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Question of the Day: Ever consider driving a minivan?

Since I'm supposed to know something about cars, it happens all the time: friends and relatives ask me advice about what kind of vehicle they should get. Very often, the only type of vehicle that can check every item on their wish list (e.g., hauls lots of people and stuff, gets good fuel economy, has great crash-test ratings, can take four Great Danes camping, and so on) is a modern minivan... and, of course, nobody wants to hear this. I'm not a minivan person, they will wail, and so they end up with a cramped, fuel-swilling SUV or a not-so-space-efficient minivan-in-disguise CUV. So, is it worth becoming one of those minivan people in order to get the incredible usefulness of these masterpieces of vehicle engineering, or do you hold your head high and drive something that doesn't quite meet your needs? Related Video: Auto News Design/Style Chrysler Honda Toyota Minivan/Van question of the day questions

Tougher than steel: Wood pulp could make lighter auto parts

KYOTO, Japan — The global push among carmakers to make ever lighter vehicles is leading some auto suppliers in Japan to turn to what seems like an unlikely steel substitute — wood pulp. Japanese researchers and auto component makers say a material made from wood pulp weighs just one-fifth of steel and can be five times stronger. The material - cellulose nanofibers — could become a viable alternative to steel in the decades ahead, they say, although it faces competition from carbon-based materials, and remains a long way from being commercially viable.> Related: Jay Leno drives the Renew cannabis car — hemp you can't dent Reducing the weight of a vehicle will be critical as manufacturers move to bring electric cars into the mainstream. Batteries are an expensive but vital component, so a reduction in car weight will mean fewer batteries will be needed to power the vehicle, saving on costs. "Lightweighting is a constant issue for us," said Masanori Matsushiro, a project manager overseeing body design at Toyota. "But we also have to resolve the issue of high manufacturing costs before we see an increased use of new, lighter-weight materials in mass-volume cars."A NEW PROCESS Researchers at Kyoto University and major parts suppliers such as Denso Corp, Toyota's biggest supplier, and DaikyoNishikawa Corp, are working with plastics incorporated with cellulose nanofibers — made by breaking down wood pulp fibers into several hundredths of a micron (one thousandth of a millimeter). Cellulose nanofibers have been used in a variety of products ranging from ink to transparent displays, but their potential use in cars has been enabled by the "Kyoto Process," under which chemically treated wood fibers are kneaded into plastics while simultaneously being broken down into nanofibers, slashing the cost of production to roughly one-fifth that of other processes. "This is the lowest-cost, highest-performance application for cellulose nanofibers, and that's why we're focusing on its use in auto and aircraft parts," Kyoto University Professor Hiroaki Yano, who is leading the research, told Reuters in an interview. The university, along with auto parts suppliers, are currently developing a prototype car using cellulose nanofiber-based parts to be completed in 2020.

The 300-series Lexus LX will have V8, greater differentiation from Land Cruiser

For the first time in 64 years, there will not be a Toyota Land Cruiser sold in the U.S. The venerable off-roader is not in Toyota's 2021 American lineup, but the rest of the world will still get the next-generation Cruiser, called the 300 series internally, later this year. However, we may still receive a version of it badged as the Lexus LX. Here's what a new report suggests we might see. According to the Japan's Best Car magazine, the next LX will be more differentiated from its Land Cruiser cousin. The exterior is reportedly more distinctive, and the interior designed to be more suitable for a flagship luxury SUV. It'll still wear a version of the Lexus spindle grille, with different hood, fenders and quarter panels than the Cruiser. Naturally, the head- and taillights will differ as well. Most importantly, the LX will continue to use a ladder frame. Best Car says that the LX will continue to offer a 5.7-liter V8 good for 372 horsepower (which in the U.S. gives 383 horsepower). However, the Land Cruiser will ditch the V8 for a 3.5-liter turbo V6, offered with and without a hybrid system. Notably, the hybrid will not be the same as the one found in other Toyota cars, but a combination 10-speed automatic and motor that's more suitable for a heavy vehicle.  Last but not least, the report states that Toyota will also create a GR Sport version of Land Cruiser. Presumably, that means some dressier aero bits, larger wheels, and a suspension more tuned for highway, um, cruising.  The Land Cruiser is scheduled to debut in September 2021, while the Lexus may follow a couple of years later, despite being developed in parallel. The LX is considered to be more of a Lexus flagship than the LS sedan in many parts of the world, so it makes sense that Toyota will continue offering it. Related Video: