In just a few short weeks, Toyota will be debuting their latest hybrid vehicle which is part of the “Prius” family of vehicles. At last year’s NAIAS 2010, Toyota teased us with a mini Prius concept called the FT-CH concept. The FT-CH is a dedicated full hybrid vehicle featuring a compact exterior with maximum interior space. […]

Here’s a pretty eye-catching video of the Lexus IS F chasing a Porsche 911 GT3 out in the desert of Southern California. The track appears to be “Streets of Willow” at the famed Willow Springs Raceway just outside Palmdale, CA. Of course, we would all like to believe that the IS F triumphs over the […]

December 21, 2010 – It’s official, Lexus Europe announces the start of CT 200h production, tomorrow December 22, 2010. The CT will be built exclusively at the first dedicated hybrid manufacturing plant in the world at TMC Kyushu’s Kokura Plant. Since this car is targeted for European markets, they will get first dibs at the […]

As we reminded you in an earlier Kaizen Factor story, poking around trademark and copyright applications and registrations filed by carmakers can provide vital clues to their possible future plans. We have just learned of two new trademark applications filed by Toyota Motor Corporation. The first of these, HSD, was filed on 23 November 2010 […]

Lexus needs our help! Vote for the May 2010 entry of “Lexus Dark Ride”. Lexus is contending for the top spot of The FWA Peoples Choice Award 2010. Lets help them get there!  Click on this link to cast your vote: http://www.thefwa.com/pca2010/ More info on TheFWA May 2010 Site of the Month: http://www.thefwa.com/site/lexus-dark-ride

December 15, 2010 – It’s official, Lexus announced the pricing for the new 2011 Lexus  CT 200h five door premium compact “full hybrid” vehicle. Starting at an outstanding $29,120, this will be the most affordable also the most fuel efficient Lexus yet. The EPA rates the CT at a combined 42 MPG with the use […]

A recent Bloomberg Businessweek story by Andreas Cremer titled Porsche ‘Shock Therapy’ Spurs VW, Lufthansa Efficiency Drive opens with a reminder of something that in-depth followers of the automotive industry like yours truly have long known: “Just as car enthusiasts envy Porsche drivers, so company executives salivate over the carmaker’s profit margins, the highest in […]

That’s right! I just happened to browse eBay today and happened to come across the sale of something rare.  What is this car, you may ask? It’s a very rare, 2008 Lexus LS 600hL Launch Edition. This unique LS 600hL (UVF46) was available for sale to Nieman Marcus InCircle program members. There were only 100 […]

December 1, 2010 – “Toyotathon” is the biggest year end sales  event for Toyota in the USA. The best deals can be had on most 2010 and select 2011 models. Special low rates for financing and leasing are available as well as factory cash back incentives. To kick off their yearly clearance event, Toyota has […]

November 24, 2010 – It’s no surprise to us but Toyota and Lexus have just been awarded “Best Resale Value” for “Best Brand” and “Best Luxury Brand” for 2010. Toyota has been a benchmark for quality in their 50+ year existence in the U.S. producing the Camry, the best selling car in the U.S. and […]

Both Toyota and semi-affiliate Subaru are notorious for the dichotomy between their export model lineups and the significantly broader model range offered in the Japanese Domestic Market. Insofar as Subaru, their current export models are the stalwart and familiar all-wheel-drive, boxer-engined Impreza (including WRX and STI performance versions), Forester, Legacy (and its Outback derivative) and […]

No sooner had this author posted our Informed Speculation: The 7 new Toyota and Lexus hybrids due by the end of 2012 story that co-editor Flipside909 stumbled upon a Yahoo News/AFP story stating that Toyota would, in fact, release 11 new hybrids by the end of calendar year 2012. Barring miscommunication between Toyota’s Japan and […]

November 20, 2010 -In their commitment to Lexus’ Pursuit of Perfection, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America / F-Sport 2008 Lexus LX 570 made their Pursuit of Victory by placing 1st in the Stock Full class in the 2010 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The drivers responsible for piloting the LX570 to victory is Joe Bacal, Bob Ditner, […]

Fresh from the east coast and a recent visit to the South Florida Auto Show in Miami, the Yellow LFA has made it back to the Golden State just like the Smoky Granite LFA (which recently came back from a NY event), which is now at the LA Auto Show. My friend Ryan, who happens […]

Coinciding with the public debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show of the Toyota RAV4 EV Demonstration Vehicle jointly developed by Toyota and Tesla, a press release in the Toyota USA Newsroom ends with this sentence: “Finally, by the end of 2012, Toyota will add seven all new (not next-generation) hybrid models to its […]