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Japanese police raid Toyota HQ following Hamp arrest

Less than a week after Toyota's new global communications officer and first female senior executive, Julie Hamp, was arrested for allegedly bringing illegal painkillers into Japan, local police have raided the company's headquarters, Japan's Asahi newspaper claims. Details are remarkably scarce at this stage, and it's entirely unclear what police were looking to find at Toyota HQ. According to Reuters, Toyota has been completely quiet on the subject of the raid. It seems logical that police would execute a search on Hamp's office in a bid to find any additional illegal medication, but that is, of course, pure speculation. Hamp has been in headlines since June 18, when Tokyo police arrested her at her hotel. Allegedly, 57 pills of Oxycodone, a powerful, highly addictive, and easily abused painkiller, was sent to Hamp from the US. And while it may have been obtained here in the States with a legal prescription, that doesn't change the fact that it, along with some over-the-counter medications, remain illegal under Japanese law. The embattled exec has had some big-name support since her arrest, though. Akio Toyoda, the head of Toyota Motor Corporation, stepped out on Sunday and said, "We are confident...that once the investigation is complete, it will be revealed there was no intention on Julie's part to violate any law." Thus far Hamp has claimed ignorance, although that might not protect her from what one expert told Reuters could result in years in prison. Should any additional information become available, we'll be sure to update this post. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Mark Renders / Getty Images Government/Legal Toyota julie hamp

Chevy Blazer EV and Ford F-150 Raptor R | Autoblog Podcast #739

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. They cover the big news of the week including an electric Chevy Blazer, the Ford F-150 Raptor R and the strange lifted Toyota Crown sedan. The conversation then shifts to the cars they've been driving including a Ram 1500 Rebel G/T, Porsche 911 GT3 and Hyundai Elantra N. Finally, the episode wraps up not with a Spend My Money question, but an update, as a previous advice seeker reports their car buying decision. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #739 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2024 Chevy Blazer EV 2023 Toyota Crown 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Cars We're Driving 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel G/T 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 2022 Hyundai Elantra N Spend My Money Update Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video:

BMW Z5 roadster gets frosty in winter testing

The successor to the BMW Z4 (remember that thing?) is currently undergoing testing in what may be the least hospitable place for a two-seat roadster – northern Sweden. Yep, even sunshine-loving convertibles need to undergo winter testing. We still aren't 100-percent certain of the name, but rumors are pointing to BMW ditching the Z4 nomenclature in favor of Z5. As we've reported before, it's very likely that this car is being developed with help from Toyota. The platform underpinning the car shown here could become the long-awaited new Supra (albeit in hardtop-only form). We'd love to tell you about the look of this new car, but between the camouflage and the caked-on snow, it's hard to draw a bead. We can clearly see the headlights are inspired by newer BMWs like the 7 Series and 2 Series, but other details are harder to discern. The right elements are here, though. The prototype has a long hood and short rear deck. It's also worth pointing out that the car shown here marks a return to a canvas convertible roof. Aside from being less complex, our spies report that the soft top is being used to lower weight and provide sharper handling. While our report on the Z4's successor from March 2015 pointed to a 2020 launch date for the new roadster, our spies say the German part of this BMW/Toyota partnership could launch in late 2017 or early 2018 with four- and six-cylinder engine options. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Z5: Spy Shots Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos BMW Toyota Convertible Performance bmw z5