Materazzo, group VP of Toyota Marketing made this statement: “This 3-row model takes the Highlander legacy to an entirely new space while also keeping on our promise to deliver on electrification. Highlander was the first model in its segment to offer a hybrid powertrain back in 2006 and Grand Highlander further expands on
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Toyota Motor North America and LG Energy Solutions has announced a long-term supply agreement for Lithium-ion/high-nickel NCMA battery modules starting with 20 GWh of production in 2025 for 2026 model year EVs. These pouch type battery cells are a nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum cell design that will be produced at LG Energy Solutions Michigan facility and shipped to Toyota's Kentucky assembly site for all Toyota and Lexus EVs. Tetsuo "Ted" Ogawa has stated this is the start
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Toyota Motor Corp has teased this year an all-new Prius for 2023. Some have wondered including this writer if it would be an EV rather than a Hybrid. The night of November 16th, 2022, we got our answer. Toyota is keeping the Prius name in Hybrid format only. Welcome to Toyota's Hybrid Reborn. Toyota wants the Prius name to carry on Toyota's commitment to Carbon Neutrality and gave the following bullet points about this all-new ride.
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Toyota is promising the public the ultimate road tripper in their all-new Grand Highlander, three-row SUV. The 2024 Grand Highlander will be the most sophisticated and spacious Grand Highlander leading the 44-vehicle lineup, largest ever shown at an auto show. Chicago will be the start of a massive blitz of ICE and Hybrid new and updated autos. The car show will have from production vehicles to NASCAR and SEMA specialty autos such as the Trailhunter Concept Vehicle and SEMA specialty
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Toyota has decided "Born From Invincible" is the new marketing message for the all new Toyota Tundra 2022! From the African Savanna to the Australian Outback or the asphalt of NASCAR, Toyota Trucks has taken people places for over 70 years. The global debut of the All-New 2022 Tundra builds on what Toyota brought to the world starting in 1950 with the first Land Cruiser building on the unique heritage to take Toyota into an even more exciting future per their pres
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Toyota is not new to auto electrification, but they have found themselves on the far side of the moon in comparison to other OEMs in being ready to sell electric autos to the global public. Toyota sued California CARB in attempts to stay ICE with their hybrid Prius line-up and Hydrogen as Toyota had bet big on Hydrogen over electric autos to the extent of selling Hydrogen autos in California and building some Hydrogen fueling stations. Yet while this could be the
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Toyota has had for the rich and powerful their Century car for the Japanese market only for decades. This chauffeur-driven car was a coveted auto that never was allowed to be exported out of Japan. Today, Toyota has announced a new chauffeur-driven Century for the 21st century in meeting the demands of a new age, new generation while maintaining the inheritance of the history of what made Century so special. The Century SUV while being a new shape, combines elegance, comfort and functionali
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Toyota bZ4X is their start of catching up to the rest of the auto industry in having BEVs. Toyota announced the details of this new BEV with the following bullet points per their press release: Contribution to SDGs based on the concept of "home planet" Toyota's approach to carbon neutrality is "practical and sustainable," aiming to reduce CO2 with products that are easy to use and highly appealing. The TOYOTA bZ series adopts
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Toyota Motor Corporation announced their Toyota bZ line-up of BEVs at the Shanghai Auto Show. The first to be unvealed is the Toyota bZ4X, an AWD in the bZ series. This CUV plays off the success of the Toyota Rav 4 hybrid series in style. Toyota had 4 key points that they made with tonight's product reveal: Toyota intends to contribute to SDGs based on the perspective of "home planet" that responds to environ
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Toyota, June 13th 2023 held a technical briefing session that is supposed to support Toyota Motor Company transforming into a mobility company. CTO Hikoki Nakajima was the first to present to the industry and news about how Toyota will be changing to a mobility company through embracing a wide range of technology. The following is what will make Toyota Motor Company, become Toyota Mobility Company. All Solid-State batteries for all EV products coming between 2026 and 2030
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O-Uchi Kyunden System or Large House system, a home battery system has been released by Toyota Motor Corporation based on the following mantra of "safe, long service life, high-quality, good value for price, and high performance" so that global customers can have peace of mind. Pre-orders starting June 2, 2022, are able to be placed with the Japan market getting deliveries starting in August 2022 through home builders and general construction companies and global
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1955 Toyota Motor Corporation introduced the Toyota Crown sedan to the Japanese market and holds the distinction of being the longest-running passenger car nameplate affixed to any Toyota model, along with being the first vehicle to be exported to the U.S. in 1958. 1955 Toyota Crown The Toyota Crown was on sales in the U.S. in both 2-door and 4-door till 1972 when it was discontinued for the U.S. market.
