Archive for November, 2008
Toyota Starlet Drift
torettodrifter asked:
Toyota Starlet Drifting!!!
Toyota Continues to Incite Fear on Detroit’s Big Three
Evander Klum asked:
Last May, Toyota Motor Corporation Japan’s biggest automaker has increased its sales by 14 percent outselling again Ford Motor Co. in its home market for the third time in seven months. The increase has move Toyota a step closer to passing Ford as the No. 2 seller of vehicles in the US. Ford maker of high quality Ford harmonic balancer failed to revive its plunging truck sales while cutting back on low margin car sales to rental companies. General Motors on the other hand the biggest US automaker had a surprising 9.6 percent increase.
According to Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with Global Insight Incorporated in Lexington, Massachusetts, “we’re going to continue to see Ford struggle as they go through their transition period. We’re going to continue to see Toyota pushing forward.”
The gains obtained by every major automaker except for Ford has helped in lifting the total US industry sales by 5 percent to as high as 1.56 million comprising of cars and light trucks according to the data compiled by Bloomberg. Asia automakers boosted their share of market by 1.2 points to 41.4 percent.
DaimlerChrysler AG, which last month has agreed to sell its US Chrysler unit after nine years of ownership, has posted its second consecutive monthly advance. The Chrysler Group has increased by 4.3 percent attributed to its redesigned Jeep Wrangler and new Dodge Nitro.
Toyota for its part was able to sell 269,023 cars and light trucks last May, a record that month fired up by a tripling of sales for the Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car. The Prius was able to sell 20,000 units in a single month for the first time to become the ninth-best selling vehicle in the US. Ford’s 6.8 percent decline marked its seventh consecutive monthly fall.
Until May, the US industry has increased only once and that was in the month of March which is attributed to the unceasing increase in fuel prices and the declining homes sales that kept buyers away from showrooms. The average price of a gallon of gasoline has reached an all-time high of $3.23 last May that is according to the American Automobile Association.
The US market share for GM, Ford, and Chrysler has slipped by one percentage point to 51.9 percent according to the data presented by the American Automobile Association. Ford’s sales to rental car-companies fell 24 percent last May which is still part of the 14 percent decline in the overall sales to business fleets explained by George Pipas, Ford’s Chief Sales Analyst in an interview. Sales to retail customers also fell by 3 percent he added.
Ford’s total sales decline to 259,470 cars and trucks affected by the 12 percent slide in sales of the F-Series pickup truck this is the seventh consecutive monthly decrease for the trucks. Sales of the F-Series, the nation’s best-selling vehicle have fallen by 13 percent this year.
The Fusion mid-sized sedan has also slipped by 4.4 percent while the Explorer sport-utility vehicle fell by 17 percent.
A Year Difference
Amazingly Ford was able to lead over Toyota in terms of sales this year through May by 39,358 vehicles basing on the data presented by Autodata Corp. of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. A year ago, Ford also led over Toyota by 274,371 vehicles.
GM’s Chevrolet Silverado large pickup outsold the F-Series pickup for the second time this year. And prior to February results, the Silverado has also bested the F-Series last June 2005. GM’s light truck sales has increased by 5.4 percent fired up by the gain in pickup sales and the addition of the new GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook car-based SUVs. Car sales have also increased by 16 percent led by the Chevrolet Impala and Pontiac Grand Prix.
General Motors is also hoping to increase its North American production by 2 percent in the third quarter.
“Successful Launches”
Erich Merkle, an auto analyst at IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, “We are seeing some successful launches from GM — the GMC Acadia, the Saturn Outlook, and one just hitting the showrooms, the Buick Enclave. It has been a long time, but Detroit is trying to get a product mix that reflects what the market is looking for.”
DaimlerChrysler sales have increased by 3.9 percent. Meanwhile shoppers are still waiting for the outcome of the DaimlerChrysler’s negotiations. According to Charlie Hughes, managing partner of Brand Rules LLC of Newport Beach, California,”it’s a good time to buy a Chrysler.”
