This video is a quick look at a new car and new tracks for Gran Turismo 5, featuring the Toyota FT-86 Concept car. The rear-wheel drive coupe that will be badged as a Toyota was co-developed with Subaru (who provides the engine) and will make its world debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The name FT-86 is a nod to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s. The production version of the 2+2 FT-86 sports coupe, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011. The engine is from Subaru and is a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, a naturally aspirated version of Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat flour normally found in the Impreza that Toyota will massage to boost output closer to 200 horsepower. This is the same engine that, when turbocharged, cranks out 250HP and is found in Subaru’s much loved WRX.

View the video after the jump

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The on again/off again/on again for real Toyota/Subaru sports coupe is certainly on for real now. Official pics and specs of the upcoming two-company joint venture are out, and it looks to be a pretty impressive car on a number of fronts.

The rear-wheel drive coupe that will be badged as a Toyota was co-developed with Subaru (who provides the engine) and will make its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The name FT-86 is a nod to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s. The production version of the 2+2 FT-86 sports coupe, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011.

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Toyota Cites Stuck Accelerator Risk For Big Recall

Right now Toyota is calling it a “safety advisory”, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) may upgrade this to an official recall. The potential problem lies with unsecured or mismatched floor mats in Toyota vehicles that may interfere with the accelerator pedal. You can read the official statement from Toyota and the list of affected vehicles after the jump.

According to the statement, “A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.”

Until Toyota develops a remedy, Toyota is asking owners of specific Toyota and Lexus models to take out any removable driver’s floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat.

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What you see here is the Toyota Estima Hybrid minivan. It has a great combination of features, and it’s probably about as practical and environmentally friendly a ride as Toyota can make (which is saying a lot right there). There’s just one problem. Toyota isn’t selling it in America. The Toyota Estima Hybrid Minivan has just gone on sale in Malaysia. I read about it on Paul Tan’s great blog about being a car guy in Malaysia (do you see how far and wide I search to get you people this info?), and I got to say I’m bewildered that Toyota hasn’t brought it here yet.

Sure, I can imagine one reason why not: A lot of Americans are stupid enough to actually believe that they actually need an SUV to drive kids to band practice and get groceries. But if Toyota was smart, they could market around that sad misconception.

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Toyota’s 4Runner, one of their more popular lines, and also one of their more popular SUVs just got a whole bunch of upgrades for the 2010 model year. The 4Runner shares its platform with the FJ Cruiser, has been completely redesigned for 2010, and it continues to use body-on-frame construction. Toyota says that the new 4Runner is “more rugged than the Highlander and more versatile than the FJ Cruiser”.

The 2010 4Runner it taller, wider and longer than the ‘09 model and offers an optional third-row of seats. Also for 2010, the 4Runner is available in three different trim levels: the first is the SR5, then comes the more luxury oriented and better equipped Limited, and a more “serious” version called Trail.

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Hmmmm, another re-branding effort. I’ve always found that an interesting trend for Japanese car companies. Outside of North America, there is no Acura, for example; everything Honda makes is just a Honda. It looks like Toyota, makers of the world’s best selling hybrid, the Prius, might be spinning off the Prius name into its own brand.

This has been a rumor for quite some time, but recently Toyota made it officially official when they confirmed that there will soon be more Prius models. The announcement came at a Las Vegas gathering of Toyota and Lexus dealers (see, Lexus as separate brand). According to sources, Toyota execs were careful to point out that the future Prius range will not be a full-fledged brand like Lexus or Scion.

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The Toyota Land Cruiser, the first real response to the Jeep, and the first ride out there that showed that someone besides Americans could make decent off road trucks. That was back in the dark ages though, before SUVs were everywhere and soccer moms and flat screens for the kids in back were even a consideration.

And now, here we are, it’s nearly 2010, and Toyota has just released the info on the latest iteration of its venerable Land Cruiser. Premiering at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the all-new 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser, will go on sale in Europe and other international markets before the end of fall 2009. The sixth-generation Land Cruiser, which will also have a Lexus-badged version in North American, gets all new sheetmetal and a completely overhauled interior.