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Beginning next month, Toyota will slow down one of its three assembly lines at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant. Aside from building the Avalon and Lexus ES, Georgetown is home to the Camry - the best-selling car in the U.S. for the past 16 years. “The auto industry is cyclical, and our normal process is to proactively plan months in advance for volume adjustments,” said Rick Hesterberg, a Toyota spokesman to Bloomberg. Hesterberg declined to comment on how much production would be reduc
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The Toyota Yaris and Yaris Hatchback will be no more in the U.S. come the end of June. That's according to a leaked memo posted to Reddit and found by CarBuzz. Sent to "All Southeast Toyota Dealers and General Managers" by Toyota, the memo says the Yaris will "cease production" at the end of June. "The Yaris sedan and Yaris Hatchback will not be available for model year 2021. Model year 2020 will be the last year for Yaris. June 2020 will be the last month of production for the Yaris sedan
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Toyota and Suzuki are teaming up to share platforms and parts for markets other than the U.S. Suzuki will get two hybrid platforms for Europe. Toyota will build vehicles on their RAV4 and Corolla Wagon platforms and also supply hybrid powertrain tech to Suzuki for use in other vehicles. Toyota will get access to Suzuki's new engine range designed for use under the new stricter EU emissions standards. Toyota will build the engines themselves in Poland. The two automakers are
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The past couple of years has seen a lot of talk about consumers are turning away from cars towards trucks and utility vehicles. U.S. automakers have responded to this trend by announcing cuts to their car lineup - General Motors being the latest one. But other automakers are being more cautious. Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America told a gathering at the Detroit Economic Club last week that car sales are reaching the point of bottoming out - just under 30 percent in November sales. Unlik
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It has been a long time coming, but finally, we have gotten our first look at the upcoming 2020 Toyota Supra. The SupraMKV forums obtained a photo of the upcoming sports car in a transporter with most of the car cover removed from it. Comparing this photo with the FT-1 concept from a few years back, Toyota's designers toned down the front end. The nose isn't as pointy and the bumper has three large intakes - not two like the concept. It also appears the bubble roof has carried over onto the
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Toyota is reading to launch their high-performance sub-brand GAZOO Racing (GR) with the upcoming Toyota Supra - debuting next week at the Detroit Auto Show. But what comes next? "We have lots of requests from different countries, so it's really, really challenging to decide on the order [of performance models]," said Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the Toyota 86 and Supra. "It's not just Hyundai. Other car brands are doing this too, so we are researching this and we have to create the
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The Toyota Tacoma has been the best-selling mid-size pickup in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. Holding such an important place in the lineup, Toyota has been very conservative with updates in the past. The outgoing generation ran for a full 7 years, but even that was based on a platform that dates all the way back to 2004. For 2024, the Tacoma sheds the old platform entirely and joins the Tundra and Sequoia on Toyota's new TNGA-F global truck platform. The 2024 Tacoma is the latest (and final)
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Today, Toyota released a more detailed teaser image of the nearly reborn Land Cruiser. Featuring a boxy, egg crate grille, and a profile similar to the new Lexus GX, we have a pretty good idea what the Land Cruiser will look like. Since the two will share most of the body, only the front fenders, grille, and rear tailgate will offer much in terms of styling differentiation. Old and New Land Cruiser Silhouettes - Via Toyota We expect the Land Cruiser to be powered by the same 3.4-li
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In news that will likely not shock a lot of people, Toyota has dropped the Yaris Liftback for 2019. This was confirmed by Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell to CarsDirect. No reason was given as to why the liftback variant was being dropped, but we have to assume falling sales were the key reason. In 2018, sales dropped 77.6 percent to 27,209 models - only 1,940 of those were the liftback. Toyota is keeping the sedan variant but has dropped the price to $16,380. CarsDirect speculates th
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It came as no surprise that Toyota decided to drop the Yaris Liftback for 2019 - they only sold 1,940 models last year. In our original report, Toyota spokeswoman Nancy Hubbell dropped an interesting bit of information by revealing they would have news on the 2020 Yaris at New York. Car and Driver has a possible guess as to what it could be - a rebadged Mazda2 hatchback. Some quick background: The current Toyota Yaris sedan is just a rebadged version of the Mazda2 sedan sold elsewhere in th
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According to the Rumorpile, Toyota is working on bringing back the Venza, a car that went out of production after 2015. The original Venza did not sell very well, partially due to its wagon-like shape and also relatively high pricing. It also lacked any off-road pretense that typically comes with a crossover. The problem for Toyota is that there is a large Venza sized gap in their SUV lineup between the RAV-4 and Highlander. This time around, the Venza would ditch the wagon looks and inste
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Last week we reported that Toyota and Suzuki are forming an alliance to share technology and small-car platforms between the two companies. The deal, however, looked great for Suzuki but with not much in it for Toyota. Today brings some clarity to the arrangement. India is currently the 4th largest new car market and is expected to leapfrog Japan to number 3 in the near future. Being such a large and growing market has outsiders clamoring to get in, but one company is already there in a b
