Tag Archives: akio toyoda

Why Toyota had a used Suzuki Jimny at its Tokyo Auto Salon booth

The main stage at Toyota’s 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon booth is a strange place to find a Suzuki. Or a Yamaha. But this year Toyota surprised attendees with a showcase of seemingly unrelated cars. In lieu of a formal press … Continue reading

Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Toyota continues teasing Celica revival from official channels

Toyota just can’t help itself from dropping not-so-subtle Celica hints all over the place. Last week it once again teased a revival of its beloved sports coupe from one of its official channels. When was the last time a car … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Akio Toyoda admits he’s pushing for a Celica (and Subaru and Mitsubishi WRC) revival from behind the scenes

Akio Toyoda is no longer president of Toyota. We were sad to hear of his resignation, as he is was the most outspoken “car guy CEO” in the industry. His advocacy for fun-to-drive cars resonated throughout Toyota and Japan at … Continue reading

Posted in Next Version | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Subaru could return to WRC thanks to Akio Toyoda

Akio Toyota may have retired from being president of Toyota, but he appears to be active as ever when it comes to promoting cars. And it’s not just cars from his own company, which his grandfather founded, that he’s promoting. … Continue reading

Posted in motorsport | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Toyota Celica revival is the “life’s dream” of new president Koji Sato

By this time tomorrow Akio Toyoda’s reign as President of Toyota Motor Corp will be over. He’s stepping aside and his protégé Koji Sato is taking over. Toyoda will be missed. When he took the helm the sportiest thing in … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Shoichiro Toyoda, the Toyota president who built a global powerhouse, 1925 – 2023

Shoichiro Toyoda, the influential president of Toyota who captained the company during its growth into a worldwide phenomenon, passed away on February 14. The official cause, according to a Toyota press release, was heart failure. “Dr. Toyoda,” as he was … Continue reading

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Akio Toyoda steps down as president and CEO: His legacy at Toyota and his successor

It is often said that Akio Toyoda likes surprises. The Toyota president and CEO is fond of racing, and is one of the few corporate leaders who will eagerly don a helmet and climb behind the wheel of his company’s … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Toyota AE86 Hydrogen and EV conversions will let enthusiasts enjoy older cars for decades to come, says CEO

The rumors we reported on were true. At the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon Toyota did indeed unveil two AE86s converted to run on alternative energy. A flip-up headlight Sprinter Trueno was converted to hydrogen power, and a fixed-headlight Corolla Levin … Continue reading

Posted in News, tokyo auto salon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Akio Toyoda’s years-long wish to make Corollas exciting again has come true

The Toyota GR Corolla debuted in Japan today, but the event was perhaps imbued with a different meaning than the US launch. Turns out, it’s the culmination of a years-long effort by company President Akio Toyoda to make the Corolla … Continue reading

Posted in Next Version | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

QotW: What would you do if you were Akio Toyoda?

Today is Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s 65th birthday. So, first of all, happy birthday, Toyoda-san! It’s a notable age, because in the US it was once the traditional age at which one receives a gold watch and rides off into … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Akio Toyoda celebrates Lexus’ 30th anniversary with a champagne glass throwback to the original LS

How does one celebrate a milestone anniversary? If you’re Lexus, it’s with champagne… glasses in the form of a tower on the hood of an LS. One of the most famous car commercials of the 1990s was Balance, the spot … Continue reading

Posted in cm | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Stand out from the other CEOs with a TOM’s Racing Toyota Century

You’re wealthy enough to own a Toyota Century, but you don’t want it to look like every other bank CEO’s executive coach. What to do? Well, prior to the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon, the only option was to a.) be … Continue reading

Posted in tokyo auto salon | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon: Here’s the Toyota Century GRMN in black

Here’s another quick snap from the Gazoo Racing booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon last weekend. Looks like CEO Akio Toyoda has commissioned another Century GRMN, this time in its most proper color, black.

Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Akio Toyoda’s Century GRMN has a touching easter egg

Akio Toyoda is a fashionable guy, and as such he knows how to arrive in style. At the recent Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at Fuji Speedway, the Toyota CEO arrived in his custom Toyota Century GRMN, a version of Toyota’s … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

NEWS: Akio Toyoda checks out a classic Crown in Finland

Akio Toyoda was recently overseeing his business empire in Finland, when he came upon a vintage Toyota Crown. According to Toyota, the CEO was astounded to come upon the S40 sedan in a rural Finnish village, still looking as if … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

VIDEO: Akio Toyoda travels through time to talk to his grandfather Kiichiro

Apparently, in addition to making cars, Toyota has taken its substantial profits to invent and build a time machine so that its current president, Akio Toyoda, could go back to the 1950s an interview his grandfather, Toyota Motor Corporation. founder … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Why Toyota is building an insane 986-horsepower supercar

Toyota’s had a big week. They finally achieved their decades-long push to win Le Mans, overcoming a series of agonizing near-misses. It also announced the production of an insane 986-horsepower road car based on a 2021 Le Mans race car. While the given … Continue reading

Posted in toyota | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

NEWS: Toyota launches new GR performance line

Toyota has launched a new performance line in Japan. Called GR, it offers performance parts and complete cars, with six models offered at launch. Four more will follow and hit the roads of Japan by spring 2018. Toyota hopes to “gradually” bring the … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

NEWS: Toyota-Suzuki partnership could result in a Japanese Big Three

At a surprise press conference October 12 in Japan, Toyota and Suzuki announced that they are in talks about a potential partnership. The announcement was puzzling to industry watchers, but if such a tie-up comes to fruition, we will essentially have three factions of … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | 29 Comments

60 YEAR CLUB: Happy birthday to Akio Toyoda

Today is the 60th birthday of Toyota Motor Corp’s head honcho Akio Toyoda. Even at six decades old, the great-grandson of Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda shows no signs of slowing down. Over the weekend, he was seen donning a racing suit and getting … Continue reading

Posted in Milestones | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments