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Toyota said it would spend some 31 billion yen ($307 million) - TOKYO, April 10 - Toyota Motor Corp. said on Thursday it would almost double its stake in Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd as part of an alliance aimed at more efficiently developing and producing cars. http://row.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=UlAdR8tU0eE61ebgRy7N6AL0OrneNkgHC0UABwMz&T=13vggt8dr%2fX%3d1208421189%2fE%3d38501218%2fR%3dsg_news%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dHR%2fY%3dSG%2fF%3d1345255879%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dB0D154CB&U=13bbj88c6%2fN%3dGKpYIctU0eI-%2fC%3d620793.12569576.12918551.2013436%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d5325507 The pact, which also involves Toyota minivehicle unit Daihatsu Motor , is seen as throwing a lifeline to Fuji Heavy as it struggles to keep pace with larger, more efficient rivals and suffers from sluggish sales. "No one really thought that Fuji Heavy could survive on its own with things just as they are," said JP Morgan auto analyst Takaki Nakanishi. "It needed a partner. It needed to wedge itself into the Toyota group." Automakers around the world are under intense pressure to become more efficient as rising raw materials prices, on a global shift towards smaller, fuel-efficient cars and as the rise of competition from China and India threatens profitability. Japanese carmakers are also feeling the pinch from the yen's recent surge against the dollar, which makes their exports to the key U.S. market less competitive and slices profits when repatriated. Weakening demand in the U.S. is another concern. Toyota hopes the deal, which includes the joint development of a sports car and supply of a compact car to Fuji, will boost its line-up and keep costs in check as it continues a global expansion that has seen it double sales in the past decade. "Looking out three to five years, this gives us the best battle formation to compete globally," Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe told a group of reporters after a news conference. Toyota said it would spend some 31 billion yen ($307 million) to buy 61 million existing shares in Fuji Heavy currently held as treasury stock, boosting its stake to 16.5 percent from 8.7 percent. Fuji Heavy and Toyota plan to jointly develop a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car that will be produced at a new Fuji Heavy factory in Japan but marketed by both companies when it is rolled out by the end of 2011. Toyota will also supply Fuji Heavy with a compact car on an original equipment manufacturer basis from around 2010 to help it round out its line-up, while Daihatsu will supply Fuji Heavy with minivehicles and a version of its Coo compact car. Fuji Heavy President Ikuo Mori said the alliance would eventually lead to its withdrawal from minivehicle production, underscoring its growing reliance on the Toyota group. "We will take a step into the Toyota group while maintaining the independence of our management and brand," Ikuo said. Toyota bought the 8.7 percent stake in Fuji Heavy in 2005, replacing General Motors as its top shareholder. Industry watchers are keen to see if Toyota will lift its stake further. Toyota took minority stakes in Daihatsu and truck maker Hino Motors Ltd before turning them into majority-owned subsidiaries years later. Toyota's Watanabe said he was not thinking of raising its stake in Fuji Heavy or in dispatching executives to its board. "In a sense, a 16.5 percent stake doesn't really mean anything. It's a halfway measure," JP Morgan's Nakanishi said. "Over the long term, I would expect the stake to be lifted to solidify a sense of unity or common fate with the Toyota group." Prior to the announcement, shares in Toyota closed down 1.4 percent at 4,830 yen, Fuji Heavy lost 3.2 percent to 399 yen and Daihatsu dropped 3.1 percent to 1,079 yen. The benchmark Nikkei 225 average ended 1.3 percent lower. (Reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo, Nathan Layne and Chang-ran Kim; Editing by David Hulmes) Above News Extracted from : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080410/tbs...ta-7318940.html

Does anyone know where to get a (cheap) heavy-duty stapler gun? I intend to do some decorative work and need to staple cloth/curtain onto wooden planks as background. There is one (made in Sweden) sold in "Home-Fix", but it cost more than $100. Does anyone know where to get a cheaper version?

