NEW Hachi Roku

[tamago]

1400 lbs? Rofl. Let me guess, quadruple airbags, traction control, aggressive anti-acceleration tune and they'll put 17's on it. Never gonna be even CLOSE to 1400 lbs. Yarii weigh 2000+ and they're front wheel drive, which is a less heavy drivetrain layout.

Magazine writers truely smoke the good shit.

[wrx8xb]

17's? it'll probably come with 18x6.5's up front and 18x7's in the rear LOL

[jruhi4]

More news that sucks:

News Scoop – FT86 Release Postponed, Design Changed
by Adam Zillin - 7tune.com

According to Japan’s Best Car magazine, the FT86’s release date is set to be postponed a further 2 years with the goal posts being shifted from a 2011 release date to 2013.

Toyota are offering two reasons for this reported delay. It is said that the design is going to be amended yet again, indicating a fresh source of frustration for fans of the car the world over. Toyota appear to have gone to lengths to reiterate that the concept we have all seen at the 2010 TMS was only that; a prototype and they have left the door open for further changes to its shape.

Best Car has also said that according to the data from the newly formed TMJ group (Toyota Marketing Japan), fears exist that the release date for 2011 may be premature – with a global economic slowdown affecting sales and with expectations that the sports car market is going to take longer to recover.

With the car slated to be displayed again at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2011, Toyota are also said to be taking a hard look at the success of Honda’s CR-Z, with its hybrid engine the main focus and this may end up influencing the development of the FT-86.

Interestingly, Toyota is said to be planning to sell the car in Japan for a little over 2,000,000 yen – quite cheap in itself but it is too early to say for certain.

Indeed many things about the development of this car are uncertain and this cannot be helping the confidence of the legions of people hungry to get their hands on this car when it does in fact go on sale officially.

As it stands, this latest round of reported changes lend lend themselves to the impression that Toyota appear to be doing their best to score an own goal with this car.

http://www.7tune.com/news-scoop-ft86...esign-changed/


In the post-article comments, writer Adam Zillin adds that, "Guys, Best Car are like a gossip mag here in Japan but this article smacks of truth. I don’t think the information is false at worst. What concerns me is that Toyota are being said to even be thinking this way.

If the FT-86 is ever to have an “H” attached to it, I for one will lose all interest in it for good.

Toyota needs to wake up and start listening to people. They have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the car to date and to capitulate and second guess themselves in this cutthroat market is basically akin to pulling the trigger against your own skull.

Akio Toyoda apologized to the world when the FT-86 was unveiled saying that he was, “…sorry for the lost dreams of a generation.”

Well Toyoda san, you’re going to have to apologize again very soon by the look of things."

[rankink]

2013 now.... In my opinion that car might not be anything like the concept by that time. I think the CRZ will not do very well unless its final specs are much different than we have seen to date, which might doom this car.

hello mustang GT if I wanted to buy a new car in the next few years.

[jruhi4]

It seems that Toyota has decided what name its version of the Toyobaru will use, and apparently, it's not Celica. To find out what it is, read this article that I wrote for the Kaizen Factor blog: http://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/20...e-called-fr-s/

Hint: the MR2-driving Pastelitos might get a kick out of it...

[jruhi4]

News Scoop – FT-86 is on time
by Adam Zillin - 7Tune.com

Good news, FT-86 fans. I was invited as one of the only foreign journalists to attend a press day on Wednesday where the JDM-only Noah and Voxy Minivans were being showcased by G’s, the sports vehicle oriented arm of Toyota Japan. The FT-86 though, didn’t take long to come up in the conversation…

Most importantly, Toyota held the strictly invite only event not only to show off the G’s upgrades to their people movers but also to offer access to some of Toyota’s innermost engineers and sports department managers.

This presented an ideal opportunity to discuss Toyota’s involvement in the current market and inevitably, questions regarding the FT86 surfaced quickly.

A private 20 minute question and answer session I had with Dr. Shigeyuki Hori, Project General Manager for the Sports Vehicle Management division and Kazuo Okino, Group manager for the same division uncovered a number of promising pieces of news.

I can confirm that the cars development is on schedule and that the reports for the cars release in 2013 are erroneous. Toyota reiterated its intent to release the car by the previously appointed date, in November 2011. I can also confirm that the car is approximately 50% complete with the target price remaining steady for the mid level spec FT-86 at approximately 2.5 million yen ( approx. $29,000 USD ). One can only speculate at the moment what the base grade spec and price will be and no mention was made of the price for the top spec model but one can be led to guess this will involve a turbocharged motor.

