1995 Toyota Tacoma Dlx Extended Cab Pickup 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota GT86 turbo, convertible, sedan variants back on the table

Okay Toyota, make up your mind. Figure it out. Quit playing games with our heart. Either build a bunch of variations of the excellent GT86 (also known as the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ) or don't. At this point, we're just tired of the back and forth. After no shortage of denials, an Australian website is claiming that Toyota is reconsidering convertible, four-door, turbocharged and all-wheel-drive hybrid variants of the GT86. Kindly pass all the salt.
It's not that we don't want to believe the Aussies; we do. But when the story lists the same "sources in Japan" as a lot of the other denials and confirmations about GT86/BRZ/FR-S variants, well, there's a certain sense of the "Boy That Cried Wolf," here. Ignoring all that, then, what does Motoring.com.au claim to know?
Sources claim the GT86 Convertible will arrive in October 2014, while the turbocharged and hybrid sedans are slated for 2016.

NHTSA expands new Takata probe to 4 more automakers

DETROIT — The U.S. government's highway safety agency has launched an investigation into four additional automakers that have a potentially deadly type of Takata air bag inflator in their vehicles but have yet to recall them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted Thursday that it is investigating Audi, Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi in connection with a Takata recall involving 1.4 million inflators. This brings the total number of manufacturers potentially impacted to five, as BMW was connected to the issue when it was brought to light earlier in December. The inflators made by the now-bankrupt Takata have a distinct and separate problem that can cause them to blow apart a metal canister and spew shrapnel into people's faces and bodies. The problem killed a driver in Australia who was in an older 3-Series BMW, which has already recalled more than 116,000 vehicles. The problem is so dangerous that in some cases BMW has told drivers to park their vehicles until repairs can be made. The safety agency says in documents that Takata didn't provide details on the affected makes, models or model years of vehicles with the defective inflators. So it is telling the companies to recall them promptly. The agency says that based on when the faulty inflators were produced, it's likely that the vehicles to be recalled came from the 1995 through 2000 model years. In letters to all four automakers, NHTSA says they have five business days to notify the agency after finding out about a safety defect. “If your company has not yet gathered enough evidence to make a determination that the subject air bag inflators present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, reply with a detailed work plan including the benchmark dates required to make the determination,” the agency wrote in letters to all four automakers dated Wednesday. A Honda spokesman said Thursday it hasn't determined yet whether its vehicles are affected, but a decision should be made soon. Audi, Mitsubishi and Toyota said they are still investigating. NHTSA has told the companies to respond by Jan. 17. On Dec. 4, NHTSA posted documents from Takata and BMW detailing the problems. The documents said the Australian driver was killed, while another Australian driver and a driver in Cyprus were injured. Unlike previous recalls, the Takata non-azide inflators do not use volatile ammonium nitrate to fill the air bags in a crash.

Recharge Wrap-up: Senators want stronger RFS, Toyota working to improve mobility in Bangkok

A new E15 bill has been introduced to the US House of Representatives. Sponsored by one Democrat and three Republican congressmen, the bill is a companion to the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015 recently introduced to the Senate by Rand Paul and Chuck Grassley. The House bill's goal is similar: to remove certain restrictions to help get E15 to the marketplace. This bill also targets the EPA and its rules regarding the Reid Vapor Pressure of the ethanol blend. Read more in from Domestic Fuel. A bipartisan group of 37 senators is urging the EPA to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard. Stated reasons tend to focus on economics and energy security, but also on the future of other alternative fuels. The RFS "has strengthened agriculture markets and created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the new energy economy, many of which are in rural areas," the senators say in a letter to the EPA. "A stable RFS will also provide the certainty needed to unlock future investments in renewable fuels and necessary infrastructure, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy, and drive innovation and progress toward cellulosic, biodiesel, recycled-waste, algal, and other advanced biofuels." See the full letter at Senator Chuck Grassley's website, and read more at Domestic Fuel. The Toyota Mobility Foundation has launched a pilot program in Bangkok, Thailand. In partnership with Chulalongkorn University, Toyota's program aims to help "people move, grow and explore in a world that is comfortable, safe and clean," says Toyota President Akio Toyoda (traditional rickshaws are pictured above). The program will focus on reducing congestion by creating sustainable shuttle and park and ride services, encouraging people to use multiple modes of transportation, use traffic simulation models to pinpoint particular problem areas and work with police to optimize traffic signals. The Bangkok project is expected to last a year and a half, ending in December 2016. Read more in the press release below. Realizing the Future of Mobility: Toyota Mobility Foundation Launches First Pilot Program in Thailand Program Supports Foundation's Global Mission to Advance Solutions for a More Mobile Society Tokyo, Japan (April 22, 2015) - More people everywhere are about to get moving. Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) today announced that it is launching its first pilot program.