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1. Toyota has or almost overtaken GM as the world largest car producer. One of its 30 years old employee in Toyota city, who worked in QC department was found dead due to "overwork" much like the HP saga. His spouse wanted to seek compensation from Toyota but failed. She later sued Toyota in court and won. 2. This incident tells us 2 things: a) Toyota QC is not play play type and cause death somemore and b) Even big company like Toyota is stingy when coming to compensation (so much about Japanese style loyalty). Regards,

Toyota Corolla Altis CNG Version This Year Submitted by peter on 19 March, 2008 - 13:45. Alternative Fuel New Cars Toyota TMT has confirmed that it will have a bi-fuel version of the 10th generation Corolla Altis by the end of 2008. The car will retain its regular E20 fuel system and tank, adding to it a CNG (compressed natural gas) system with a 70-litre tank in the boot. As with current Taxi conversions this will result in about 1/4 - 1/3 reduction in boot space. The tank will also increase the weight of the vehicle by around 100 kg, and Toyota will replace the rear coils springs with stiffer coils from the Corolla wagon which is around the same weight as this CNG version. Although this car is primarily targeting the local taxi market, it seems that there would be logic behind offing a regular consumer version also, and even exporting to other markets such as Singapore. The CNG Altis will be using the 1.6 litre engine. The gas version of the 9th generation Corolla being used as taxis in Thailand is badged "Limo" and is quite a cut down version, sitting below the "J" base model in terms of specification. If the new CNG Altis is to attract customers from outside the taxi industry, it will really need to be offered with a higher trim level. With the global oil price sitting well above $100 a barrel ($108 at time of writing), and showing no signs of dropping off, it makes sense for Thailand to make a move away from oil. Gas is the obvious choice given that Thailand has a local supply. Gasohol and E20 might be cheaper that regular petrol, but when gas is just 8.50 a kg, and LPG is THB 10.15 a litre compared to THB 28.59 for the much hyped E20, the price difference card doesn't really work in the favour of E20.

Holy Mother of Broccoli! http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/206128.html He calls it the Toyota Prius Swiss Edition. Must have modded it himself.

Quote from PIVOT website, http://pivotjp.com/information/frame-earth-e.html "When wishing to add an earth connection for new type car models which in order to control battery recharging have a "electrical current sensor" connected to the Minus battery terminal do not take the earth directly from the Minus terminal but rather from the earth connection on the body which is taken from the sensor. If earth is taken directly from the Minus terminal recharging control may not work properly and there is a possibility that performance will be adversely effected." Please visit the link for more information!!!

Helping a friend find out.... he just got a used MR-S, tyres in quite a bad shape. What are the possible tyre size for MR-S assuming the following : 15" Front and Rear 15" Front, 16" Rear 16" Front and Rear 16" Front and 17" Rear 17" Rear Understand that even if it is the same size all round, the tyres could be wider for the rear. Pls point out any odd size indicated.... cos may affect tyre choice due to availability. What is the right rims offset? Appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.

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

My friend just bought the Hyundai Coupe NEW model and its quite chio... he said he was quite torn between the Hyundai Coupe and the Celica before he bought it as the price difference is quite small and both are really lovely. Starting this poll to see if MCFians prefers the Celica or the Hyundai... tks for voting...