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With the introduction of the Toyota Supra, rumors have been swirling that the 86/BRZ twins might not be replaced when their production lives were up. Autocar UK has a quote from Toyota's European Marketing Chief saying "[the GT86] has been a successful halo product for us" and added that "...the Supra is not to replace that car." The 86/FR-S/BRZ was released in 2011 as a co-development between Toyota and Subaru. It uses Subaru's boxer engine and transmission. It is highly likely that the
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Toyota announced today that the Toyota Avalon and Camry would be getting an all-wheel drive option. It's the first time the Camry has offered all-wheel drive since 1991 and the first ever for Avalon. AWD will be available as a standalone option on Camry LE, XLE, SE, and XSE trims and on the Avalon XLE and Limited trims. In both models, the car is powered by a 202 horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and an 8-speed automatic. Camry XSE AWD and both Avalon AWD trims get 205hp with their dual exha
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A few weeks back we reported that the Toyota Yaris hatchback that we all knew and ...er... loved... would be ending production but we also found out that there was a possibility that the model name would continue in the form of a rebadged Mazda 2 hatchback like the Yaris Sedan. Yesterday, those suspicions were confirmed. Toyota released details ahead of the New York International Auto Show of the coming 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback. Like the sedan, it is based on the Mazda 2 but with a T
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Toyota has released an update to its funky little crossover/hatchback, the C-HR. The changes are slight and include a (slightly) revised front fascia, new wheels, two new colors, Android Auto and Apple Car play standard, and on the Limited trim, an adaptive front lighting system and 8-way power seats. The C-HR already comes with Toyota Safety Sense - P, a suite of safety technologies that include a multi-feature advanced active safety suite that bundles Pre-Collision System with Pedestri
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The current generation Toyota Mirai has never been a "looker". It seemed like some sort of Prius with a glandular problem. Toyota hopes to change that and make the fuel cell vehicle sexy with the new 2021 Toyota Mirai Sedan Concept. The new concept sits on a rear-wheel drive platform and sports an new, more powerful fuel cell powertrain. Toyota claims a 30-percent increase in driving range with increased hydrogen capacity. Most importantly thought, Toyota un-weirded the Mirai so tha
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Toyota has announced that they will be bringing a new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to the Los Angeles Auto Show this year. The difference for this hybrid is that it will be a plug-in and it will also be more powerful. Toyota promises "spirited acceleration" in their press release. As we get closer to the show, we'll get more details on range, power, battery size, etc. The RAV4 is already the best selling crossover in the segment and that could mean that the RAV4 PHEV could end up being the most po
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Toyota and Suzuki have announce plans to formalize a technology alliance. Suzuki will purchase approximately $454 million of Toyota stock while Toyota will acquire approximately $908 million in Suzuki shares for a 4.94 percent stake in the company. The two companies will share technology and platforms. Toyota will provide technology for electrification while Suzuki will provide platforms for small vehicles. Both companies will collaborate in the area of autonomous driving technology.
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A rumor has been leaked that the next generation of Toyota Tundra, coming in 2021, would have a twin-turbo V6 combined with an electric motor for its top trim trucks. The tipster posted to TFLtruck.com saying that the new motor would be based on the existing 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 found in the Lexus LS and LC 500h. It would have around 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque and able to achieve over 30 mpg highway. In the Lexi, the engine produces 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque and manages 33
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According to an article in Automotive News, Toyota plans to move the Tundra and Tacoma to a shared platform, internally called "F1". The platform is to be used globally and will require a bit of modularity. The platform is said to be nearing completion and the next Tundra could be debuting for the 2021 model year. The Tacoma will likely join later as it was redesigned in 2015 and given a refresh for 2020 at the Chicago Auto Show along with a bunch of other TRD models like the Sequoia TRD
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We reported back in April that the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma would be consolidated to a single modular platform for their respective next generations. Now Toyota is making a $391 million dollar investment into its San Antonio production line to help smooth the way. The investment is not expected to create any new permanent jobs. The new platform, internally called F1, will first appear in the next generation Tundra expected in 2021 and eventually spread to all of Toyota's pickups wo
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Toyota announced today that they will be increasing their plan for a $10 billion investment in North America over 5 years to a $13 billion investment in the same time period. Part of that will be an additional $749 million investment in plants in 5 states that will add 600 jobs to the roles. The changes include adding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus ES Hybrid to vehicle production in Georgetown, KY, adding engine and hybrid transmission capacity in Huntsville, AL and Buffalo, WV re
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Back in 2011, Toyota made a very bold prediction; the Prius would be the best-selling Toyota model in the U.S. by the end of this decade. This seemed legitimate as gas prices had been climbing a steady rate and the Prius was the most popular hybrid. But that meant beating the Toyota Camry which in 2010 sold 327,104 models (the Prius only sold 140,928 models in 2010). To do this, Toyota would create the Prius family with the introduction of the Prius C, V, and Plug-In Hybrids. Five years on a
