Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Rumormill: Toyota MR2 to be reborn with hybrid power]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/rumormill-toyota-mr2-to-be-reborn-with-hybrid-power/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/rumormill-toyota-mr2-to-be-reborn-with-hybrid-power/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/rumormill-toyota-mr2-to-be-reborn-with-hybrid-power/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Tell us if this sounds familiar: Hybrids will kill the driver-oriented sportscar. It's the line taken by no small share of enthusiasts, and some of them are among us here at Autoblog. But the skeptics were silenced - or temporarily hushed, at least - when Honda took the wraps off of its CR-Z coup concept. After all, anything that could bring back the CRX hatchback with added oomph at no extra cost at the fuel pumps has to sound good to anyone's ears, right? But you didn't think Toyota would let Honda have the fun all to itself now, did you?

It's far from official, but reports out of Japan suggest that Toyota may be working on a reborn hybrid sportscar of its own. The company once known for its sports-coupes recently unveiled the FT-86 concept, and could be set to follow up with a gasoline-electric resurrection of the cult classic MR2. The budget-friendly mid-engine/rear-drive sportscar had a big following who led the legions of the disappointed when the third-generation model was discontinued two years ago. But if the latest reports are to be believed, Mr. Two could be back - in hybrid form.

Details are scarce, but according to Japan's Best Car, we're looking at a two-seat two-door coupe with a gasoline engine mounted amidships behind the cabin, coupled to an electric motor in a more performance-oriented version of the Toyota Synergy Drive popularized by the Prius. Reports suggest it could adopt the MR-S nameplate, which is what the last MR2 was known as in Japan, so there's just as good a chance that it could wear the MR2 nameplate on this side of the Pacific. That's about all we've got for now, but if we all (Toyota included) play our cards just right, Japan's beloved budget mid-engined car could be coming back...with a charge.

[Source: Best Car via CarScoop]

Rumormill: Toyota MR2 to be reborn with hybrid power originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mid-enginemid-enginedMR-2MR-SMR2Toyotatoyota mr-stoyota mr-s hybridtoyota mr2toyota mr2 hybridToyotaMr-sToyotaMr-sHybridToyotaMr2ToyotaMr2HybridThu, 26 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Outraged Italian police set to crush fake Ferrari]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/outraged-italian-police-set-to-crush-fake-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/outraged-italian-police-set-to-crush-fake-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/outraged-italian-police-set-to-crush-fake-ferrari/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Right up front, we must state that there is a very high likelihood that the following is not entirely true. With that said, here's the skinny on what we think we know: Thanks to local copyright laws, cops in Ostuni, Italy have reportedly confiscated a Toyota MR2 cut to look an awful lot like a Ferrari 355 Berlinetta. And they intend to crush it.

So much so that the British-made phony Italian was being touted as the real thing -- an obvious scam. As to why the authorities intend to destroy the car, let's listen to what one of the cops involved had to say: "It was a good fake but just a fake, Ferrari is one of Italy's crown jewels. We can't allow cheap copies."
Yes, well, we guess that makes sense. But are the cops allowed to crush the car out of some odd sense of damaged Italian pride? Looks like it. We here at Autoblog feel it's our duty to go ahead and give you a surefire tip on how to keep your faker from meeting the same fate - nobody suspects a Fiero-bodied Ferrari 308. Hint, hint. Thanks to Cosmin for bringing this to our attention!

[Source: Austrian Times]

Outraged Italian police set to crush fake Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>355 Berlinetta355BerlinettaFerrariFerrari 355Ferrari 355 BerlinettaFerrari355Ferrari355BerlinettaItalian PoliceItalianPoliceItalyMR2PoliceToyotaToyota MR2ToyotaMr2Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: 24 Hours of LeMons: Toyota MR2 dicing with a Buick LeSabre at The Lamest Day]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/11/video-24-hours-of-lemons-toyota-mr2-dicing-with-a-buick-lesabr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/11/video-24-hours-of-lemons-toyota-mr2-dicing-with-a-buick-lesabr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/11/video-24-hours-of-lemons-toyota-mr2-dicing-with-a-buick-lesabr/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Toyota MR2 chasing down a Buick LeSabre at Nelson Ledges - click above image to watch the video

You might have heard of this 24 Hours of LeMons traveling sideshow by now. You know, a bunch of $500 cars dropping mufflers all over the place as they pointlessly race around a track. Cruel weirdos dressed up like judges forcing confused, sweaty drivers to write, "Even though I wrote I will not go four wheels off one hundred times on my car, I still went four wheels off." Or Worse. Oh, and if you win the race you get $1,500 in nickels.

Despite all that, the one thing you might not know about the 24 Hours of LeMons is that it's real racing. Some of it pretty good, too. The cars might look a little off, and the drivers might not know a racing line from a fishing line, but what takes place on track is about as real as wheel to wheel racing gets. Proof? Make the jump and watch the video of a Toyota MR2 straight up battling with a Buick LeSabre for over seven minutes on the famous Nelson Ledges race track during last weekend's The Lamest Day. Good stuff, if you're into that whole cheapo car racing thing. Tip of the budget Pyrotect to Dave for the vid!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: 24 Hours of LeMons: Toyota MR2 dicing with a Buick LeSabre at The Lamest Day

VIDEO: 24 Hours of LeMons: Toyota MR2 dicing with a Buick LeSabre at The Lamest Day originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 Hours of LeMons24HoursOfLemonsBuickBuick LeSabreBuickLesabreLeMonsMR2Nelson LedgesNelsonLedgesThe Lamest DayTheLamestDayToyotaToyota MR2ToyotaMr2Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Rendered Speculation: Is Toyota planning a hybrid MR2 sequel as a Honda CRZ competitor?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/18/rendered-speculation-is-toyota-planning-a-hybrid-mr2-sequel-as/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/18/rendered-speculation-is-toyota-planning-a-hybrid-mr2-sequel-as/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/18/rendered-speculation-is-toyota-planning-a-hybrid-mr2-sequel-as/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Based on the automaker's current line of eminently reliable, practical and fuel efficient machinery, it's easy to forget that Toyota has a past full of exciting sports cars. A couple of years back, Toyota decided to highlight the fact that it knows how to built a sporty-looking vehicle with the FT-HS concept, which mated a performance-minded hybrid powertrain with edgy, low-slung bodywork.

