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Geneva 2011: Toyota FT-86 II Concept is one step closer to production

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Toyota

Toyota FT-86 II Concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Toyota FT-86 II Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

As one of the more hotly anticipated debuts of the Geneva Motor Show, we were sure to aim the lenses of our DSLRs in the direction of the Toyota FT-86 II Concept, which, as you’re surely aware by now, previews a new rear-wheel drive sports coupe that’s due to enter production in 2012.

Needless to say, we’re looking forward to an actual production model, but in the meantime, at least we get to gaze on an exterior shape that Toyota says “gives the clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota’s next sports car” with “aerodynamics developed from F1 technology.” Good thing that got something out of their lackluster F1 efforts.

There’s very little information in the way of hard specs, but we’ll get more of those soon enough when Subaru shows off its own version of this rear-wheel-drive sports car, which was jointly developed by the two automakers. What we do know is that the concept and future production cars will use a 2.0-liter four cylinder boxer engine mounted up front and driving the rear wheels through a manual gearbox.

For the full details, check out the press release after the break, and be sure to scope out our high-res image gallery of live photos below.

Gallery: Toyota FT-86 II Concept: Geneva 2011

Toyota FT-86 II Concept

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Geneva 2011: Toyota FT-86 II Concept is one step closer to production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA probing 44,000 Toyota Highlander Hybrid crossovers over stall risk

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Government/Legal, Toyota

2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

According to The Detroit News, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has opened an investigation into almost 44,000 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles from the 2006 model year over stalling concerns. The agency has received a total of 32 complaints, with 21 of those incidents involving engine stalling at speeds of over 40 mph. A total of 26 of the reports said that the engine then could not be started again afterward. NHTSA says that the problem represents a growing trend, and that all but one of the incidents have occurred during the last year.

Toyota, meanwhile, says that the company will do everything in its power to cooperate with the government’s investigation. As The Detroit News reports, Toyota recently recalled 1.33 million Corolla and Matrix vehicles for stalling engines. That recall also included certain Pontiac Vibe models as well.

Toyota is just now beginning to recover from a rash of recalls associated with unintended acceleration. The Japanese automaker was recently vindicated by research conducted by NASA engineers who determined that there was nothing electronically wrong with the company’s throttle system.

[Source: The Detroit News]

NHTSA probing 44,000 Toyota Highlander Hybrid crossovers over stall risk originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota says plural of Prius is “Prii”

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

Toyota Prius Family

The world can now rest easy. Toyota has officially embraced “Prii” as the plural of Prius. The Japanese automaker made the announcement over the weekend at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show after inviting the public at large to vote for the phrase that best fit the company’s new gaggle of hybrids. The voting kicked off on January 10th at the Detroit Auto Show, and while Priuses, Prius, Prium and Prien all surfaced as possibilities, Prii took home the majority of votes with 25 percent of the more than 1.8 million ballots cast.

To mark the occasion, Dictionary.com has updated its Prius listing with the appropriate word for more than one Prius hybrid.

Toyota has made it clear that the company intends to grow the Prius family in the near future with the addition of production versions of the seven-passenger Prius V and the more compact Prius C Concept. Now we just have to figure out what to call Prius drivers in polite society.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota says plural of Prius is “Prii” originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three men caught vandalizing seven Toyota cars at Chicago Auto Show

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Etc., Government/Legal, Toyota

Edmund Grzeszkiewicz (Left), Richard Data (Top Right), Bryan Kjellman (Bottom Right) Three men have been arrested in connection with $30,000 worth of vandalism to Toyota vehicles at this year’s Chicago Auto Show. According to the Chicago Sun Times, Bryan Kjellman (bottom right), Richard Data (top right) and Edmund Grzeszkiewicz (left), aged 22, 20 and 27 respectively, were taken into custody by show security for using razor blades and screwdrivers to damage the interiors of seven of vehicles. When questioned by authorities, the trio said that they were angry at Toyota the company’s role in taking U.S. jobs overseas.

They must have missed the memo about Toyota operating nine manufacturing facilities in the States with over 28,000 employees. All told, of the seven vehicles that Kjellman, Data and Grzeszkiewicz damaged, three were built right here in the Land of the Free. The casualties included a Camry, a Rav4, a Land Cruiser, a Prius and two Tundra models in addition to a Lexus ES350.

The damage ranged from slashed seat cushions and dashboards to broken doorhandles and turning indicator stalks. The trio even set about scratching the windshields of certain vehicles. At the last report, the vandals were set to appear in bond court on February 18, and each have been charged with one felony count each of criminal damage to property. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Sources: Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Jalopnik]

Three men caught vandalizing seven Toyota cars at Chicago Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Yaris HSD concept to bow in Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Toyota

Toyota Yaris HSD Concept

Toyota has announced that the company will be showing off a new concept at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The Japanese stalwart has big plans for the B-segment in the near future, and those include bringing a full hybrid system to some of the smallest cars on the road, and we’ll all get a glimpse into how the automaker plans to do that with the Yaris HSD Concept. Details are remarkably murky at the moment, and while we’d love to be able to tell you all about the vehicle’s drivetrain and fuel economy, it looks like we’ll just have to wait until the vehicle gets its official unveil next month.

The Japanese automaker is hoping to bring hybrid efficiency to the most popular segment in Europe, though the Yaris HSD will have to show off some pretty incredible fuel economy numbers and performance to match in order to best the small-displacement diesel mainstays of the market across The Pond.

