16-inch steelies. Non-matching bumpers, door handles and wing mirrors, no AC... I am seriously into this Toyota GT86 RC Spec.
The 86 RC is the least expensive model in the 86 line coming in some 500,000 yen less expensive than the G and aimed at the tuner/racer market. It's got a six-speed manual transmission, the same 200 horsepower flat-four from the normal one and, well, that's about it. The shifter, steering wheel and pedals are plastic. There is no air conditioning or stereo or cup holders. Significant amounts of soundproofing materials have been removed.
This adds up to not only a cheap package, but a light one as well. Curb weight here is 2,623 pounds. Unfortunately, the limited slip also gets removed for this package but that's an easy fix.
Categories: Coupes,Sports Cars,Toyota,Tuners and Modifications
To be frank, the Chicago auto show has limited importance as a venue for introducing new cars to the world through its press days. However, for regular folks visiting the show, it's probably the best in North America. For one, almost everything introduced at Los Angeles and Detroit is shown here in Chicago (not the NSX Concept, though). Then there's the sheer enormity of McCormick Place's two exhibit halls. This allows for a huge number of cars on the floor, with manufacturers capable of showcasing different trims of the same car.
There's also enough space inside for indoor ride-along events. Jeep usually puts one outside and Detroit is home to an environmentally friendly car ride-and-drive in the basement, but there are at least four opportunities for folks to experience what certain cars are like when actually moving. Toyota had a large area dubbed Toyota Monopoly Hybrid Ride Experience (I'm not sure why), while Chrysler alone had three different exhibits. The Jeep and Ram ones included a number of off-road impediments, while Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat had a stretch of road used to showcase an initial burst of acceleration, then braking. The latter actually looks as if you're going to be part of a crash test.
It all seems like good fun and adds something to the auto show experience. Journalists may be cold on Chicago, but car fans shouldn't be.
Continue reading...
Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Chrysler,Dodge,Fiat,Jeep,Ram,Toyota
It may be tough to tell by these pictures, but Toyota has freshened the Land Cruiser for 2013. The front and rear have been given a subtle update, along with the cabin. The big V8 also carries over unchanged.
So what's the big deal, then? The 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser now comes in only one fully loaded trim level. There are no options for Toyota's flagship SUV, which should cost more than $70,000. Standard items now include adaptive cruise control, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, a center console cooler box, navigation, JBL premium audio and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. Should you want more, the Lexus LX 570 has also been tweaked for 2013.
Continue reading...
Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Toyota
Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for! The 2012 Toyota Camry ad for this year's Super Bowl is now live!
Continue reading...
Categories: Miscellaneous,Toyota,Videos
Just last week we had a 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser with KDSS in our office to tackle our new RTI ramp. Because so little has changed with the big Toyota, they haven't bothered to update the press fleet with 2011 models. That is about to change, however, as Toyota will show off the 2013 Land Cruiser at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show next week.
Just after celebrating its 60th anniversary in Japan -- it's been in the U.S. for more than 50 -- the redesigned Land Cruiser debuted in Japan first. Outside we get a new grille and HID headlamps, LED daytime running lights, chrome side molding and new tail lights. The inside was tweaked, too, with ventilated front leather seats, glossier wood trim, bright silver IP ornamentation and chrome-plated air vents. On the tech side we see a new Multi-terrain monitor with front, side or rear views, a Multi-information display, an Eco light (the 2011 model gets 13 mpg city and 18 highway), dynamic radar cruise, Multi-terrain ABS, trailer sway and CRAWL control with off-road turn assist.
The Land Cruiser is still powered by the 5.7-liter, 381-horsepower V8. Pricing wasn't announced, but the redesigned LC goes on sale later this month.
Categories: Chicago Auto Show,SUVs,Toyota
From the looks of things, every non-football second next Sunday will be a car commercial. Here's the Toyota one. I figure posting these now will leave you free to use the restroom/grab another beer come game day.
Here's the Super Bowl ad for the 2012 Toyota Camry, "It's Reinvented!"
Continue reading...
Categories: Toyota,Videos
When it rains it pours. I hadn't driven a KDSS-equipped 4x4 in over a year, but now we've had two in two weeks. It's not because we now have an RTI ramp; it just worked out that way.
I'm not complaining.
The first time I drove Toyota's KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) was back in late 2007, when the fully redesigned 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser was introduced. All Cruisers from that point forward have come standard with KDSS.
The operating principle is exactly the same as the 2011 Lexus GX 460 we saw last week. But the 200-series Land Cruiser platform used here is different from the 150-series Land Cruiser Prado platform that underpins the GX; that fact will become clear when you see how the stabilizer bars differ in this KDSS application.
Continue reading...
Categories: SUVs,Toyota
CBS news LA has an interesting story today that involves a Toyota Prius, energy efficient windows and some melting exterior bits. Follow the jump for more...
Continue reading...
Categories: Miscellaneous,Toyota
By now you've heard about the new Toyota LMP1 Hybrid set for this year's Le Mans race. The TS030 as it's called features the new Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R) powertrain that combines a naturally aspirated gasoline V8 and an electric motor with capacitor storage.
Last year, Porsche fielded the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, but this one is in another class altogether. It will be a fun race to watch for sure. Until then, though, click past the jump and check out what this thing actually sounds like. It's...unique.
