Toyota
Toyota Camry TS-01 Performance – TS for Trulli & Schumacher
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March 3, 2005 Toyota pulled one of the surprises of the Melbourne Motor Show when it announced a new sports Camry show car named after the marque’s Formula One drivers Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher and both drivers were there to introduce the vehicle to the press. The car is the first built by a newly formed development team within Toyota Australia as a major statement of capability and will be used to evaluate motoring enthusiast reaction. The aggressive looking V6 Camry TS-01 develops 185kW – 28 per cent more than the for-sale Sportivo version, and 320Nm of torque – an increase of 12 percent. Read More
Toyota's radical Compact Sports & Specialty Concept
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March 3, 2005 A radical Toyota sports car featuring a hybrid petrol-electric drive-train and a host of innovative interior features was one of the stars of the media day at the 2005 Melbourne International Motor Show. The CS&S (Compact Sports & Specialty) concept was designed to demonstrate the sporting potential of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, as featured in the second-generation Prius production car. With its midship-mounted next-generation Toyota Hybrid System THS II based on the Hybrid Synergy Drive concept and an E-Four (electric 4-wheel drive) system, the CS&S is designed to provide outstanding environmental performance and driving exhilaration. Read More
Toyota's FJ Cruiser SUV goes from concept to production model at 2005 Chicago Auto Show
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February 12, 2005 Toyota unveiled the all-new FJ Cruiser sport utility vehicle (SUV) at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show this week. Like so many other concept vehicles greeted by a positive response, the FJ Cruiser concept of two years ago has catalysed a production version. The all-new production model retains much of the design details of the original concept. "The FJ Cruiser effectively fills a gap in the Toyota lineup which was once our core heritage - capable, affordable and durable vehicles that are youthful, fun-to-drive, aggressive and tough," said a Toyota spokesperson. "The FJ Cruiser will deliver true off-road ruggedness, image and performance at a very low price, making it highly accessible for a large volume of young buyers." Read More
Toyota's i-unit Personal Mobility Concept
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A further evolution of the Toyota Personal Mobility (PM-01) concept called the "i-unit" is being featured at the Toyota Group Pavilion at EXPO 2005 in Aichi, Japan. Toyota is launching the "i-unit" and other concept vehicles and helper robots with a "Mobility Performance Show" to dramatise the future of mobile technology and its potential role in society under the theme of "the dreams, pleasure and excitement of mobility in the 21st century." Read More
Toyota's new Porte small car with a single electric door
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October 29, 2004 No sooner had we written up the newly announced Peugeot 1007 with its clever sliding doors and space efficient design, than Toyota actually put a very similar vehicle on the showroom floor in Japan.
The new Porte is a compact car with a wireless remote-controlled electric sliding door on the passenger side - slightly different from the two-door Peugeot, but with the same reconfigurable seating concept. Read More
Toyota shows some knockout concept vehicles
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October 16, 2004 Toyota has announced a striking and futuristic set of vehicles for specialty niches which it will display at the upcoming 38th Tokyo Motor show in Japan.
Under the theme "Ecology & Emotion", Toyota will display over a dozen concept vehicles that offer superior environmental performance and respond to social needs.
The pick of the crop involve three purpose-built solutions for outdoor Djs, go-kart racers and a design that facilitates mobility for the elderly and disabled without the need for a carer. Read More
Toyota unveils dual mode hybrid fuel transport
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A futuristic, eco-friendly transit system will be prototyped by Toyota as part of the on-site transportation for the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan. The new system aims to show nature's wisdom and examples of a new global society in action. The ' Toyota Z-Capsule' is a dual mode train/bus fuel cell hybrid that offers an amazing step forward in the evolution of motor vehicles. Read More
Toyota patents cars that show their (and your) feelings
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Toyota has been granted a patent for a system which enables a vehicle to recognise its surroundings, the actions of other road users and the emotional response of its driver and convey the driver's emotions to the public via a vehicle expression system on the exterior of the vehicle. The car's emotion expression system uses the cars headlights, the colour of the vehicle, a set of "eyebrows" over the cars headlights, external LED displays and the height of the vehicle and the antennae to inform other users. Read More
Toyota announces a coming range of partner robots
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Toyota, the world's second largest automotive manufacturer, has made a clear statement of its intention to participate in the personal robotics market by announcing an internal project to develop partner robots designed to function as personal assistants for humans This year has seen a flurry of activity in the personal robotics area and the heightened activity has encouraged a number of companies such as Toyota, which has been known to be developing robots for some time, to play its hand. Toyota does not see itself solely as an automotive manufacturer, and sees itself as a manufacturer of products which contribute to society. Read More
Toyota's Hybrid Supercar Concept
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In releasing details of its third futuristic concept car of the last fortnight, Toyota once again displayed its vision of the future when it showed a hybrid-powered supercar in conjunction with famous Italian design studio Giugaro. The hybrid supercar is one of the keys to promoting an environmentally-friendly automotive future, asserts Fabrizio Giugiaro. Read More
Toyota Personal Mobility (PM) Concept
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Tuesday November 4, 2003: Toyota revealed its radical vision for the future of single-person transport at the Tokyo Motor Show. Drive-by-wire navigation, interactive communications via a holographic display and the ability to change shape according to speed or autonomously follow other vehicles are among the innovations showcased in the PM concept.(short for Personal Mobility and visual communications system). The PM is part of an emerging class of vehicle that takes single-person transport - dominated by the motorcycle throughout the 20th century - in a radically new direction. The other notable vehicle in this category is the Hermes concept featured in Gizmo 4, which shares the PM's ability to shift posture during transit to best suit the function. Read More
Toyota Prius hybrid petrol and electric vehicle
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Toyota's 2004 Prius petrol and electric hybrid is the first second-generation hybrid car and one which is expected to challenge Honda's Insight for the title of the world's most fuel-efficient car.The Prius uses a 50kW electric motor that is more than 50 percent more powerful than the previous model, and with similar performance to many current petrol-engined small cars. The 2004 Prius is the first Toyota vehicle equipped with its next generation drive-train, named "Hybrid Synergy Drive" which offers greater power and fuel economy with extremely low emissions. The Hybrid Synergy Drive integrates all aspects of Prius' hybrid system, from the proper mix of the electric motor and gas engine for optimum performance and efficiency, to the regeneration of electricity via Prius unique braking system. Regenerative braking is a feature of hybrid vehicles that allows the motor to act as a generator when braking. Read More
Toyota Pod
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Take the latest in robotics and communications technology, combine it with the personality of the family pet and add a smiling visage that's reminiscent of the VW Beetle and you end up with the 'Pod'. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show late last year, the Pod concept vehicle is collaboration between Toyota and Sony that takes the relationship between car and driver to a new level. Developed with entertainment, emotion and enhancement of the driving experience in mind, the Pod will play your favourite music, reflect your mood (and its own) through a display of different coloured lights on the front, say goodbye when you get out, thank other drivers when they let you merge and even wag its antenna 'tail' when its really chuffed. Read More
