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See how Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car is made [w/videos]

Toyota kicked off production of the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan at its Motomachi factory campus in December, and at the time the company had orders for 200 of them. In just the few months since then, demand has already jumped to requests for at least 1,500 of the potentially revolutionary vehicles. For the first time, the Japanese brand is taking viewers into the innovative model's production process and showing the sedate pace of putting them together. The line used for the Mirai was formerly home to Lexus LFA production. Like that low-volume, cutting-edge supercar, Toyota is prioritizing quality and precision for its fuel cell vehicle. At the moment, it's building just three of the sedans per day with a tight, dedicated team. According to Automotive News, there are just 13 people assembling the cars right now, and at most they could only complete 10 per day. The production process for the Mirai is more akin to a boutique sportscar than the high-volume efficiency Toyota usually shows. There's no belt moving them along, and instead each one is pushed between areas. With so much riding on these models, this approach is meant to guarantee an attention to quality. "These facilities are not so advanced. Rather, we rely on the work of our skilled employees. This is similar to how things were when Toyota was just starting out," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda during a ceremony at the plant, according to Automotive News. Toyota has released a gallery of images and five videos showing the major steps in the Mirai's production process, including the complicated installation of the fuel cell stack. All of the clips are embedded below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.

Behold the mad genius of the Ferrari-powered Toyota 86

Ryan Tuerck's latest project, a Toyota 86 with the F136 V8 engine from a Ferrari 458, has to be one of craziest projects ever envisioned. While the finished project will be nothing short of extraordinary, Tuerck reveals some of the finer details on fitting a large Italian engine into a small Japanese car. One of the most difficult tasks with the engine swap is getting the V8 to fit in the 86's compact engine compartment. Since the V8 is taller and longer than the stock 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, Tuerck and his team have had to do a lot of cutting and fabricating. Tuerck also revealed that the vehicle wouldn't be used in competition, which allows the team to go beyond the rulebook in terms of body strengthening and custom components. There's still a lot of work to be done, but Tuerck claims the vehicle will be ready by October. Donut Media, the YouTube channel that is covering the build, promises to cover every aspect of the project including the first start, which should be coming soon. Related Video: News Source: YouTube via Donut MediaImage Credit: Donut Media Aftermarket Weird Car News Ferrari Toyota Performance Videos toyota 86 engine swap scion frs