by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jun 17th 2011 at 11:33AM

Toyota has announced that it expects its North American production to reach 100 percent capacity as early as September – far ahead of original post-quake estimates. So far, eight of the company’s 12 models built in North America are back to 100 percent capacity, and total production is hoped to improve by as much as 80 percent by August. In an official press release, Bob Carter, Toyota’s group vice president and general manager, says that the progress is thanks to the hard work of individuals both here and in Japan, and that the upcoming months will focus on ramping up output to make up for lost time.

After Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters last March, Toyota wasn’t expected to reach full manufacturing capacity in North America until December at the earliest. Click past the break to check out the quick press release. North American Toyota Production Expected to Reach 100 Percent in September

Parts recovery is earlier than anticipated

ERLANGER, Ky., June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — North American vehicle production levels are expected to return to 100 percent in September, Toyota said today. Production is recovering earlier than originally anticipated following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

On average, current production has improved to more than 80 percent through August. Eight of the company’s 12 North American-built models returned to 100 percent production on June 6.

“After September we will focus on making-up lost production as much as possible,” said Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America. “Our team members and suppliers here and in Japan have worked tirelessly to get us back to 100 percent, overcoming many challenges. The effort in Japan has been incredible, especially in the midst of such tragedy and devastation.”

Bob Carter, group vice president and Toyota Division general manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., said, “The rapid production recovery proves once again that Toyota’s manufacturing team members in North America and around the world are the best in the business.” Carter added, “Thanks to their efforts, our dealers have a healthy supply of cars and trucks available to sell, with more arriving every day, along with competitive lease and APR programs for our customers.”

Toyota’s Koei Saga says fine-tuning gasoline engines is vital to maximizing the mileage of its hybrids, such as the Prius.

In the race to boost fuel economy, overhauling the internal combustion engine is all the rage. Ford, Hyundai and Mazda are among those focusing on direct injection, turbochargers and improved transmissions as they reinvent their powertrain lineups.

So with its emphasis on hybrids, Toyota Motor Corp. may be missing the boat.

For all its r&d firepower, Toyota has been slow to popularize such technologies as direct injection and six-speed automatic transmissions. And it hasn’t turned at all to turbochargers or dual-clutch transmissions, which rivals increasingly see as key ingredients in greening their fleets.

Now, with Toyota struggling to defend its image as an environmental leader, simply playing the hybrid card may not be enough. And in recognition of this, Toyota is aiming to bring direct injection, turbocharging and engine cylinder deactivation to a wider array of small cars.

“We know we can’t rely solely on hybrid technology to meet all consumer needs in the future,” Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President Jim Lentz said at last week’s National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Read:  Toyota Goes Even ‘Greener’

Hybrids Hold Sway
Takeshi Uchiyamada, executive vice president for r&d, said that in the next five years, turbochargers and direct injection will go in more pedestrian models such as the Toyota Camry.

Other tweaks will include expanded use of start-stop technology, which saves fuel by turning off the engine when the car comes to a standstill, and advances in variable valve systems.

“From the outside, Toyota might seem somewhat behind,” said Koei Saga, managing director in charge of drivetrain r&d at Toyota. “But though it’s not widely publicized, we do have plans to improve those technologies.”

Saga said fine-tuning Toyota’s gasoline engines is key to maximizing mileage in its hybrids as well.

“When you think of fuel efficiency, the engine is the base for improvement,” he said.

Saga noted that the Prius engine is among Toyota’s most advanced.

It uses an electric water pump, a new exhaust gas recirculation system, which reduces emissions by pumping exhaust back into the engine intake, and an exhaust heat recirculation system to warm the engine during cold starts and improve efficiency.

Still, hybrids hold sway in Toyota’s laboratories.

Watch Video:  Toyota Prius V

If You Got It, Flaunt It
In his speech at the NADA convention, Lentz gave only cursory mention to refining the internal combustion engine. The focus was on hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric cars and advanced batteries.

One reason for the emphasis is that Toyota has sunk a considerable amount of its war chest into hybrids. Eyeing annual hybrid sales of 1 million units as early as 2015, Toyota engineers say it is time to start reaping some of the cost reductions that come with mass scale.

Toyota aims to halve the cost of the hybrid powertrain in the next-generation Prius, Saga said.