While on the subject of turbocharging, Hori san and Okino san both confirmed that discussions were still being held and nothing had been decided yet. Both were hesitant to provide any confirmation on the radical Gazoo Racing model that wowed the world at last years Tokyo Auto Salon. It needs to be remembered that G’s is ostensibly a street car oriented arm of Toyota and as such the cars will be basically stock power wise with most of the modifications coming in the way of aesthetic changes and suspension, chassis and brake upgrades.

But take heart – the Voxy and Noah concepts at Wednesdays conference appeared in almost exactly the same configuration as the cars that were displayed at the TAS last year. This bodes well for the FT-86.

Another interesting fact about the cars development is that it will remain virtually unchanged, design wise. Okino san was clear in his remarks when he said that the FT86 will only be modified in regards to its aesthetic parts, namely items relating to the body but the overall shape will not change.

One last piece of news that is sure to bring some relief, was the comment made that a hybrid version was not being considered for the FT86. Hybrid technology is indeed being considered for the sport car segment but in another form of car. This car is most likely to be the new Toyota Hybrid sports concept.

Later in the day, the Chief Officer for Toyota’s Motor Sports Division, Tadashi Yamashina, held an exclusive round table conference for the assembled journalists of which 7tune was privy to.

One of the journalists at the conference reminded Yamashina san that there is a very high level of anxiety amongst the public over the FT-86, to which Mr Yamashina replied categorically that the cars development was on schedule and that because of Toyota’s connection with Subaru, there was no way that the car wasn’t going to be great. Read from that what you will but it is clear that Toyota is holding this hand very very close to its chest and is intent on releasing news and coverage on the car when it feels the time is right.

Who can blame them really? This is one of the most anticipated cars to come from Japan in over a decade, so Toyota and its members are quite within their right to be guarded with information.

I was very encouraged by the positive signals coming from within the organization and the general tone appears to be one of positivity in the changes taking place.

I would like to personally extend my thanks to the Corporate Communications Department personnel, and Toyota as a whole, for offering 7tune the opportunity to be a part of this important conference.

http://www.7tune.com/news-scoop-the-...and-unchanged/

[jruhi4]

Just when you thought things couldn't get more convoluted or downright weird on the RWD Toyota sports coupe front comes word that they may be two of them: the Subaru-derived Toyota FR-S and a smaller and lighter Scion powered by a 1.5-liter engine on a platform derived from a JDM mini-SUV (!)

For the full story, here's what I wrote for the Kaizen Factor blog:
http://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/20...cion-comments/

[jruhi4]

Just when you thought things couldn't get more convoluted or downright weird on the RWD Toyota sports coupe front...

Here's one I'd be tempted to dismiss as B.S., except that its source, Japan-based Australian journalist Peter Lyon, is considered pretty credible:

Toyota FT-86 sedan tipped
By Peter Lyon - CarsGuide.com.au


CarsGuide.com.au artist's impression

THERE is more to Toyota's youth-driven FT-86 project than people first thought.

The born-again Sprinter is definitely a coupe and now there will be a four-door sedan for Toyota showrooms. Even though sedans are not popular in Japan - with the exception of the car sold as the Lexus IS200 and Toyota Altezza - Toyota can see serious potential in a global car from the FT-86.

The loyal Altezza customers are one reason why, according to a source close to Toyota, the sedan has been given the go-ahead. It also helps that the basics are available and easy to tweak for four-door work.

In truth, using the FT-86’s platform for a sports sedan is a kind of insurance policy to cover any potential shortfall FT-86 sales. At the same time, it makes the most of the rare rear-drive platform.

One Japanese commentator even goes so far as to say that the sports sedan project is a safety net, just in case the FT-86 fails, so that Toyota does not have to cancel the project altogether.

The Carsguide source tells us that the sedan will not only incorporate the FT-86’s Subaru Liberty (Legacy)-based mechanical package, but get the same 150-kiloWatt (200 hp) boxer engine and six-speed manual transmission (or CVT) from the Impreza as well.

Expected to fall into a segment rivalling something between the BMW 1- Series and 3-Series, and including the Audi A3 and the Golf GTI, the Japanese domestic sticker price should land near $30,000.

Given that more power might be required down the line, Toyota will have the ability to bring the Subaru Outback’s 3.6 litre H6 engine into the equation. But by the time the new sports sedan - not to mention the FT-86 coupe- finally makes it to showrooms in 2013, Subaru will have its own in- house hybrid boxer engine.

This will create yet another powertrain opportunity for Toyota and a package that will, according to our source, be more exciting to drive than Toyota’s current crop of hybrids.

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/new...6_sedan_tipped

[jruhi4]

I couldn't help but create another commentary piece on the above for the Kaizen Factor blog:

http://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/20...ly-like-kudzu/