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Could high demand, low supply doom Toyota Mirai?

Toyota recently gave the world a behind-the-scenes look at the small-scale production of the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan. A team of just 13 people assembles three of them per day, and the Japanese automaker is using this rigorous build process to prioritize quality for each one. Although, there's some concern about whether the Mirai could become a victim of its own, growing success. The company reportedly already has 2,000 orders for the Mirai just in Japan, and an anonymous Toyota executive tells Automotive News that the waiting list is now "two years or something" to receive one. Keep in mind, this figure is before customers elsewhere in the world have any requests in, and the US launch is planned for California this fall with sales in Europe starting this summer. The automaker is keeping North American demand somewhat in check by only planning to move 200 vehicles or fewer on the West Coast in 2015. So, unless Toyota can pick up the production pace, the waiting list seems likely only to grow longer. Automotive News speculates that the company might be in danger of Mirai customers losing interest if they are forced to build anticipation for too long. That especially could be the case with a new Prius likely to be unveiled by the end of the year that could lure folks away It seems that Toyota is trying to react to the higher-than-expected demand for its hydrogen-powered model, though. In December, the automaker invested $168 million to add two more assembly lines for the Mirai's fuel cell stack and hydrogen tank. Related Video:

Toyota to boost its Subaru stake to more than 20%

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp plans to raise its stake in Subaru Corp to more than 20% from around 17% now, a deal that would also see the smaller firm invest in Japan's top automaker, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The deal is due to be approved at a Toyota board meeting on Friday, the people said, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public. The investment would come a month after Toyota and another smaller Japanese automaker, Suzuki, said they would take small equity stakes in each other. Such tie-ups highlight how automakers are scrambling to chase scale, manage costs and boost development. Traditional car makers, especially smaller ones like Subaru and Suzuki, are struggling to meet the fast pace of change in an industry being transformed by the rise of electric vehicles, ride hailing and autonomous driving. Toyota's investment is likely to cost more than 70 billion yen ($650 million) based on Subaru's stock market value, said the Nikkei business daily, which first reported the news. Subaru is likely to reciprocate with a stake in Toyota that would roughly equal the value of Toyota's additional investment, one of the people told Reuters. The companies have long worked together on projects such as the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins. At one time, Subaru built Toyota Camrys in its Indiana plant. Representatives for both Toyota and Subaru said the news was not something that had been announced by their companies. "The plan appears to be to ultimately make Subaru a fully owned subsidiary, to help create a 'mega Toyota.' This is the first step towards that," said Takeshi Miyao, managing director of Carnorama, a consultancy. "It's all about building scale." Subaru is particularly strong in sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and all-wheel-drive technology. The two automakers in June said they planned to jointly develop an electric sport-utility vehicle on a platform produced together, to split costs. Car markers around the world have been joining forces to slash development and manufacturing costs of new technology. Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG have said they will spend billions of dollars to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles. Toyota seems to be particularly keen to build scale now by investing in smaller, domestic automakers, rather than forging cross-border tie-ups like some of its rivals.

Toyota GT86 CS-R3 ready to rally

Toyota is returning to the rally scene with the competition-spec version of the GT86. First announced over a year ago, the GT86 CS-R3 began testing this past summer, and is now just about ready for customer deliveries. Instead of contesting the top tier of the World Rally Championship, the GT86 CS-R3 was designed to compete in the R3 class. It's closely based on the road-going model (better known around these parts as the Scion FR-S), and retains its 2.0-liter boxer four, sending 238 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque through a Drenth six-speed sequential gearbox and limited slip differential to the rear wheels. Available in either tarmac or gravel specification, the GT86 CS-R3 comes complete with "body shell, powertrain and all mechanical components required to build the car." It's set to undergo final FIA certification in July, at which point it'll be ready to deliver to privateer rally teams to field in national and international rallies and in the HJS TMG CS-R3 Trophy that kicks off in Germany on July 4. The package sells for ˆ84,000 ($94k at today's rates) before taxes, but customers who place their orders before April 24 will get a ˆ5k discount. Related Video: 23 Jan 2015 GT86 CS-R3 NEARS COMPETITIVE DEBUT TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH is pleased to confirm the final details of the rear-wheel-drive GT86 CS-R3 rally car, which will make its competitive debut this year. Cologne, Germany - The CS-R3 prototype was launched last August and since then has completed an extensive test programme to optimise design and define the final specification of the kit which will be delivered to private competitors and teams. Detailed development has generated improved performance on both gravel and tarmac, while reliability and durability have been prioritised in order to deliver a car which allows cost-effective competition throughout the season and beyond. The CS-R3 has already proved immensely popular thanks to its rear-wheel drive powertrain, with 1,998cc, 238hp boxer engine and six-speed sequential transmission which combine to produce a spectacular driving experience. The first cars will be delivered to customers in May, later than originally forecast to allow improvements highlighted during testing to be implemented. As a consequence TMG has extended its introductory discount.