Una Galani Sovereign wealth funk http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf...Q6?OpenDocument Sovereign funds are licking their wounds. When the credit-crisis began to unfold last year, they rushed to the aid of Western banks providing some $US50 billion of equity and mandatory convertibles. Now, these look to be terrible investments. The weighted average of the shares is down by 40 per cent, according to a breakingviews calculation. The worst performer would have been China

as there's so many accident with heavy vehicle, and i myself had 1 last night a big truck kiss my car form the back, and when i hear and saw the big truck behide me, i was like die liao!!! for the 2-3 sec i will like few min to me!!! and i can think of my life and now my time is up and will become keropok!!!! but lucky his lorry can stop on time and just a small knock!!! and start to talk to him and he wanted to pay me to settle... and now i know why all heavy vehicle speeding like mad!!! as they have problem cross the causeway and they got to wait up to 8-10 hour to get over the jam, so they never sleep much and eat!! so guys & gals when u saw some heavy vehicle behide you, just give way to them!! better not to see another keropok car in here again!! http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...nt.jsp?id=15970 http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...nt.jsp?id=15982

Today heard over the radio many accidents occurred during the heavy downpour. Was driving along SLE towards CTE around 4.30pm and traffic was still ok but suddenly, all vehicles came to a complete stop. inch my way forward and saw quite a few cars are involved. i think a pickup spin out of control and the cars behind couldnt stop on time. Bang... bang... bang...... Pls drive carefully and keep a safe distance esp during wet weather.

I've always been iffy on the way the RX-8 looks. Too many curves that don't flow with one another. After the facelift, it's just about the same. Only just a little more messy. But I really love the paintjob though. Really gorgeous colour.

Was informed that heavy rain couple with extreme high tide (today) this afternoon would cause flooding in some low lying areas. So members, beware and take care of your ride. Cheers............

Yesterday afternoon was pouring very very heavily. Was driving and just do not understand why 90% of the cars on the road just refuse to turn on headlight. I'm quite sure that most MCF ppl will turn on headlights (MCF ppl are simply different from ppl outside). what are the reasons that ppl does not turn on headlights during heavy rain. 1) save battery 2) save petrol 3) do not want ppl to see u as "chicken" 4) what other reasons?

Can anyone advise on what is the email address of the feedback or customer service department of Fuji Heavy Industry (Subaru). Been searching the whole website but cannot find a single email address. Japanese companies still have lots of way to go in terms of customer service anyway, my purpose is to send a strong complaint letter to them regarding their agent in Singapore. Any help is greatly appreciated! I believe with the wide audience and helpful and knowlegable bros in MCF, I should be able to have the answer very soon!

KIA light truck is the heavy weight champion for its class for 10 foot lorry. eerrr................. I mean the Race Queens.

http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onem...p_coverage.html Does the new ERP gantry help to remove the jam before PIE exit? May be $1 still too cheap, must increase to $5? The jam at Moulmein Flyover towards SLE just before PIE exit No jam after Braddel Flyover towards SLE, after the PIE exit Meaning? The jam is due to cars stuck at the narrow PIE exit, and CTE users are unfairly taxed TWICE!

Wed Oct 24, 11:30 AM ET CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian barmaid has been fined for crushing beer cans between her bare breasts while an off-duty colleague has been fined for hanging spoons from her friend's nipples, police said Wednesday. Police in Western Australia said the 31-year old barmaid pleaded guilty in the local magistrate's court to twice exposing her breasts to patrons at the Premier Hotel in Pinjarra, south of the state capital, Perth. The woman "is alleged to have also crushed beer cans between her breasts during one of the offences," in breach of hotel licensing laws, police from the Peel district of Western Australia said in a statement. The barmaid and the hotel manager were both fined A$1,000 ($900), while an off-duty barmaid was fined A$500 for helping to hang spoons from the woman's nipples, police said. "It sends a clear message to all licensees in Peel that we will not tolerate this type of behavior in our licensed premises," local police superintendent David Parkinson said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071024/od_nm/...C6HjJhnNVPtiBIF

Hi all, Just wanna do this poll for fun ....

WASHINGTON - Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday. Cable Internet and entertainment provider Comcast 'has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers,' the Washington Post reported. Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told AFP the company was addressing 'the problem of abusive activity that adversely impacts on everybody else's experience.' 'I can't give you a number' for clients who have been disconnected, he said, while assuring that customers whose plugs were pulled are 'very rare.' According to the Washington Post, a customer would have to download the equivalent of 1,000 songs or four feature films a day to trigger a disconnection warning. Comcast gives customers a month to fix problems or upgrade their service be fore they are disconnected, the Washington Post said. An unplugged client in Rockville, a suburb of Washington, has filed a complaint with the county he lives in, saying his contract with his service provider states that he is entitled to unlimited Internet access, officials in Montgomery County said. A recent report by the ABI market research company warned that the growth in demand for 'bandwidth-hungry services such as HDTV and online gaming is leading to a critical lack of capacity' in US cable operators' networks. 'Cable TV operators trying to satisfy the increasing bandwidth demands of HDTV customers feel very much like the thrifty grocer who tried to cram ten pounds of potatoes into a five-pound bag,' ABI research director Stan Schatt said last month. 'The increasing bandwidth demands on cable operators will soon reach crisis stage, yet this is a dirty little industry secret' that no one talks about.' -- AFP

