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Details have emerged about the latest model of the Valley's most self-righteous ride, the 2009 Toyota Prius, which hasn't been significantly updated since 2004. It will reportedly be longer, faster and more fuel-efficient. Also, the range of available models is expected to grow — anything from a smaller coupe to a larger, Lexus-like luxury sedan. What's not mentioned?
A factory-installed plug-in hybrid option — though I wonder if tapping a coal-powered electrical grid improves the Prius's carbon footprint that greatly. The real questions are: Who will prove more environmental in the court of pseudoscientific, envirosocial one-upsmanship — the owners who hold on to their existing vehicle, or those who trade in for the new, more fuel-efficient ones? And will the Bay Area see more violent, Prius-hating backlash?(Photo by Rick Audet) http://valleywag.com/384880/new-hybr...ghtly-less-gas
At a press conference in Japan today, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe finally confirmed that his company is jointly developing a pair of rear-wheel-drive sports cars with Subaru. Each brand will get its own version of the car, which will be powered by one of Subaru's boxer engines, though the engine's displacement, power output and even number of cylinders is not yet known.
Toyota is eyeing a return to the world's most famous endurance race, the French 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a hybrid race car: a first in the race's 84-year history. "We want to enter when we are confident of victory," said to Kazuo Okamoto, who heads up the company's research and development department. Such an attitude certainly fits in with the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" approach, as racing has been proven to test and improve technology that will trickle down to street cars customers can buy, not to mention boosting Toyota's "green" image.
The Japanese auto giant has not announced when it will return to Le Mans, with Okamoto saying only that Toyota's hybrid racing efforts may resume in 2009, as per Automotive News Europe. Participating in the race next year would mark Toyota's 10-year absence from Le Mans, where it finished second in 1999 before moving on to focus on Formula One.
Last year, a Toyota Supra hybrid won Japan's 24-hour endurance race, the Tokachi 24, though Okamoto is quick to downplay that accomplishment: "The Tokachi means nothing," he said. "Our goal is a step higher."
Okamoto went to say the company will introduce high-tech hybrid technology in... [Read More]
Scion sales have hit a slump in the last 17 months, with a peak of 175,000 units sold in 2006, the youth-marketed brand's sales have dipped to 130,000 vehicles last year. The solution will likely come from three new vehicles to be released in the next few years. Scion's veep, Jack Hollis, told Automotive News in an interview during the Big Apple bash, that Scion is "studying two or three models in conceptual form right now." Unfortunately, one of those was the Hako Coupe concept that was unveiled in New York and was met with considerable backlash from attendees and those of you following the show from home (check the comments Scion).
While a two-door xB was the prototypical answer to a question no one asked, Hollis questioned (out loud) what products are in the pipeline. "Could it be a truck? A hybrid? An SUV? A subcompact roadster? We are not limiting our search." We'll answer those for you: no, maybe, no and Hell yes. The Scion rep said that the current 130,000 mark is good for the three "core" vehicles in its lineup, but products that are more... [Read More]
Back in 2006, Toyota was the first non-American company to crack Fortune's list as one of the Most Admired Companies in America by coming in at number nine. A year later, they jumped up to number three on the list. This year, they remain on the list at the fifth position, despite posting huge sales gains worldwide and passing Ford as the second largest seller of automobiles in America. Of course, not everything has been roses for Toyota along the way, but it's hard to argue that the automaker's ascendancy hasn't been well-earned.
The list changes a bit when the rest of the world's admirers are counted too. Toyota remains high on that list staking out the number two spot overall, while the only other automaker in the top ten is BMW at number nine. We would have expected to see Honda higher than number 23, considering that they are quite successful in both the automotive and the motorcycle market, as well as being the largest manufacturer of engines in the world. It's notable that no American car... [Read More]
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