June auto sales will no doubt be ugly. In all likelihood, the sixth month of the year will be the 24th month in the past 25 to see a year-over-year sales decline. June could also bring a bit of good news, though, as an Automotive News poll of nine different industry analysts shows that sales may hit an annualized rate of 10 million, up from the 9.1-9.9 levels of previous months this year.

The slight pickup in June sales verses May numbers would suggest that the market for new cars and trucks has likely bottomed out. Edmunds predicts that the automaker likely to gain much share in June is Ford, as the car research site predicts sales that its sales are down only 15.6%. The next smallest decline is predicted to be Nissan at 24.2%, and then Toyota, Honda, GM, and Chrysler are all guesstimated to be between 28-32%. The June 2009 sales figures will likely be a bit skewed for Honda, though, as the Japanese automaker had an unusually strong June 2008 because of a big-time push for fuel efficient vehicles due to $4 per gallon gas.

Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache has told Automotive News that the second half of the year could see even more of an upward trend due to the freshly minted Cash-for-Clunkers law. Lache says sales could hit 11 million on an annualized rate, though it's likely that most people driving junkers can't afford a new car payment along with increased insurance rates.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd | Image: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty]

Cars.com has once again published its annual American-Made Index that rates vehicles built within the United States based on their sales and percentage of domestic parts content. This year's list has a number of movers and shakers based mainly on the fact that a troubled economy has torpedoed sales of some models and others are now ineligible because their parent brands are being canceled.

The Ford F-150 has lost its top ranking in the American-Made Index for the first time since Cars.com began producing the list back in 2006. The new No. 1 is – gasp – the Toyota Camry. Assembled in Georgetown, KY and Lafayette, IN, the Camry's upswing in domestic parts content helped it barely edge out the F-150, which has seen both its sales and domestic parts content fall year-over-year. Toyota, in fact, had four models make the American-Made Index this year including the Sienna, Tundra and first-timer Venza.

General Motors placed the Chevrolet Malibu, Silverado and GMC Sierra, while Ford had the aforementioned F-150, and list newcomer Ford Taurus, which enjoys the highest domestic parts content of 90 percent. No Chrysler vehicles made the top ten, although one Honda did: the Lincoln, AL Odyssey has an 80 percent domestic parts content rating and thus sewed up the #10 spot. You can view the full list after the jump and visit Cars.com to read more about how the index was produced.

[Source: Cars.com]

Rumors that General Motors may get access to Toyota's proprietary hybrid technology just won't go away. Today, Bloomberg cites two unnamed sources in reports that Toyota President Akio Toyoda and GM chief Fritz Henderson will meet this August in Michigan to discuss the possibility of a GM-badged version of the Toyota Prius hybrid hatchback.

For the record, both General Motors and Toyota have repeatedly denied that any such talks have taken place in the past and have said it's unlikely that they ever will in the future. Many of these rumors indicate that the two automakers are considering building the Prius together at the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture in California, but GM has today announced that its involvement in NUMMI is over.

It remains a possibility that Toyota will fully take over the reigns at NUMMI to finally build the Prius in America, but even if that's the case, it's extremely unlikely that General Motors will have anything to do with the project in light of its own massive undertaking of readying the Chevrolet Volt for the market in 2011.



[Source: Bloomberg]
Photos copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

As part of its "New GM"/"Old GM" bankruptcy proceedings, General Motors has announced that it will abandon its ownership stake in the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture with Toyota.

According to an official statement, GM and Toyota worked to find a future product that would work for both automakers, but they were apparently unable to do so. As a result, GM will assign its NUMMI stake to "Old GM," effectively ending a 25-year partnership with the Japanese automaker.

Over the last quarter-century, the Fremont, California plant has produced a number of vehicles for GM, including the current Pontiac Vibe, as well as the Geo/Chevrolet Prizm, and the Bowtie'd Nova that preceded it.

There is no word on what (if any) effect the deal's collapse will have on Toyota's NUMMI-made products which include the Tacoma pickup and Corolla sedan. According to NUMMI's official website, 5,440 workers are employed at the plant. Official press release after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: General Motors; NUMMI | Image: Hokubei]

Akio Toyoda, the new President of Toyota and grandson of company founder Kiichiro Toyoda, is predicting another two years of tough times for the auto industry. In order to stay afloat, the Japanese automaker, under the direction of Toyoda, will build more autonomous operations in North America and concentrate on a more region-specific lineup to help the company pull through the recession.

While the company will be steered "back to basics," the changes will not involve plant closures – Toyota wants to make sure it retains capacity for when the market bounces back. Toyoda will also personally take a 30% pay cut this year. "The new Toyota sets sail in very stormy waters," said Toyoda at his first news conference. "But right now we're working at full speed to cut costs and jump-start sales with the support of various government incentives being rolled out... We want to do everything possible to avoid a third consecutive year of losses."

