Toyota Supra Back On Track And May Appear In October

Toyota FT-HS Concept

The JDM fanatics over at 7tune.com claim to have the skinny on the next generation Toyota Supra successor. Personally, I’ve been out on big-T performance since they killed my 2JZ-GTE back in 2002. However, rumor has it that the new Supra has been slowly inching along, taking a back seat to the Toyobaru 086A. This time, Paul Walker can choose to go green if he likes. Toyota will follow up on the promise made by the FT-HS Hybrid Sports car by using the 3.5L V6 from the RX450h. Power should add up to 400 hp at the rear wheels. And for those of you who don’t want no part of that there battery shit, they’ve got you covered as well. Follow the jump for more details and what I hope the Supra won’t look like.

Lucky for the old-school ricers out there, Toyota is developing a non-hybrid version as well. The design stage is just about finished and test mule development will begin shortly. Price should be between $30K and $40K when production begins in 2011, and we’ll hopefully get a preview at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show in October.

So, which of you will be the first douchebag with a coffee-can exhaust on your hybrid? The line to get your ass kicked starts here.

Toyota Prius Hearse by Lequios

It’s your last auto ride on the planet, most likely, so why make a CO2-spewing statement that you don’t care if the glaciers melt all over the living? Forget that plush Caddy hearse … you need a Prius! Lequios has come to the rescue of eco-funeral lovers everywhere by producing this $80,000 stretched hybrid. They’ve added 77 inches, for a total length of just over 21 feet, and hundreds of pounds of weight – and yet, the intact hybrid drivetrain will still get your mortician a very respectible 44 MPG.

No word on top speed or performance, but we’re going to go out on a limb here and guess it’ll be slower than just about any other hearse on the planet. Who cares about speed though when you are going out in such green style? By the way, sorry about the cheesy photoshopped images that were provided by the manufacturer. We are aware that the photo above showing the interior is of Lequios’ Mercedes S-Class hearse’s interior … it seems that the manufacturer just wants to illustrate what the Prius hearse’s interior will probably look like.

[Source: Inventorspot]

WTF? No, Seriously, WTF? Aston Martin Cygnet a Rebadged Toyota iQ???

OK, words don’t even begin to describe our reaction to the news that Aston Martin is considering rebranding the upcoming Toyota iQ city car as a Aston Martin. No joke. We’re like not even joking. Multiple sources are reporting that Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, is seriously considering introducing this badge-engineered Toyota into the Aston lineup. In a press release describing the Cygnet concept, Bez describes it as “akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht … allow[ing] us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”

In the photo above, you see the Aston designers photoshopping crafting a marque grille onto the diminutive 117.5 inch coupe. Word is it will still be powered by the Toyota engine, a 998cc 3-cylinder that makes all of 67 horsepower. Best of all, the price is set to be roughly double what the Toyota version, the iQ, will sell for in the UK … $33,000 versus $15,000. The photo below shows the Toyota iQ.

This is totally insane. We’ll keep you posted about what pans out with this modern-day Cadillac Cimarron case study.

[Source: Various, including NYT]

Toyota Recalling Vehicles For Capacity Concern

2009 Scion xB: One of Several Recalled Vehicles

In the latest recall from Toyota, 1,348 vehicles, including the 2010 Toyota Tundra, the 2009 Toyota Yaris, Tacoma, Sienna, RAV4, Highlander and the 2009 Scion xB and TC will be pulled back into dealerships because incorrect labels were used that may result in the vehicles’ being overloaded, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

2010 Toyota Tundra

In the summary of the recall the NHTSA cites that mislabeling may encourage an overload of carrying capacity, increasing the risk of a crash.”Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash,” said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem.

Toyota will contact owners and provide them with a new, accurate label. In other documentation filed with the federal government, the automaker said “each label will be generated specifically for each consumer’s vehicle, based on the accessories actually installed.” However, Toyota also noted that “a small number of vehicles (less than 50) cannot be remedied with a new, accurate label because the amount of accessories added to the vehicle has caused the cargo-carrying capacity to become negative after accounting for occupancy of each designated seating position.” It said it is “still developing a remedy for these vehicles.”

2010 Toyota Prius has a waiting list, Toyota still expects red-ink this year

While the rest of the automotive industry is struggling moving cars out of the showrooms, there is a high-demand for Toyota’s 2010 Prius, which now has a waiting list. Toyota received about 80,000 orders for the 2010 Prius before it went on sale in Japan. In May, Toyota sold 110,000 2010 models.

The 2010 Toyota Prius is just rolling into U.S. showrooms and has brought back overtime at the Japanese automaker’s Tsutsumi plant.

Nonetheless, despite strong-Prius sales, Toyota still expects red-ink this year. The company reported in May that it expects global sales to fall 14 percent in the year to March 2010.

“I feel very relieved and excited that they are selling well,” said Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the Prius. “I expect sales to push up the entire car market. I am not pessimistic about the future.”

Honda said earlier this morning that it may have difficulty reaching its annual target for the 2010 Honda Insight.

2010 Toyota Prius:

Gas should be $10/gallon, Toyota Prius isn’t a true hybrid

Speaking at Wired Business Conference, Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk said that he is “anti-tax” but “pro-carbon tax.” Gasoline “should probably be $10″ per gallon Musk said.

“I’m not paying for the true cost of gasoline at the pump…since nobody’s explicitly paying for the CO2 capacity of the oceans and atmospheres, it’s getting consumed. We will pay for it down the road, but we are sort of ignoring it for now.”

Taking a shot at the Toyota Prius, Musk said: ”A Prius is not a true hybrid, really,” he said. “The current Prius is like, 2 percent electric. It’s a gasoline car with slightly better mileage.”

Tesla recently delivered the 500th Tesla Roadster to an entrepreneur in New Jersey. The company is now working on getting its Tesla Model S sedan on the road by mid-2011.

Tesla Model S:

Source: CNET Green Tech

2010 Lexus RX and 2009 Toyota Venza get IIHS 2009 Top Safety Pick award

The 2010 Lexus RX and the 2009 Toyota Venza SUVs have both earned the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s 2009 Top Safety Pick award. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute’s front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control, which is standard on the Toyota Venza and Lexus RX.

“Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results,” says Institute president Adrian Lund.

The 2009 Toyota Venza and the 2010 Lexus RX both received a rating of ‘Good’ in frontal offset, side impact and rear strength tests.