toyota Archives | Page 8 of 22

Quick Spin: Toyota RAV4 EV

Filed under: Crossover, Toyota, Electric, Quick Spin

A Solid Electric CUV, For A Prototype

Toyota RAV4 EV

Toyota RAV4 EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ahh, the joys of driving a prototype vehicle. During the annual Toyota Sustainable Mobility Seminar in San Diego, California this week, Toyota brought in a handful of all-electric RAV4 EVs for us to tool around in, but there were some caveats: The route was decidedly highway-free; when it rained one afternoon, we were told it would be better to wait to drive the cars; and one journalist had a problem with his vehicle that made it sluggish. The biggest asterisk in the whole program, though, was that the RAV4 EVs we were testing are only a pale shadow of what the real RAV4 EVs will be like when Toyota releases them in the first quarter of 2012.

Why’s that? Because the current fleet of new RAV4 EVs was an intentional rush job by Toyota’s partner Tesla Motors to get vehicles into auto shows and on the road. A completely separate batch is being built to really get this model ready for production, and it will operate differently than the ones we got to drive this week. Still, we learned a lot about what’s coming by checking out what’s here today.

Continue reading Quick Spin: Toyota RAV4 EV…

Gallery: Toyota RAV4 EV: Quick Spin

Toyota RAV4 EV Toyota RAV4 EV rear 3/4 view

Quick Spin: Toyota RAV4 EV originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Quick Spin: Toyota RAV4 EV”

Report: Toyota to resume production at half-speed across Japan on April 18

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

Toyota Prius production line in Japan

With the exception of the facility that makes the Prius, Toyota plants in Japan have been closed following the earthquake disaster in Japan, but that is scheduled to change by April 18. The Associated Press is reporting that Toyota will resume production that day, though assembly lines will only work at half speed. The plants will run through April 27, when they will close again until May 9 to honor Japan’s Golden Week holiday. That’s a fairly short production window, but the move is likely welcome news to Toyota’s rank and file. The automaker has already lost 260,000 units since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Toyota’s plan to restart production comes as the automaker continues to struggle to procure parts needed for production. Toyota’s parts situation has improved, however, as the AP reports that problem part counts have gone from 500 to under 150.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda acknowledges that parts supply issues are still hurting the automaker, but adds “we are doing our utmost to improve the conditions so that we can deliver cars to many customers.”

[Source: Associated Press via Daily Tribune | Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty]

Report: Toyota to resume production at half-speed across Japan on April 18 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Toyota to resume production at half-speed across Japan on April 18”

Milestone Accomplished: Toyota sells one million Prius hybrids in U.S.

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

2011 Toyota Prius

2011 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

California Toyota dealers may or may not be running out of Priuses, but the hybrid is most certainly still popular. How else to explain the news that one million of the iconic fuel-mizers have been sold in the U.S., as Toyota just announced.

Back in mid-2008, the company said it had sold one million Priuses around the world, which was a big enough deal. To reach that landmark, it took around five years; the first Prius was introduced over a decade ago, but it was the second-generation Prius, introduced in 2003, that really sparked sales. It took Toyota only two more years to sell another million Priuses, and Toyota has sold over three million total hybrids as of October 2010. That sounds impressive, but Charlie Sheen got 3.4 million followers on Twitter in, like, a minute, so let’s keep things in perspective.

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Prius

2011 Toyota Prius

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Milestone Accomplished: Toyota sells one million Prius hybrids in U.S.

Milestone Accomplished: Toyota sells one million Prius hybrids in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Milestone Accomplished: Toyota sells one million Prius hybrids in U.S.”

Toyota and Microsoft hook up on next-gen telematics

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Toyota

toyota emblem

Toyota has officially announced that it’s teaming up with Microsoft. The two have formed a partnership with a goal of developing the next generation of telecommunication and information technology for automobiles.

Telematics, as readers are no doubt aware, encompasses technology that ranges from navigation systems and multimedia players to energy management. Utilizing the Windows Azure platform, Toyota and Microsoft will create a variety of systems that could begin appearing as early as 2012. The ultimate goal, however, will be to have a cloud platform from which Toyota customers can utilize telematics services around the globe. To reach that target, the companies are investing one billion yen (or nearly $12 million USD) in the joint venture.

We’re not yet sure if this will lead to a Ford Sync-like system for Toyota, but it’s certainly a good start towards creating one. Check past the jump for the full press release and more information on this partnership.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota and Microsoft hook up on next-gen telematics

Toyota and Microsoft hook up on next-gen telematics originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Toyota and Microsoft hook up on next-gen telematics”

Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus

Filed under: Car Buying, Lexus, Scion, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota is increasing the base MSRP for most models in its lineup. The only Toyota products that won’t see a price hike are the Tacoma light pickup, the Yaris sedan, the Scion tC and xB, the Lexus CT200h Hybrid, and the Lexus LFA.

Toyota’s price hikes range from $200 on the Yaris Liftback, to $900 on the Land Cruiser and Sequoia. According to Toyota, the individual price increases range from 1.2 to 2.1 percent. The changes become effective for American Toyotas built in May, and for Japanese cars with a May delivery date.

The Scion xD gets a price increase of $65, or .4 percent. Lexus prices increase from $600 for the GX 460 to $900 for the IS-F, LS sedans, GS 450h Hybrid and LX 570.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus

Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus”

Jury rules Toyota didn’t cause sudden acceleration accident

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

toyota unintended acceleration

Toyota faces hundreds of lawsuits for accidents involving unintended acceleration, but the automaker needs only to win them one at a time. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Toyota has done exactly that, as a New York jury ruled that the automaker was not responsible for an accident involving Dr. Amir Sitafalwalla.

Sitafalwalla claimed that his 2005 Scion tC accelerated on its own either through a throttle problem or a faulty floor mat, causing him to run into a tree. The jury didn’t see it that way. Penny Overbeck, one of the jurors on the case, says that Toyota’s extensive testing played a role in her decision, adding, “They had it all on video. It pretty much explained it.”

This is just one case in what will doubtless be a protracted legal process for Toyota, but it’s an important victory nonetheless. It’ll be tough for Toyota to win them all, though, since the automaker did recall millions of vehicles for stuck brake pedals and defective floor mats. Sitafalwalla and his legal team are currently considering an appeal of the decision.

[Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek]

Jury rules Toyota didn’t cause sudden acceleration accident originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Jury rules Toyota didn’t cause sudden acceleration accident”

eBay Find of the Day: 1967 Toyota 2000GT makes our hearts sing

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Toyota, Specialty

1967 Toyota 2000 GT

1967 Toyota 2000 GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 1967 Toyota 2000 GT is a unique beast in that it seems above reproach by even the harshest automotive critics. 44 years after the first 2000 GT rolled out of the Toyota factory, it checks all the right boxes. It’s fast, gorgeous, insanely rare and marked a new era for its manufacturer.

Prior to the 2000 GT, Toyota was known for spitting out small, reliable, cheap sedans and four-by-fours that got the job done admirably, but lacked a little je ne sais quoi. The 2000 GT changed all that, and showed that Toyota could hang with Italian blue-bloods like Ferrari almost at the flip of a switch.

Toyota wound up building just 351 2000 GTs for worldwide consumption. Just 84 of those were left-hand-drive, with only 62 making it to the States. This is one of perhaps 40 American-delivery 2000 GTs that still exist. It’s a one-owner car, bought in St. Louis, Missouri. After a long time in storage, the car got a thorough detail job, engine rebuild and interior freshening at Maine Line Exotics in Biddeford, Maine. It’s available on eBay with a stupefying $650,000 Buy-It-Now. If you have the means, we suggest you do just that.

Gallery: 1967 Toyota 2000GT

1967 Toyota 2000GT

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1967 Toyota 2000GT makes our hearts sing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “eBay Find of the Day: 1967 Toyota 2000GT makes our hearts sing”

Report: Toyota Yaris plant to be shuttered for at least another month

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Lexus, Toyota

2011 Toyota Yaris five-door liftback

Production issues in Japan continue three weeks after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated the island nation. Major Japanese automakers have consistently pushed back plant start-up times and Toyota is no different, with a current forecast of an April 11 or April 14 re-boot. And that’s best-case scenario. The automaker said in a statement Tuesday that it was looking into supply issues, adding “depending on vehicle type, there may be a significant impact on our production capabilities.”

Automotive News reports that the longest wait time could be for Toyota’s Miyagi assembly plant, which makes the Yaris subcompact. Sources tell AN that the plant will likely be down for at least a month, as ruptured gas lines in the facility link to a heavily damaged natural gas plant in the quake-devastated region of Sendai. The automaker is said to be looking at other options to power the otherwise repaired facility. The prolonged shutdown at the Miyagi plant could ultimately affect Toyota’s U.S. supply of Yaris models, which only come from that plant.

One factory that has been revitalized is the plant that makes the Prius, Lexus CT 200h and Lexus HS250h. But a source apparently informed AN that a Toyota purchasing executive admits that the facility is only running at half capacity.

Right now, the situation in Japan hasn’t had much affect on U.S. vehicle availability, but a prolonged shutdown of supplier plants could be devastating. IHS Global Insight estimates that 30 percent of the world’s global auto production could be lost if Japan plants remain closed for six weeks or more.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Toyota Yaris plant to be shuttered for at least another month originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Toyota Yaris plant to be shuttered for at least another month”

Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener

Filed under: Sedan, Toyota, UK, Racing

Toyota Avensis BTCC

Toyota Avensis BTCC – Click above for high-res image gallery

Touring car racing is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance as of late. DTM is growing from a German national series to a proper international championship, while the World Touring Car Championship is living up to its name by expanding outside Europe. V8 Supercars are as popular as ever Down Under, just as Super GT is in Japan. But arguably the most resurgent is the British Touring Car Championship.

Title-sponsored by Dunlop, this year’s BTCC will feature no fewer than 27 competitors – and all-time high for the series – fielding 13 different models from 10 manufacturers, representing Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Proton, Seat, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. That could very well be higher and more varied participation than any other major racing series in the world.

When the BTCC launched its Next Generation Touring Car formula, it was Toyota’s British subsidiary that kicked it off with the new Avensis racer, which has finally made its public debut at Silverstone – a little behind schedule, but still a week before the series gets under way at Brands Hatch. The car will be campaigned by Dynojet Racing and Speedworks, with Frank Wrathall, Jr. and Tony Hughes behind the wheel of each, respectively. The cars are built atop frames rolling right off the assembly line at Toyota’s Burnaston plant, and powered by a turbochagred 2.0-liter four with over 300 horsepower. Check out the full press blast after the jump for more.

Gallery: Toyota Avensis BTCC

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener

Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener”

Report: Jury selection underway for Toyota unintended acceleration case

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Scion

Scion logo

According to a new Bloomberg report, jury selection has commenced in a lawsuit against Toyota stemming from the unintended acceleration debacle. Amir Sitafalwalla sued Toyota in 2008, claiming that his 2005 Scion accelerated uncontrollably and only stopped when he hit a tree.

This is the first unintended acceleration case to reach trial after Toyota recalled millions of vehicles in 2009 to fix the unintended acceleration. Sitafalwalla’s case goes to trial in Central Islip, Long Island later this month.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Jury selection underway for Toyota unintended acceleration case originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Jury selection underway for Toyota unintended acceleration case”