Continue reading...
Categories: Motorsports,Toyota
To my knowledge this is the first dyno video of the Toyota FT-86. Strapped to the rollers by the good folks at HIKS, this not US-spec (and potentially not stock) FT-86 pushes out 172 ps -- about 170 horsepower. After the dyno pulls are over, HKS has some fun with a modded FT-86 in exactly the way we all would given a new rear-drive toy and a lot of asphalt.
While the video does have a lot of FT-86 footage, skip to about the 5 minute mark to get straight to the sight -- and sounds -- of the dyno pulls.
Continue reading...
Categories: Coupes,Sports Cars,Toyota
Following a similar report by NHTSA, the National Research Council has found that that the electronic throttle-control systems were not the cause of the rash of Toyota accidents in '09-'10.
Part of the report read, "While untraceable electronics faults may be suspected causes of unintended acceleration, this explanation is unsatisfactory when the driver also reports experiencing immediate and full loss of braking. However, such reports are common among complaints of unintended acceleration, and NHTSA attributes them to pedal misapplication when investigations offer no other credible explanation for the catastrophic and coincidental loss of braking."
Read the full story here.
Categories: Auto Industry,Toyota,Toyota Recalls
Detroit isn't necessarily the kind of city that most people want to visit, but each year in early to mid-January, it becomes a prime destination, at least as far as the global automotive community is concerned.
Of course, this has everything to do with the annual North America International Auto Show, which beckons car lovers far and wide with the good, the bad and the ugly of the latest automotive offerings.
Continue reading...
Categories: Acura,Dodge,Ford,Toyota
Toyota rolled out the 2012 Prius C in Detroit; a smaller, subcompact version of the wildly popular hybrid poster child. Besides the downsized dimensions, the engine and electric motor have also been shrunken. Naturally, power will be far from impressive, but with an estimated 53 mpg city / 46 mpg highway and 50 mpg combined rating, it's tops among non-plug-in hybrids. Look for the Prius C in showrooms this March.
Check out the video after the jump for more information.
Continue reading...
Categories: Detroit Auto Show,Toyota,Videos
A year ago, Toyota showed the Prius C concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Today at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show the company rolled out the production version of the 2012 Toyota Prius C.
Here's what you need to know: Starting price: $19,000. Fuel economy: 53 mpg city. Power: 99 horsepower.
Want more?
Continue reading...
Categories: Detroit Auto Show,Hatchbacks,Hybrids,Toyota
Toyota's on a tear today with the Detroit releases. First we saw official images of the LF-LC concept and now we've got this teaser video of the new Toyota NS4!
The NS4 concept is expected to be Toyota's showpiece for their next-gen plug-in hybrid technology and this video gives us...well, very little. It does give some flashes of the style and the interior features, but it's a pure concept so there's not much to actually learn from it at this point.
Continue reading...
Categories: Concept Vehicles,Detroit Auto Show,Hybrids,Toyota
If, like me, you're stuck working today here's two a two-and-a-half minute escape courtesy of FT-86 club. The compilation video cuts B-roll, track footage, spy footage and some historical shots of Toyota sports cars ( 800 and AE86) into a fairly exciting look at the development process and evolution of 86.
Continue reading...
Categories: Sports Cars,Toyota,Videos
Yes, everybody knows that the Jeep Wrangler is a wonderful choice if you're hoping to travel where the off-road path takes you. But the Wrangler -- for all its rustic, bare-bones charm -- may not be the most amenable companion during the five days of the week that you spend enduring tedious workday commutes and gridlocked city traffic.
That's where these four picks come in.
Continue reading...
Categories: Jeep,Land Rover,Nissan,Toyota
Toyota is following in the footsteps of big bro Lexus releasing a small teaser image of the concept they'll be bringing to the Detroit Auto Show next month. In it we see...a headlight. We can safely assume that this concept, if it has any production intention, will have the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the Toyota Plug-in Prius-- a 98-horsepower 1.8-liter I4 and an 80 hp electric motor. If it's a pure concept, the gloves are off and this could be some sort of radical AWD, double-engined design. We'll know soon enough, until then we focus on the design.
Toyota is also going to bring the production version of the Prius c to the Detroit show. But we already knew that.
Continue reading...
Categories: Concept Vehicles,Detroit Auto Show,Hybrids,Toyota
Yes...with some work. And a lot of handbrake. In the rain. And with pro drifter Ken Gushi behind the wheel.
Second video-- interior mostly-- added.
Continue reading...
Categories: Scion,Sports Cars,Toyota
At the official U.S. reveal of the 2013 Scion FR-S, Scion boss Jack Hollis was pointing out all of the special cars they had brought to the reveal. An LFA, a 2000GT, an MR2 and his Toyota Supra. The Supra got the biggest applause of anything that wasn't the FR-S and that's to be expected; people love that car. Especially the MKIV Supra.
So the US Scion guy has one and some Scion fans cheered it, that doesn't mean it's still on the mind of the brass at Toyota HQ does it? No, but the Supra is at least on the mind of Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. "Right now the 86 will be a mid-size sports car. I would like to have one smaller and one larger. One would probably be a Supra follower. Nothing has been decided yet. It would [be] like a Supra successor," Tada told Drive.au.
Continue reading...
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,Sports Cars,Toyota
