Still plagued by the effects of the March 11th earthquake, Toyota won’t be able to turn a profit Stateside until September.

Sales of Toyotas have been plummeting since May: 33% then and 21% in June, and a projected 21-33% for the month of July. This comes on a total 4% slide from the first quarter, even though the rest of the industry saw an increase of 13%. Not good. And to make Toyota’s matters even worse, there’s still a shortage of cars and light trucks for dealer lots—one that won’t be fulfilled for weeks.

“Our market share will begin recovering this month, but it will be September or maybe October before we’re really growing again,” said Bob Carter, Toyota’s vice president for US sales. “We were in too deep a hole, and we’re still digging out.”

Weak consumer confidence is also not helping matters, even though Toyota is launching a boost in incentives to attract consumers. By September, however, Toyota should be back to regular production in both Japan and North America, especially with the new, perennially-popular Camry dropping this fall.

[Source: Bloomberg]

The barter system is alive and well, it seems, with the offer of a free goat (the animal kind, not the Pontiac kind). But it’s not what you think—on many different levels.

The company in question is Flyin’ Miata, which is well-known in the Miata world for their go-fast products. And if you buy a FMII Hydra turbo kit—good for a cool 265 rwhp—or spend at least $5,000 otherwise, the company will donate a goat to charity Heifer International, which supplies third-world nations with farm animals to ensure that communities there become self-sustaining.

For a small village, a goat can provide food, milk and fertilizer for crops. Goats can survive in extreme conditions and can be sold to provide educational resources, and can provide farmers with offspring to continue the cycle of escaping poverty. It’s not exactly lawn decoration for a Miata owner, though some of these animals are provided to rural families within the United States as well.

And as a fellow Miata owner, if you needed an excuse to hop up your car through the miracle of forced induction—now’s a good excuse. Go fast for charity!

[Source: Flyin' Miata]

As every automaker looks for ways to save fuel in order to meet the upcoming CAFE targets, Chrysler is proving that thrifty doesn’t necessarily have to mean small.

The company’s two full-size sedans, the rear-drive Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger are mostly recognized for their stature and performance (especially in SRT-8 form). But an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is scheduled for introduction this fall, both cars have a chance to deliver some surprising fuel economy numbers.

According to CEO Sergio Marchionne, the 3.6-liter V-6 versions of both sedans are expected to deliver around 31 miles per gallon on the highway, significantly improved from the current car (around 4 mpg better) and even thriftier than Japanese offerings such as the Honda Accord.

However, start adding V-8 engines and all-wheel drive into the mix and it’s likely such numbers will be harder to achieve (though Chrysler remains fairly buoyant on V-8 mpg estimates, stating the 5.7-liter Hemi engined cars are likely to get around 29 mpg on the open road). Technology such as more advanced cylinder deactivation and a front-wheel decoupling feature on AWD models, could mean that within a few years, there’s every chance these cars could return even higher numbers.

Source: [Automotive News]

It’s not often these days that an auto manufacturer reveals a luxuriously trimmed van, but at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show: Mercedes-Benz plans to do just that, by unveiling this, the V-Class Viano Vision Pearl.

Despite being hard to pronounce, this ‘design concept’ as the company puts it, aims to showcase just what is actually possible with the V-class. The central theme for the VVP revolves around that of a ‘sporting yacht,’ so you’ll find a wood floor, plenty of brushed aluminum trim and upholstery finished in ‘nautical’ colors, in this case white/gray leather.

Other touches include a BeoSound Viano Bang & Olufsen sound system, chromatically tinted windows and onboard Wide-Local Area Network communication access for people on the go.

On the outside, the VVP, makes a statement, by adopting ‘magno gray pearl’ a matt type hue, similar to Mercedes’ Designo paint and standard alloy wheels.

In an official press release, Mercedes-Benz said that the Viano Vision Pearl is designed to reflect that today, most people no longer travel just to get somewhere; instead the travel itself  ’is part of the experience.’  Volker Mohrnhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, went even further, stating that [the VVP] is not merely a functional van, but also a stylishly designed living space.”  Perhaps he and M-B can provide a few tips to the struggling airline industry, which seems to have forgotten that aspect of traveling.

Not yet, but it might be, says the company’s boss Colin Green, as he looks at possible future scenarios for the iconic off-roader. Although it hasn’t been sold here officially for many years, the Defender remains popular in other parts of the world, particularly with farmers, rescue workers and utilities, as well as the British military.

However, with ever tightening emission requirements and a need to broaden market appeal, Green says the current Defender will be a tough act to follow. “If we get it wrong we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons, and in that sense it’s a tremendous responsibility.”

As a result, the company is weighing in the possibility of discontinuing it’s most legendary product. “It’s our least preferred choice,” says Green, “because we have serviced that customer base for a long time, but there’s no point in servicing the customer and not the business. We have to make money.”

Other options currently being discussed include an update of the current model using Euro VI engines, or introducing a re-designed version with broader appeal, likely based on the LR4 chassis.

[Source: Auto Express]

General Motors is trailing  Nissan in electric car sales, prompting the the American automaker to boost output on Chevrolet Volt to 5,000 units a month as the automaker tries to take the lead.

Nissan sold 3,875 Leaf units in June while GM followed behind with 2,745 vehicle sales. Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevy Volt said, that while Nissan accelerated production faster than GM, the Detroit automaker will outstrip its Japanese rival and make 5,000 Volt vehicles as quickly as possible for January. Posawatz also said that GM will quickly expand output towards the goal of selling 10,000 Volts in the U.S annually.

“This is very much about supply constraints as opposed to a sales race,” Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Automotive, a research firm based in Lexington, Mass. “Next year will really show true demand for these kinds of cars and which one wins.”

[Source: GM Inside News]

Fiat and Chrysler can get to know each other a little better, now that CEO Sergio Marchionne has introduced a single team to manage both companies.

And it’s quite a shake-up: Fiat, Chrysler, and Lancia get new CEOs, while Fiat-Chrysler gets four regional executives to oversee the company in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Marchionne will be in charge of Fiat-Chrysler in North America himself.

The new CEOs include Gianni Coda, overseeing Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; Cledorvino Belini, the current head of Fiat Brazil who will expand his scope to the rest of South America; and Michael Manley, who moves from Jeep to take command of the Asian theater. Oliver Francois, current CEO of Chrysler/Lancia, will cross the street to Fiat, and Saad Chehab will instead take Francois’s former position.

These CEOs are all names to watch out for: they will be part of the Fiat-Chrysler high council, with one Marchionne to rule them all. With Fiat’s emphasis in America, Marchionne aims to merge the companies together quickly by 2014 and raise 100 billion Euros in sales revenue. Those who analyze the industry say this is typically Marchionne’s style. Given Fiat’s plans to increase its already over-50% share in Chrysler to 58.5%, don’t say Sergio ain’t serious.

[Source: Automotive News Europe]