Extrated from a product flyer ------------------------------------ It is an offence to run on tyres with less than 1.6mm tread

....you have to constantly fight with the car. By doing that, you run the risk of getting tired arms while driving and the last thing you want to be when driving is to get tired and lose concentration. After all, it is loosing one's concentration could result in accidents, right? Well, at least that's what a friend was told by the salesperson when he commented that the steering of the car he tested over the weekend felt "a bit light". Comments?

The gist is on the IS300, 25% stiffer springs results in an approximated 18% shorter shock life. http://my.is/forums/f89/analysis-shock-tra...springs-330366/

Happy Tailgating http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070511/5/singapore275425.html Friday May 11, 12:17 AM 14-vehicle pile-up along CTE causes heavy traffic jam SINGAPORE: Traffic along the CTE towards the AYE came to a standstill Thursday afternoon following a 14-vehicle pile-up. The incident happened near the Orchard Road exit - obstructing the centre and right lanes of the expressway. The 14-vehicle pile-up involved 11 cars, two vans, and a taxi. One of the van drivers was taken to Singapore General Hospital for injuries, while a passenger in a taxi was also treated at the Hospital for slight injuries. It is not known what caused the pile-up. In a separate incident, a van overturned at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Road, after it collided with a car. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to the National University Hospital. - CNA/yy

I got these heavy scratches on my headlamp and bumper from an incident when a driver reversed into me. Heng got no dent... I'm trying to get that fella to replace them if possible. But is it possible to remove the scratches? The bumper is unpainted. Cheers

Just asking, cos 1 of my OPC colleague always manage to arrive in office at 8am+ during heavy downpour. She says no TP on the road during heavy downpour leh

The 12-km Kallang/Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) will stretch from the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in the south to the Tampines Expressway (TPE) in the North East. To be built at an estimated cost of S$1.8 billion, the expressway includes about 9 km of tunnel, which will be the longest underground expressway in South East Asia. Starting at the ECP, the Kallang section of the expressway crosses beneath the Geylang River, the National Stadium area, Nicoll Highway, Mountbatten Road, Geylang Road, Sims Avenue and the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). The Paya Lebar section of the expressway continues below the Pelton Canal for almost 2 km. It then crosses under Paya Lebar Road, and at the same time over the new Circle Line, to reach Airport Road. The line of the tunnels progress for almost 3.5km below Airport Road and Paya Lebar Air Base before emerging at ground level at Defu Lane 3. The expressway then continues at grade for 3 km, crossing over Tampines Road on a flyover to meet up with TPE at Lorong Halus. KPE is to be a dual-carriageway expressway with three lanes in each direction and eight interchanges. Physical works on the KPE started in 2001 and is targeted to complete in 2008. source :http://www.lta.gov.sg/projects/proj_road_kpe.htm Now ppl staying in the North normally will use CTE to reach central of SG which is fastest.. & ppl in North-east can only use either CTE or ECP to reach city but both also kanna ERP along the way.. so any comments on whether KPE is going to help offload some traffic from CTE during peak hours and maybe reduce some ERP gantries on ECP & CTE too?

I have this question in my mind. I'm actually going to do up a bodykit for my FL N16. However, I'm afraid to see great increase in my FC. So roughly how heavy does a 4 piece bodykit, consisting of Front and Back Bumper Lid and Side Skirts, weigh? Anybody with b4 and after mildege clocked b4? =)

hi all, i've had this prob ever since i got my ride. in 1st n 2nd gear, when i release accelerator or step on it after i have released it for a while, there is some rather heavy jerking of the car body (dunno if jerking is the right word but in hokkien shld be 'chua4') i thought it was engine break, but after trying my friends' cars, the engine break is very gentle, unlike mine. then i changed the spoilt engine mountings n cleaned the throttlebody, but no improvement. any bro might be able to pinpoint the problem? thanks in advance man

As per subject. I need this for fixing window visors. The ones usually sold in DIY shops are 1" wide, too wide. Any help appreciated....