Gx470 2008, Nav, Auto Strt, Dvd/video, Lther(tan),pearlwhite,83k,well-maintained on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota sees profit slip but beat earlier forecasts

TOKYO — ToyotaÂ’s July-September profit fell 11% from a year earlier as the coronavirus pandemic slammed global demand, but JapanÂ’s top automaker appeared to be holding up better than weaker rivals that have sunk into the red. Toyota reported Friday a quarterly profit of 470.5 billion yen ($4.5 billion), down from 530 billion yen a year ago. Quarterly sales slipped to 6.77 trillion yen ($65 billion) from 7.64 trillion yen. Its president, Akio Toyoda, told reporters Toyota employees worked extremely hard, including making masks and face shields and boosting efficiency at factories to achieve results despite the pandemic. “Toyota has become gradually stronger,” he said, offering gratitude and praise for how resilient Toyota has proven itself to be. “This shows how each individual worked so hard,” said Toyoda, the grandson of the automakerÂ’s founder, vowing that each of its employees will keep thinking about contributing to a better world. Toyota raised its global sales forecast to 9.4 million vehicles for the fiscal year through March 2021, better than its earlier forecast for 9.1 million vehicles. ThatÂ’s still lagging behind the more than 10.5 million vehicles sold in the last fiscal year. Toyota, based in Toyota city in Aichi, central Japan, said it expects to record a 1.4 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year. It earlier projected 730 billion yen ($7 billion) in profit. Toyota, which makes Lexus luxury models and the Prius hybrid, recorded 2 trillion yen ($19 billion) in profit the previous fiscal year. ToyotaÂ’s operating income fell in most regions, including Japan and other Asian markets, but improved in North America. Operating Officer Kenta Kon expressed caution about the U.S. outlook, given the rising coronavirus cases. But he said ToyotaÂ’s latest models were popular, and dealers were adjusting incentives to get good results. All the worldÂ’s automakers have been slammed by shrinking demand as COVID-19 squelches economic activity. Some nations, including Japan, have sunk into recession. Although uncertainties persist about further outbreaks and when a vaccine might be available, there are signs of recovery in some parts of the world. Japan has managed to keep pandemic-related deaths at fewer than 2,000. It has reported about 105,000 cases nationwide.

Lexus LFA successor with PHEV drivetrain in the works?

Reports out of Japan say that a successor to the Lexus LFA is in the works. While this news should come with a planet-sized grain of salt, there is a non-zero chance. And since the LFA is one of the best sports cars we've driven, it bears at least considering, so let's look at the mere possibility of a successor. Best Car magazine claims to have in their upcoming Dec. 10 issue a scoop about the new "super sports" car. They say that the successor is a plug-in hybrid with a front-midship layout (the heavy motor behind the front axle) under a carbon fiber body. The gas side of the equation is said to be a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 generating approximately 937 horsepower. It's supposedly scheduled for a 2025 debut. This seems to be a different car than the rumored Gazoo Racing Super Sport, which is based on the Toyota's entrant in the WEC's new Le Mans Hypercar class. That car would have to resemble the race car somewhat, and as such would have a twin-turbo hybrid V6. We find it highly unlikely that Toyota would build two super-expensive cars at the same time. Also, note the rumored engine is a 4.0-liter V8, a displacement that doesn't exist in any modern Lexus. Perhaps that could mean a replacement for the current 5.0-liter V8? Or maybe just a sign that this is all much ado about nothing.  However, we have seen an LFA prototype with modified bodywork lapping the Nurburgring in late 2018, some six years after the original ended production. The same car was spotted in summer of 2019 as well, the same year Lexus' then vice-president, now president Koji Sato told Autocar, "We need strong requests for a new LFA from the media. This can help us proceed.” Well, if that's what it takes then consider this another vote in the yes column, even though we've described its 4.8-liter V10's 552-horsepower output as not very impressive on paper by the time it came out and covered how it wasn't a hot seller, with new examples still being offered for sale as new in 2018. In the years since, though, it seems the collector market seems to have taken a liking to the LFA. At Monterey Car Week this year, a regular LFA sold for $819,000, more than doubling its original $375,000 sticker, while a 1 of 50 Nurburgring Edition sold for $1.6 million. If the GR Super Sport really is canceled as some rumors suggest, perhaps there is room in the Toyota family for another LFA. We still wouldn't hold our breaths, though.

Toyota promises a next-generation Land Cruiser is on its way

On sale since the 2008 model year and facelifted twice in the interim, the Toyota Land Cruiser has lately begun rolling out the special editions. Last year we got the 2019 Lexus LX Inspiration, this year we got the 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition. This likely means a changing of the model guard is close, the 300-Series Land Cruiser on the horizon to replace the current 200-Series. When Motor Authority asked Toyota SVP Bill Fay about the U.S. getting the next generation, Fay replied, "We are fully committed to the Land Cruiser for the foreseeable future." The reason for the question could have been Land Cruiser sales figures for the past 14 years, when the model never cleared 5,000 units. The swankier Lexus LX sibling sells in greater numbers, but even lumping the two trucks, they've crested 10,000 sales just twice since 2005. On top of that, two of the largest regional markets for the Land Cruiser are Australia and the Middle East, which have different regulatory regimes, and the 2019 Highlander has a three-row option. Why carry on with the Land Cruiser here? Fay told MA the body-on-frame bruiser is a "heritage vehicle," a staple in the U.S. lineup since 1958. But the Cruiser that comes next is expected to LS-ify its powertrain formula, which means getting rid of V8s for V6s. The 5.7-liter V8 with 381 horsepower, 401 pound-feet of torque, and an EPA rating of 15 miles per gallon combined should go away. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 in the Lexus LS 500 gets the nod to take its place, as the Land Cruiser make concessions to fuel economy and emissions standards. A poster on a forum said it's possible that a Dynamic Force version of that engine might appear. As is, that engine makes 416 hp and 442 lb-ft in the luxury sedan and is mated to a 10-speed automatic, the same transmission said to replace the current eight-speed in the Land Cruiser. Automotive mediums predict a hybrid Cruiser, too, potentially with the same 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 and 10-speed auto in the LS hybrid, putting out 354 combined horsepower in the sedan. Because there are so many Land Cruiser versions around the world, it's impossible to say whether V8 options will die globally. Land Cruiser fans, either through desperation or good intel, say that isn't the case.