Last May, Toyota Motor Corporation Japan’s biggest automaker has increased its sales by 14 percent outselling again Ford Motor Co. in its home market for the third time in seven months. The increase has move Toyota a step closer to passing Ford as the No. 2 seller of vehicles in the US. Ford maker of high quality Ford harmonic balancer failed to revive its plunging truck sales while cutting back on low margin car sales to rental companies. General Motors on the other hand the biggest US automaker had a surprising 9.6 percent increase.
According to Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with Global Insight Incorporated in Lexington, Massachusetts, “we’re going to continue to see Ford struggle as they go through their transition period. We’re going to continue to see Toyota pushing forward.”
The gains obtained by every major automaker except for Ford has helped in lifting the total US industry sales by 5 percent to as high as 1.56 million comprising of cars and light trucks according to the data compiled by Bloomberg. Asia automakers boosted their share of market by 1.2 points to 41.4 percent.
DaimlerChrysler AG, which last month has agreed to sell its US Chrysler unit after nine years of ownership, has posted its second consecutive monthly advance. The Chrysler Group has increased by 4.3 percent attributed to its redesigned Jeep Wrangler and new Dodge Nitro.
Toyota for its part was able to sell 269,023 cars and light trucks last May, a record that month fired up by a tripling of sales for the Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car. The Prius was able to sell 20,000 units in a single month for the first time to become the ninth-best selling vehicle in the US. Ford’s 6.8 percent decline marked its seventh consecutive monthly fall.
Until May, the US industry has increased only once and that was in the month of March which is attributed to the unceasing increase in fuel prices and the declining homes sales that kept buyers away from showrooms. The average price of a gallon of gasoline has reached an all-time high of $3.23 last May that is according to the American Automobile Association.
The US market share for GM, Ford, and Chrysler has slipped by one percentage point to 51.9 percent according to the data presented by the American Automobile Association. Ford’s sales to rental car-companies fell 24 percent last May which is still part of the 14 percent decline in the overall sales to business fleets explained by George Pipas, Ford’s Chief Sales Analyst in an interview. Sales to retail customers also fell by 3 percent he added.
Ford’s total sales decline to 259,470 cars and trucks affected by the 12 percent slide in sales of the F-Series pickup truck this is the seventh consecutive monthly decrease for the trucks. Sales of the F-Series, the nation’s best-selling vehicle have fallen by 13 percent this year.
The Fusion mid-sized sedan has also slipped by 4.4 percent while the Explorer sport-utility vehicle fell by 17 percent.
A Year Difference
Amazingly Ford was able to lead over Toyota in terms of sales this year through May by 39,358 vehicles basing on the data presented by Autodata Corp. of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. A year ago, Ford also led over Toyota by 274,371 vehicles.
GM’s Chevrolet Silverado large pickup outsold the F-Series pickup for the second time this year. And prior to February results, the Silverado has also bested the F-Series last June 2005. GM’s light truck sales has increased by 5.4 percent fired up by the gain in pickup sales and the addition of the new GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook car-based SUVs. Car sales have also increased by 16 percent led by the Chevrolet Impala and Pontiac Grand Prix.
General Motors is also hoping to increase its North American production by 2 percent in the third quarter.
“Successful Launches”
Erich Merkle, an auto analyst at IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, “We are seeing some successful launches from GM — the GMC Acadia, the Saturn Outlook, and one just hitting the showrooms, the Buick Enclave. It has been a long time, but Detroit is trying to get a product mix that reflects what the market is looking for.”
DaimlerChrysler sales have increased by 3.9 percent. Meanwhile shoppers are still waiting for the outcome of the DaimlerChrysler’s negotiations. According to Charlie Hughes, managing partner of Brand Rules LLC of Newport Beach, California,”it’s a good time to buy a Chrysler.”
Any Old Iron? How to Find Car Parts That are No Longer in Production
Adam Singleton asked:
After taking my car to a garage to get a service and MOT carried out only to be told that they could not get a part directly from the manufacturer, I have recently had the excruciatingly painful experience of trying to source the parts from alternative suppliers.
This was a situation which I had never envisaged. While I understood that my Toyota MR2 was no longer in production, I was still completely stunned to find out that certain parts for it are no longer available. If my vehicle was a rare custom car, then perhaps I could understand it, but it is currently one of the more popular tuner cars to be coming into the UK as part of the grey import market from Japan. It seems that although you can easily buy the cars themselves, getting the parts to keep them running is a lot more difficult.
I tried the usual phoning round of local suppliers, but to no avail. I checked through the yellow pages and tried the local scrap yards to see if they had anything, but again with no luck. I looked through hundreds of pages from different car tuning and performance parts sites, and couldn’t find anything to match up with what I needed.
In the end I started trawling through different motoring forum sites to see if the part was perhaps known under a different name from what the garage had told me it was called. That was when I started to gain some feeling that I might actually be able to keep the car running. Following a couple of posts asking for help to the relevant sites, with the addition of a photo of the offending part, and I suddenly had access to a large group of keen car owners and mechanics looking to discuss motoring online and my car problem in particular.
They provided suggestions of possible alternative names, as well as suggestions of where I might be able to find a replacement and how much it was liable to cost. I even ended up with several detailed sets of instructions on how to fit the part myself, which if I had the time would have saved me a sizable amount of money!
The next step was to check out some of the recommended garages and scrap yards online to see if anywhere had the part in stock, how much it would cost and how long it would take to arrive. The internet again came to my rescue, as a quick Google search for the terms “car part Toyota MR2″, yielded a list of specialist part suppliers and scrap yard networks.
These networks proved to be of particular use for my circumstances. Simply by entering in the car and part details, one website provided a free check of multiple car part sources across the country in one go. After only a few minutes I was on the phone to a scrap dealer several hundred miles away, and being told that they had the part in stock and could do next day delivery! I confirmed, by emailing a photo, that the part they had was actually the one required and after that it was just a matter of ordering and waiting 24 hours for the part to arrive.
How quickly it can all change; from the despair I felt at the idea that I might have to get a part custom made or even dispose of my car, to the elation at being able to quickly and cheaply get the car back on the road. For anyone with a car that is no longer in production, or who is simply looking to save on the costs of repair and servicing, the internet is definitely the answer.
After taking my car to a garage to get a service and MOT carried out only to be told that they could not get a part directly from the manufacturer, I have recently had the excruciatingly painful experience of trying to source the parts from alternative suppliers.
This was a situation which I had never envisaged. While I understood that my Toyota MR2 was no longer in production, I was still completely stunned to find out that certain parts for it are no longer available. If my vehicle was a rare custom car, then perhaps I could understand it, but it is currently one of the more popular tuner cars to be coming into the UK as part of the grey import market from Japan. It seems that although you can easily buy the cars themselves, getting the parts to keep them running is a lot more difficult.
I tried the usual phoning round of local suppliers, but to no avail. I checked through the yellow pages and tried the local scrap yards to see if they had anything, but again with no luck. I looked through hundreds of pages from different car tuning and performance parts sites, and couldn’t find anything to match up with what I needed.
In the end I started trawling through different motoring forum sites to see if the part was perhaps known under a different name from what the garage had told me it was called. That was when I started to gain some feeling that I might actually be able to keep the car running. Following a couple of posts asking for help to the relevant sites, with the addition of a photo of the offending part, and I suddenly had access to a large group of keen car owners and mechanics looking to discuss motoring online and my car problem in particular.
They provided suggestions of possible alternative names, as well as suggestions of where I might be able to find a replacement and how much it was liable to cost. I even ended up with several detailed sets of instructions on how to fit the part myself, which if I had the time would have saved me a sizable amount of money!
The next step was to check out some of the recommended garages and scrap yards online to see if anywhere had the part in stock, how much it would cost and how long it would take to arrive. The internet again came to my rescue, as a quick Google search for the terms “car part Toyota MR2″, yielded a list of specialist part suppliers and scrap yard networks.
These networks proved to be of particular use for my circumstances. Simply by entering in the car and part details, one website provided a free check of multiple car part sources across the country in one go. After only a few minutes I was on the phone to a scrap dealer several hundred miles away, and being told that they had the part in stock and could do next day delivery! I confirmed, by emailing a photo, that the part they had was actually the one required and after that it was just a matter of ordering and waiting 24 hours for the part to arrive.