[Sources: Reuters / Reuters]

In 2007, Toyota drove one of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia. Earlier that same year, a Toyota FCHV drove from Tokyo to Osaka on one tank. The company is certainly in favor of at least researching the technology, and it has repeatedly said that it will start series production of a fuel cell vehicle in the middle of the next decade. At one point, Toyota hinted that 2014 might mark the big year, but that's looking unlikely now.

During a recent shareholders' meeting in Japan, Toyota VP Masatami Takimoto said that Toyota now plans to start production of this new car in 2015. That's still quite soon, as no one expects the hydrogen infrastructure problem to be solved by then. Thanks to Greg B. for the tip!



[Source: AFP]

Toyota has worked hard to cultivate its image as the "green" automaker. And with so many hybrids on the road, it's hard to argue. Some critics have cited the fact that mining for battery components is bad for the environment and the thousands of miles that massive, CO2-spewing ships travel to park those hybrids on our shores more than negate the positive effects. It's hard to argue with 50 mpg for $22,000, though, and, after all, politicians love them some hybrids.

Toyota's plans to build a new technical center and test track only 30 miles from its Aichi, Japan headquarters has those critics chirping anew, as the land pegged for construction is a 17th century rice patty. Toyota plans to use the facility to fine-tune its vehicles and stay ahead of Honda and GM in the hybrid game, but the cost of the price may be a bit too steep.

To clear the 1,631 acres to create the facility, Toyota will need to deforest 691 acres, fill the rice paddies and flatten mountains. Flatten mountains? Really? Good thing Toyota also owns Hino heavy trucks. Activists allege that the construction will destroy the habitat of the endangered gray-faced buzzard and oriental honey buzzard, too.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Three Lions/Hutton Gallery/Getty]

With all the rumors and anticipation surrounding Toyota's joint venture with Subaru to produce a front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe, the automaker's Supra successor has been put on the news cycle's back-burner. However, according to a report by Best Car, development has continued in earnest since the FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car Concept debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007 and a prototype will supposedly begin making the rounds later this year.

Although the FT-HS was originally due to arrive in 2009, the Toyobaru's parallel development and market conditions have pushed back the introduction of a Supra-successor until 2011. When it hits, expect two versions to be available: a traditional gas-powered model, likely fitted with a 3.5-liter V6, and a hybrid "Sports" variant packing the GS450h's 2GR-VSE 3.5-liter V6 mated to the JDM Crown Hybrid's electric drive system and cranking out around 400 hp to the rear wheels. If Best Car's report is to be believed, we could see the next iteration of the FT-HS concept at the Tokyo Motor Show this November, with the production model debuting sometime in 2010 before its on-sale date the following year.



[Source: Best Car via 7Tune]

During the reign of company President Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota became the number one automaker in the world, along with amassing $52 billion in cash and marketable securities. That sounds like one of the most amazing runs in the history of the automotive industry, but it's more than a little disappointing to company scion Shoichiro Toyoda.

The 84 year-old Toyoda is apparently the mild-mannered type, but Bloomberg is reporting that he read the riot act to Watanabe and his fellow execs. The news agency's sources say that Toyoda railed Watanabe for being "so anxious to boost sales and profits that he'd let Toyota emulate bankrupt General Motors." Toyoda also reportedly chastised execs for becoming too dependent on large and expensive cars, trucks and SUVs, saying, "customers need to save money."

Toyota may have made $17.7 billion in 2007, but the $4.5 billion it lost in 2008 and the $5.7 billion it expects to shed in 2009 shows that Toyoda may be on to something. If the company is to turn around in the next few years, though, it'll have to come at the hand of another Toyoda. Shoichiro's son Akio takes over as president on Tuesday.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image Source: AFP/Getty]

A "Toyota insider" has supposedly spilled a few more beans to 7Tune about the upcoming front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe the automaker is collaborating on with Subaru, and according to the source, the 2+2 will carry a few of the Lexus LF-A's design cues when it hits the market next year.

Although Lexus' "L-Finesse" styling has remained exclusive to Toyota's luxury brand, certain elements of the language have begun to filter down to the automaker's mainstream models, specifically the recently released Venza CUV. The rendering above hints at some of the lines that could make the cut on the production version of the "086A," but contrary to past reports, 7Tune's tipster says that the Toyota and Subaru versions won't be remarkably different – only the front grille, headlamps and taillights will be unique. The report goes on to say that Toyota is desperately trying to keep the price below the two million yen mark (a little over $20,000) and, coinciding with earlier rumors, Subaru is actively considering offering an STI version of the coupe.

In a related story, ToMoCo's new president, Akio Toyoda – the exec who recently piloted the LF-A around the Green Hell during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring – told Auto Motor und Sport, "This sports culture, which we have neglected for so long, will again be maintained." Toyoda clearly wants to see the automaker back on the radar of enthusiasts and the first example of this newfound focus could find its way onto the stage at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

[Sources: 7Tune, Auto Motor und Sport via Japanese Nostalgia Car]