The return of the affordable, sensible, fun-to-drive coupe

By Greg Gaillard

FR-S stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport. Pretty simple. Jack Hollis, VP of Scion, personally believes it should stand for Friggin’ Really Sweet, but the legal department at Toyota was NOT feeling the same way.

Initially people questioned Toyota’s investment in Subaru. GM had struggled to create a profitable partnership with the off-beat brand, so what could Toyota do differently? The unofficially named Toyobaru answered by not following the traditional strategy of re-skinning existing platforms to fill out brand portfolios. A decision was made to build something new; something that melded both companies’ best components and ideas. Soon thereafter rumors suggested that the first product from this mindset would be a co-developed 2+2 sports car that would put a halo over both companies’ showrooms.

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Japan is slowly taking steps to resume auto and parts production after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit on March 11, with auto companies starting limited production throughout the week. Due to aftershocks, rolling blackouts and infrastructure problems, Japanese auto factories have remained idle costing Japanese automakers an estimated $150 million a day, according to Goldman Sachs.

The IHS Automotive Insight states that “lost production outside of Japan is so far about 10,000 vehicles, but that number will rise ‘exponentially’ as more parts suppliers are affected, reducing stockpiles of components for cars and trucks built overseas”. The U.S. is starting to feel the effect, as General Motors Co. will shut down production at its 900 employee pickup plant in Shreveport, La. next week, which relies on Japanese made transmissions.

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Toyota is expanding their Prius family with a new larger and heavier wagon-like Prius V — that’s the letter V for “versatility,” Toyota says, not the Roman numeral five.

The new Toyota Prius V, will go on sale in the United States in late summer or early fall. Toyota announced production has begun on the new gasoline-electric hybrid Prius wagon, that is set to hit Japan in April, followed by the U.S. and Europe. Although, those dates might slip as Japan begins clean up after its latest tsunami disaster.

Some major differences between the Prius hatchback and the new wagon-style Prius are improved visibility due to the driver being situated 1.2 inches higher, an extended rear cargo which will eliminate the hatchback’s split rear window, a 220 pound weight difference, and the option of a new polycarbonate panoramic moonroof that weighs 40 percent less than glass. The new Prius wagon is wider, taller and about five inches longer, and shares the same engine, platform, and hybrid drivetrain as the Prius hatchback, giving it approximately 42 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway. New inside features include a computer mouse-inspired one-dial climate control button and a high-capacity lithium ion battery.

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A new concept  of the Toyota FT-86 debuted at the Geneva Motor. The Toyota FT-86 II concept sports coupe, after making its original debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show with the FT-86 concept, seems to be moving closer to an actual production model.

Little information and specs have been released about the redesigned FT-86 II concept. However, we do know that it will use a 2.0-liter, four cylinder boxer engine with power driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

A few major differences between the original FT-86 concept version and the latest FT-86 II concept are the larger rear window and front grille, a new front bumper with a string of LED daytime running lights, and a different rear bumper with larger dual tail pipes.

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Bongiovi Acoustics and Johnson Controls have teamed up to create the first 100% digital audio processing speakerless car system for Toyota cars, which is currently being shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Designed by music legend Tony Bongiovi, an audio engineer and record producer, the Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station (DPS) is the latest in software technology, that will reassemble audio in real time for an optimal listening experience.

Johnson Controls make all parts of the car vibrate, thus producing sound and acting as speakers. The Bongiovi DPS with the digital signal processing of each car’s unique acoustic environment and vibrations, provides a recording studio quality audio experience without the size and cost of other premium audio upgrades and extra hardware. For example, instead of having a subwoofer, the system uses the sheet metal beneath the seats, and having no speakers also provides more space and options on the doors.

The Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station will be available fall 2011 starting at $280 for most current Toyota models.

Experience DPS technology with a free plug-in optimized for iTunes and Mac users at www.dpsplugin.com. A Windows version will be available shortly.

Toyota Avalon Consumer Reviews	Toyota Avalon More Expert Reviews	2011 Toyota Avalon Photo Gallery	2011 Toyota Avalon Specs

Pros

• Generous amounts of power available from the standard V6 engine
• Luxurious comfort without the upscale price tag
• Redesigned interior is spacious, elegant, and incorporates many high-tech features
• Outstanding 660 Watt, 12-speaker JBL sound system

Cons

• Not to be mistaken for a sports sedan
• Navigation display has low-resolution graphics and the default screen is never the one I want to see
• Faces tough competition at its price point

Toyota has introduced a redesigned Avalon for 2011, teaming its 268-HP V6 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission for high fuel efficiency (29 MPG EPA highway rating). Evoking a time when travel was sophisticated, elegant and comfortable, the new Avalon combines a distinctive new exterior style and a restyled interior rich with premium touch points and practical new technologies.

