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The second iteration of the FT-86 study made its first public outing at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Its main purpose is to preview actual production model that will go on sale in late 2012. The well-received styling of the original concept model evolved gaining new front and rear ends, more pronounced surfaces and a host of other fresh details, with Toyota claiming that the design changes were made for safety regulations as well as for practical reasons.
The Avensis race cars will be driven by Frank Wrathall Jr. and Tony Hughes. “The Toyota looks amazing and we are all delighted with it," said Wrathall. "Yes, it is frustrating not to have done more testing, but the first few rounds were always going to be tough for us, so we will just get on with it and do the best, most competitive job that we can."
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Toyota has published two brand new videos of its FT-86 II concept car that broke cover at this week's 81st Geneva International Motor Show. The first video is a real-life 'walk-around' of the actual concept model while the second clip shows the FT-86 II in some virtual racing action in what appears to be -but is not mentioned-the Gran Turismo 5 game (if we're wrong on this one, let us know in the comments section). The FT-86 II is the final concept version of Toyota's upcoming rear-wheel drive sports coupe before the production model comes to life next year. For the details on the styling changes over the original study, read our previous article here.
The production Prius V seen in the videos after the jump, is a practical five-seat minivan based off the hatchback version of Toyota's popular hybrid model. It uses the same 1.8-litre petrol engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive tech offering 50% more luggage space than its smaller counterpart, while returning an estimated 42 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined. The Prius V will go on sale in North America in late summer 2011 as a 2012 model year.
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Toyota's newcomer has grown 100mm in length and now measures 3,885mm long, but is 30mm lower while keeping the same width as its predecessor. The Japanese carmaker says numerous weight saving measures has shaved off 30kg or 66 pounds, with the car tipping the scales at 1,000kg or 2,204 pounds (depending on the model).
The creation of the RAV4 EV was a two pronged attack: Toyota engineers took care of the powertrain upgrade/engineering as they normally would a mid-cycle product change, while Tesla engineers developed the battery pack and related systems.
Toyota says that the EV version of Toyota's CR-V fighter weighs about 220 lbs more than a comparably equipped V6 model, but retains similar acceleration figures. Due to the weight gain (couldn't we call in Lotus to tackle that?), suspension and steering components had to be properly modified or relocated to maintain proper balance.
The as-of-yet unnamed minivan will be the second Prius-badged hybrid in Toyota's range, while the company has already revealed plans to extend the Prius family with a third model that will be smaller than the current five-door liftback. Both the smaller and larger Prius-branded hybrid-electric vehicles are scheduled to go on sale in the States by 2013.
Here's what 'SoundMan' had to say about the iPad project:
"We chose to use the iPad as the only source for the vehicles entertainment system. The dock connector will plug into a cable that runs to a Onkyo ND-S1 which will send the digital signal from the iPad directly into an Audison Bit One. The Bit One will then act as the D/A converter, and will also process the audio signal. The Bit One also has a great controller for adjusting the volume and audio settings. The amplifier we chose is the McIntosh MCC406M."
If you follow the jump, you can watch a video demonstrating the installation process.
In a couple of shots, Toyota remembers its sporty past depicting the FT-86 alongside the Corolla AE86, Celica and Supra coupes. The updated gallery also includes some of the original sketches from the ED2 center.
During the company's press conference at the Geneva Show earlier this month, Andrea Formica, Senior Vice-President of Toyota Motor Europe, noted that the FT-86 would reach showrooms in early 2012.
Obviously, considering that this horror (or stunt) was filmed on live television, Toyota needed to get personally involved with Sikes and his claims. After stating that Sikes' story and what the car's computer recorded didn't add up, they made sure to fully disclose what, precisely, they checked.
What's special about the concept study is that there will be a similar G Sports version of the production FT-86 when the rear-wheel drive sports coupe goes on sale in late 2011.
The prototype model featured many upgrades over the standard FT-86 concept shown in Tokyo last October including a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter boxer-four and a wide body aero kit. Follow the break to watch the video from the Tokyo Auto Salon or click here for more details.
Video via: Youtube/GT Channel
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We remind you the FT-86 G Sports is a conceptual proposal based on the prototype version of Toyota's forthcoming rear-wheel drive sports coupe featuring all sorts of aero and performance upgrades, including a turbocharged version of the FT-86's 2.0-liter boxer engine. Follow the jump for the video and a photo gallery.
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From what we understand, the Etios is a similar proposition - both in terms of size and philosophy - to the Renault-Nissan alliance's Dacia Logan sedan.
The Japanese firm's low-cost sedan that has been specifically developed for emerging markets will first go on sale in India with other international markets including Russia and South America to follow shortly after.
Ever wonder what the world looks like at over 200mph from the driver's seat? Well then, just hit the jump to watch this video of the Fensport-prepped Toyota Celica GT4 racer which recorded a top speed of 202.2 mph or 325km/h on November 21 at the Woodbridge Airfield near Ipswich, in the UK.
The man behind the steering wheel of the heavily modified Celica GT4, which features all-wheel drive and a 2.1-liter engine with a Turbo Dynamics' MD355 blueprinted turbocharger cranking out 700-horsepower, was Time Attack competitor, Adrian Smith.
"I started fine. I got wheel spin on the slippery start in the first three gears, but once in 4th the car settled nicely," said Smith. "At around 180 MPH a crosswind again started to move the car off-line. However, I kept my foot in and thankfully the car stayed straight and the wind subdued."
"I checked the speed and it was 201, then 202! I was thinking 'Yes it is going to do 205/206,' but then there was a tiny misfire and the speed dropped to 201 again. By then it was time to brake. I had done 202.22 MPH, what an amazing feeling."
According to Fensport, the 202.22 mph top speed was achieved from a standing start in just 1.1 miles.