According to Auto Express in the U.K., Toyota is considering a production model based on the FT-HS concept that would revive the MR2 that was killed off in 2007. If indeed true, this new sporty hybrid would go up against Honda's expected CR-Z hybrid hatchback. Unlike its rival from Honda, though, the MR2 would feature rear-wheel drive, and that's something to get excited about.

Other interesting tidbits include a rumored run to 60 in under seven seconds, with fuel economy in the 60's (50's in the U.S.) and carbon emissions of of under 100 g/km. Performance and efficiency in one package? Sounds too good to be true. Thanks for the tips, everyone!


Gallery: Toyota FT-HS Concept


[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Is Toyota planning a hybrid MR2 sequel as a Honda CRZ competitor? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gas-electricgreenhybridtoyota ft-hstoyota ft-hs concepttoyota mr2toyota mr2 hybridToyotaFt-hsToyotaFt-hsConceptToyotaMr2ToyotaMr2HybridWed, 18 Mar 2009 12:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Mid-engine, MR2-powered Aygo Crazy is a real Japanese Shogun]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/mid-engine-mr2-powered-aygo-crazy-is-a-real-japanese-shogun/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/mid-engine-mr2-powered-aygo-crazy-is-a-real-japanese-shogun/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/mid-engine-mr2-powered-aygo-crazy-is-a-real-japanese-shogun/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for high-res gallery of the Toyota Aygo Crazy

What happens when you take a mundane Toyota Aygo microcar and mate it to the go-fast parts of a Toyota MR2? You get the Aygo Crazy (Get it? I-Go-Crazy). While this one-off concept will never see production, it does offer us car nuts some insight as to what fun manufacturers can have with automotive inbreeding and some serious coin.

At best, the stock Toyota Aygo putts around with a 1.0-liter gasoline engine under its front hood that is good for about 67 horsepower, and a 14-second crawl to 60 mph. The engineers at Toyota spent about £100,000 (close to $200,000) ripping the wheezer out and replacing it with a mid-mounted turbocharged 1.8-liter engine. With the new powerplant cranking out 197 horsepower, and a manual transmission sending it to the rear wheels, the 2,200-pound Aygo Crazy sprints to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. If the go-pedal is held to the floor, the genetic experiment will top out at an estimated 127 mph.

Not to leave the job half-done, Toyota flared the bodywork and added a wheel/tire package to accommodate the power. The interior has been fitted with a cage, racing seats, harnesses and a Sparco steering wheel. The seats and doors have also been trimmed in suede and leather. According to those who have driven the Aygo Crazy, the balance of the car has been upset with the engine now mounted over the rear wheels. Snap oversteer is the rule -- much like in another econocar-turned-mid-engine-monster from 1990.

UPDATE: Full gallery of high-res pics and official press release from Toyota added.

Gallery: Toyota Aygo Crazy


[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Mid-engine, MR2-powered Aygo Crazy is a real Japanese Shogun

Mid-engine, MR2-powered Aygo Crazy is a real Japanese Shogun originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ConceptShoguntoyota aygoToyota Aygo CrazyToyota MR2ToyotaAygoToyotaAygoCrazyToyotaMr2Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At a press conference in Japan today, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe finally confirmed that his company is jointly developing a pair of rear-wheel-drive sports cars with Subaru. Each brand will get its own version of the car, which will be powered by one of Subaru's boxer engines, though the engine's displacement, power output and even number of cylinders is not yet known. We're also not sure if the Subaru version will feature the brand's trademark all-wheel-drive system either as an option or standard equipment, or whether Toyota might offer AWD as well in an homage to the Celica GT4 (we hope so!). The styling will most likely resemble the sketch that was published by Autocar yesterday, though we don't expect one car to be a rebadged version of the other. Mark your calendars for 2011, which is when the new sports cars are scheduled to arrive. They'll be riding on a brand new platform and be built in Japan at a new plant by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Toyota also confirmed rumors this morning that it will be buying up more of Fuji, raising its stake in the company from 8.7% to 16.5%.

These RWD sports cars will mean a lot for both companies, as Subaru hasn't offered a performance coupe since the slightly odd SVX, and Toyota all but abandoned performance models after the Supra, Celica and MR2 were cancelled.

[Source: Automotive News, Autocar]

Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingsubaru rear wheel drive sports carsubaru svxsubaru toyotaSubaruRearWheelDriveSportsCarSubaruSvxSubaruToyotatoyota celicatoyota coupetoyota MR2toyota rear wheel drive sports cartoyota rwdtoyota subarutoyota supraToyotaCelicaToyotaCoupeToyotaMr2ToyotaRearWheelDriveSportsCarToyotaRwdToyotaSubaruToyotaSupraThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST