There has been a trend of high profile NHTSA investigations recently, the most notable being Toyota‘s unintended acceleration and GM‘s Chevy Volt fire hazard. Although both cases have closed, NHTSA has announced a new case involving 830,000 Toyota vehicles for possible fire hazards.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating a possible fire hazard that affects 830,000 Toyota vehicles made in 2007. This investigation consists the 2007 Toyota Camry, Solara, and RAV4. According to reports, Toyota owners have complained of a fire originating from the driver’s door. In a particular report, an owner claimed that a burning odor came from the door, then ignited in flames and destroyed the vehicle. No injuries were reported. Investigators believe it is a malfunction of the master switch controlling power windows.

Recently, Honda has also recalled a million CR-V and Fit models for defected power-window master switches that caused fires.

Before it was floor mats, now its power window switches. Sometimes the smallest components seem to cause Toyota the biggest problems.

What could be cooler than a Toyota GT 86? How about a lighter and less-expensive version, stripped down of all the unwanted frills straight from the factory and ready to be your blank-canvas of customization?

That is exactly what Toyota has done, offering the GT 86 RC model, the perfect package for anyone who wants to convert it into a track car, or modify the hell out of it.

Included in the package are 16-inch steelie wheels that we haven’t seen since the days of a 1993 Honda Civic VX hatchback. The front and rear bumpers, side mirrors, and door handles all come unpainted and of course the fog lights are gone. Even better, the interior comes without air conditioning, all the trim around the steering wheel and shifter and even tosses out the plastic intake cover under the hood – all parts that most car enthusiasts probably would never care for to begin with.

To top it off, Toyota of Japan is pricing this RC model at 1.9-million Yen, which is about $24,600 based on today’s conversion rates. While that’s nothing to really go off of to determine the pricing of the Scion FR-S in America, the point is that it is significantly cheaper than your standard base model GT 86 in Japan. To top it off, it weighs 100-lb less than the base GT 86.

Sadly, the RC trim is currently only available in Japan and Toyota has made no hint that it will offer the RC trim in America.

Check it out below, as well as several other trim models available for the GT 86 overseas, which includes a top-of-the-line GT Limited.

GALLERY: Toyota GT 86 Model Variants

Click here to read AutoGuide’s First Drive of the Scion FR-S

Toyota is taking big steps towards moving hybrids down-market. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show the Japanese automaker will unveil the production version of its Yaris Hybrid and that’s just the start. Also set to be revealed is what Toyota is calling the FT-Bh concept.

A size down from even the sub-compact Yaris, look for the FT-Bh to be iQ sized. Toyota says it will be a full-hybrid and be “ultra-lightweight”, and yet don’t expect the use of pricey composite materials like carbon fiber. Instead, Toyota says the car will utilize materials that are currently commonplace in the industry. In a release, the automaker says the city car is designed to, “achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework,” meaning that it is most certainly already cued for production.

Numerous other concept cars will be on display at the Toyota booth, including the NS4 and FCV-R Concepts. The NS4 is a look at an all-new hybrid from Toyota, while the FCV-R uses a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain and is targeted for sale by 2015.

Joining those two will be Toyota’s diji concept, looking at the future of car-driver interaction and personalization.

And let’s not forget the European premiere of the Toyota GT 86 sports car.

GALLERY: Toyota Geneva Motor Show Preview

Following on from its well received “100 Cars for Good” program last year, Toyota announced at the Chicago Auto Show that it would be returning for 2012.

The program will run over the course of 100 days, with Toyota awarding 100 vehicles to 100 non profit organizations in the US. In order to determine which non profits receive the cars, Toyota has organized a public voting pole on its corporate Facebook page, with the winners selected based on the highest number of votes.

Non profits interested in participating in the program can register online, beginning March 12, with the enrollment process lasting for two weeks or until 5,000 applications have been received. From these, an independent judging panel, whose members specialize in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility will select 500 finalists. These finalists are then invited to submit videos showing how the addition of a new vehicle would help them in their work. Each of the videos will be posted on the Toyota 100 cars website. From there, beginning in May, voters will then select the 100 winners over the course of 100 days.

“At Toyota, we appreciate what a big difference a new car can make for organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities across the country,” remarked Michael Rouse, Toyota’s vice president of philanthropy and community affairs. “Over the last 20 years, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits throughout the U.S. and  100 Cars for Good allows us to build on that commitment in important, new ways by making the public an integral part of these efforts and harnessing the power of social media to expand awareness and galvanize support for organizations that are having such a tremendous impact in neighborhoods nationwide.”

The numbers are always changing and a new list of the Top 10 best-selling vehicles in history, compiled by 24/7 Wall St. has a new model on top.

There are some surprises on the list, but for the most part it all makes sense. Whether they’ve been in production for a long time or they’re reasonably priced worldwide, the top 10 best-selling cars of all time might not be the most exciting, but are clearly the most popular throughout history.

