Tag Archives: toyota

Rate This Ad: Multi-generational Toyota family

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Steve Chang

Normally “national sales events” ads are pretty boring. You have the latest models zipping along a city street while APR financing options are recited at Micro Machine Man speed. For this summer’s Toyotathon, however, Toyota is pulling out the classics … Continue reading →

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Which Toyota Crown is the real Toyota Crown?

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Ben Hsu

After much consternation and speculation the 16th-generation Crown was launched earlier this month, and to be honest we are still vexed. The Crown Crossover is, to us, such an affront to nearly 70 years of tradition that we can’t stop … Continue reading →

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Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki to build 1.0-liter sports car?

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Steve Chang

Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki are reportedly teaming up to build a 1.0-liter sports car.  There hasn’t been a real compact sports car from Japan since the Honda S660, and that was discontinued last year. A one-liter car would exceed kei … Continue reading →

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Initial D taxis are here to take you around Takumi’s hometown

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Ben Hsu

The city of Shibukawa, Gunma is promoting itself as the home town of Initial D protagonist Takumi Fujiwara. The real-life town is where all the action of the series began, and even now, 27 years after its debut, fans of … Continue reading →

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Rent a classic Toyota on your next trip to Japan

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Steve Chang

About five years ago a bunch of automakers were trying to rebrand themselves as “mobility companies” to deal with the shifting trends of the industry. Car ownership was dead! People were just going to pay subscriptions to borrow a car … Continue reading →

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Toyota Crown sedan lives on as model expands into new segments

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Thank the car gods that we were wrong. It turns out that the horrendously ugly Toyota Crown that we’re getting in the US is only one version of the Crown. There’s actually four versions of the car, including a rear-wheel-drive … Continue reading →

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Shinzo Abe carried through Tokyo by Toyota Century limousine hearse

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Steve Chang

After his assassination on July 8, the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was carried to its final resting place in a Toyota Century limousine hearse. Toyota’s most elegant car is a fitting way to travel through Tokyo for … Continue reading →

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Toyota Land Cruiser FJJ restoration gets under way

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Ben Hsu

When we last saw the dilapidated but rare Toyota Land Cruiser FJJ fire engine, it was being hauled from an owner’s driveway to a restoration shop. Turns out, that shop is Shinmei, a company that has been responsible for some … Continue reading →

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Toyota 85C back in action at the 2022 Le Mans Classic

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Over the weekend the No.36 Toyota 85C raced again at Le Mans after first setting tire to asphalt there in 1985. As Toyota’s first factory entry for the famed 24-hour endurance race, the 85C is a pivotal car for the … Continue reading →

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Patent images of Toyota Crown confirm doubts of ultra-loyal sight-unseen buyers

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Ben Hsu

For decades, there has been a particular breed of customer for the Toyota Crown. These buyers were so loyal, dealers could count on them to trade in for each new generation before they had ever laid eyes on the car. … Continue reading →

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Pikes Peak Tacoma brought out of retirement for 100th hill climb

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Over the weekend the 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb took place. The event was marked by rain and dense fog, conditions that shattered any chance of drivers setting new records. One driver that didn’t need to … Continue reading →

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The third-generation Toyota 4Runner brought it into the modern age

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Ben Hsu

The third-generation Toyota 4Runner ushered the model into the modern age. Split from its HiLux pickup roots, it was a fully modernized SUV that still managed to maintain its off-road cred. It arrived at just the right time for Toyota, … Continue reading →

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Toyota to restore rare Land Cruiser FJJ fire engine

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Toyota has begun restoration on a very rare Land Cruiser FJJ. Introduced in 1954, it was first Land Cruiser to bear any kind of “FJ” chassis code. Originally designed for use as a fire engine, Toyota only sold it to … Continue reading →

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Retro Land Cruiser builder Flex Auto to open first US dealership

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Ben Hsu

If you love Toyota Land Cruisers, you’ve probably come across the Japanese firm Flex Auto’s restomods before. The shop specializes in transforming modern vehicles into their older counterparts. Their most popular offerings include J80 or J100 Land Cruisers with J60 … Continue reading →

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Toyota 85C at Le Mans links father-son racing dynasty

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Over the weekend, Toyota won its fifth consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just before the race, Le Mans tradition requires that the previous year’s winner bring back their trophy so it can be passed on to … Continue reading →

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FJ40 Land Cruiser-inspired Toyota concept wins a 2022 Car Design Award

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Ben Hsu

Last December, one of the final events at Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom in Tokyo, before the venue closed for good at the end of the year, was the unveiling of 16 concept cars. One of them, an electric SUV called the … Continue reading →

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The Toyota GR GT3 has moved into the development stage

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Steve Chang

The hits just keep on coming from Toyota. After a period of sporty car drought, Toyota is no longer pulling any punches. A revived Supra, second-generation 86, GR Yaris and GR Corolla have all arrived (or will arrive) in quick … Continue reading →

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This huge Toyota AE86 model will cost $1,600 and take two years to complete

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Ben Hsu

The Toyota AE86 is finally getting immortalized in a highly detailed 1:8-scale model kit. Specifically, it’s a weekly subscription kit by DeAgostini in which parts will be mailed to the subscriber every seven days for over two years. At the … Continue reading →

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

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Ben Hsu

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 →

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Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Edition celebrates four decades of 4Running

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Ben Hsu

The Toyota 4Runner, or HiLux Surf as it’s known as in Japan, debuted in October 1983. In simplest terms, it was a a HiLux pickup with an extra row of seats and a fiberglass bed canopy on it. Now, for … Continue reading →

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