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 3, 2012 Besides hybrid powertrains, Toyota's powertrain line has been lacking some key features that competitors are now offering. Those features include direct-injection, Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT), and turbochargers to balance performance and fuel economy. According to Autoweek, Toyota will be adding those features to their lineup over the next few weeks. At the moment, Toyota employs direct-injection in the Scion FR-S,
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 15, 2012 Riddle me this Batman; what future car is Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager, Bob Carter talking about. Will have “more room than a BMW X5, be faster than a (Volkswagen) TDI and have higher mpg than a Fiat 500.” The answer, well it could be one of two things; a new model Toyota is working on or the new Avalon. What? The Avalon? Yes, and here’s how. To have more room than a BMW X5, the vehicle would ne
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Toyota's Tj Cruiser concept is an interesting one. It takes elements of a van and SUV, and mashes them up into a capable and practical vehicle. Toyota in a press release announcing the concept hinted that it could go into production by saying it would be based on their TGNA modular platform, feature a hybrid powertrain, and have the choice of front or all-wheel drive. According to Autocar, Toyota is serious about possibly bringing the Tj Cruiser to production. Design chief Hirokazu Ikuma to
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 10, 2012 The Scion FR-S marks a return for Toyota of building a sporty RWD coupe, and it might not be the only one. Top Gear Philippines had the chance to sit down with Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer for the FR-S and other members (Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ). Tada revealed that the FR-S was the first of three new sports cars being worked on by Toyota. "The first is more mass-market and cheaper than the 86. And the third is more upmarke
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 27, 2013 Autocar is reporting that Toyota executives are considering building a competitor for the Nissan Juke. The inspiration for this possible contender is a twelve-year old concept. The concept in question is the Toyota RSC (Rugged Sports Coupe) shown at 2001 Chicago Auto Show. While the concept was well received at the time, Toyota didn't really do anything with it. Why are Toyota executives looking at RSC as a possible Juke co
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 28, 2013 Toyota has regained the world's largest automaker crown for 2012. The automaker was able to bounce back in 2012 after the earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan last year and a large amount of recalls that caused them to lose the largest automaker title in 2011. Toyota and its subsidiaries delivered 9.75 million vehicles last year, ahead of General Motors which delivered 9.29 million vehicles and Volkswagen which delivered 9.0
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It seems America isn't the only place that is interested in the Toyota Tundra. CarAdvice.com.au reports there is “enormous demand” for the Tundra in Australia. Speaking with Tony Cramb, Toyota AU's executive director of sales and marketing said there was room for a larger truck. But there are two key items withholding the Tundra from the Australian marketplace. “We have an enormous demand for a Tundra here in Australia, there’s no doubt if we could get a diesel Tundra, then I think we’d sell
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 6, 2013 The roller-coaster ride of the Toyota GT86 Convertible rumors appears to have crested. According to What Car?, Toyota has canned GT86 Convertible project for the timebeing. No apparent reason was given for the cancellation, but there is speculation that the added rigidity needed could have added too much weight for the coupe, ruining it's perfect weight balance. The report does say the project could be 'fast-tracked' if Toyota's
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And then there were none. Toyota announced today at their Altona plant on the western outskirts of Melbourne that the company would end local production in 2017 and transition into a sales and distribution company. The move will affect 2,500 manufacturing jobs. "This is devastating news for all of our employees who have dedicated their lives to the company during the past 50 years,"said Toyota Australia President and CEO Max Yasuda. "While we have been undertaking the enormous task of transfo
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Last August, we reported on a BMW document that revealed the next-generation Z4 and all-new Toyota Supra would have the choice of a 2.0L turbo-four and twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six. Now, a new document from German transmission maker ZF seems to confirm this. The document in question is a "transmission catalogue" that lists the various implementations of the eight-speed ZF 8HP. For the Supra, it has two BMW engines listed - the 2.0L turbo-four with 265 horsepower and 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six
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Most vehicles sold feature an internal combustion engine running some type of fuel, but a Toyota executive believes this engine will be gone for vehicles by 2050. “We expect that by 2050 we will have reduced CO2 emissions from vehicles by 90% compared to the figure in 2010. To achieve that from 2040 simple internal combustion engined cars will not be made, but they may be the basis of some hybrid or plug-in hybrid cars,” said Seigo Kuzumaki, Toyota’s head of advanced R&D and engineering
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Back in August, we reported that Toyota was possibly considering dropping in a diesel for its full-size Tundra pickup. "The diesel engine is something that is on our evaluation list. Hybrid technology is something that is on our evaluation list. Either one of those alternatives could deliver some pretty good real world fuel economy,"said Rick LoFaso, Toyota's corporate manager for light trucks. "I think Cummins would bring instant name recognition and obviously they are a leader in diesel engi
