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What's this about a Toyota Prius Prime trademark?

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius is growing ever closer to launch and might even already be on the roads testing in heavy camouflage now. A recent filing by Toyota with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name Prius Prime hints that the popular hybrid might get something different with its new model. As is often the case with trademark filings, the information here is quite barebones. All that is officially known is that as of March 26, 2015, Toyota owns the Prius Prime name for "automobiles and structural parts thereof." Green Car Reports speculates that the moniker could be for anything from a new trim level to a completely different model in the hybrid's lineup. One possibility at least to consider stems from a rumor from last year. According to that speculation, the next Prius might be offered in two versions: one with a nickel-metal hydride battery getting around 55 miles per gallon and another with a lithium-ion pack capable of over 60 mpg. The Prime name could actually work for either of them. Of course, a trademark filing also isn't a guarantee of a vehicle actually seeing production. Automakers can sit on the names for years just for safety, but sometimes they really do point to the future. Related Video: Word Mark PRIUS PRIME Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Automobiles and structural parts thereof Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86577082 Filing Date March 26, 2015 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corporation CORPORATION JAPAN 1, Toyota-cho Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken JAPAN 471-8571 Attorney of Record Roberta S. Bren Prior Registrations 3625763;4091489;4219530 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

Toyota MR2 shows why we still love the 1990s

Was there a better time for Japanese performance than the 1980s and 1990s? It seems like looking back, Japan was on a roll, producing cars that were affordable, economical, reliable, fast and lightweight. And while all the attention is - thanks to a certain film series - focused on cars like Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7, there is a lesser-known model that's establishing its own enduring legacy without the help of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.
The MR2, affectionately known as the "Mister Two" to fanboys, first arrived in 1984 as a lightweight, mid-engined sports car that proceeded to eat the lunch of the Pontiac Fiero in terms of performance. That car was replaced in 1989 with the more familiar, rounded-out MR2, which is the subject of this latest video from the team at Petrolicious.
The video takes a look at a group of MR2 drivers, and attempts to explain what it is about the car that is destined to make it a future classic. Scroll down to see Petrolicious examine the MR2 Connection.

Construction of Lexus' first US assembly line underway

The ES is Lexus' top-selling sedan, but the Japanese luxury marque has never manufactured it outside of Japan. In fact, Lexus has never made any cars in the United States, one of its largest markets worldwide. But that's about to change.
Yesterday, construction began in Georgetown, Kentucky, on the first Lexus assembly line in America, the first concrete (or steel) step in a $360-million expansion of Toyota's plant in the Bluegrass state that will create 750 new jobs. The expansion was announced last April by chief executive Akio Toyoda at the New York Auto Show.
Once the new assembly line gets online in the fall of next year, Toyota plans on building some 50,000 units of the ES each year. Lexus sold a record 72,581 examples of the ES in the United States last year - 30 percent more than the previous year - so Lexus will either have to import some more from overseas or leave some buyers disappointed.