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Report: Next Toyota Prius to be built in U.S… in six years

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

It wasn’t so long ago that Toyota was making big waves over plans to build the hybrid Prius here in the U.S. The company had originally planned to start cranking out the battery-powered people mover at its Mississippi manufacturing facility, but after GM pulled the NUMMI plug, Toyota was forced to move Corolla production to plant instead. That doesn’t mean there won’t be room for the Prius down that way in the future, though.

According to Reuters, Atsushi Niimi, the company’s executive vice president, said that production of the hybrid could shift to the Mississippi plant when the car undergoes its next revision. Thing is, that won’t be for another six years.

Niimi said that the car’s production isn’t likely to move until the fourth-generation Prius hits the assembly line, which is expected to be somewhere around 2016. Why the delay? Toyota doesn’t see the American auto market – or even the economy as a whole – recovering any time soon. While some analysts have said that buyers in the land of the free would snap up 12 million cars and trucks next year and 14-15 million the year after, Toyota says it’s not so convinced.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Next Toyota Prius to be built in U.S… in six years originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viper ACR Roadster built for No. 1 dealer before production ended

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Dodge, Specialty

Being the number one Dodge Viper dealership for 11 years has its perks – like being able to pick up the phone and tell the suits up at Auburn Hills that you’d like a convertible version of the diabolical Viper ACR. According to AutoWeek, that’s exactly what Woodhouse Dodge did after hearing that its cash cow was headed to the slaughterhouse, and surprisingly enough, Dodge obliged. What resulted was a mere 20 examples of a drop-top ACR, complete the coupe’s tweaked suspension, mammoth brakes and special final gears in the transmission.

If you’re thinking that hacking the roof off of a standard ACR-X is bound to play havoc with the car’s rigidity and aerodynamics, you’re probably right. That’s exactly why the ACR crew had to completely reinvent the roadster’s aero package with a stubbier rear wing and a redesigned front splitter – just to suit the topless car. As for rigidity, well, that’s just a sacrifice buyers are going to have to be willing to make. Dodge built just 20 of the cars for Woodhouse, complete with the same 21B build code set aside for the hard top cars. If you want one, get on the horn with Woodhouse Dodge in Blair, Nebraska. Just make sure you’ve got $107,310 to blow at the same time. Short of cash? Dream the impossible dream by checking out AutoWeek‘s photos at the link below.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Viper ACR Roadster built for No. 1 dealer before production ended originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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