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The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ coupes have earned a lot of praise agile and nimble handling. But many agree that they could use more power. The 2.0L boxer-four only produces 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Rumors have been swirling about possibly turbocharging the engine. But the chief engineer on the 86 and BRZ said that turbocharging is not in the cards for this generation. “When we launched 86, I got literally millions of questions from around the world of ‘when would you be l
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October 9th, 2013 Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com Toyota announced reduced pricing of the 2014 Prius Plug-In today with a drop of over $2,000 from last year's base price. Coming in at $29,990 before delivery charge, Toyota is not making any reductions in equipment or appointments. In fact, Toyota has added two features to the Prius Plug-In for 2014, these include: Heated cloth front seats standard Remote climate - the ability to activate their air conditioning remotely
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The Toyota Prius V is an odd duck in the Prius family. The wagon/van shape offered buyers more space to carry stuff while returning high fuel economy numbers. But its run in the U.S. will be coming to a close at the end of this year. "After six years and nearly 160,000 units sold in the U.S., the decision was made to end Prius V production for the U.S. and Puerto Rico this December," said Toyota's East Coast communications manager Corey Proffitt to Green Car Reports. Proffitt went on t
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Toyota is recalling 482,000 Prius and Lexus CT 200h models for an issue with the side curtain airbags. According to Toyota, the hybrids use air bag inflators composed of two chambers welded together. Some vehicles may have a crack where the weld is. Over time, the crack can grow and cause the pieces to separate. "If an inflator separates, the CSA could partially inflate, and, in limited circumstances, one or both sections of the inflator could enter the interior of the vehicle," the company
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While most auto manufacturers are betting on electrics as the future, Toyota believes that fuel cells are the answer. But fuel cells have a number of issues, with the biggest one being the lack of infrastructure. So it is surprising that Toyota announced yesterday that would be adding the development of electric vehicles to their green portfolio. "We want to get ready to consider the future release of electric vehicles," said Toyota's Executive Vice President Takahiko Ijichi. Ijichi sa
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Last year at the North American International Auto Show, Toyota showed a trio of Prius models; the Prius Plug-In, Prius V, and Prius C Concept. So far two out of three have began rolling out. Now, car number three is being shown in production form. The Toyota Prius C is coming to Detroit next January. The car is about the size of a Yaris but is packing a hybrid drivetrain that is a 1.5L gasoline engine coupled with an undisclosed "high-output" electric motor. The Prius C is expected to get the
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Toyota is planning a big push with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to Reuters, the Japanese automaker is doubling-down on investments for fuel cell vehicles by making improvements to reduce costs and building different models including commercial trucks. “We’re going to shift from limited production to mass production, reduce the amount of expensive materials like platinum used in FCV components, and make the system more compact and powerful,” said Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 17, 2013 The trend with powertrains is to do small-displacement engine with turbochargers to provide the performance of a larger engine with the fuel economy of the small engine. Toyota looks to be bucking the trend. In a interview with Automotive News, Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain research and development for Toyota said the company will be investing into turbocharged engines, but it will not "emphasize tu
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Toyota appears to be building out their sports car lineup with the 86 and the rumored Supra coupe. There is now talk of third sports that would mark the return of the 'Three Brothers'; MR2, Celica, and Supra. Evo reports that Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the Toyota 86 and head of Gazoo Racing revealed that a spiritual successor to the MR2 is in the works. The successor would act as the starting point for the 'three brothers,' with the 86 serving as the successor to the Celica and the Sup
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The Toyota Yaris iA is no more. Putting to rest the last remnants of the Scion brand, Toyota is renaming their smallest sedan to the Yaris for 2019. It also marks the introduction of a range of trims (L, LE, and XLE). Not much changes in terms of the exterior aside from a honeycomb grille and chrome trim. A lip spoiler is standard on the LE and XLE models. For the interior, the Yaris sedan comes well equipped with a 7-inch display, Bluetooth, backup camera, push-button start, and crui
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Toyota declared in September that it’s watering down its battery electric vehicle (BEV) plans by cutting back the production of the small Toyota eQ (known as the Scion iQ stateside). You will find some interesting information as Toyota moves forward with Fuel Cell's rather than pure electric auto's. Sales of Plug in Vehicles, North America (2011 & 2012) Type - 2011 ------ 2012 (YTD)--(Since 1/1/2011) Cumulative HEV----268,807---322,516--------591,323 PHEV--8,272----- 25,944--
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 5, 2012 There are vehicles that with a quick glance, you immediately recognize; the Porsche 911 and the Volkswagen Beetle are perfect examples of this. Another vehicle that follows this is the Toyota Prius. Since the second-generation model, the Prius has earned a place of being instantly recognizable due to its shape. Now, Toyota is pondering whether to change it or not. “There’s an undercurrent among most people that they’re ready fo
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With the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal hanging a dark cloud over the fuel, many automakers are considering whether or not they want to continue with diesel. Karl Schlicht, executive vice-president of Toyota Europe tells Autocar the company is wondering whether or not they should stop offering diesels. He uses the example of the Yaris Diesel. At the moment, the option makes "up less than 10%” of total sales for Europe. Dropping this model is a real possibility. “I think that anyone l
