Brain...Jammed Vandals Destroy Seven New Toyota Models at 2011 Chicago Auto Show

Auto shows seem to have become risky business for car manufacturers. After the BMW 750i that was stolen at the Detroit motor show earlier this year, now more disturbing news comes from the Chicago Auto Show, where the Toyota booth attracted unwanted attention.

According to local newspapers, seven new Toyota models had their interiors vandalized by three young men, aged 20, 21 and 28. We don't know what really caused this deviant behavior, but one report attributes it to the fact that the three vandals were allegedly angry "about American jobs going overseas".

And it seems they wanted the Japanese cars to suffer badly, judging from the tools they used - screwdrivers and razor knives. The three young men were arrested on Wednesday evening before the show's closing time when guards noticed them acting suspiciously around a Toyota Camry. The mess they made inside the seven cars is substantial: dashboards were left smashed and ripped, seat upholstery sliced, windshields scratched, speakers cut open and turn indicators broken.

According to the police, the damage to the cars is estimated at $30,000. Interestingly, they had no preference for a particular model, vandalizing a Camry, a RAV4, a Land Cruiser, a Prius, two Tundras and one Lexus ES350. Funny thing, no accelerator pedal or floor mat were damaged...

Geneva Preshow: Toyota iQ Pure-Electric Prototype

An all-electric prototype of the Toyota iQ will make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The iQ EV is equipped with an electric motor fed through a newly developed, flat and compact lithium-ion battery that is mounted under the car's floor. According to Toyota, the battery pack doesn't reduce the regular iQ's load area or passenger space. The all-electric version of Toyota's mini car is said to have a potential driving range of up to 65 miles or about 105 kilometers.

The EV prototype is currently being tested on European roads, with a potential market launch through a leasing programme in 2012. The Japanese company will also bring the car in the USA (as a Scion) and is also investigating its viability in other regions.

The iQ EV prototype will join three more new models at the firm's Geneva Salon stand including Yaris HSD hybrid concept, the European market variant of the Prius+ minivan with seven seats, and a closer to production concept of the FT-86 rear-wheel drive coupe.

2011 Toyota Matrix Freshens up for Chicago Auto Show

Toyota has chosen this week's Chicago Auto Show to stage the reveal of the 2011 model year Matrix. If you're having a hard time finding the styling differences between the 2010- and 2011-MY versions of the Matrix, that's because the revisions are barely noticeable.

On the outside, the subtle refresh is limited to all-new front and rear bumpers with integrated front and rear underbody spoilers and a large mesh front fog lamp bezel. The newly designed 16-inch steel wheels and 17-inch, five-spoke alloy rims plus the introduction of a new Spruce Mica color round off the changes.

Inside, the instrument-panel gauges feature new silver ornamentation, while there are also new metal-plated rings around the air conditioning vents, and the audio unit has a new flush surface. The updated model also gains a fresh choice of seat fabrics, while there's also a newly designed leather-trimmed steering wheel with spoke-mounted audio controls and hands-free Bluetooth capability for the Matrix S.

For 2011, the Matrix is available in two grades, the base model powered by a 132HP 1.8-liter engine paired with a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic, and the S version which gets a 158HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The S model is also offered with all-wheel-drive (AWD), in which case the 2.4-liter engine is matched to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

According to Toyota, the base Matrix 1.8L has an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 25 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with the manual gearbox, and 26 mpg city and 32 mpg highway for automatic model, while the 2.4L S version, 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway with the stick shift, 21 mpg city and 29 mpg with the automatic transmission, and 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway for the AWD model.

Pricing for the 2011 Matrix is expected to be announced at the Chicago Auto Show.

What Grinds My Gears about the Recent Developments in Toyota's Unintended Acceleration-Saga

A few things happened in the past 24 hours that grind my gears on the subject of Toyota Motor Corp.'s "unintended acceleration" saga. The first thing that ticked me off were some smart-ass headlines for the findings of NHTSA-NASA study from the same sources that were bashing the Japanese company with Daily Mirror-like titles a little over a year ago. That's something like looking at the mirror and saying who's the dummy now... No need for further explanations on that.

The other is that, Toyota, its PR associates and even some news sites / blogs are focusing on the software-related findings and either leaving outside or playing down the two mechanical defects - a.k.a. the “sticking” accelerator pedals and a design flaw that enabled accelerator pedals to become trapped by floor mats. These defects lead to some 8 million vehicles being recalled in the United States alone.

Yes, the study by NHTSA and NASA found no evidence for electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration, but that doesn't mean Toyota is innocent for the rest of the sudden acceleration-related issues nor for neglecting to notify the government agency of the sticky pedal defect for more than four months after the company found out about it.

By John Halas

[From NHTSA]

