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Toyota, Mazda get an Alabama welcome for $1.6 billion plant

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Toyota and Mazda confirmed Wednesday they will build a $1.6 billion joint venture assembly plant in Alabama that will employ up to 4,000 workers, a boost for President Donald Trump who wants automakers to expand U.S. production. Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Mazda President and Chief Executive Officer Masamichi Kogai joined Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in Montgomery at an event to confirm the decision. "Welcome to sweet home Alabama," Ivey said to the two executives, after saying that the anticipated 4,000 workers at the plant to be built in Huntsville would earn an average of $50,000 a year. The plant will produce 300,000 vehicles a year and should open on a 2,500-acre former cotton field in 2021, about 14 miles from Toyota's engine plant in Huntsville. Toyota plans to build Corolla cars at the plant, while Mazda will build crossover SUVs. "Together, I am confident we will create yet another 'Built in America' success story," Toyoda said. Alabama will provide tax incentives. Officials said the state tax incentives were worth $370 million, but they did not disclose how much the local incentives were worth. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the plant will "provide jobs for decades to come for Huntsville and Alabama. It vaults Alabama to the top as an industry leader in producing the next generation of cars that will power our nation." Among U.S. states, Alabama is already the fifth largest producer of cars and light trucks. The state has more than 150 major auto suppliers and 57,000 automotive manufacturing jobs. Two decades ago, Alabama spent an estimated $250 million to woo Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz to put an auto plant in Tuscaloosa, sparking the birth of auto production in the state. In September, Daimler said it would invest $1 billion to expand its Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant to start building electric sport-utility vehicles there from about 2020. Alabama is also home to assembly plants operated by Honda and Hyundai. A Kia assembly plant operates near the Alabama border in Georgia. Mazda and Toyota said they still need approvals and authorization by antitrust agencies for the new joint venture. They announced a capital alliance in August and plans to jointly develop technology for electric vehicles. Trump tweeted in March he wanted "new plants to be built here for cars sold here." Many automakers have announced expansions of facilities or new jobs but no other new U.S. auto plants have been announced. U.S.

2017 Scion FR-S getting slight power bump?

A common refrain when discussing the Scion FR-S and its sibling the Subaru BRZ is that they are capable vehicles but are in need of more power. The latest rumors suggest that some more muscle might finally be on the way for the coupe's refresh. Don't expect something like the STI Performance Concept with a 300-horsepower, turbocharged flat-four, though – the gains in the real world are likely to be significantly more modest. According to Toyota insiders speaking with Motoring in Australia, the local Toyota GT86 (our FR-S) is due for a styling and powertrain refresh for the next model year. The 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine isn't expected to get a drastic power increase, but it's not being completely neglected. A new intake manifold and friction reductions reportedly allow for five percent more grunt. If accurate, and if the changes also come here, that would take output of the US version to 210 hp and 159 pound-feet of torque. The adjustments could improve fuel economy by seven percent, as well. Handling is already a forte for the FR-S and BRZ, and things could get even better with this refresh. Motoring claims that dampers from Sachs might become standard equipment, along with a reinforced subframe. The close relationship with the BRZ reportedly rules out any dramatic changes to the styling for this update. However, the coupe is still likely to wear a new hood with vents in it, reshaped headlights, and a revised fascia with a larger lower grille. At the rear, expect a rear diffuser and exhaust pipes at the corners. While minor compared to all of these rumored updates, Scion recently gave the FR-S a few tweaks in the US for the 2016 model year (pictured above). In addition to some new colors and interior trim, it now comes standard with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and rearview camera.

2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Despite the earnest efforts of Japanese automakers like Toyota and Nissan, the American pickup truck scene remains wholly dominated by the likes of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. This is not news. Part of the reason is because of the sheer number of variants offered by US automakers - everything from work-spec base trucks to house-leveling heavy duty models can be had, with a seemingly endless combination of engines, cab sizes, bed lengths and trim levels. It's a hugely profitable business, and though the Japanese automakers still offer competitive fullsize trucks, in terms of sheer volume, they simply don't compete.
But American pickups aren't just about work; there's a huge play aspect involved, too. Look at the desert-storming Ford F-150 SVT Raptor or the Ram Power Wagon - these butch trucks are built with superb off-road prowess in mind, and Detroit's Japanese rivals have once again largely been silent in this segment. Until now.
Introduced at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, Toyota now offers the TRD Pro series of models that, in addition to the crazy-orange Tundra seen here, includes the smaller Tacoma pickup and 4Runner SUV. And this isn't just some pretty appearance package, either - there's honest-to-goodness capability baked into all of the TRD Pro models. Intriguing, for sure, so I recently spent a weekend with the big boy Tundra to see what's what.