Germans paying American workers less
December 27, 2011 by Obrien Auto Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hybrid , Europe , Technology , BMW , Lexus , Toyota , Diesel Automotive News reports Lexus won’t be getting any diesel engines from BMW as part of the new collaboration between parent company Toyota and the German automaker. BMW and Toyota are set to team up on next-generation green technology, though the two will apparently stick to crafting a new lithium-ion battery instead of swapping diesel tech. BMW will serve up a few small-displacement diesel engines for use in European Toyota models, but it won’t supply direct-competitor Lexus with any oil-burning lumps. Right now, European buyers can expect to see 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter BMW diesel engines to show up under the hoods of certain Toyota products soon. That should help Toyota immensely in a market where 52 percent of all vehicles sold are diesels. Lexus, meanwhile, will continue to focus on plug-in hybrid and hybrid models to position itself as a niche innovation company. Automotive News reports Lexus has nailed down a European market share of just 0.2 percent over the past 11 months. New BMW-Toyota deal doesn’t include diesels for Lexus originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
RL soon to be done with
December 15, 2011 by Obrien Auto Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Japan , Plants/Manufacturing , Toyota 2011 has been a trying year for Toyota , as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the flooding in Thailand have conspired to slow vehicle production and cut into profits. Toyota lowered its profit forecast after the Japan disaster, and now Automotive News reports that the automaker is once again cutting expected profits by a significant margin. Toyota has cut its forecast by 54 percent to reflect manufacturing issues resulting from the Thailand floods. The company is now expecting to make $2.3 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31. In a down economy, a profit is a profit, but this is a far cry from the $10 billion or more Toyota had been earning annually for years. The revised profit forecast is reportedly less than half of what analysts have expected. The flooding alone will reportedly account for more than $1.5 billion in lost profits. Toyota has also cut vehicle production numbers from 7.6 million vehicles to 7.38 million. While this is all bad news for Toyota, it’s safe to say that the automaker remains in pretty good shape overall. After all, the Japanese automaker has suffered through two major natural disasters in a matter of six months, and it’s still expecting a profit.
Rinspeed Smart car attachment
December 6, 2011 by Obrien Auto Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Concept Cars , Tokyo Motor Show , Hatchback , Toyota , Electric Toyota unveiled a handful of production and concept Aqua models at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show . As you may recall, the Aqua will serve as the Prius C here in the United States when it lands at the Detroit Auto Show in early 2012. The Yaris -sized hatchback will come equipped with a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, though Toyota hasn’t said what we can expect in terms of total output. We do know that the vehicle’s svelte curb weight and smaller engine will likely translate into Prius-besting fuel economy numbers, so buyers can look forward to over 50 mpg in the city. The brightly-colored Aqua Kiriri Version and Aqua Piriri Version joined the production Aqua under the lights in Tokyo, giving the world a better idea of what the model could offer in terms of dealer modification. The little hatch looks sharp, and the fuel economy figures are enough to make anyone grin. Toyota Aqua concepts hint at Prius C possibilities originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
New European Passat (Nov 29)
November 29, 2011 by Obrien Auto Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Tokyo Motor Show , Hatchback , Toyota , Electric The Tokyo Motor Show wackiness has officially begun, and the first far-out concept comes courtesy of Toyota and the Fun-Vii. Forget custom paint jobs and vinyl graphics, the Fun-Vii lets you change the exterior design “with the same ease as downloading an application,” allowing drivers to display everything from custom messages to flashy graphics through some manner of magical exterior display technology. The same goes for the interior, which Toyota claims can be customized to suit the mood of the driver, with a variety of themes and an augmented reality function taking place of the traditional navigation system. Less far-out is the incorporation of a “navigation concierge” that provides up-to-the-second driving and multimedia information through a virtual assistant. And naturally, the Fun-Vii interfaces with both your smartphone and other road users, adding both a safety and social element to the driving experience. We’ll be getting an eye-full of the Fun-Vii on Wednesday, but in the meantime, get the minimal details in the press release below the fold . Continue reading Toyota Fun-Vii is rolling, customizable weirdness Toyota Fun-Vii is rolling, customizable weirdness originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
4 wheel drive Jaguars on the horizon (Nov 22)
November 22, 2011 by Obrien Auto Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Etc. , Japan , Videos , Toyota Toyota has released a new teaser for the company’s upcoming FT-86 that gives us all a glimpse into the vehicle’s design process. The quick spot depicts designers as they slave over both exterior and interior details by choosing wheel and material options for the two-door sports coupe. We’re guessing the same level of attention to detail went into crafting its North-American-bound twin, the Scion FR-S . The video also gives us a quick glance under the hood, where we see a very familiar-looking naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer engine. A fairly stout strut-tower brace is also clearly visible in the ad, though it looks as if Toyota has kept the vehicle’s battery under the hood instead of kicking it to the rear of the vehicle for slightly better weight balance. It’s also worth noting just how low the Subaru flat-four sits in the engine bay of the FT-86. The top of the engine sits well below the strut towers, making for what looks to be a decidedly low center of gravity. While you’re waiting for this car to debut at next week’s Tokyo Motor Show , hit the jump to check out the video for yourself. Continue reading Toyota releases new FT-86 teaser footage ahead of Tokyo reveal Toyota releases new FT-86 teaser footage ahead of Tokyo reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:59:00 EST.
