Automotive

Toyota Exceeds 10 Million Units In Global Hybrid Sales

Toyota has sold more than 10 million hybrid vehicles globally as of January 31st 2017. The milestone includes both hybrids and plug-in hybrids and comes only nine months after total hybrid sales reached 9 million at the end of April 2016. At the center is the Prius, although it was once a blip on the radar.

“When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was, but, thanks to early adopters, hybrids have ridden a wave of success into the mainstream,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Toyota.

Uchiyamada, considered the father of the Prius, further spoke his feelings.

“We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who have helped us achieve this important [global] milestone,” he said.

The environmental impact is equally as substantial. As of January 31st 2017, Toyota estimates their hybrid vehicles, as an alternative to gasoline vehicles of similar size and performance, resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and nearly 7.66 million gallons of gasoline saved. Toyota believes the results validate the effectiveness of hybrid technology when addressing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns.

“The Prius stands as an icon for sustainability and efficiency, and is a shining example of what you can achieve when you have the right idea to help solve a problem,” said Bob Carter, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota Motor North America.

Sales continue to grow for Toyota as does their commitment to eco-friendly vehicles.

“Hybrids remain an important part of our lineup of vehicles, with over 246,000 units sold last year,” Carter said. “We have seen continued demand with the release of the RAV4 Hybrid variant of the popular compact SUV, accounting for nearly 13 percent of its total sales volume in 2016.”

Over the past 60 years, Toyota has produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America. The automaker operates 14 manufacturing plants, 10 of which are in the United States. In the U.S. alone, Toyota employs more than 34,00 people and operates nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos & Source: Toyota Motor North America

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Second-Generation McLaren Super Series Ups The Game

Ferrari has its Challenge Series, Lamborghini the Super Trofeo, and McLaren has the Super Series. These are all one-make racing series for the well-healed, beautiful people racers out there. You go and plunk down a lot of money, “The Boys From Woking” give you a shiny, new, race-prepped 675LT, and you get to play Fernando Alonso for several weekends a year.

The factory takes care of the support.

Racing & Reminiscing

Look, I like McLaren, I really do. When I was a kid, Bruce McLaren was one of the racers at the top of the pyramid. Him and fellow Kiwi Denny Hulme we so dominant in the Can-Am, people took to calling it “The Bruce & Denny Show.” Then Bruce died in a testing accident. His company carried on, fielding winning cars at Indy, and garnering world titles for the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt.

Then they sort of started to wallow, and along came Ron Dennis and his Project Four racing organization to the rescue. I really appreciate what Ron did as team principle. McLaren, under his leadership, could take on the form of an unstoppable juggernaut. And he was bright enough to hire guys like Gordon Murray and Ayrton Senna.

But great googlie mooglie, he’s an uptight guy. I mean even by British standards he was wound tighter than a window shade spring. He made Roger Penske look like Bootsie Collins and Frank Williams seem like Flavor Flav. His drivers would win from far back in the pack, his cars would utterly dominate, and he’d barely crack a smile. He sucked all the joy out of his team’s accomplishments and, consequently, extracted all the pleasure for the fans too.

But Ron’s gone now. Shuffled out of the corporation he helped shape and build in some sort of ugly internecine palace coup d’état. So in my book, it’s okay to like McLaren again! Which of course makes their Super Series all the more interesting.

“Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury, and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland,” explained McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt. “This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new Super Series will be absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment.” Photo: McLaren Automotive.

Power & Performance

First off, we have got to come up with a better name. Super Series? Really?

Although, the cars are pretty durn interesting. They run race-prepped 675LTs, track versions of the company’s supercar, and although McLaren curiously withholds complete engine specifications, they do provide some performance numbers, and yow!, these things can scoot.

Zero to 200km (124mph) takes a measly 7.8 seconds and the standing quarter mile comes up in a shockingly short 10.3 seconds. I’ve seen racing motorcycles go slower than that. The engine is a new 4.0-liter plant with a new exhaust system, tuned to provide a soundtrack to match the performance. If, for some reason, that’s not enough noise for you, there’s an available sports exhaust option for “more aural excitement.”

“Power, torque, and throttle response are all significantly enhanced compared to the first-generation Super Series, yet with fuel efficiency and emissions also notably improved,” commented Haydn Baker, McLaren Super Series Vehicle Line Director.

The new M840T engine is fitted with ultra-low inertia, twin-scroll turbochargers. Spooling up more rapidly than previous designs, they deliver reduced turbo lag and quicker throttle response, meaning the days of “mash it, count to 3, and you better be pointing in the right direction” are far in the past.

If you’re the kind of track rat that likes to brag about your car – and at this level, a lot of these people do – there’s all these extra-trick bits that McLaren has thrown into the mix. There’s “automatic engine bay illumination as part of the welcome sequence on vehicle unlocking,” which means when you unlock the doors, lights on the engine bay turn on. Why? Well besides being an insufferable hole that likes stuff like that, it also shows off the cast-aluminum air intake plenum with the McLaren Speedmark logo.

So there’s that.