The Chevrolet Impala is the only GM vehicle on the list and has quite the history since hitting the market 54 years ago. Starting its life as a large two-door performance coupe, the Impala evolved into a versatile sedan. Or as we like to call it, a rental car. Ironically, it isn’t actually offered as a coupe anymore, which seems like a distant memory after 10 generations of upgrades.

You might believe that a high-tech hybrid might cost you an arm and a leg, but the Prius c may surprise you.

Toyota has officially announced the pricing and trim levels of the new Prius c. There will be four versions available, each called grades. Each grade will come with the same hybrid power train, and safety features.

The ticket to 50mpg costs $18,950 for the first grade.  If you want more in your Prius c, you can opt for one of the other grades, each offering more options than the next. Grade two costs $19,900 and offers convenience features like intermittent wipers, fold down rear seats, cruise control, better speakers and center console with armrest and storage.

To get your geek on, you’ll have to pay $21,635 and go for grade three, which has Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. The Entune system has a 6.1-inch touch-screen with navigation and premium audio services that connect to your iPod. Entune also packs in real-time traffic and weather information, and can even help you find a place to eat, using the Bing, and OpenTable integration. Grade Three also comes with bluetooth hands-free phone, and voice commands and door handles which can be locked, or unlocked with one touch.

Lastly there is Grade four, which has everything grade three has to offer, as well as 15-inch alloys, foglights, heated seats and power outside mirrors. Grade four will cost $23,230.

Extra optional equipment is only available for the Grade Three and Four models.

Buyers can expect the Prius c in dealerships as soon as March. For more information on the 2012 Toyota Prius c check out our review.

When you’re the CEO of a company, it must bring a sense of pride when a successful product is finally completed after years of hard work.

Steve Jobs over at Apple had great pride in every iPhone that was released, and probably had a huge sense of satisfaction not only using the product he helped develop, but seeing the benefits it has on all the people around him. Akio Toyoda, CEO and President of Toyota, must be extremely proud with their new GT 86 sports car, but boy does he reap all the benefits of being the head of one of the largest automakers in the world.

Toyoda got behind the wheel of their newest creation, but being the CEO means you get to do anything you want without having to answer to anybody. So what better way to really enjoy the newest toy your company has to offer than to take it out onto a dirt track and going sideways in it? Easy, take it out on a giant snow field and go drifting in it.

And judging by the huge smiles on Toyoda’s face in the video, he loves the new GT 86 as much as we did. Autoguide had the opportunity to put the Scion FR-S to the test – you can read our review here – and we would certainly be proud of it if we were in charge of running the famous Japanese automaker. Too bad we didn’t get the chance to take it sideways in the dirt and snow though.

Get more info and news on the GT 86/FR-S forum.

Watch the video after the break, that truly reminds us that the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S will make it “Fun to drive: again.”

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Last month, Toyota alluded to the possibility that an Avalon Hybrid was in the works, claiming that a car under development would have “more space than a BMW X5, faster than a Volkswagen TDI and higher MPG than a Fiat 500.”

And now we pretty much have confirmation that the vehicle Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter was speaking about is the upcoming Avalon that will most definitely be employing the use of a hybrid system. Toyota executives at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention promised that the all-new Avalon will “meet or beat” the 33-mpg combined rating of the Fiat 500.

Set to make its debut at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, the new Avalon Hybrid would be a huge improvement over the current 20-mpg city, 29-mpg highway offered in this generation Avalon. Chances are, Toyota will reach for their system seen in the Camry Hybrid that has 200-hp and a 41-mpg combined rating.

Toyota also announced at the event that they intend to release 19 new models (including the Avalon) in 2012 alone.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Toyota wasn’t kidding when it called The Camry Effect “one of the most ambitious social media campaigns we’ve ever implemented.”

In the days leading up to the super bowl, Twitter users were spammed by a whole army of Toyota’s verified Twitter accounts. Users who tweeted anything in regards to the big game, especially with hashtags of #Giants, or #Patriots, were sent a reply by one of Toyota’s Camry Effect Accounts, informing that person about the contest. Even unsuspecting Twitter users were spammed; those who never even mentioned the Super Bowl.

Eventually, after many complaints, all but one of the Camry Effect accounts were suspended, and the remaining account was then switched to Private, making last night’s tweets only available to those that Toyota allow.

Later, Kimberley Gardiner, Toyota’s social media manager commented on the situation. “We apologize to anyone in the Twitter-verse who received an unwanted @reply over the past few days. We were excited to share the message of our Camry Effect campaign in a new way and it was never our intention to displease anyone. We’ve certainly learned from this experience and have suspended the accounts effective immediately to avoid any additional issues.”

Toyota is taking the blame, although it’s not entirely clear the automaker was in full control. Toyota employs the services of ad firm Saatchi & Saatchi, which in turn sub-contracts some of its work to social media marketing agency known as American Pop. A representative of American Pop has contacted AutoGuide to distance itself from the campaign, however, with Gipson Bachman, the Director of Digital Strategy commenting that, “our company was
not responsible for the tweets you received from Toyota’s efforts…”

Toyota will be launching a “Shazam Campaign” similar to that of The Camry Effect with the 2013 Lexus GS. The idea is that while watching TV, viewers can use the Shazam app on their mobile phone to gain extra TV content, media on the Lexus GS, and a chance to win “a custom travel package.” Hopefully, there will be less reliance on spamming twitter this time around.