It is little wonder Toyota executives enthuse about sexy technologies such as hybrids and advanced batteries, not such humdrum matters as variable valve lift. If you got it, flaunt it.

Toyota plans to bring out lithium ion batteries soon and is working on next-generation solid-state and metal-air batteries that could double lithium ion’s performance.

Read:  Electric Car Batteries: Five Concerns

But such advances, for all their promise, won’t be here until 2030, Uchiyamada conceded.

Until then, Toyota will need to take a closer look at its basic engine strategy if it wants to fend off the pack of increasingly aggressive rivals trying to usurp its green car crown. @MSN

Lexus F-Sport CT200h You’ve seen the Toyota GRMN iQ Racing Concept (lucky you!), and now it’s time to divert your attention towards the rest of the Japanese automaker’s wares being shown off at the Tokyo Auto Salon.

First up is the Toyota Prius G Sports Concept, which features the kind of gaping maw only the Mama Cylon could love. Rounding out Toyota’s offerings is the TRD Auris GT Concept, which we think actually looks kinda nifty with its subdued body kit and blindingly bright yellow paint.

Lexus wasn’t left out of the proceedings either, and its machines are arguably more interesting than its mothership’s. There’s the F-Sport CT 200h (a future production model) taking center stage with its unique alloy wheels, body kit and Recaro seats, which is joined by the IS F Club Circuit Sports Racer and a set of Club Performance Accessories for the IS F that include front and rear spoilers and a carbon fiber hood.

Last but certainly not least is the Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA supercar that raced at last year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race. See both sets of vehicular craziness in our high-res image galleries below, then check out all the details in the press releases after the break.

[Source: Toyota]

PRESS RELEASE

TOYOTA STARS AT TOKYO AUTO SALON

Small in size but big in attitude, a pumped-up, track-ready interpretation of the super-smart iQ city car leads a posse of tuned and tweaked Toyota concept and production cars at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The world’s largest annual aftermarket parts show, taking place (14 to 16 January) gives leading tuning firms and custom car specialists the chance to demonstrate their engineering and design skills, from mild sports accoutrements to the wilder fringes of auto design.

The GRMN (Gazoo Racing tuned by MN) iQ Racing Concept is the latest interpretation of Toyota’s smallest model by its motor sport competition partner. It’s a stand-out model, with its deep front air dam, huge lower air intake and racing wheels, but it is not just about looks: fitted with a tuned- supercharged engine and a roll-cage, it’s cut out for track action.

It has a strong heritage too: Gazoo’s previous iQ concept car was given a limited production run in Japan that sold out immediately in 2009.

G Sports (G’s) have also contributed to the Toyota presentation with Sports Concept version of Prius, with TRD adding an Auris GT Concept. As well as the cars, Toyota is hosting interactive events at the show, including forums with engineers and racing drivers and virtual driving competitions in Metapolis, an on-line community created by Gazoo Racing.

LEXUS SPORTING CONCEPTS AT TOKYO AUTO SALON

The world’s largest custom car show celebrated the sporting side of Lexus at the weekend with five tuned and modified cars on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon.

Even though its public launch is still a few months away, the new CT 200h was revealed in special F-Sport guise, with an array of sporting accessories including alloy wheels, a body kit by Modellista and Recaro sports seats.

It was joined by two new versions of the ultra-high performance IS F: the CCS-R (Circuit Club Sport Racer) and Club Performance Accessory.

The CCS-R is true to the tradition of lightweight track saloons, featuring carbon fibre body panels, including front and rear spoilers, bonnet and boot lid, and a new frameless construction roll cage and polycarbonate windows. Inside there’s further extensive use of carbon fibre for the dashboard, centre console and door trims, while the racing details extend to a six-point safety harness and short-diameter steering wheel with paddle shifts. The car is performance-engineered, too, with racing suspension, brakes, cooling and exhaust, plus a mechanical limited-slip differential and forged alloys shod with slick tyres.

TRD (Toyota Racing Department) has created the IS F Club Performance Accessory, giving the most powerful member of the IS family an even bolder appearance with spoilers fore and aft, a rear diffuser and a carbon fibre hood. Again, more carbon fibre material is used in the cabin, along with sports seats finished in bright orange. Sports suspension and brakes, a titanium exhaust, magnesium wheels and a mechanical LSD complete the package.