How quickly it can all change; from the despair I felt at the idea that I might have to get a part custom made or even dispose of my car, to the elation at being able to quickly and cheaply get the car back on the road. For anyone with a car that is no longer in production, or who is simply looking to save on the costs of repair and servicing, the internet is definitely the answer.
Toyota to Build Plant in India
Jenny Mclane asked:
The Toyota Motor Corp. is the world’s second-largest automaker and it intends to build a new plant in India and to sell small cars in the country for the first time. “We need to go into that kind of segment,” said Atsushi Toyoshima, Toyota’s managing director in charge of India plant. “Without that, Toyota can’t be a substantial player in the market. That’s very clear.”
Toyoshima noted that Toyota has just 0.7 percent of India’s passenger car market as it only sells Corolla and Camry sedans, costing about twice as much as the country’s average car. It plans to introduce smaller models as it seeks to win a 10 percent share of a market likely to grow 15 percent annually for the next 20 years. These small cars are compatible with Superwinch and other auto add-ons.
“To succeed in India, a small car is critical,” said K.K. Mital, who manages 1.75 billion rupees ($40 million) as the chief investment officer at the New Delhi-based Escorts Asset Management. “A sedan as the heart of the market is quite a while away,” Mital adds.
The Japanese automaker has boosted its share of India’s car market from 0.06 percent in 2003. It is when Toyota first set out its goal of yielding a ten percent share by 2010. The Toyota City, a Japan-based company, has a 20 percent share of the utility-vehicle segment with the Innova.
In an interview at the company’s only factory in India, Toyoshima said the automaker has not decided yet where it will build the new plant which would be manufacturing the smaller models that the company will sell in India. When it would be built has also yet to be disclosed.
According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the sales of Toyota passenger cars decreased by 22 percent in the 11 months ended February from a year earlier to 6,530. Consequently, the sales of its Innova and Prado vehicles increased 17 percent to 32,166.
Toyota, based in Aichi, Japan and founded in 1933 by Kiichiro Toyoda, is famed for manufacturing automobiles, trucks, buses and robots and providing financial services. In 2006, the company reported a total vehicle production of 9.018 million vehicles. So far, Toyota is the world’s most profitable automaker.
Most analysts in the industry believe that Toyota will takeover General Motors post as the largest automaker either late this year or in the coming year. Last year, the automaker increased its annual vehicle production by 1.7 million from 7.3 to nine million. This year, Toyota’s target annual production is 9.4 million vehicles. If the target is met, that could pave way to a new automaker holding the world’s largest automaker title.
The Toyota Motor Corp. is the world’s second-largest automaker and it intends to build a new plant in India and to sell small cars in the country for the first time. “We need to go into that kind of segment,” said Atsushi Toyoshima, Toyota’s managing director in charge of India plant. “Without that, Toyota can’t be a substantial player in the market. That’s very clear.”
Toyoshima noted that Toyota has just 0.7 percent of India’s passenger car market as it only sells Corolla and Camry sedans, costing about twice as much as the country’s average car. It plans to introduce smaller models as it seeks to win a 10 percent share of a market likely to grow 15 percent annually for the next 20 years. These small cars are compatible with Superwinch and other auto add-ons.
“To succeed in India, a small car is critical,” said K.K. Mital, who manages 1.75 billion rupees ($40 million) as the chief investment officer at the New Delhi-based Escorts Asset Management. “A sedan as the heart of the market is quite a while away,” Mital adds.
The Japanese automaker has boosted its share of India’s car market from 0.06 percent in 2003. It is when Toyota first set out its goal of yielding a ten percent share by 2010. The Toyota City, a Japan-based company, has a 20 percent share of the utility-vehicle segment with the Innova.
In an interview at the company’s only factory in India, Toyoshima said the automaker has not decided yet where it will build the new plant which would be manufacturing the smaller models that the company will sell in India. When it would be built has also yet to be disclosed.
According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the sales of Toyota passenger cars decreased by 22 percent in the 11 months ended February from a year earlier to 6,530. Consequently, the sales of its Innova and Prado vehicles increased 17 percent to 32,166.