Finally, toyota is going to have it own sport car but base on subaru boxer engine. TOKYO -- Toyota's long-anticipated sports car will arrive in 2011. It will be jointly developed with Subaru and boast a boxer engine. The compact, rear-wheel-drive " affordable" car will be built at a new Japanese plant to be set up by Fuji Heavy Industries, parent of the Subaru brand. Each company will market the car separately and badge it as its own. The model is part of a sweeping expansion of the tie-up between the Japanese companies. At a news conference here today, CEO Katsuaki Watanabe also said that Toyota Motor Corp. would boost its stake in Fuji Heavy to 16.5 percent, from its current 8.7 percent. Toyota will pay 31.1 billion yen ($311 million) for the increased holding, effectively snapping up the last of the shares sold back to Fuji Heavy by General Motors in 2005. Under the growing partnership, Toyota will supply Fuji Heavy with a compact car. Fuji Heavy also will start receiving minivehicles -- cars with engines no bigger than 660cc -- from Toyota affiliate Daihatsu, starting in 2009. No more minicars Fuji Heavy will eventually jettison all of its own minicar development. Under the hood of the sports car will be Subaru's trademark horizontally opposed engine. The companies did not say how many cylinders the engine will have. The car will sit on a new Subaru platform and be " designed" by Toyota, the companies said. " I think there is high potential for this car," Watanabe said, adding that it will be sold in Japan and overseas. " We haven't had a sports car for a long time. This is a long-awaited-for model." Pricing would be " not prohibitively high," he said. Other details, such as engine displacement and production volume, are under wraps. But Fuji Heavy President Ikuo Mori said he has driven the test vehicle and is pleased. " I'm confident we have an excellent car," Mori said. New Fuji plant Fuji Heavy will build a plant next to its Gunma Oizumi engine and transmission factory to manufacture the sports car. It will start operation in late 2011. Work there may expand to include other Toyota-commissioned vehicles, Mori said. Fuji Heavy is deciding how big to make the plant and how much money to invest. The new car fills a gap left by the retirement of the MRS two-seater. Toyota's midengined MR2 dates back to 1984. It was rechristened the MRS in 1999 and retired last year. Other sporty models over the years have included the Celica, which was discontinued in 2006, and the Supra, on the roads for nearly a quarter of a century from 1978 to 2002. Watanabe said the success of the joint manufacturing at Fuji Heavy's Lafayette, Ind., plant pushed him to go ahead with the sports car. That plant now makes Camrys for Toyota. " We thought what might be the next step," he said. " Fuji Heavy is a very reliable partner. I hope to identify new areas for collaboration as we continue with the relationship."

Business Times - 02 Apr 2008 Honda overtakes Toyota in Q1 By SAMUEL EE HONDA has overtaken Toyota to become Singapore's top make. In the first three months of 2008, Honda chalked up registrations of 3,395 passenger cars, eclipsing Toyota's 2,796 units. The numbers are based on sales by members of the Motor Traders Association of Singapore, who are authorised distributors, and do not take into account sales of the same brands by parallel importers. Toyota has been Singapore's favourite marque since 2002. But this is the first time in six consecutive years that another brand has sold more cars than Japan's biggest automaker here. There are nine more months before the year is out, so the outcome for 2008 is far from certain. For one, Toyota has just launched the latest version of its top-selling Corolla Altis. The 1.6-litre sedan, which was launched here last month, has seen a good response from prospective buyers, most of whom have been waiting for it to arrive. As a result, the title of Singapore's top model last year went to Mitsubishi Lancer GLX. Since registration of the new Corolla Altis began only late last month, it means that the Vios sedan was Toyota's top model in Q1 with 1,076 units. Mitsubishi continued to power ahead in the sales stakes in 2008. It became the No 3 make in Singapore with sales of 2,468 units, with the new and more expensive Lancer EX being its top model at 1,128 units. Further down the passenger car rankings were Nissan at No 4 with 1,641 units, and Hyundai at No 5 with 1,470 units. Nissan's most popular model is now the Latio, with 889 units, including the Latio Sport model. This is a more upmarket model than the previously ageing Sunny sedan, which used to be its most popular car. Honda's powerful surge up the sales charts began as early as January and it has been ahead of Toyota each month of the first quarter. This is unusual because Toyota has always been No 1 by a wide margin. At the end of 2007, for example, Borneo Motors Singapore posted sales of 17,121 Toyota passenger cars - almost 29 per cent more than second-placed Kah Motor with 12,205 Hondas. As expected, Honda's best-selling model in Q1 this year was the Civic sedan, with 1,597 units registered, including 152 Civic Hybrid models. Its No 2 model was the Stream compact MPV - also a popular parallel import car - with 823 units. So will Honda continue to dominate the Singapore sales charts? The answer is: only if the Corolla Altis does not resume its previous best- selling performance. Toyota's premier position hinges on the success of this model because it is the core model which brings in the major numbers for the make. At its peak, the Altis was adding a thousand units each month to Borneo Motors' overall tally. Only time will tell if it'll do so again.

i'm getting a new car, have narrow down my selection to these 2. but i not sure which should i choose? any advice?