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After two years and countless number of concepts, Toyota will show off the production version of the FT-86 sports car. Toyota's UK office released pictures and some tidbits about the vehicle. In Europe, the coupe will be called GT 86. Here's the specs of the GT 86: 2.0L boxer with D4-S injection (direct and port injected) 197 hp @ 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm) @6,600 rpm 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions 17-inch wheel/tire package standard 4,240mm (167 in.) long, 1285mm
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 16, 2012 Two words you wouldn’t think that would go together are Toyota and excitement. But there was time when Toyota meant excitement; cars like the Celica, Supra, and MR2 cemented the brand as building some of best sports cars before hanging it up and building appliances. However, the tide at Toyota seems to be changing. The RWD GT86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ coupes are beginning to roll out, and Toyota is introducing a new development
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Over the course of this year, Toyota has unveiled three different crossover concepts; the FT-4X, TJ Cruiser, and the FT-AC. We figured that one of these concepts could make it into production and this was confirmed by a Toyota executive. "It's like the 90s again, we can have more than one vehicle in each segment if they are different enough," Toyota Motor North America General Manager Jack Hollis told Motor Authority. While the three concepts differ greatly in terms of design, Hollis e
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A couple of days ago, Toyota unveiled pictures of the production Toyota 86 ahead of the Tokyo Auto Show. Today, a bunch of Toyota 86 test drive videos have surfaced. This car will be sold in Japan as the Toyota 86, in Europe as the Toyota GT-86, and in the US as the Scion FRS. Subaru will get a version called the BRZ that will be Subaru's first car offered without AWD in over a decade. The JDM Toyota 86 features a new 2.0 litre flat four producing 197 horsepower and 151 ft-lb of torque while
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Toyota's polarizing C-HR crossover went on sale earlier this year and it isn't doing so well in terms of sales. Through November, Toyota has only moved 21,889 units, way less than Chevrolet Trax (72,723 units) and Honda HR-V (86,491). Speaking to Wards Auto, Toyota Motor Sales USA's president Bob Carter said a key reason the comes down to the C-HR not offering all-wheel drive in North America. Most subcompact crossovers sold in the U.S. have the option of AWD. But if Toyota was to AWD to th
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 15, 2012 Work on the next-generation Toyota Prius is already underway. A few weeks ago, we reported on Toyota considering a new design for the Prius. Now, we have gotten word on some mechanical changes. Auto Express is reporting that next-gen Prius and Prius Plug-In will come equipped with a e-4WD system. “The rear wheels will be driven by a motor in an e-4WD system. Targeting snowy areas, they will operate at up to 37mph,” a source t
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The upcoming Toyota Supra is considered to be one of the most highly anticipated vehicles to come out. It has also garnered a fair amount rumors, partly due to it sharing some bits with the next BMW Z4. But some leaked internal documents may dampen some of that anticipation. A member on the Supra MKV forums obtained a BMW model code document listing out the various combinations for the upcoming Supra and Z4, along with which market they will appear on. For the Toyota, the document shows tha
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To say we were slightly disappointed to find out that the U.S.-Spec Toyota C-HR would only come with a 2.0L four-cylinder producing 144 horsepower would be an understatement. The European-spec C-HR has the choice of either a turbocharged 1.2L four or a hybrid, but neither of these powertrains will be showing up in the U.S. Car and Driver spoke with the C-HR's chief engineer, Hiroyuki Koba to find out why. Koba didn't say why the turbocharged 1.2L would not come to the U.S., but we're guessi
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Toyota has said that the primary focus of the GT 86 is handling, not horsepower. However, some recent comments from the chief engineer, Tetsuo Tada show Toyota could be making horsepower a bigger focus. Tada told Autocar that test versions of a hotter GT 86 using superchargers have already been made and are currently being “evaluated” by Toyota Racing Development. Tada said the reason why they’re evaluating superchargers due to the simplicity of it than enlarging the engine and provides better
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 4, 2013 While the high price and slow sales led to end of the Aston Martin Cygnet last month, Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said the decision to end the model is due to Toyota killing the iQ next year. The Cygnet was essentially a dressed up version of the iQ. “We stopped the Cygnet as Toyota itself will stop the iQ in 2014 and we don’t want to invest any more,” Bez told Autocar. “I think Aston did a good thing with the Cygnet and I’m d
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 1, 2013 For the past eleven years, the Toyota Camry has been best-selling car in America. But its title is being threaten by models like the Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord. However, Toyota isn't ready to give up the crown so easily. "We will do what is necessary to get the vehicle into the hands of new and loyal customers. Incentives on Camry will remain as competitive as they need to be," said Bill Fay, Toyota Division Gener
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 7, 2013 Toyota has announced that the FJ Cruiser will be heading into the sunset after the 2014 model year. But before it does that, Toyota has introduced a special edition of the FJ Cruiser called the Ultimate Edition. The Ultimate Edition begins with a “Heritage Blue” paint job and white painted front grille surround as an homage to the iconic FJ40 Land Cruiser. Under the skin lies a number of parts from Toyota Racing Development (TR
