Paul Tan on the Automotive Industry
Just for some weekend fun, here’s a Theophilus Chin rendering of how the Toyota FT-86 Concept would look like as a four door.
Sometime last year there was a report in Autocar UK that Toyota is considering a small rear wheel drive sports sedan based off the FT-86 sedan as an “insurance policy” or some kind of safety net if the coupe doesn’t sell well enough.
In line with the increase in demand for Toyota genuine parts and motor oil, UMW Toyota Motor has completed an expansion exercise for its Parts Distribution Centre warehouse facility in Sungai Buloh.
“To accommodate the growth of our parts business and achieved customers’ satisfaction, UMW Toyota Motor has invested a total of RM30 million to build and expand this facility. With this expansion, we have completed our facility expansion plan for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak,” said UMW Toyota Motor’s president Ismet Suki.
“Our parts business recorded RM456 million in 2010, a 16% increase from the previous year. Although Toyota’s production was disrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March, we are pleased that the parts supply from Japan has improved earlier than expected, and we are confident to reach our parts sales target of nearly RM500 million this year,“ he said.
He added that the additional storage space will enable the company to keep more parts items and shorten the delivery time to reach Toyota service outlets and parts dealers.
The facility incorporates Toyota’s efficient 7-storage techniques in its operation, and is equipped with the electronic Bar Code System (TBIPS) to handle the high part lines accurately and more efficiently. It also utilises the Toyota Parts Automated System (TOPAS) software, an advanced system used by Toyota Motor Corporation for parts ordering, receiving, invoicing and also inventory control.
It will however upgrade its existing Toyota Parts Supply System (TOPAS) to the Global Toyota Parts Supply System (G-TOPAS) by 2015 – the system will enable the company to connect to the Global Toyota parts supply system to ensure smoother distribution.
This is the Toyota GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II, a hybrid sports car that it will be entering into the 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race in late July 2011.
The GRMN acronym stands for Gazoo Racing Meister of Nurburgring, which is a tribute to the late Hiromu Naruse, Toyota’s late test driver (1944-2010) who passed away last year. He was also the chief of the GAZOO racing team.
It’s quite obviously based on the Toyota MR-S, as you can see from the interior pix.
The car has a mid-mounted 3.5 litre V6 engine powering the rear wheels, while the front wheels are powered by an electric motor mounted up front, resulting in a hybrid all wheel drive system. The engine’s peak output is 245 horses, but combined with the electric motor the car has an effective 295 horsepower.
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These are the first official pics of the third generation European spec Toyota Yaris, which will be launched in the UK this summer. No surprise in how it looks – we’ve already seen the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Toyota Vitz that was revealed last December. The Yaris name is used for international markets, including ASEAN.
Developed from an original concept of “compact outside, spacious inside,” the new Yaris is claimed to “further improve the clever packaging” seen in the current car, although rival Honda Jazz is hard to beat in this department.
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Toyota also says that Yaris marks a segment breakthrough for affordable multimedia connectivity with Toyota Touch & Go, which features a 6.1-inch touch screen display. New Perodua Myvi Elegance owners, you have one of those too!
Manufactured at Toyota’s Valenciennes factory in France, the new European Yaris won’t have an easy time as a foreigner in the homeland of the supermini, but Toyota hopes that “highest possible build quality”, high quality materials and surface finishes and a more driver-focused cockpit will help the cause. Three powertrains will be available: 1.0-litre VVT-i and 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i petrols and a 1.4-litre D-4D diesel.
Just two hours more until we’ll be able to reveal to you the full details of the new 2011 Perodua Myvi. We got a preview of the car late last month and the embargo will be lifted at 9PM tonight, where we’ll legally get the clearance to publish all we know of the car so far.
We’re in the midst of putting on the final touches of our full story, that includes the full technical details on the car, hi-res pictures inside and out, and some brief driving impressions of the new compact hatchback.
As you all know, the first generation Perodua Myvi that was launched in 2005 had Japanese siblings named the Toyota Passo and the Daihatsu Boon. It later even got a Subaru badge and was launched as the Subaru Justy.
That Japanese-badged car eventually got replaced with the car you see here in this post, with its design shifted from something rather unisex to a very feminine design. The new 2011 Perodua Myvi remains unisex in its outlook.
Look after the jump to check out the 2010 Toyota Passo and Daihatsu Boon, something to refresh your memory while you wait for the unveiling at 9PM.
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Car crash survivors have more to thank than luck, as carmakers put in a lot of effort in crash simulation and analysis. Toyota has added two new members to its family of digital crash test dummies. Known as THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety) these virtual humans provide much more detailed crash test results than physical crash-test dummies.
TMC began developing THUMS in 1997 and Version 1 was completed and commercially launched in 2000. The company is now using Version 4, completed and released in 2010 with detailed modeling of internal organs. V4 contains about 14 times more information than the previous version.