Has anyone got any information about this car? I think i saw this car on the road a few times, but it's extremely rare to spot one. It seems that it has stopped production liao. From Wikipedia: Toyota WiLL VS The Vi's bigger brother, the Toyota WiLL VS was years ahead of its rivals in car design when it was first introduced in 2001. In the years to follow, several other vehicles have taken styling cues from the WiLL VS, most notably the 2004 Vauxhall Astra and the Renault Megane. Inspiration for the design of the WiLL VS was said to have been derived from the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. In spite of its success in the Japanese market where the WiLL VS had a cult following, the model was never released overseas. Production of the WiLL VS was stopped circa 2004 and a replacement model was never announced, much to the disappointment of its fans. Nevertheless, some would argue that there was no need to replace the WiLL VS for at least another decade given its futuristic design that some of the newer cars were only beginning to adopt. This would include trend-setting features such as the rakish body shape, aerodynamic angles, projector-style headlamp cluster (regarded as revolutionary in 2001), illuminated speedometer and clear LED tail lights. The WiLL VS came in 3 levels of trim. The top of the range model came with alloy wheels, fog-lamps, body kit and tiptronic gearshift. All models were only available in automatic transmission, powered by Toyota's 1800cc VVT-I engine. The WiLL VS will probably be remembered as one of the few concept vehicles that went into production, albeit only in small numbers.

Hi bros n sistas, does anyone hav any idea wats e cost like? e.g. spare part shop, workshop etc.. my dad's car oil filter has prob n e agent is chargin ... Thanks!!

Toyota to make hybrid, bi-fuel cars in Thailand In future, it will carry out its planning for Asian models there By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent Published: March 12 2008, The Straits Times JAPAN'S Toyota Motor, soon to be the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, is grooming Thailand to be more than a low-cost production venue. Mr Yasuyuki Kawamoto, chief engineer of the new Thai-made Toyota Corolla Altis, revealed to The Straits Times yesterday that Toyota will be making the new Camry Hybrid in Thailand. The high-tech petrol-electric model is currently available only in the United States. Mr Kawamoto said this will happen 'within the lifetime of the current Camry model', which was launched two years ago and is due to be replaced in 2011. The Camry Hybrid will likely be built in Toyota's plant in Chachoengsao, east of Bangkok. 'The hybrid drive system will come from Japan,' Mr Kawamoto said, referring to the 105kW motor and 244-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack that assist the car's 2.4-litre petrol engine. More immediately, the 50-year-old chief engineer said, Toyota is developing a 1.6-litre bi-fuel Corolla Altis in Thailand, to be ready by the year end. The car - a 'greener' version of the 10th generation Corolla Mr Kawamoto launched in Singapore yesterday - will have a 70-litre compressed natural gas (CNG) tank that occupies 'about a quarter' of its boot space and stiffer coil springs in its rear suspension to take the extra load. 'The coil springs will be the same as those in the Corolla wagon, which is about 100kg heavier than the sedan - same as the CNG car,' he said. Mr Kawamoto said the bi-fuel car is targeted at the taxi market in Thailand, but that 'it is possible' to export it to Singapore. Based on the Singapore tax incentive package accorded to CNG cars, the bi-fuel Corolla could cost $45,000 or less - compared with the $65,000 price tag of the 1.6-litre petrol model. Toyota distributor Borneo Motors has priced the 1.8-litre Corolla Altis at $73,000. The Thai-made Altis is wider and better equipped than its Japan-made twin, the Corolla Axio, which parallel importers have been selling since last year. Mr Kawamoto proudly points out that the new Altis has LED tail-lamps, made 'specially' for the Asian market. 'In the future, we will do all our planning for Asian models in Thailand. Currently, we still do it in Japan.' Asked whether Toyota has overtaken General Motors as the world's largest vehicle maker, Mr Kawamoto paused before saying: 'We will do it this year.' The race may already have been won. GM is said to have made 9.284 million vehicles last year, 226,000 fewer than Toyota.

