Tag: toyota

Report: Contrary to rumors, Toyota FT-86 development on track, expected Nov. 2011

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Toyota, Rumormill

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

According to 7Tune, Toyota recently held at shindig in Japan for select scribes in order to get some things straight about its Toyota G’s performance vehicles. Naturally, talk quickly turned to the FT-86 (or FR-S) Although it was reported two months ago that the much-anticipated sports coupe would be delayed until 2013 for design and powerplant reasons, the Toyota engineers at the event reportedly attested that “the car is on schedule” and still has a planned release date of November 2011.

Clarity on the lineup was offered as well: Three spec levels will be available with at least two engines, and the mid-range model is expected to run around 2.5 million yen ($28,500 USD). Further, it appears that a turbocharged variant will take the top slot. According to 7Tune, none of those engines will be a hybrid – that tech is being reserved for a different sporty product.

If there’s any news from the event that makes us as excited as word that we might see the car next year, it’s the head of the sports division saying that “because of Toyota’s connection with Subaru, there was no way that the car wasn’t going to be great.” We hope he knows what he’s talking about. Top tip, Andrew!

Gallery: Toyota G Sports Series

[Source: 7Tune]

Report: Contrary to rumors, Toyota FT-86 development on track, expected Nov. 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota getting a unified look

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Japan, Design/Style

Toyota Venza – Click above for high-res image gallery

Word has it that Toyota is looking to put its new reputation for shaky quality and safety behind it by moving to a new corporate face. Evidently, head honcho Akio Toyoda has called for his company’s products to have a more emotional appeal as part of a new global product philosophy, and as such, we can expect all of the automaker’s models to wear a similar look across the board. According to Inside Line, the new language will be aimed squarely at making the company’s smaller offerings appear larger. So far, there’s no word as to whether or not this plan will spread to Lexus.

Evidently, Toyota is going to be spending the biggest hunk redesign efforts on tailoring both its vehicles exteriors and interiors to European tastes. The logic being that what flies in the old country will perform similarly well elsewhere around the globe. If that means the company is going to step up its materials game, we’re all for it. In the mean time, we’ll brace ourselves for an onslaught of carbon-copy models. You gotta love progress.

Gallery: 2009 Toyota Venza Press Shots

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Toyota getting a unified look originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota ‘victims’ urge passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, Toyota

No one can accuse our legislative process of being particularly swift. Even in the midst of one of the most productive congressional sessions in years, it takes plenty of hemming and hawing to push a bill all the way from committee to law. Unfortunately, a group of individuals affected by the recent rash of runaway Toyota vehicles must not have gotten that memo. A group of family members of those who died in instances of unintended acceleration recently met with members of congress to discuss the obstacles facing the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010.

The bill specifically addresses the need for brake override systems on all new cars as well as so-called black boxes, or event data recorders, but it also ensures that federal investigators will be able to quickly access information stored on a vehicle in case of a widespread safety emergency. Meanwhile, the bill has run into some opposition. Most automakers have come out in favor of EDR’s, but have found issue with other portions of the legislation.

Other potential snags include worries about the cost of the added technology. As such, proponents of the bill have decided to underscore the need for such a law for fear that the topic will grow cold in the public’s memory. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety | Image: Kevin Burkett | CC2.0]

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Toyota ‘victims’ urge passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles

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

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

Following on the heels of our earlier report about yesterday’s scheduled hearing between Toyota and Alex Severinsky at the International Trade Commission came word that the parties have settled. Neither side has released any details about the agreement – and they probably won’t. Toyota had previously been found guilty of infringing upon Severinsky’s patent, which centers around getting power to a vehicle’s wheels with a gasoline-electric vehicle using both high- and low current.

In all likelihood, Toyota agreed to pay royalties to PAICE (Severinsky’s company) for all of the hybrids it has sold and will sell in the United States until the patent expires in 2012. This means that the threat of a ban on imports of Toyota hybrids has been lifted – at least until the next case.

In related news, Ford has also settled with PAICE over hybrid patent issues. The details are confidential, but there’s a bit more information after the jump.

[Sources: Bloomberg, PAICE]

Continue reading Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles

Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Toyota ‘strongly objects’ to NHTSA allegations it planted story in WSJ

Filed under: Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Toyota has officially spoken out against allegations that it planted a story in The Wall Street Journal that attributed the majority of the company’s unintended acceleration woes to driver error rather than entrapped floor mats or faulty software. The Japanese company’s American arm emailed a statement to Just-Auto saying that no one within Toyota has any access to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s research, and that no one in the government agency had reported any findings to the automaker.

As you may recall, The Wall Street Journal article cited “people familiar with” the NHTSA’s research on the Toyota unintended acceleration problem. It wasn’t long before fingers began pointing back at Toyota for supposedly planting the story with the WSJ. Just-Auto originally cited a spokesperson with the NHTSA who said that the information that the publication used came from Toyota.

In its defense, Toyota has said that any reports that claim that the company planted a news story are absolutely false. In its independent research, Toyota has found a number of causes of unintended acceleration, one of which happens to be “pedal misapplication.” For those of us that don’t speak corporate, that would be driver error. Whether that means that someone at the The Wall Street Journal managed to get their sources crossed or whether the NHTSA is simply trying to cover its bases after leaking otherwise confidential information remains to be seen.

[Source: Just-Auto | Image: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty]

Followup: Toyota ‘strongly objects’ to NHTSA allegations it planted story in WSJ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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