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(from Toyota Press Release) 2011 SEMA Show: Toyota Ultimate Motocross Truck

Toyota, DC Shoes and West Coast Customs have teamed up to create the Ultimate Motocross Truck, which will make its debut at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Built on a Toyota Tundra full-size pickup, DC Shoes used valuable feedback from their Motocross athletes to help create a truck that had everything a rider needs to make an event trip easier. They took this input and passed it along to West Coast Customs who performed the build.

West Coast Customs used a Tundra Double Cab 4×4 equipped with the powerful 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed electronically-controlled transmission with intelligence. The truck also features Tundras standard bed and is a certified Flex Fuel vehicle.

An array of modifications were built into this special Tundra enabling it to tackle the roughest terrain and it’s equipped with everything a Motocross rider requires. Modifications include a suspension lift from Camburg Racing, shocks by Fox Racing, KMC 18 x 9-inch wheel mounted to General 35 x 12.5 x 18 tires, custom rough-texture paint by Line-X, a roof rack that can also be used as a viewing deck, fold-up bed sides, a suicide tailgate, a gas pump and water pressure washer located in the bed, an air compressor, a winch to load bikes, a hidden ramp, custom embroidered interior and much more.

The Ultimate Motocross Tundra will be a featured vehicle at a Toyota press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at the SEMA Show. World Freestyle Motocross champion and X Games gold medalist Nate Adams will be on hand to talk about the Supercross Tundra.

After the SEMA Show the truck will go on tour to various events including the St. Louis Auto Show, North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the 2012 Supercross Series, and in December will be featured on the reality TV show “Inside West Coast Customs” (Custom My Ride in the UK) shown on TLC and the Discovery Channel.

ULTIMATE MOTOCROSS TUNDRA BUILD HIGHLIGHTS

Suspension Lift – Camburg Racing
Shocks – Fox Racing
Wheels – KMC 18 X 9
Tires – General 35 X 12.5 X 18
Paint – Line-X
Bumpers/Side Steps – N-Fab
Accessories – Matrix
Lights – KC
Amps, Subs, Speakers – Diamond
Head Unit – Pioneer
Cables and Connections – Monster
Winch – Warn

Additional Features:
Roof Rack/Viewing Deck
Fold up sides
Suicide tailgate
Gas pump
Water pressure washer
Air compressor
Winch to load bike
Hidden ramp storage
Custom embroidered interior

PARTNERS/CONTRIBUTORS
Camburg Racing, Fox Racing, KMC, General Tire, Line-X, N-Fab, Matrix, KC, Diamond, Pioneer, Monster, Warn

(from Toyota Press Release) 2011 SEMA Show: Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer

The 2011 SEMA Show will feature the debut of the Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer at a press conference in the Toyota exhibit in Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. It is the first race car built for competition in the U.S. from the next-generation 2012 Yaris SE.

The Yaris Club racer will compete in the SCCA B-spec class race category in 2012 with Action Sports Star and BMX legend Jamie Bestwick behind the wheel aiming to qualify for and compete in the 2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, held at the famed Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The seven-time X Games champion and former Dew Tour Athlete of the year will be on hand to talk about the Yaris B-Spec Club Racer at a Toyota press conference.

The Yaris B-Spec Club Racer was built by SportsCar Magazine utilizing an all-new second-generation Yaris SE three-door hatchback. It demonstrates how the all-new Yaris offers a cost friendly avenue for amateur racers eager to gain experience in SCCA wheel-to-wheel racing. The Yaris B-Spec Club Racer’s livery also pays homage to Toyota’s 1998 LeMans pole-winning GT-One race car, as Toyota celebrates it return to the famed racing series next year.

With the right size for drivers who need an agile and functional vehicle, the all-new 2012 Toyota Yaris Liftback features sporty styling, outstanding safety features and improved fuel economy.

The all-new Yaris features a remarkable attention to detail in the design and engineering of the vehicle. From its smart, interior design and quiet, refined passenger cabin to its responsive driving dynamics, the 2012 Yaris answers car-shoppers’ demands for a no-compromise vehicle.

TOYOTA YARIS CLUB B-SPEC CLUB RACER FEATURES

EXTERIOR
– Toyota Le Mans GT-One inspired graphics
– OMP tow hooks

INTERIOR
– Autopower Industries 8-point SCCA-spec roll cage
– Autopower window net
– OMP AFFF 2.8L fire system
– OMP HTE FIA race seat
– OMP 805 6-point FIA harness
– OMP WRC steering wheel
– RLC Racing Track Commander data acquisition system

TIRES/WHEELS
– Hoosier Racing Tire A6 P205/50ZR15
– Enkei RPF1 15×7

SUSPENSION
– Cusco Zero-3 Series Suspension kit
– Cusco Center Lock Pillowball Upper Mounts

BRAKES
– Pagid RS29 brake pads

POWERTRAIN
– Toyota 1NZ-FE 1.5 liter with VVT-i
– AEM Performance Electronics EMS Series 2
– Beta Motorsports cat-back exhaust
– Church Automotive Testing custom tune
– Joe Gibbs Driven XP1 Racing Oil
– Joe Gibbs Driven Super Speedway Gear oil
– K&N air filter
– K&N oil filter

CONTRIBUTORS AND SUPPLIERS
– AEM Performance Electronics: aemelectronics.com
– Autopower: autopowerindustries.com
– Beta Motorsports: betamotorsports.com
– Church Automotive Testing: (310) 518-4966
– Cusco: cusco.co.jp/en
– Enkei: enkei.com
– Garage Graffix: garagegraffix.com
– Hiro’s Auto Repair: hiros-auto.com
– Hoosier Racing Tire: hoosiertire.com
– Joe Gibbs Driven: joegibbsdriven.com
– K&N Filters: knfilters.com
– OMP: ompamerica.com
– Pagid: braketechnology.com
– RLC Racing: rlcracing.com

Toyota has finally built something that will compete with the Smart Fortwo, the Scion iQ. We are expected to see it hit dealer showrooms around March of next year. The iQ is said to have a 3+1 seating arrangement that will allow three people to fit inside the car with an extra spot for a youngster or car seat. Scion is saying it will also hold a real storage capacity despite its small size. Stay tuned or further updates.