Toyota, based in Aichi, Japan and founded in 1933 by Kiichiro Toyoda, is famed for manufacturing automobiles, trucks, buses and robots and providing financial services. In 2006, the company reported a total vehicle production of 9.018 million vehicles. So far, Toyota is the world’s most profitable automaker.
Most analysts in the industry believe that Toyota will takeover General Motors post as the largest automaker either late this year or in the coming year. Last year, the automaker increased its annual vehicle production by 1.7 million from 7.3 to nine million. This year, Toyota’s target annual production is 9.4 million vehicles. If the target is met, that could pave way to a new automaker holding the world’s largest automaker title.
Toyota Tundra’s Battle in Detroit, Heightened
Glady Reign asked:
The Toyota Motor Corporation’s Tundra pickup serves as a great threat to Detroit automakers. The long-time Detroit steel dominated segment is now being challenged by a Japanese automaker. And this certain fact is that one which makes Detroit automakers frantic. Earlier, the General Motors Corp., the Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group slammed the Toyota Tundra pickup via company emails and ads.
A General Motors Corp. sales manager recently sent an e-mail to dealers picking apart some of the more snooty claims in a Toyota TV commercial promoting its new Texas-built Tundra pickup. In addition, employees at the Ford Motor Co., including Mark Fields, the president of the Americas division, are spreading the word that Ford trucks were spotted helping out in the construction of the San Antonio Toyota plant.
In Atlanta, a major Chevrolet dealer is airing a radio ad that says: “Toyota contributes more to our staggering national trade deficit than any manufacturer.” The Toyota Tundra is being attacked left and right and more powerful attacks are expected to arrive. “As they continue to do well in the marketplace and there’s been more and more talk about them eclipsing us to become No. 1, it puts them into a different limelight,” GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan said. “It puts them into a more adversarial position.”
Toyota is gradually invading the global auto scene and in Detroit, the company is etching a reputable name. However, when it comes to the pickup truck segment Detroit automakers have retained its superiority with the Ford F-Series on the lead, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado. The Dodge Ram is also one of the favorite trucks in Detroit.
Toyota invested heavily in its redesigned Tundra pickup. This is aimed at increasing its market share in the lucrative segment. Now, Detroit’s carmakers are fighting to protect their turf. “They’ve made it a war,” said Jim Ziegler, a Duluth, Georgia based automotive retail consultant and he speaks with regards to the Tundra. “And GM cannot afford to let them win this war.”
The e-mail sent to GM dealers said that the Japanese automaker makes misleading claims in the Toyota Tundra ad, which features the truck hauling a mammoth trailer and then speeding to the edge of a cliff then halting. “Bottom line: Our truck is better! Spread the word,” the e-mail said. GM’s communication officials have heard the radio ad, but the company was not involved in its creation, Rhadigan said.
People at Ford are circulating a Louisville Courier-Journal article, not about Volvo grille but Ford truck spottings in behind-the-scenes footage of the Tundra ad. Ford’s Fields had a video posted to the company’s website highlighting the blue oval sightings, the article said.
Toyota is taking the heat calmly. Spokesman Chad Harp pointed out that the company’s boasts in the commercial, including the Tundra pulling a 10,000-pound trailer, are backed by scientific testing. The GM email said the trailer was only 5,000 pounds. “We know we are in territory that is not our home turf,” Harp said. “You aren’t going to see us stepping to a level where we’re trying to defend ourselves.”
Steve Cook, a GM dealer in Vasser, said that all the competitive rhetoric is taking the focus off his vehicles. “It seems we’re always talking about Toyota,” he said. “We’ve got good products. We need be a little bit more like Toyota and just do it.”
The Toyota Motor Corporation’s Tundra pickup serves as a great threat to Detroit automakers. The long-time Detroit steel dominated segment is now being challenged by a Japanese automaker. And this certain fact is that one which makes Detroit automakers frantic. Earlier, the General Motors Corp., the Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group slammed the Toyota Tundra pickup via company emails and ads.
