Excitement gathered around Toyota as the company announced a factory-backed return to Le Mans in the LMP1 category. Now, it seems like Toyota will be taking its racing efforts to a new level. During its glory days, Toyota enjoyed 43 victories as well as seven FIA world rally titles. From 1973 through 1999, Toyota was…
Toyota has officially announced its new framework called Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) which the Japanese automaker will use to develop multiple models simultaneously in order to boost the quantity of common parts used across its vehicles. The move is similar to what multiple automakers are striving for in developing less platforms but more models….
Despite the commitment of many automakers to go green, consumers do not share the sentiment. According to a Polk study released today, almost two-thirds of U.S. hybrid buyers do not return to the market for another hybrid. The only exception in the survey is from the best-selling Toyota Prius, receiving a repurchase rate of 41…
Toyota is extremely proud of its new GT 86, and out in Japan, its motorsports partner Gazoo Racing has built a pair of GT 86s to compete in the famous Nürburgring 24 Hours race. The race will take place from May 17th to the 20th and Gazoo Racing will also be fielding a Lexus LFA…
Toyota has opened a new dedicated office in California’s Silicon Valley to further localize its research and development activities in North America. The new Toyota Technical Center will focus on enhancing the customer’s experience with in-vehicle infotainment systems. The new Toyota Technical Center will co-locate with the Toyota Info Technology Center in their Mountain View,…
In stylish new clothes, inside and out, the 2013 Toyota Avalon debuted today at the New York Auto Show. Despite getting a refresh in 2011, Toyota seems to have recognized that its full-size sedan, aimed squarely at baby boomers looking for value and comfort, needed a new face to continue competing with the ever-changing car…
Lexus introduced its all-new ES300h hybrid with a fuel-efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine at the New York Auto Show today. Attaining a combined 39-mpg rating, Lexus boasts tech innovations in its 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine like low-friction components, a variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) technology and a 12.5:1 compression ratio, the in-line four-cylinder combines with Lexus Hybrid…
It’s not often that a game changing sports car comes out onto the market. The Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S is exactly that, and it’s clear that tuners and aftermarket product manufacturers are just as excited for the platform as automotive enthusiasts are. There’s little to no doubt in our minds that the Scion…
The Toyota GT 86 will be making its way to America soon as the Scion FR-S, and the Japanese automaker wanted to remind the general public that not only was the vehicle built with passion, but they would like us to drive with passion. The clip is made to get our blood flowing in anticipation…
The 2013 Toyota Venza has been released by Toyota one day before it is unveiled formally at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The re-designed Venza’s exterior styling has undergone a serious update, and is getting a new upper and lower grille, new fog lamps and rear taillights. The body style has grown a little more…
When last we spoke to Scion boss Jack Hollis, his interest in a small truck for the youth brand was undeniable. Now reports of increased production at the automaker’s RAV4 facility in Woodstock, Ontario have spawned new rumors about the as yet unconfirmed sixth model in the Scion lineup. Increased production of the RAV4 (up…
Last week, Toyota announced that it would be bringing an all-new U.S. designed sedan to the New York Auto Show and presented us with a single teaser image of the vehicle’s rear-end. And in stunning fashion, the Japanese automaker had its all-new sedan hoisted up similar to the presumably Lexus ES that was teased on Lexus’s…
In 2007, Top Gear aired the “Polar Special”, documenting Jeremy Clarkson and James May’s Toyota Hilux racing against Richard Hammond and a team of sled dogs. Amid the childish antics of the three television presenters lay a landmark achievement — this was the first time any expedition had ever reached the Magnetic North Pole in…
Toyota Motor Sales has announced MSRP increases for select Toyota and Scion models with the price jumps ranging from $150 to $270 from its previous model year to its current one. The 2012 Toyota Prius v Hybrid gets a price increase of $150 for the Two, Three, and Five trim models. The Camry L and…
We fell in love with the Toyota GT 86 when we first drove it, so how could it get any better? Well, try more than doubling the car’s factory displacement by swapping out the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter boxer 4-cylinder for a 5.0-liter V8. Donated from a Lexus IS-F, this custom machine is the ride of choice…
What’s the real benefit to autonomous cars? To be able to eat your Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch while it drives you to your destination of course. In all seriousness, Google’s self-driving car just did its biggest and best promotional video yet. The autonomous Toyota Prius shuttled around Steve Mahan, a legally blind man, through…
The Scion FR-S has been on every car-enthusiasts mind for quite a while now. Today we find a video that will certainly help pass the time before the release. A Toyota GT86 (known to us as the Scion FR-S) Testing with full Toyota Racing Development (TRD) trim. In this video you can spot a few upgrades…
This year marks Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee, and to celebrate, a gathering of sixty rare and beautiful cars will be brought together at the quadrangle in Windsor Castle in England. Only cars of the highest caliber have been invited to the event, and will be arriving at the castle from all over the world. One car from…
Ever wonder just how different men are from women when it comes to picking their vehicle of choice? Here’s a top 10 list of vehicles with the highest proportion of female buyers, provided by Polk via InsideLine. There are a few unexpected models on the list, and a couple of models that, to our surprise,…
Another video of the highly anticipated Toyota GT 86 has emerged, showing off the process behind turning the rear-wheel drive sports coupe into a competitive rally car. The 49 second clip doesn’t detail too much about the rally car, simply teasing us about the looks. However, the Toyota 86 looks like a superb specimen for…
Toyota has announced today that it will be bringing an all new U.S. designed sedan to show off at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The details are sparse on what the new car will be, with Toyota saying, “the sedan’s exciting new design features an elegant yet athletic look.” The new car could possibly…
The Toyota Tacoma was recalled earlier this month for a fault in the steering wheel spiral cable design, which the company claimed affected 2005 to 2009 models. Today, Toyota has expanded the recall to include all 2005 to 2012 model year Tacomas. The issue is that the steering wheel spiral cable rubs against the retainer inside…
After announcing an initial green car partnership at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, BMW and Toyota have now signed a collaborative research agreement to develop the next-generation of lithium-ion battery cells. The plan by both automakers is to focus on improving the performance and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells, using new materials for cathodes, anodes…
Toyota supports environmental consciousness by holding the annual Lexus Eco Challenge competition, encouraging middle and high school students to practice eco-friendliness in creative ways. Since the program’s inception, $4 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to middle and high school students for their distinguished projects. “Through this program, more than 25,000 participants have demonstrated…
