1997 Toyota Camry Le Sedan 4-door 2.2l (non-running) on 2040-cars

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Ex-Toyota Bill Reinert still in favor of hybrids, against EVs

Former Toyota executive Bill Reinert is so unsold on electric vehicles as a viable advanced-powertrain option for future transportation that he has praised – gasp – Ford, for its downsized internal combustion engines. Reinert was a key player in developing Toyota's original Prius hybrid and, in an interview published in Yale University's Environment 360 blog, said a hybrid that gets 60 miles per gallon is superior to an electric vehicle. "And that is why you will be seeing more fuel cells in the future." – Bill Reinert Reinert went on to praise the advances that automakers have made in improving fuel economy of fossil fuel vehicles, specifically namechecking Ford and its three-cylinder Ecoboost engine. He also has good things to say about both hydrogen fuel-cell electric technology as well as natural gas vehicles, but admits that limited fueling infrastructure will keep those types of vehicles in the margins for the near future. He also says that hydrogen vehicles aren't that great yet but that, "When most [manufacturers] investigate the two technologies [H2 and EVs], they see that FVCs offer more room for performance improvement and cost reduction potential. And that is why you will be seeing more fuel cells in the future." As far as pure electric, Reinert says lithium-ion batteries have "tremendous shortcomings" and talks about battery degradation, substandard performance in hot weather and, of course, limited single-charge driving range. He also says that people need to factor in the environmental impact of producing electricity for the grid to fully gauge how environmentally beneficial EVs can be. We'd like to take him and Tesla Motors Chief Elon Musk to what we think would be a spirited lunch. You can read the whole interview with Reinert here.

Toyota GT86 CS-R3 ready to rally

Toyota is returning to the rally scene with the competition-spec version of the GT86. First announced over a year ago, the GT86 CS-R3 began testing this past summer, and is now just about ready for customer deliveries. Instead of contesting the top tier of the World Rally Championship, the GT86 CS-R3 was designed to compete in the R3 class. It's closely based on the road-going model (better known around these parts as the Scion FR-S), and retains its 2.0-liter boxer four, sending 238 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque through a Drenth six-speed sequential gearbox and limited slip differential to the rear wheels. Available in either tarmac or gravel specification, the GT86 CS-R3 comes complete with "body shell, powertrain and all mechanical components required to build the car." It's set to undergo final FIA certification in July, at which point it'll be ready to deliver to privateer rally teams to field in national and international rallies and in the HJS TMG CS-R3 Trophy that kicks off in Germany on July 4. The package sells for ˆ84,000 ($94k at today's rates) before taxes, but customers who place their orders before April 24 will get a ˆ5k discount. Related Video: 23 Jan 2015 GT86 CS-R3 NEARS COMPETITIVE DEBUT TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH is pleased to confirm the final details of the rear-wheel-drive GT86 CS-R3 rally car, which will make its competitive debut this year. Cologne, Germany - The CS-R3 prototype was launched last August and since then has completed an extensive test programme to optimise design and define the final specification of the kit which will be delivered to private competitors and teams. Detailed development has generated improved performance on both gravel and tarmac, while reliability and durability have been prioritised in order to deliver a car which allows cost-effective competition throughout the season and beyond. The CS-R3 has already proved immensely popular thanks to its rear-wheel drive powertrain, with 1,998cc, 238hp boxer engine and six-speed sequential transmission which combine to produce a spectacular driving experience. The first cars will be delivered to customers in May, later than originally forecast to allow improvements highlighted during testing to be implemented. As a consequence TMG has extended its introductory discount.

4th-gen Toyota Prius production delayed by 6 months

If you were holding off buying a new car in anticipation of the fourth-generation Toyota Prius arriving in 2015, your wait might be a little longer. Company insiders are claiming that production of the bestselling hybrid is being pushed back from spring to possibly as late as December 2015. Toyota is reportedly still making alterations to make sure everything is just right before it unleashes the all-important, efficient hatch on a waiting public.
According to unnamed sources speaking to Automotive News Europe, the main reasons for the delay aren't completely known. It's believed the engineers are still working on making the hybrid powertrain more efficient and improving the new Toyota Global Architecture modular platform. The insiders claim that the final production prototype of the Prius is still under development, and it might be November before it's finalized. From there, it usually takes around 12 months to tool up and for the first car to roll off the assembly line. It would be another year after that before the plug-in variant starts assembly. The national manager of Toyota Product Communications, Michael Kroll, told AutoblogGreen, "As you might expect, we can't comment on future product plans."
Despite the delay, some potential details have already emerged about the new hybrid. A company spokesperson recently told Autoblog via email that Toyota is engineering the next-gen Prius to have smaller, more power-dense electric motors and greater thermal efficiency. The new modular platform is also rumored reduce weight, and the changes could lead to a targeted 10 percent improvement in fuel economy.