Didn't expect this can be a hot topic over there.... http://www.toyotaclubsg.com/nuke/modules.p...er=asc&start=25

http://www.sgcarmart.com/main/info-0YsbTny-1222.html look at the price tag!

thanks to guyver , i managed to secure a rental of 2 months plus till my wolf in sheep colour arrive my impression of the toyota axio reasonable quality has steering of a boat has a floating feeling ,no wonder so many toyota goes into drain BLOODY FUEL EFFEICIENT it a car for point a to b not for racing or anything than that but thanks to guyver got a good deal thank you , dont worry your car now park safely in car park for the rest of the nite while i watch tv 2 months plus till the arrival of my whittie cabrio

Toyota considers entering aircraft industry: official TOKYO - FAST-growing Toyota Motor Corp, widely expected to become the world's top-selling automaker this year, said on Wednesday it is considering branching out into the aircraft industry. Toyota may put up funds for a company to be set up by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to design a next-generation, fuel-efficient passenger jet, Toyota spokesman Kayo Doi said. 'Mitsubishi Heavy has invited us to invest and we are considering it,' she said, while adding that nothing has been decided yet. The comment came after a report on Wednesday in the Asahi Shimbun that Toyota plans to put up 10 billion yen (S$134.9 million) into the venture to be set up in April. The new company would be capitalised at about 100 billion yen, of which Mitsubishi Heavy plans to shoulder 60 per cent, the daily said without identifying its sources. If the plan goes ahead, Toyota would join Japan's second-ranked automaker, Honda Motor Co, in expanding its business interests into aviation. Toyota is widely seen as overtaking General Motors this year as the world's top-selling car company. A Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman said the company 'has been calling on various firms for cooperation in the domestic jet project' but declined to elaborate further. Mitsubishi Heavy has been developing two types of a fuel-efficient passenger aircraft with some 70 or 90 seats under its Mitsubishi Regional Jet project, aiming to launch them in 2013. The plane aims to improve fuel efficiency drastically by using light-weight carbon-fibre materials for 30 percent of its body, according to the company. It would be Japan's first home-grown commercial aircraft since the YS-11 turboprop regional plane, which made its debut flight in 1962. Production ended in 1974. Mitsubishi Heavy is to decide by the end of March whether to go ahead with the project based on expressions of interest. All Nippon Airways, Japan's second largest airline, said in January it was considering the new jet but was also examining existing rival small aircraft built by Canada's Bombardier and Brazil's Embraer. The Asahi said the bottleneck in the project has been the development cost, said to be some 150 billion yen. Mitsubishi Heavy has also invited trading houses, banks and other companies in Japan to invest in the venture, it said. Auto manufacturers such as Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler Corp. all dabbled in the aircraft and aerospace business but sold off their ventures by the 1960s. Toyota meanwhile succeeded in a test flight of a four-seat, single-engine airplane in California in 2002. Its spokesman said Toyota was still involved in that research but declined comment on whether it had decided not to manufacture aircraft by itself. 'We have been exploring the possibility of using an automobile engine in aircraft,' she said. Honda Motor started taking orders in the United States in October 2006 for its Honda Jet, a lean-burn, single-engine plane with seven to eight seats that has attracted interest amid rising fuel costs. After receiving more than 100 orders for the Honda Jet, the company said just this week that it will also start taking orders from Canada and Mexico for the plane, which is priced at 3.9 million dollars (S$5.4 million). The news about Toyota failed to lift its shares, which fell 0.73 per cent to close at 5,460 yen amid worries about the impact of slowing US economic growth and a stronger yen, which is bad for exports, dealers said. 'It is unclear at the moment how much the new business will contribute to Toyota's earnings,' said Mr Kazuhiro Takahashi, head of the equity department at Daiwa Securities SMBC. Mitsubishi Heavy shares fell 0.22 per cent to 463 yen as the benchmark Nikkei-225 index ended 0.16 per cent lower. -- AFP http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_213575.html

Any views on tis car.....I'm quite interested in getting it 1 available at sgcarmart for about $35k...nice car but dont tink tat its worth at that price..