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1996 Toyota Camry for sale

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Power comes from Subaru’s 2.0-L, 4-cylinder Boxer , which has been given a turbo boost.  Specs are not yet known, although there is speculation that it could share similar numbers with the Boxer found in Japan’s Limited Impreza R205.  Ride height has been lowered by 30mm, compared to the original FT-86, and grip is provided by a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE050s on 19″ rims.

The G Sport also gets an interesting bit of technology.  A GPS unit allows the driver to record the car’s movement around a track and replay the lap virtually, using a PS3.  Users can simply observe a replay of the lap, or race against themselves, with a visual representation of their actual car and lap-time.  Pretty sweet, but don’t most gamers play video games because driving their cars on the actual track is just a fantasy?  I mean, if you can blast around the track in your real-deal FT-86, why bother with the PS3?  Still very cool though.

Source: Autocar

Body kits and tuning are nothing new to fans of Japanese imports, although they tend to remind us of Supras and Civics, rather than the fuel sipping hybrids of the 21st century. Hybrids, by nature, are not the speedy performance machines generally associated with aggressive body styling and over sized rims, so this seems like an unlikely market for tuner accessories.

Japanese tuner, Tommy Kaira has taken a chance that hybrid owners will still pay to make their green cars look mean. They have introduced cosmetic and performance upgrades for Japan’s hybrid hot shots, the Pruis and Insight. Accessories include body kits, suspension components and custom wheels.

So why bother to to make them look more sporty than they are designed to be? Well why not? Why can’t the forerunners of the hybrid consumer market feel like the cars they drive are fast and furious? Even if they’re not, I see no reason not to make them look that way. Although I’m generally a fan of European sports cars and American muscle cars, I actually don’t think the kitted Prius looks all that bad… for a hybrid.  What do you think?  Are hybrids too dorky for upgrades like this, or do the Tommy Kaira kits make you want to want to see a drifter slide around in an Insight?

Source: Tommy Kaira [via AutoBlog]

So much for Toyota dependability: the Japanese automaker had the most recalled vehicles in 2009.

Of the approximately 4,870,000 vehicles pulled from the road, the vast majority were related to “unintended acceleration.”  The exact cause is unknown, but it was initially claimed to be from poorly designed floor mats, though Toyota did push ahead with gas pedal replacements.  About 110,000 Toyota trucks were also recalled due to prematurely rusting frames, resulting in Toyota extending its warranty coverage to fifteen years.  Before that, Toyota had to settle a case against it over charges of oil sludge buildup within its engines.

Consumer Reports, a longtime supporter of Toyota, was forced to concede its practice of automatically recommending the company’s vehicles would have to cease.  Both the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have placed Toyota vehicles under review. Toyota Tacoma

The article was done by someone going under the creative name of “the Mechanic.”  Rumor has it he was a former Detroit exotic dancer, sometime salesman, and later editor for The Advocate.  Actually, we’re not really sure.  Nor do we care.

So here is a summary of Inside Line‘s predictions:

The BMW 5 Series GT and Honda Accord Crosstour will be colossal failures.

The Chevy Volt will be a sales flop.

Bob Lutz will abandon GM and move to Chrysler.

The feds will find out that Tesla and Fisker investment is a waste.

The Camaro will burn out.

The Toyota Tundra will be axed.

Michael Schumacher’s F1 comeback will go nowhere.

Subaru will emerge as the hottest Japanese brand.

Mercury will be dropped.

Korea will dominate.

The real shame here is that this guy’ll get two or three of these things right, the rest wrong, and still have a job.  At least he’s giving us something to whine about.

Hyundai’s new Sonata clearly looks more creative than the old.  The radical styling takes many cues from the Mercedes CLS-class–and we’re not complaining.  No V-6 will be available for the Sonata; instead, Hyundai will be pushing ahead with improved safety, interior amenities, and fuel economy.  Weight is down to a total range between 3,100 and 3,400 lbs.–an astonishing figure for the growing mid-size range.

The standard engine will hover around variations of a 2.4 L direct-injection unit averaging just under 30 mpg and achieving 190+ hp.  Engines will be linked to either a 6-spd. manual or automatic transmission.  Interior space and luggage capacity are both greater than their top competitors from Honda and Toyota.  Hyundai will be making a “Blue Drive” gas-electric hybrid system available for preview soon after the regular sedan’s release.  A more powerful turbo-charged 2.4 will be offered for drivers seeking output in a V-6 range.

We’re none too thrilled about this drab extension of Scion’s xB.  The RS 7.0 is a factory tricked-out package limited to a mere two thousand units, and starting at $18,300 for the manual.  What do you get in this “hot” item?  A TRD (Toyota Racing Development) exhaust, a new body-kit, lowered suspension, and a spruced-up interior.