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Toyota enters Rally America with modified RAV4

Rally cars are typically based on production hatchbacks, but Toyota is hitting the Rally America series this year with the RAV4 you see here. Entering the 2WD-Open Class (yes, it's front-wheel drive), this specially prepared RAV4 rally machine is being revealed at the Monster Energy Supercross Championship finale this weekend in Las Vegas. It retains the stock powertrain, including a 2.5-liter inline-four with the same 176 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque as the small crossover you can pick up at your local Toyota dealership. Only it's been unburdened of more than 500 pounds of excess weight and fitted with a roll cage, BFGoodrich all-terrain tires and an upgraded TEIN suspension at both ends. The resulting machine will be driven by Ryan Millen, son of the legendary Rod Millen and brother the Rhys. This isn't the first time Ryan is driving off-road for Toyota either, having won the Baja 1000 last year in a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Toyota Flexes RAV4 Muscle with New Rally America Series Entry Renowned Off-Road Driver Ryan Millen to Drive RAV4 Rally Car in 2015 Rally America 2WD-Open Class TORRANCE, Calif. (May 6, 2015) – Toyota unveiled its RAV4 rally car at the Monster Energy Supercross Championship finale this weekend at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Ryan Millen, who won the 2014 Baja 1000 in a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, will drive the RAV4 rally vehicle at various rally races including some of the 2015 Rally America 2WD-Open Class season. The muscled-up RAV4 was unveiled live between races to all in attendance and was on display in the pits throughout the event. A RAV4 competing within a professional racing series is rare. It is even rarer to see the unibody-construction, Small-Sport Utility Vehicle (SSUV) go head-to-head with Rally America's modified street cars. Toyota's entry into Rally America is a modified 2015 Toyota RAV4 LE. The vehicle sports a stock transmission and a stock 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, double-overhead cam engine that pushes 176-horsepower and 172-pounds of torque. Millen and his crew removed more than 500 pounds of stock weight, while adding a roll cage, BFGoodrich all-terrain DOT 215/75R15 tires, and upgrading to a front and rear TEIN suspension. "I've driven just about everything Toyota has to offer," said Millen. "And I've been very impressed with the RAV4's tight, compact body and smooth handling.

Watch a Toyota Highlander ram a house, twice

Toyota has had plenty of problems in recent years due to claims of unintended acceleration, and now here's a video that actually catches such a claim on video. The driver of this 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander claims that the crossover's accelerator got stuck causing the vehicle to slam into the house twice, and resulting in damage to the Highlander, the house and two vehicles inside the garage. While we don't know when this accident took place, the video was uploaded to YouTube back in January.
It is impossible to determine what actually happened in this video, but what we do know is that a security camera captures the Highlander slowly pulling into the driveway before it lunges forward slamming into the garage. With the tires squealing and metal crunching, the driver then shifts between reverse and drive a couple times causing even more property damage before spinning out in the street and finally being able to shift into Park. Scroll down to see the video for yourself. Whether unintended acceleration or driver error, this was undoubtedly a harrowing ordeal.

Toyota, Kaley Cuoco grant wishes in Super Bowl XLVII ad

For viewers who plan on watching the Super Bowl only for the commercials, here's one for you to enjoy ahead of time. As we saw in the teaser video that Toyota released last week, will be making the transition from Big Bang to The Big Game as a wish-granting genie in a commercial for the 2013 Toyota RAV4.
Though not as entertaining as the actual teaser for this commercial, it still garnered a couple chuckles from the Autoblog crew. We won't spoil it for you, but a word of advice: if Cuoco ever shows up in your driveway granting you wishes, we'd suggest you be very clear what you want... and enunciate.
If you want to see the commercial before this Sunday's game, we have the video (and an accompanying press release) posted after the jump.