The THUMS – seen during a visit to Toyota’s technical centre in Higashi Fuji last year – allows detailed analysis of bone fractures, severed ligaments and more by simulating the characteristics of the human body, ranging from the shape of the body to its skeletal structure and skin, which is why it’s good to have more than one digital fellow.
The new family members are a 153 cm tall female (petite girl) and a 189 cm male (big guy). They will join the existing 179 cm average-build adult male in THUMS. All three models come in two types – a vehicle occupant and pedestrian – bringing the total number of models to six.
An elderly person and a child is in the works. With these, it is now possible to take into account different body sizes when analysing internal injuries from car accidents.
This latest software upgrade is the result of a cooperation between Toyota Central R&D Labs, universities and other external research institutes to make detailed measurements of the human body’s internal structure using a CT (computed tomography) scanner.
Toyota will be simultaneously unveiling facelifted versions of all three of its IMV models at the Indonesian International Motor Show next month.
Just for some background – Toyota’s IMV (Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle) project vehicles are aimed at emerging markets and have spawned a total of 5 bodystyles which consist of three pick-up variants of the Toyota Hilux, an SUV which is the Toyota Fortuner and an MPV which is the Toyota Innova.
The picture you see above is the first leaked image of the new Toyota Hilux facelift, which is spreading like wildfire around the internet right now. As you can see the front end has been revised and now features a stronger face inspired by the high end Toyota Landcruiser J200.
The IMV project is actually something unprecedented for Toyota, as it is conducted almost entirely outside Japan, including purchasing, manufacturing and logistics. As emerging market vehicles, they are not designed or sold in Japan, and in fact most if not all of the parts are not sourced from Japan, instead supplied by various ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. They are also designed to suit the “hardship” that the suspension system has to endure because of the general road conditions in emerging markets.
Toyota has announced that it will be introducing Toyota Friend, a private social network for Toyota customers and their cars. Essentially, the in-car system will offer Toyota users the means to connect with their cars, their dealership, and with Toyota itself, through Salesforce Chatter, a private social network thus far used by businesses.
The service, which is jointly developed by Toyota and San Francisco-based cloud computing provider Salesforce, will first be offered in Japan, initially with the company’s range of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles – which includes the new Prius PHV – due out next year. At some point in the future, the company will consider deploying the system in other global markets.
Aside from being a private social network, where customers can choose to extend their communication to family, friends, and others through public social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, the onboard telematics system will be able to provide a variety of product and vehicle maintenance-related information.
For example, if an EV or PHV is running low on battery power, Toyota Friend will be able to notify the driver to recharge the vehicle in the form of a “tweet”-like instant message alert. The service can also help plan suitable off-peak vehicle charging times to ease demands on the electricity grid, with users able to carry out the recharging remotely via phone or PC, the company added.
Likewise for vehicle maintenance – the system can send automatic messages from the car to the driver to alert on possible problems or anomalies, and the driver can schedule a service appointment remotely via a link to the service centre. Users will be able to access the real-time service via smart phones, tablet PCs and other advanced mobile gadgets.
Something new on the cards with the Toyota Vios, by the looks of it. UMW Toyota’s website teases a new variant called the G Limited, which when it arrives will bring the local Vios model range to six.
There are no images of the version, just the outline rendition you see to suggest the new ‘shape’. The pricing has been listed, and at RM89,600 (on-the-road, with insurance) the 1.5G Limited sits just below the top-of-the-line TRD Sportivo, and ahead of the standard 1.5G, which is RM2,300 cheaper.
No changes mechanically, based on the specifications sheet, though there’s a G Limited aerokit, which is made up of front and rear bumper diffusers, side skirting and a trunk spoiler, as well as a unique version radiator grille.
In terms of other specifications, the model is a dead ringer for the 1.5G; you get all the trim found in the latter, down to the beige-coloured combination leather for the seats and silver centre console.
Presumably there’s more to it than just the bodykit with the G Limited, and the teaser info on the site hints that there’ll be changes to the TRD Sportivo too. “Expect exciting changes and upgrades that will make your heart crave for both,” it goes. Guess we’ll have to wait to find out what they are. Thanks to reader Iwan for the nod to the info!
UMW Toyota Motor has announced that vehicle production at its Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) plant will resume back to two-shift operations from today (23 May) as parts supply from Japan has stabilised after the disruption caused by the earthquake/tsunami disaster that happened in March. ASSB assembles the Vios, Hiace, Innova, Hilux and Fortuner.
Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor said: “We are delighted that with the strong efforts taken by our principal, Toyota Motor Corporation and all related parties including our suppliers, we can resume to normal production earlier than expected.
“Our commitment to our customers remains topmost in our priority. We will continue our efforts to deliver vehicles to customers at the earliest possible timing. We appreciate our customers’ and business partners’ kind understanding during this difficult time. We will update all our customers on their vehicle delivery status individually,” he added.
This comes after news that Toyota’s three Thai plants will see production resume to double shifts today.