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By Alex Kramer

What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago gas was cheap, the SUV was king, and fuel efficiency was one of the last things car buyers were concerned about. Surprisingly, it was also ten years ago that Honda and Toyota introduced a seemingly radical technology that involved strapping batteries and an electric motor to a gas engined car, creating the first hybrids.

Fast forward ten years and the traditional SUV has all but died out, gas is $3 per gallon, and hybrids are as common as apple pie. More importantly, awareness of global warming and our dependence on foreign oil, along with a depressed economy, has made fuel efficiency a far more important criteria for car buyers. This, in turn,  has spurred the automotive industry to pursue smaller, cleaner and more efficient designs. The result is a plethora of choices for buyers seeking a more fuel efficient, greener set of wheels.

Although hybrid cars are perhaps the most effective way to significantly increase fuel efficiency, with 9 out of the top ten most fuel efficient cars featuring a gas electric drivetrain, not everyone will be happy with the increased cost and performance sacrifice that often comes with hybrid ownership. Luckily we now also have a new generation of clean diesels that are nothing like the noisy, smoke belching diesels of the past, instead providing excellent performance along with hybrid worthy fuel efficiency. And for those who are wary of all of this alternative technology, there are finally plenty of efficient, well made small cars available in America.

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Toyota Sienna Consumer Reviews	Toyota Sienna Overview	2011 Toyota Sienna Photo Gallery	2011 Toyota Sienna Specs

Likes:

• Smooth and quiet ride
• Star Safety System is standard on all Sienna models
• Tri-zone climate control
• Dual power sliding side doors with power lift gate
• Front/rear parking sonar
• Dual view widescreen with split-screen capability
• Many, many convenient storage bins and cupholders strategically placed

Dislikes:

• Navigation screen defaults to displaying map view and no option for “night” view when headlights are switched on
• Plastic dashboard materials look and feel cheap
• Second-row seats don’t stow or swivel, and removing them requires muscle
• Top-line versions get pricey

The minivan is one of the great automotive innovations of the past 50 years. It’s been beloved, berated, embraced, and shunned since the Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country version took the box-on-wheels design mainstream in the 1980s. And that’s a good thing because the minivan takes a stand and makes a statement: “I can carry you and yours and your stuff’ anyplace you want to go … and do it in comfort.” Now, as Toyota introduces the third generation of Sienna minivan, you can add “… and swagger” to that statement.

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by Derek Mau

Pros:

• A much needed bump in power of 11 hp
• Resale value and reliability make Camry a safer investment than the S&P 500
• Auto up/down for ALL four window switches

Cons:

• Missing iPod and iPhone interface
• Hard plastic steering wheel and too many interior hard plastic surfaces
• Driving excitement on the same level as doing your laundry

Toyota has had its share of ups and downs lately, but popularity of their #1 sedan remains strong. The Toyota Camry has been America’s best-selling car for seven consecutive years and 11 of the past 12 years.

For 2010, the Camry receives a midcycle rejuvenation. Most notably, the base four-cylinder engine increases in size from 2.4 to 2.5 liters, with a corresponding 11-hp bump (21 hp on the SE). Now, both the manual and automatic transmissions have six speeds instead of five. Other changes include a restyled grille and taillights, a new optional audio system with satellite radio and Bluetooth® for base and LE models, and auto up/down windows all around. Finally, stability control is now standard across the model range for improved safety.

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Tesla and Toyota to build electric cars at NUMMI plant

The closure of the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California six weeks ago was just another downfall to California’s struggling economy and double digit unemployment rate. Late Thursday, Tesla Motors announced that it is teaming up with Toyota to build its all-electric Model S sedan at the recently shuttered NUMMI plant in Fremont, creating more than 1,000 new jobs.

Under the agreement, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, will invest $50 million in Tesla, which will buy the NUMMI plant for an undisclosed sum. The joint venture was unveiled by Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s CEO, who flew in from Japan for the announcement, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a heavily attended 5 p.m. news conference at Tesla’s Palo Alto headquarters.

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