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To meet the growing demand for pickups in the U.S., Toyota will be boosting production of the Tacoma and Tundra in 2016. Bill Fay, head of Toyota's U.S. division says a third shift has been added to their Baja California, Mexico plant (Tacoma) and an additional 250 workers, plus a more flexible work schedule to its San Antonio, Texas plant (Tacoma and Tundra). The new workers and extra production will be in place in San Antonio by the middle of next year, said Fay. At the moment, Toy
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If you want the most off-road capable Toyota Tacoma, then you'll be happy to hear the 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro will be arriving at dealers next months. But it will cost you a fair chunk of cash. The 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro will carry a base price of $41,700 (includes a $940 destination charge). This nets you an off-road package that includes FOX 2.5 internal bypass shocks, new front springs with a 1-inch lift, and a revised rear suspension with progressive leaf-springs. The exterior features a retro
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Toyota is well aware that they are quite behind competitors when it comes to electric vehicles. Facing a “now or never” crisis, the Japanese automaker announced a new plan that will see it sell more than 10 electric vehicles worldwide by 2020. The plan hinges on a significant acceleration in the development and launches of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and fuel cells. The new vehicles will be launched in China first, followed by other markets such as Japan and the U.S. Toyota
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Toyota and Subaru have been quiet on whether or not there would be a second-generation to the 86/BRZ coupe. But Toyota has broken the silence, telling Autocar there would be a second-generation model. “The GT86 will carry on. The car serves a big purpose. We are not getting out of that business. Sporty cars go through their phases. It’s our intention to continue with that car,” said Toyota Europe boss Karl Schlicht. Like the current model, it is expected that Toyota and Subaru will onc
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Toyota has announced that it will be recalling 1.03 million vehicles worldwide to fix an issue that could start a fire. According to Reuters, the problem deals with a wiring harness that connects to the hybrid system's power control unit. Vibrations and accumulating dirt can wear down the wire insulation at the connection point. This will expose the bare wires and possibly cause an electric short - increasing the chances of a fire. Toyota has told the news service they have one report of a
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 8, 2013 Only being on sale for just over a year, Toyota is already working on a mid-cycle refresh on the GT86 coupe (Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ in the states). This news comes from the chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. Tada also revealed that Toyota is considering doing a high performance model. “We are already working on a mid-life facelift for the car, and we are investigating both turbocharging and supercharging too. But an electric motor
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Toyota is considering moving substantial parts of its U.S. headquarters from California to Texas. Bloomberg has learned from sources from the automaker that certain high-level employees were told of the move on Friday and that the company will make an announcement today. “It would be very consequential for Southern California. There might be some brain drain and tumult for employees, though it should be largely seamless to the consumer. This kind of thing can create some disruption of momentum
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This morning, we reported on the rumor that Toyota was planning to its North American headquarters from California to Texas. Well this afternoon, the company has made it official. In a statement, Toyota announced that it will be moving from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas. The move will take about three years and affect around 4,000 people. Those 4,000 people include, 2,000 from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Headquarters in Torrance, CA 1,000 from Toyota Financial Services in Torran
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It seems not a day goes by without someone saying that 'crossovers are the hot thing'. Yes, we are part of this group. Just consider the automakers who are currently selling a subcompact; Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-3, and Nissan Juke. There is one automaker missing from this list, Toyota. However, the Japanese automaker could be joining in the near future. A spy photographer caught a fully camouflaged Toyota subcompact crossover testing in the deserts of the American
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Whenever an automaker announces a fuel cell vehicle, one of two things happen: It will be near future (which it doesn't) It goes on sale (only in California since it has the infastructure) Well Toyota's fuel cell vehicle will attempt to buck both of those trends. Meet the 2016 Mirai, Toyota's first fuel cell vehicle that will go on sale starting next year in California. The Mirai is the production version of the FCV concept that has been making the rounds for the past couple of year. T
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The fourth-generation Toyota Prius has made an early debut thanks to spy photographer who caught the vehicle uncovered at a photo shoot. There's a lot of the Mirai hydrogen vehicle in the new Prius' design. Such details include very busy front-end with split opening grille and forked headlights, to a similar side profile and blacked-out C-Pillar. The Prius will be keeping the liftback shape that it has been using since the seconf-generation model. We don't know any details on the next-ge
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Toyota's European division wants to show there is another side to hybrid vehicles than fuel economy. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Toyota Europe boss Johan van Zyl says they are planning to launch a lineup of hybrid vehicles that will boast more performance and be fun to drive. “One will provide the traditional benefits of efficiency and fuel economy, like in the current offer. The second will build on this, adding more power and a more dynamic driving character,” said van Zyl.