The second-generation McLaren Super Series will make its public debut on March 7th at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. More details and the complete performance specifications will be released at that time.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos & Source: McLaren Automotive

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Ford Invests $200 Million Into New Wind Tunnel Complex

“$200 Million,” you might ask? “Isn’t that a lot for a big pipe with a fan on one end?” Yes, yes it is, but look, wind tunnels are amazingly complex machines. I’ve been involved with more than a few over my life, from low speed jobs to hypersonic models that take weeks to prep and two seconds to fire off.

They’re like flat reference planes or micrometers. You invest a lot of money in them, and I mean a lot of money, because you can measure stuff down to the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.

Hot Then Cold

The new tunnel will feature a rolling road set up with an environmental simulation facility. Air speeds can be dialed from nothing up to 200 mph, and the advanced climatic chamber can go from 104 degrees to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s equivalent of going from the Sahara to the Arctic.

Airflow & Aerodynamics

The rolling road is an important, complex, and expensive part of any current, state of the art wind tunnel facility. Essentially the test vehicle sits not on a section of immovable metal, but on a moving conveyor belt-like affair that simulates passing over a road surface. I know, this seems like a lot of overkill, but it allows you to simulate what is going on with wheel/tire rotation and how it effects airflow around and, most importantly, under the body of the vehicle.

Road vehicle aerodynamics come down to two big areas: making the airflow work for you (i.e. producing downforce) or punching a smaller, cleaner hole in the air. So, if you can move down the highway cleaner, and your truck gets one more mile per gallon, so what? Well, assume for a minute you’re managing a fleet of delivery vehicles, and it’s time to buy new trucks. If Ford can get you 1 MPG better, and you drive each truck around 200,000 miles a year, and you are going to buy, oh, let’s say fifty trucks . . . you can see where these numbers are going, no?

Specific Construction

Ford is being so precise that their new tunnel will sport not just one, but five moving belts. Each wheel gets its own belt and the huge fifth belt runs down the center of the vehicle. Airflow around the entire vehicle can be dialed up to 155 mph, and if you want to switch to a single belt (all of this stuff can be swapped around like a giant Lego set) you can reach speeds of up to 200 mph.

Why? Why go that fast when you’re dinking around with trucks and sedans and stuff?

Ford says it “opens up a new breed of testing for high-speed performance and racing vehicles,” to which I say cough-Ford GT Le Mans program-cough.

“This new wind tunnel facility will not only allow us to test our performance and racing vehicle line-up but will also enable us to share innovations across all our global Ford products,” said Dave Pericak, Ford Performance Global Director.

The new wind tunnel will enable Ford engineers to validate vehicle designs at a higher level. Hence, we get more fuel efficient cars and trucks and Ford gets better race cars. Everyone wins. Construction on the new 13 acre wind tunnel complex starts this year at Ford’s current Drivability Test Facility in Allen Park, Michigan.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photo & Source: Ford Motor Company

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Honda confirms production Civic Type-R at Geneva

2017 Geneva Preview - 2018 Honda Civic Type R Prototype

Honda’s hotly-anticipated production Civic Type-R heads to Geneva before it arrives on US shores.

What’s going on?

We’re nearing the world-renowned Geneva Auto Show. Taking advantage of the spotlight, Honda officially confirmed the launch of the first production Civic Type R at this year’s exhibition.

Honda fans and hot hatch lovers rejoiced over the return of the fastest production Civic to come from the company. The near-production concept first arrived in Paris with Honda promising that changes to the full production model were minimal.

Excited? We are too, and here’s what we’re expecting.

The production Type R gets Honda’s latest 2.0L VTEC turbocharged four-banger, marking the Type R’s first-ever departure from natural aspiration. Production begins this summer at a specially tailored assembly plant in the UK for export to Europe, Japan, and “other global markets.” We assume the US is one of them.

Official power figures haven’t been released yet. Predictions place horsepower ratings close, if not over the 300 mark.

Those details will likely surface closer to the launch event in Geneva.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: Honda

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Meet the fastest and most powerful front-engined Ferrari ever, the 812 Superfast

2017 Geneva Preview - Ferrari 812 Superfast

Yes, it’s actually named the Ferrari 812 Superfast and hardly needs explanation.

What’s going on?

Ferrari’s flagship GT V12 sports coupe is getting its replacement. What was once the F12 Berlinetta now becomes the 812 Superfast, the fastest, most powerful Ferrari ever built. Like the F12, the 812 continues the big-bodied, V12-powered grand tourer recipe with rear wheel drive. Further more, the V12 avoids the use of forced induction, meaning it’s naturally aspirated.

The use of forced induction, such as turbocharging on the latest 488 GTO, has purists disappointed. Although Ferrari used turbocharging in the past, they largely relied on naturally-aspirated engines to complete the experience. Thus, the 812 Superfast is a bit of a refresh when measured against the automaker’s recent influx of turbocharged models.

So, how fast is it?