Timeline of Major Events

• March 29, 2007: NHTSA opens a preliminary investigation into pedal entrapment on MY’07 Lexus ES350 models based on five consumer complaints alleging three crashes and seven injuries. The all weather floor mat is identified as the possible cause of these incidents.
• July 26, 2007: A fatal crash occurs in San Jose, CA involving a ‘07 Camry in which the driver suffers serious injuries and the driver of the struck vehicle is killed. The incident also appears to have been caused by a pedal trapped by an all weather floor mat.
• September 13, 2007: After determining the fatal San Jose crash was caused by floor mat entrapment, NHTSA tells Toyota a recall is necessary.
• September 26, 2007: Toyota recalls 55,000 floor mats in ’07 and ‘08 Camrys and ES350s.
• August 28, 2009: A fatal crash occurs in Santee, CA, involving a loaner ’09 ES350. The vehicle is found to have an all weather floor mat from another Lexus vehicle. Investigators find that the vehicle’s previous driver had reported an entrapment incident to the dealership.
• September 25, 2009: NHTSA meets with Toyota and tells the company that the floor mat recall is insufficient and the agency expects a recall for the defect in pedal design. Three days later, Toyota tells NHTSA the company will recall the gas pedals.
• October 5, 2009: Toyota recalls 3.8 million vehicles for pedal entrapment by floor mat and sends an interim letter to consumers telling them to remove floor mats. The defect remedy involves gas pedal reconfiguration, floor pan/carpeting revisions, and ‘brake pedal override’ software for vehicles with keyless ignition.
• December 15, 2009: NHTSA officials meet with Toyota executives in Japan to explain NHTSA’s defect recall process and underscore Toyota’s obligations under U.S. law to find and report defects promptly. Toyota commits to making improvements.
• January 16, 2010: Toyota informs NHTSA that certain CTS-brand pedals may have a dangerous ‘sticking’ defect. NHTSA calls an in-person meeting on January 19.
• January 19, 2010: At the meeting, Toyota provides field reports on sticky pedal incidents, and NHTSA tells Toyota the agency expects prompt action. Toyota informs NHTSA several hours later that the company will issue a recall.
• January 21, 2010: Toyota recalls 2.3 million vehicles for the sticky pedal defect.
• January 27, 2010: At NHTSA’s urging, Toyota expands its pedal entrapment recall to cover an additional 1.1 million vehicles.
• February 16, 2010: NHTSA launches an official probe into the timeliness and scope of the pedal entrapment and sticky pedal Toyota recalls.
• March 30, 2010: At the request of Congress, the U.S. DOT announces two studies into unintended acceleration. One looks at possible electronics causes for unintended acceleration in Toyotas; the other examines unintended acceleration and the safety of vehicle electronics across the automotive industry.
• April 5, 2010: NHTSA demands the maximum, $16.375 million, civil penalty on Toyota for its failure to notify the agency of the sticky pedal defect for more than four months after discovering it. Auto manufacturers are legally obligated to notify NHTSA within five business days of determining that a safety defect exists. Toyota pays the full fine on April 19.
• December 20, 2010: Toyota agrees to pay the maximum $16.375 million civil penalty as the result of another NHTSA investigation into whether their recall of 5.5 million vehicles for pedal entrapment was conducted in a timely manner.

2011 Toyota Celica

Although the Scion tC is widely regarded as the modern-day Toyota Celica, it’s generally agreed that Toyota hasn’t produced a performance car since the death of the Toyota Supra. Toyota’s FT-HS concept car and the fledgling Subieyota [Subaru-Toyota] partnership have people talking though, and there are rumors that Toyota [with the help of Subaru] is planning a sports-tuner comeback with the 2011 Toyota Celica.

Many expect designs for the 2011 Celica to draw heavily from the 400-hp Toyota FT-HS concept, but it’s still unclear exactly what the final product will look like. We do know, however, that the 2011 Toyota Celica will be offered with two trim levels: the GT and the GT-4. The Celica GT will be a RWD 2-door coupe and feature Subaru’s 2.0L boxer engine, while the GT-4 will be the stuff of street racers’ wet dreams. Anticipated as an Impreza STi/Celica crossbreed, the Celica GT-4 will feature the Impreza STi’s 300-hp 2.0L boxer engine as well as Subaru’s unique 4WD [complete with in-wheel electric motors for white-knuckle performance]. Careful to avoid direct competition with the 4- and 5-door offerings on the Impreza STi, the Celica GT and GT-4 will only be offered in either 2-door coupe or 3-door hatchback versions. Planned as a 2011 model, speculations place the European release of the Toyota Celica in late 2009, early 2010. Plans for a North American debut have yet to be confirmed.

The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial".

The Celica came in two different models. The ZZT230 was powered by a relatively economical 1.8 L 4-cylinder 140 hp (104 kW) 1ZZ-FE engine and the ZZT231 powered by a higher-performance 1.8 L 4-cylinder 180 hp (134 kW) (in Europe and Japan) 2ZZ-GE version, co-developed with Yamaha, the latter featuring a two-step variable valve lift control in conjunction with its variable valve timing. In 2004, CNNMoney.com rated the Celica as one of the best cars to purchase for gas mileage.

Wallpapers  2011 Toyota Celica

Wallpapers  2011 Toyota Celica

Toyota FT-HS Concept 2011

Toyota FT-HS Concept
Although the Scion tC is widely regarded as the modern-day Toyota Celica, it’s generally agreed that Toyota hasn’t produced a performance car since the death of the Toyota Supra. Toyota’s FT-HS concept car and the fledgling Subieyota [Subaru-Toyota] partnership have people talking though, and there are rumors that Toyota [with the help of Subaru] is planning a sports-tuner comeback with the 2011 Toyota Celica.


Many expect designs for the 2011 Celica to draw heavily from the 400-hp Toyota FT-HS concept, but it’s still unclear exactly what the final product will look like. We do know, however, that the 2011 Toyota Celica will be offered with two trim levels: the GT and the GT-4. The Celica GT will be a RWD 2-door coupe and feature Subaru’s 2.0L boxer engine, while the GT-4 will be the stuff of street racers’ wet dreams. Anticipated as an Impreza STi/Celica crossbreed, the Celica GT-4 will feature the Impreza STi’s 300-hp 2.0L boxer engine as well as Subaru’s unique 4WD [complete with in-wheel electric motors for white-knuckle performance]. Careful to avoid direct competition with the 4- and 5-door offerings on the Impreza STi, the Celica GT and GT-4 will only be offered in either 2-door coupe or 3-door hatchback versions. Planned as a 2011 model, speculations place the European release of the Toyota Celica in late 2009, early 2010. Plans for a North American debut have yet to be confirmed.