[Souce: TheNextWeb]

The overwhelming demand in Japan for the new Toyota Prius c (known as the Toyota Aqua Hybrid) could affect the number of vehicles the US receives when they start to arrive in March.

Toyota reported that they have received 120,000 orders in Japan for their new compact hybrid sedan, a number 10-times the 12,000 they were targeting per month.

The smaller compact hybrid, produced by Toyota subsidiary Kanto Auto Works Ltd. in the northern prefecture of Iwate, could see a boost in production from 240,000 a year to 320,000 a year. Currently a customer that orders the Aqua Hybrid in Japan will have to wait until at least July to get their vehicle, causing us to wonder how this will affect American availability.

“We haven’t set a sales plan for the United States yet, and so we can’t say how much the affect would be,” Toyota spokeswoman Amiko Tomita said. In the past, Toyota had no problems diverting Prius production back to its home country, leaving America with shortages. The Prius c could also be in high demand in America, with its fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain and its below $20,000 MSRP. Current Prius owners seeking the best bang for their buck might have no problems “trading down” to the smaller, more efficient, and cheaper hybrid.

GALLERY: Toyota Prius c

[Source: Autoweek]

Did you think that every automaker’s secrets were revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? Think again.

At least ten new models will debut at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, which kicks-off this Wednesday, February 8th. Here’s a quick round up of what to expect:

Acura

The ILX Sports Sedan will debut, and replace the TSX. The new ILX will be based on Honda’s Civic platform, and share the powertrain choices. Additionally, the ILX will show off three engines, including a Hybrid. The ILX will be targeted towards a younger crowd, and is being called a “gateway” to the luxury brand lineup.

Joining the ILX will be a new RDX. The popular SUV will be redesigned and will show off a wider track, a longer wheelbase and a new V6 engine. The RDX will be showing off some new technologies as well, including Pandora Internet Radio, and a Text-to-Speech SMS voice texting.

See the rest of our Chicago Auto Show preview below:

Chrysler

Mopar will take most of the show, debuting Mopar models of the Fiat 500, Dodge Dart and Jeep Compass. Additionally, a few kits of the Mopar Chrysler 300 will be shown off.

Ram Trucks will also make an appearance at the show, with the Laramie Limited editions of their pickups, that showcase a comfortable interior decked out in high gloss and leather.

Ford

Ford will bring out a convertible of its ultimate pony car, the GT500. The same 650-hp V8 that’s in the standard GT500 will still be here in the convertible, but we’ve yet to hear if the 200 mph top speed will stick around.

General Motors

GMC’s Acadia will be showing off its new look in Chicago. This 2013 version will be the crossover’s first major styling change since it first appeared in 2006. The Acadia will be the first of many new 2013 GMC models to get a new grille, and will likely be kitted with the new Intillilink infotainment system.

Two other GM crossovers will be redesigned in the same vein: the Buick Encore, and Chevrolet Traverse.

Hyundai

A new Elantra Coupe will be Hyundai’s latest showing at Chicago. This would mark the first time the Elantra has ever been made as a coupe, and will be based on the sedan, and will likely be a bit sportier. Sales could begin as soon as spring.

Additionally, a new version of the Elantra wagon will be seen at the show. The new wagon, will be based on the European Hyundai i30 is expected to launch this summer in North America.

Kia

Imagine a Soul with some sport. What you’ve got in mind is Kia’s Trak’ster, a concept that was designed by Kia’s California team, and will be seen and explained in Chicago. Many details of the car are still in limbo, hopefully Chicago will help clear things up.

Nissan

Fans of the sporty Z cars will be happy to know that the 2013 refresh of the 370Z will be at the Show.

Also, a new version of Nissans commercial truck, the NV will be seen. The NV200 will be a five passenger model to be used primarily as a taxi. The bigger NV1500/2500 and 3000 also be on the floor, including a version for up to 12 passengers.

Toyota

The 2013 Land Cruiser will be launched this month, and we’ll get a preview of the floor-room model in Chicago. The new model will show off a new headlights, side mirrors, taillights, as well as new chrome side molding.

Volkswagen

A new diesel powered Beetle will hit the show floor at Chicago. The new Bug will have three trim levels, and VW tells us it will get 29-mpg city, and 39 mpg highway.

To stay up to date on the latest Chicago Auto Show news, visit our coverage page here.

The Toyota GT 86 is being hyped as a drift car extraordinaire, which seems to be a fitting title after watching the video below.

This video comes out of Japan, and shows off two GT 86s, (which will be badged as Scion FR-Ss in North America), drifting around an impromptu pylon marked track. Both the drivers are out having some fun, and showing off their skills for the crowd.

Check out the video abelow, and let us know what you think of the Toyota GT 86 in the comments section below.

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