2017 Geneva Preview - Ferrari 812 Superfast

Well, to get straight to the point, the 812 Superfast sports the same F12Tdf’s 6.3L V12. But it’s been reworked to serve up 789 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. To compare, the outgoing F12Tdf made 769hp and 520 lb-ft of twist. That means the 812 makes the same amount of power as the LaFerrari. Except, the 812 Superfast doesn’t utilize an additional electric motor like the LaFerrari, making the 812’s V12 the most powerful production Ferrari engine ever. A newly revised in-house seven-speed dual-clutch transmission featuring revised gearing channels the power to the rear wheels.

The result is a 0-62 time of just 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 211 miles per hour. On paper, it’s clear the 812 will live up to its name.

Why didn’t they call it something more interesting, like Superfast in Italian?

That’s a bit of a problem because Lamborghini already has that covered, with the Aventador SV, or Superveloce, which is what Superfast is in Italian.

What else is new about it?

2017 Geneva Preview - Ferrari 812 Superfast

Here’s where some of the new stuff gets questionable. Ferrari announced that the 812 Superfast is the first model to undergo a switch over to electric-assisted power steering, versus the previous dependency on old-fashioned hydraulics. Like the changeover to turbocharging, the use of electric power steering worries purists. EPS systems still struggle to compare well to hydraulic-assist in performance applications in terms of feel and natural progression. With the 812, there’s a risk the steering could have less feel, less natural progression and weighting, and a less-accurate on-center tactility.

And like the F12Tdf, the 812 comes with Ferrari’s latest Virtual Short Wheelbase four-wheel steering.

Deep down, you can tell the 812 Superfast is technically a heavily revised F12Tdf as structurally, the car shares the same overall shape and key design cues. To compliment the new looks, extra power, and new name, the interior gets a complete makeover as well.

When will it come out?

The new Ferrari 812 Superfast is scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It also marks Ferrari’s 70th year in existence.

Pricing?

A lot. Enough to buy a nice house in many places of the world.

– By: Chris Chin

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Nissan Titan King Cab Arrives This Spring

For some reason, adding doors to pickup trucks and making them even more practical is something manufacturers can be slow to adopt. Likewise for practical intermediate steps, like Nissan has finally done with the addition of the king cab body to their Titan model lineup.

At the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan revealed the new 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD King Cab models. Yes, they spell TITAN in all caps, so I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m shouting. Nissan says this now completes the entire Titan lineup of full-size pickups.

Seating, Space & Storage

The most salient point about the new King Cab is its available 6-person seating. So, a work crew, or a bunch of snowmobile buddies can all cram up front – although cram is probably the wrong word, since there’s lots of room, front and back, in these things. The back doors are rear hinged suicide doors that are designed to open wider, for easier ingress and egress.

Besides, let’s face it, suicide doors are pretty cool.

There’s even an available “rear seat delete” option that allows you to keep the space, but drop the seat if you want to haul sensitive stuff indoors with you. The “rear seat delete” is ideal for commercial use since it has a flat floor loading area and also gives you secure in-cab storage space.

Like the other Titan models, the new King Cab body was designed by Nissan Design America in San Diego, California. It offers either a front split bench seat or front bucket seat (standard on PRO-4X, optional on SV models). A 60/40-split fold-down rear seat is also standard. Heated front seats are available with PRO-4X and SV grades, along with optional heated and cooled front seats on PRO-4X. Photo: Nissan North America.

Power & Performance

The standard plant is a 390 horsepower, 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine coupled to a 7-speed automatic transmission. If that sounds like a lot of power, it is, but then again, when you promise stuff like an available maximum towing capacity of 9,420 pounds, and a max payload capacity of 1,640 pounds, then the Titan King Cab better come with big power and lots of cogs in the box.

If that’s not enough for you, (and really how often does a gearhead say, “hey, that’s enough horsepower, thank you.”) you can ditch the standard V8 mill and opt for the Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel. It puts out less power, at 310 ponies, but it does put out a substantial 555 lb-ft of torque, which is likely enough to yank that stump out of the ground on the first go.

The oil-burner comes fitted with a heavy-duty 6-speed Aisin automatic box, and offers a staggering max towing capacity of 12,510 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 2,710 pounds. To put that into perspective, you could tow five new Miatas on a flatbed trailer without this thing breaking a sweat.

“This feature is going to be extremely well received by commercial truck buyers for its extra utility and secure, climate-safe storage space inside the cab,” said Fred Diaz, Division Vice President and General Manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. “Add to that the industry’s best 5-year, 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and the Titan family is even more compelling.”

Warranty & Availability

The King Cab variant body style is available for both the Titan half-ton and Titan XD with the 6.5-foot bed. All 2017 Titan models, including the new King Cab, are backed by an outstanding 100,000-mile, 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is pretty impressive, given how much punishment you can deal out to a truck over a decade or 100-large miles.

The new King Cab body goes on sale this spring and should be in dealer showrooms around the same time.

The new Titan King Cab comes in both 4×4 and 4×2 drive configurations and three grade levels. That’s a fancy way of saying there are three trim levels available: the S, SV, and PRO-4X. The latter sounds like some sort of muscle-building sludge gym rats would drink, don’t you think?

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

2017 Nissan Titan King Cab Gallery

Photos & Source: Nissan North America

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