Gazoo Racing presented its racing version of the Lexus LFA supercar, which enjoyed success at last year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race, and TOM’s offered a new interpretation of the LS 460 limousine. @Autoblog

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Dec 21st 2010 at 1:01PM

As difficult as the past few years have been for the U.S. auto industry, automakers and analysts alike continue to hope for a better future. 2010 has been a vast improvement over 2009, with sales up 11 percent. Even better, the last three months have seen sales rise above an annualized rate of 12 million cars and trucks, and analysts see 2011 sales approaching 13 million units.

Nearly all automakers have benefited from customers’ renewed faith in the economy, but few have fared as well as Ford. The Blue Oval has seen sales rise by 21 percent so far in 2010, and the Dearborn, MI-based automaker appears destined to reclaim its spot as the number two automaker in the States. Ford analyst George Pipas points out to The Detroit News that the automaker has seen two consecutive years of market share increase for the first time since 1993, going from 14.2 percent in 2008 to an expected 16.8 percent for 2010. At the same time, Toyota has seen its share shrink to 15.2 percent due in part to the recall of 6.75 million vehicles in the U.S. alone and over 10 million cars and trucks globally. Should sales trends continue, Ford will overtake Toyota in sales for the first time since the Japanese automaker wrestled away the number two spot back in 2007. General Motors remains at the top of the U.S. sales food chain, stabilizing its market share at 19.3 percent despite shedding four brands during bankruptcy.

Ford had a fantastic 2010, and with the 2011 Explorer and 2012 Focus on their way to showrooms and continued momentum from cars like the Mustang, we’re thinking 2011 will be a winner as well. Meanwhile, Toyota will need some fresh product in its showrooms if it hopes to re-engage Ford and take back its place in line. And it will be tougher than ever to steal sales from GM or Chrysler, as both companies have stabilized market share and have new product for 2011.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Paul Sakuma/AP]

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain 2011 Sienna Vehicles to Replace Stop Lamp Switch Bracket
Customer FAQ for Sienna Stop Lamp Switch Bracket Recall

TORRANCE, Calif., December 13, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it will conduct a voluntary Safety Recall involving approximately 94,000 2011 Model Year Sienna vehicles produced before early November 2010 to replace the stop lamp (brake light) switch bracket. Due to the proximity of the stop lamp switch bracket to the parking brake pedal when the parking brake is fully applied, the stop lamp switch bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver’s foot during parking brake operation.

Depending on the amount of bracket deformation, this condition could cause the brake lights to remain on or, if the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light. If this condition is not noticed and the vehicle continues to be driven, braking effectiveness could be reduced.

No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall, and Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.

The stop lamp switch bracket is welded on to the left side of the brake pedal support assembly. The stop lamp switch provides a signal that indicates the brake pedal has been depressed and illuminates the brake lights.

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive an interim notification advising them of this recall by first class mail beginning in mid-January 2011, along with instructions for what to do if they experience this condition and how to minimize the possibility of inadvertently contacting the stop lamp switch bracket while operating the parking brake. Toyota will also post this information on its website.

Owners will receive a second notice by first class mail in approximately late February, once replacement parts become available, and asked to make an appointment with any Toyota dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge.

Toyota dealers will replace the bracket assembly, which includes the stop lamp switch bracket, with a new one that has been redesigned to take into account the proximity of the component to the parking brake pedal.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331

Wald International Toyota Vellfire Z Grade Executive Line. Aftermarket companies from all around the world are on a constant search of new vehicles to use as as starting point for their project, with the developers sometimes reaching niche segments of the automotive world.

The latest aftermarket package that target a vehicle which doesn’t belong to the mainstream area of the market comes from Japan, where Wald International has created a modification package for the Toyota Vellfire Z.

The MPV has been gifted with an exterior pack, as well as with new rims that offer it a more aggressive appearance. Of course, considering the fact that we are dealing with a people carrier, the styling cues haven’t been taken to far.

The vehicle has been fitted with a new front bumper that uses a mild approach, coming with a moderate approach. Moving to the rear of the vehicle, we find a new fascia that houses a diffuser with three air fins, as well as two double exhaust tips. In addition to that, the MPV has also received a set of wind protective elements for the side windows. These have a functional role and also enhance the vehicle’s appearance.