Yo guys, Just came back from M'sia NSH.. Then got tailed by this Toyota HB, looks like Ford Focus but broader and longer... All the way from Yong Peng to SG... Then found out its a Toyota.. Anyone knows abt its engine specs?? Looks menacing...

saw an advertisement there will be a long wheeled based toyota rush in paul tan.org is this rav4 replacement? http://paultan.org/archives/2008/01/25/toy...aped-up-badges/

http://x.ygddai.com/cars/toyota-hilux.html Look at this

I've never seen this car before until today, it certainly looks fierce with the resemblance of Honda Accord Went to sgcarmart to find more about the car and it looks decent

Any idea the difference between the Premio and Axio??? seem that Premio is better and bigger. engine used are the same. Pls comment as thinking of getting the Premio...Thanks

any fielders here... would like your honest opinion on the car. good, bad or ugly all are welcome!!!! also looking for a 2nd hand one. PM me

Jan 5, 2008 Will Honda overtake Toyota? Singaporeans are still buying more Toyotas than any other brand of car. But will it retain its slim lead over Honda much longer? By Christopher Tan ON THE surface, the sales tally of 2007 was nothing out of the ordinary. Toyota retained its pole position (for the fifth year running), the top brands were mostly Japanese and Mercedes-Benz and BMW remained the only luxury marques in the list. All in all, the brands in the Top 10 list were familiar and there was no dark horse. But on closer examination, things may be on the brink of change. For instance, the gap between Honda - the No. 2 - and Toyota was relatively small. Excluding parallel import numbers, only 5,000 or so vehicles separated the two. In recent years, Toyota has long had a five-figure lead over its nearest rival. From this, it is clear Toyota has lost some of its shine. A limited model range (compared with what the parallel importers offer) and the imminent launch of the new Corolla Altis are largely responsible for this. The new Altis - which makes up the bulk of Toyota distributor Borneo Motors' sales - will be available from next month. Borneo will also have the Wish seven-seater this year, five years after parallel importers introduced the model. But will the new models help Toyota pull farther ahead? The jury is still out on this. Meanwhile, Honda is expected to capitalise on this chink in the Toyota armour - temporary or otherwise. It has up to four new models this year: the Accord, Jazz, City and, possibly, the Odyssey. Hence it is not inconceivable that Honda could sneak up on Toyota and steal its crown. For the record, Honda has not had the No. 1 spot since the late 1990s. Elsewhere, the perennial battle between Mercedes-Benz and BMW for supremacy in the luxury segment has resulted in another close race. Excluding parallel import sales, BMW has managed to overtake its archrival again by selling about 100 more cars. While it may not be conceivable now, Audi may be in the running by the end of the decade. The question is whether it will take away more sales from Merc or Beemer. Although it is not in the Top 10 list, Porsche made everyone sit up by garnering 300 new customers last year - a record. This makes it the best-selling luxury sports car brand. Authorised Porsche agent Stuttgart Auto is confident of repeating its sterling performance this year. Other sports car brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin also chalked up record sales last year. As usual, the Japanese enjoyed a lion's share of car sales. Hyundai was the only Korean brand to make it to the Top 10 list last year, but its 5,000-plus tally was a shadow of its peak in 2004, when it sold over 13,000 cars. It lost sales largely to Japanese parallel imports, but observers reckon the growing population of Hyundai Sonata taxis on the road may also have diluted its appeal to car buyers. With fewer COEs available this year, the sales race is expected to go on overdrive.