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Reviews by community members are the foundation of CarReview.com. Share your experience with other car owners by writing reviews for your cars, aftermarket parts, and car audio components. You don’t have to be an expert - everyone’s opinion counts.

Featured Review: 2007 Toyota Prius

by Mark Lindsey

Price Paid: $25000.00 from Wilde Toyota-West Al
Review Date: September 15, 2007
Overall Rating: 5 of 5
Value Rating: 3 of 5
Used product for: Less than 1 month

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 Prius

Summary:
May be the best vehicle I have ever owned. So far has surpassed my high expectations. If you are looking for a car that is embedded with the industry’s finest technology, engineering, AND the best fuel economy, then this car is for you.

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By Derek Mau and Melody C. Yang

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Pros

• Better fuel economy than most V6 engines in its class
• Comfortable ride and responsive handling makes you forget that you’re driving a truck
• Intelligent shift patterns from the 5-speed gearbox account for smooth performance

Cons

• Interior is overdue for a makeover
• Third rowing seating suitable only for munchkins, yoga masters, or inflicting torture upon backseat drivers who need a timeout

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From the ‘Well duh, why shouldn’t they’ department comes word (just rumors at the moment) that Toyota, the worlds largest car company, is thinking of making a Prius minivan.

Or to be more accurate, it would be a minivan based on the Prius platform. Now, a Prius isn’t a very big car to begin with, but we’ve seen the right platforms stretched and widened and bent into all sorts of useful shapes. Also, something else to consider is that perhaps Toyota is not thinking of making a van the size of a Chrysler, but perhaps something smaller. There are, after all, a whole bunch of little box vans running all over Japan. So perhaps making a one-box design, slightly longer and wider than a Prius wouldn’t be that much of a stretch AND serve a certain market segment here in the U.S.

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In honor of Mother’s Day (it’s this Sunday, so don’t forget people) I thought I’d do a mom-related car posting. In my search, I found a great Web site called motherproof.com. Let’s face it, mothers do a lot of driving. A group of women on motherproof.com take a look at the vehicles, road-test them for two weeks at a time, and then evaluate them based on performance and values. It’s a great idea. Who knows more about car safety than mothers do?

“We load the kids in, test out the latch connectors and the car seats, and the cargo space, and to really ensure that the car that we’re driving would really be a perfect vehicle for the people who visit our website,” said Sara Lacey, a mom-reviewer.

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By Derek Mau

Pros

• Passengers get their own door and ample leg room
• Versatile split rear folding seats
• Spirited cornering
• Excellent value

Cons

• Engine is tuned for economy, not performance
• Thin sheetmetal designed to save weight

The Toyota 5-door Yaris looks and feels about right as the utility vehicle for the new economy. It is cheap, roomy, economical and versatile. And it accomplishes all of this with a bit of style and flare. Its EPA numbers of 29 City/35 Highway is not quite at the level of the tiny Smart Fortwo’s mpg of 33/41. But we believe the Yaris is a better car in every respect and it is the smarter choice.

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Here’s some solid evidence that Toyota’s Scion brand sure knows it’s market: The 2010 version of the quite popular xB is getting a new and better audio system, and the prices for the car aren’t going up a cent. The 2010 xB which is exactly the same vehicle as the 2009, apart from the all-new, and standard 160-watt Pioneer audio system, and the car’s base price that remains at $15,750 (MSRP) when equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, and $16,700 for the four-speed automatic with sequential shifting.

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Review and photos by Derek Mau

Highs

• Toyota quality and ergonomics
• Lots of space for people and their stuff
• Very good fuel economy for an SUV
• Star Safety System™

Lows

• 4-speed automatic transmission
• Optional side-step rails only work for small feet or loading the roof rack
• Standard audio system is weak sounding

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