As we said, the tuning company has also played with the car’s wheels, replacing the stock ones with a set of rims that use a multi-spoke design and come in a polished finish. The new wheels offer a luxury touch.

In addition to that, the tuned has also installed a new exhaust system. However, the company has not offered us the specific details for the product.
More images in the gallery below. @AutoEvolution

If, like us, you’ve been racking your brain to figure out how Toyota is possibly going to be able to offer the FT-86 anywhere near its price target, Road & Track may have part of the answer for you. The magazine is reporting that the next-generation Lexus IS will ride on a stretched version of the low-dollar coupe’s platform, allowing Toyota to spread the development costs between the two models. With the production version of the FT-86 due in dealerships in 2012, the IS is expected to bow shortly thereafter in 2013.

Of course, this also helps explain some of the IS Coupe rumors we’ve been hearing recently, too.

An added nugget of goodness in this news is that the next-generation IS may be a sharper car in every way thanks to its shared bloodline with the sporty FT-86. Toyota head honcho Akio Toyoda has already made it clear that he would like to see his company’s products return to their sporty roots, and as a result, the new IS should be quite a bit more athletic than its predecessor. Don’t expect to see the Subaru-sourced flat four in the nose of the Lexus, though. Chances are the four-door will still get its power from derivatives of the four- and six-cylinder options currently available.

[Source: Road & Track] @ View the original article here

For all the trouble Toyota has endured over the past year, the Japanese juggernaut is still the top dog in the automotive kingdom. Volkswagen wants to change that with an ambitious goal to overtake Toyota in overall sales and profitability by 2018. VW currently has a long way to go to reach Toyota, but Automotive News reports that the German automaker plans to bridge the gap by investing 51.6 billion euros ($71 billion in U.S. dollars) though 2015 to beef up it’s product lineup.

That’s a lot of coin by any stretch, and VW plans to spend that wealth in several key areas. A reported $38 billion will be spent to bolster the automaker’s current model lineup across VW’s many brands, enabling VW to “systematically continue its model roll out with a view to tapping new markets and segments.” Another $19.6 billion will be spent on cross-product investments and another $14 billion will go towards what AN calls “additions to capitalized investment costs.”

Volkswagen reportedly plans to hit 10 million global sales per year as early as 2015, but to increase sales so dramatically, new plants must be built. The German automaker will open a U.S. plant in Tennessee next year, and there are plans to build two more assembly plants in China in an effort to increase sales in the world’s largest car market to three million units per year within four years. VW’s plan to spend over $14 billion in China through 2015 isn’t even included in the $71 billion investment, either, as all China operations are run under a joint venture with FAW and SAIC.

Will Volkswagen reach it’s very ambitious goal to hit 10 million annual sales by 2015? We have no idea, but we can at least say that The People’s Car Maker plans to spend big while trying.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Wagon, Crossover, Scion, Toyota

Just as the sun always sets in the west, we can always count on a limited-edition Scion xB to pop up at a North American auto show. This year, that honor falls on the 2010 LA Auto Show and the Scion in question is the 2011 xB Release Series 8.0. Surprise!

Standing out on the show floor thanks to its brilliant VooDoo Blue paint job, the 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 is the latest in a line of low-run examples of the boxy, compact wagon. Scion is producing just 2,000 units of the xB RS 8.0, and all of them feature an aggressive front fascia, TRD wheels and RS 8.0 logos throughout the interior.

Pricing is set at $18,405 for the manual transmission-equipped xB or $19,355 for the auto gearbox. That price also features a power tilt-and-slide sunroof, which, along with the VooDoo Blue paint, is not available on the standard xB. Check out our high-res image gallery of live shots below and the full set of details after the break.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeff Glucker / AOL

[Source: Scion]

Continue reading LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo

LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo

	Chevy Volts ready to ship Just waiting on the EPA’s MPG stickers.		Indian minister calls use of “gas guzzling” SUVs “criminal” German automakers object.
	LA 2010: Toyota RAV4 EV hits the stage Proudly powered by Tesla.	Other news: LA 2010: Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby now likes electric cars, because he’s driven one Chip Yates cries foul after rule change, won’t compete in 2011 TTXGP Amp to electrify three Saturn Vues for DTE Energy fleet

AutoblogGreen for 11.18.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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