A General Motors Corp. sales manager recently sent an e-mail to dealers picking apart some of the more snooty claims in a Toyota TV commercial promoting its new Texas-built Tundra pickup. In addition, employees at the Ford Motor Co., including Mark Fields, the president of the Americas division, are spreading the word that Ford trucks were spotted helping out in the construction of the San Antonio Toyota plant.
In Atlanta, a major Chevrolet dealer is airing a radio ad that says: “Toyota contributes more to our staggering national trade deficit than any manufacturer.” The Toyota Tundra is being attacked left and right and more powerful attacks are expected to arrive. “As they continue to do well in the marketplace and there’s been more and more talk about them eclipsing us to become No. 1, it puts them into a different limelight,” GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan said. “It puts them into a more adversarial position.”
Toyota is gradually invading the global auto scene and in Detroit, the company is etching a reputable name. However, when it comes to the pickup truck segment Detroit automakers have retained its superiority with the Ford F-Series on the lead, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado. The Dodge Ram is also one of the favorite trucks in Detroit.
Toyota invested heavily in its redesigned Tundra pickup. This is aimed at increasing its market share in the lucrative segment. Now, Detroit’s carmakers are fighting to protect their turf. “They’ve made it a war,” said Jim Ziegler, a Duluth, Georgia based automotive retail consultant and he speaks with regards to the Tundra. “And GM cannot afford to let them win this war.”
The e-mail sent to GM dealers said that the Japanese automaker makes misleading claims in the Toyota Tundra ad, which features the truck hauling a mammoth trailer and then speeding to the edge of a cliff then halting. “Bottom line: Our truck is better! Spread the word,” the e-mail said. GM’s communication officials have heard the radio ad, but the company was not involved in its creation, Rhadigan said.
People at Ford are circulating a Louisville Courier-Journal article, not about Volvo grille but Ford truck spottings in behind-the-scenes footage of the Tundra ad. Ford’s Fields had a video posted to the company’s website highlighting the blue oval sightings, the article said.
Toyota is taking the heat calmly. Spokesman Chad Harp pointed out that the company’s boasts in the commercial, including the Tundra pulling a 10,000-pound trailer, are backed by scientific testing. The GM email said the trailer was only 5,000 pounds. “We know we are in territory that is not our home turf,” Harp said. “You aren’t going to see us stepping to a level where we’re trying to defend ourselves.”
Steve Cook, a GM dealer in Vasser, said that all the competitive rhetoric is taking the focus off his vehicles. “It seems we’re always talking about Toyota,” he said. “We’ve got good products. We need be a little bit more like Toyota and just do it.”
Do you drive a Toyota Highlander? Tell me about it?
bruce_clark_jr asked:
We are starting to research our next vehicle and are looking at the Toyota Highlander. If you own one let us know what you think. You can post your answer to my question on my blog if you want at www.byu4u.blogspot.com
We are starting to research our next vehicle and are looking at the Toyota Highlander. If you own one let us know what you think. You can post your answer to my question on my blog if you want at www.byu4u.blogspot.com
We check the blog everyday and are really looking forward to hearing from people that acutally own one, or two.
Thanks
Toyota Fj 70 series Vs Hummer H2
Q8tallica asked:
a Small Toyota Fj helps a HUGE stuck Hummer H2 , in the desert of Saudia arabia !
Why does Tony never thank Toyota?
bigwheels1031 asked:
I noticed in all of his post race interviews that Tony never thanks Toyota. Why does he ignore them? I think this is just a super big hint that he is leaving at the end of the season.
I noticed in all of his post race interviews that Tony never thanks Toyota. Why does he ignore them? I think this is just a super big hint that he is leaving at the end of the season.
What is the difference between the 07 and 08 Toyota Tacomas?
project_289 asked:
Could you please post a link to this. I cant seem to find out the new year changes. Thanks
Could you please post a link to this. I cant seem to find out the new year changes. Thanks
(NASCAR) Is this true about Toyota’s longer engine block?
american patriot asked:
I keep reading blogs and would like to know where they found this so that I could post it for the whole world to know!
I keep reading blogs and would like to know where they found this so that I could post it for the whole world to know!