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As the Toyota Supra continues its slow march to production, the automaker is considering adding another sports car that may revive an iconic nameplate. "We want to have Celica back, we want to have the MR2 back," said Masayuki Kai, Assistant Chief Engineer on the Supra project. The biggest was Supra. Supra was number one, the biggest demand from the market. Now that we've brought Supra back, what will come next depends on the market needs." Kai suggested that nothing is set in sto
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 11, 2013 The Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S could get be getting a big and small brother in the near future. Speaking with Car Advice, FR-S chief engineer Tatsuya Tada said, “Akio Toyoda always says to me, Toyota sports car [family] should be three sports car brothers. 86 is in the middle.” What are these two sports cars? We know the big brother will be the resurrection of Supra. The small brother will be sub-GT86 model. When asked about names
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 1, 2012 Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S said something very interesting to Germany's Autobild magazine. "The GT 86 was designed from the outset that we can build it as a convertible," said Tada. So what does that mean? We could be seeing a convertible version of Scion FR-S within a few years, most likely retaining the 2.0L boxer-four with 197 HP. Source: Autobild
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Last night in Las Vegas, Toyota introduced everyone to the forth-generation Prius. The new model promises to be more efficient and sportier than the previous model. The 2016 Prius shares a resemblance to the Mirai hydrogen car in terms of looks. From the overall profile to the shape of the rear taillights, the fourth-generation Prius is very polarizing. Size-wise, the 2016 Prius is 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider, and 0.8 inches lower than the outgoing model. This is due to the new Prius
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It has been quiet at Nissan and Toyota since General Motors introduced the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. But that appears to changing very soon at Toyota. Automotive News has learned that the company is planning to show off the next-generation Tacoma at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Bill Fay, Toyota's general manager says with the recent introduction of GM's new midsize trucks, it will spur interest and demand in the class. “With the new entries coming in, the market should expand,
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 23, 2013 Peeking into the Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 rumorpile, we have a number of stories talking about more power via two different ways; turbocharging and using a hybrid system. Add a third option onto that list. Chief engineer of the GT86 family, Tetsuya Tada told Drive.com.au that they are exploring of using a larger displacement boxer-four engine. More interesting is that Tada said the company is testing all three. "I hope to make
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Before the new Corolla hatchback hits dealers later this summer, Toyota has revealed pricing and fuel economy numbers. The base SE will set you back $20,910 (includes a $920 destination charge), while the XSE begins at $23,910. That will net you a new 2.0L four-cylinder with 168 horsepower and a six-speed manual. A CVT is available for an additional $1,100. This is what you get on either trim: SE: Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detecti
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Most enthusiasts have a deep love for wagons. So it should come as no surprise as many enthusiasts are falling head over heels for this Toyota 86 Shooting Brake concept that was shown today in Australia. The concept takes the 86's body and extends the roofline towards the back to create a wagon shape. What makes this concept really impressive is that it is fully functional as it has run a few laps on Toyota's various test tracks. Back in 2014, the chief engineer for the 86, Tetsuya Tada
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Tetsuya Tada, the man behind the Toyota 86 coupe (and sister models Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S) has some dreams that he would like the Japanese brand to take on. One thing Tada-san is adamant Toyota should do is launch a dedicated high-performance brand. “BMW has its M Division, Mercedes-Benz has Mercedes-AMG, Audi has quattro GmbH, so they have a stance of a sports car, but Toyota hasn’t,” Tada-san told CarAdvice. “So I would like to build that major sports car brand within Toyota, l
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 31, 2013 Nissan sent everyone in a tizzy a couple weeks ago when they announced that next-generation Titan pickup would be packing Cummins 5.0L turbodiesel V8. This has one automaker wondering if they should do the same thing. Edmunds talked with Rick LoFaso, Toyota's corporate manager for light trucks. LoFaso said the company is looking into two different powertrains to boos the fuel economy in the Tundra. One of those happens to be die
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Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com September 9th, 2013 Toyota announced two voluntary recalls today totaling 235,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The first recall of 133,000 vehicles includes 2006 - 2010 model year Highlander Hybrid and 2006 - 2008 model year Lexus RX 400h. In this recall, certain transistors in the hybrid system can be damaged by heat, forcing the vehicle into limp home mode in most cases and in some instances stop the vehicle completely while driving. The sec