Toyota will also show off the seven-seat Prius+ at the show. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota Yaris HSD concept to bow in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevrolet MyLink brings the app fight to Ford Sync, Toyota Entune

Filed under: Technology, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM

Chevrolet MyLink

Chevrolet MyLink – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors is finally bringing the smartphone battle to Ford with the introduction of Chevrolet MyLink, an integrated infotainment system that connects to your smartphone and allows you to access apps through either the steering wheel controls or the console-mounted touchscreen.

The wraps officially came off at tonight’s Engadget Show and boasts similar functionality to Ford’s AppLink and Toyota’s recently revealed Entune system. MyLink connects your Android or Blackberry device over Bluetooth, allowing you to wirelessly access apps. And if you’re partial to Apple’s iOS devices – namely the iPhone or iPod Touch – you get the same functionality, but can only be controlled by plugging it in via USB.

At launch, MyLink is only compatible with Stitcher and Pandora radio, with other apps due to be released later this year. The Chevrolet Volt and Equinox will be the first two models to come equipped with the new system, and in addition to voice-control functionality courtesy of Nuance, both models will be available with PowerMat’s inductive charging system, so you don’t have to worry about your Bluetooth-tethered phone running out of juice. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but expect MyLink to be available within the next few months. Hit the jump for the official release and get more details at our tech-obesessed sibling site Translogic.

Gallery: Chevrolet MyLink

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Chevrolet MyLink brings the app fight to Ford Sync, Toyota Entune originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota?

Filed under: Safety, Toyota

What price a reputation? That’s what Toyota will be learning in the months and years ahead as it struggles to recover from the safety scandal that has enveloped the company since it announced the first recall for unintended acceleration in October 2009.

There wasn’t a single Toyota model that didn’t land on the recall list at least once last year.

Going into the recession, certainly no company seemed better suited to weather the perfect storm than the Japanese giant, which had positioned itself as the leader in quality, reliability and dependability, or QRD in industry speak, as well as the benchmark for green mobility. Having ousted General Motors as the global king-of-the-hill, the Asian automaker seemed unstoppable.

Yet nearly seven years ago, I wrote a column suggesting Toyota might become the next GM if it weren’t careful, and even as the company’s sales continued growing, there were subtle signs of trouble in the offing – most notably in its slippage on the quality charts.

But few would have anticipated the sudden acceleration crisis, or the series of additional recalls that followed, month after month. In 2010, there wasn’t a single Toyota model that didn’t land on the recall list at least once – some repeatedly.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

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Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mommy blogger makes trouble for Toyota

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Toyota

Swagger Wagon Mommy Rachel Drummond

Toyota has seen more than its fair share of negative press over the past year and a half, but is the Japanese automaker willing to pay “mommy bloggers” to spread positive news? Mom site Dear Crissy reports that it received an email offering a $10 Amazon gift card in exchange for a post that highlights the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no software issues that led to the company’s unintended acceleration woes.

The email, which reportedly came from a company called Mommy Networks, cited Toyota’s damaged reputation, adding “we’re helping to spread the positive news.” The email asked for a blog post about NHTSA’s release with links to a few articles, some love on social networking sites and “thumbs up” votes for YouTube videos.

For its part, Toyota denies having anything to do with the offer, adding that the company “adheres to the highest standards when working with media, journalists and blogger and we find any sort of payment for editorials or blogs unethical and illegal according to FCC guidelines.”

Dear Crissy has since published an update indicating that the site has been contacted by both Mommy Networks and Toyota, both of which claim no affiliation with each other. Mommy Networks has since gone on to post a mea culpa on its website to both Crissy and Toyota.

[Sources: Dear Crissy via The Consumerist, MommyNetworks.org| Image: Toyota]

Mommy blogger makes trouble for Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota bringing iQ EV prototype to Geneva

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota iQ EV Prototype

Toyota iQ EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hybrids and electric vehicles have have been front and center at auto shows over the past few years, and next month’s Geneva Motor Show is proving to be no different. According to Toyota, the automaker will introduce an iQ EV prototype at the show, equipped with a new flat lithium ion battery capable of 65 miles of travel on a single charge. The rechargeable iQ could prove to be the next generation of the iQ EV II concept from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The iQ EV will supposedly be made available to European buyers as a lease-only proposition sometime in 2012. But will we ever see an iQ EV in the U.S.? Only if the gas-powered Scion iQ paves the way.

Gallery: Toyota iQ EV Prototype

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota bringing iQ EV prototype to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota FT-86 coupe to be named Scion FT-S?

Filed under: Coupe, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, Rumormill

Toyota FT-86 Concept

Toyota FT-86 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We know the Toyota rear-wheel-drive coupe will wear a Scion badge, and now we might finally know what it’s going to be called. The just-make-it-already Toyota FT-86 concept has evolved into the Scion FT-86 and word on the web is that the production version will be known as the Scion FT-S.

Look for the Scion FT-S coupe to make its debut at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Rumor has it that a 2.5-liter engine, not a 2.0-liter, will power the rear wheels and that Toyota plans a heavy marketing push aimed at the drifting crowd.

The Subaru version is slated for a Geneva debut, and the rumormill now suggests that all-wheel drive is planned for the Subaru coupe, which should easily differentiate it from the Scion FT-S and help keep the two cars from cannibalizing each other’s sales. If anyone’s listening, we’ll take an AWD Subaru coupe in full STI trim, please.

Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-86 Concept

[Source: Toyobaru]

Toyota FT-86 coupe to be named Scion FT-S? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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