2014 Toyota Prius V Five on 2040-cars

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2016 Toyota Tacoma fears no canyon in Detroit

It took a lot for it to finally happen, but with the 2015 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado posing a clear and present danger to its near monopoly in the mid-size pickup market, Toyota finally introduced a new version of its Tacoma. Introduced at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the long-serving Taco has been refit, ditching its old, thirsty and uncouth 4.0-liter V6 with a Toyota's smooth-revving and powerful 3.5-liter, naturally aspirated six pot. Output figures haven't been published, but considering the V6 churns out around 270 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque in vehicles like the Toyota Camry and Highlander, we should expect similar numbers in the 3.5's first truck application. Joining the six-pot will be the previous truck's 2.7-liter four-cylinder. Beyond the powertrain tweaks, Toyota has delivered a significantly updated aesthetic that borrows elements of the 4Runner with newer design touches. A strong, prominent grille and muscular fender arches are fitting touches, while the new wheel design, one of our, featured on the show Tacoma deliver some added visual impact. The cabin, meanwhile, could best be thought of as that of a baby Tundra, sporting a similar layout and, when properly equipped, materials and touches that wouldn't look out of place on its big brother, the Tundra. Take a look at our full crop of live shots, available up top.

Toyota breaks ground on new Texas HQ

Automakers are on the move in America: Cadillac is shifting from Detroit to New York, Mercedes is moving its US headquarters from New Jersey to Atlanta, and Toyota is relocating its North American operations from locations around the country to a new facility outside of Dallas in northern Texas. That process started yesterday when the Japanese automaker broke ground at the new facility. Toyota used a 2015 Tundra TRD Pro Series pickup to officially break ground at the intersection of Headquarters Drive and Palomino Crossing in Plano, TX, with the city's mayor joining Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz and a crowd of 100 dignitaries. Toyota announced the relocation back in April, and in the months since has purchased the property, hired a developer, architect and project manager, and filed preliminary plans with city hall. The site is set to be ready late in 2016 or early 2017, moving operations from California, Kentucky and New York. Other facilities like the one in Ann Arbor, MI, will not be affected by the relocation. Related Video: TOYOTA PLOWS FORWARD IN PLANO, BREAKS GROUND ON NEW HEADQUARTERS PLANO, TEXAS, JAN. 20, 2015 – A V-8 engine growls, and the earth moves. With the roar of a 2015 TRD Pro Series Tundra, Toyota today formally broke ground on its new North American headquarters at the intersection of Headquarters Drive and Palomino Crossing in Plano, Texas. The Tundra took center stage, bulldozing the first soil on the site of Toyota's new campus in a manner that can only be described as not your traditional groundbreaking ceremony. "The support and encouragement we've received from the community, civic leaders, business partners and nearby corporations has been nothing short of tremendous," said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor North America chief executive officer. "Our goal is to build an environmentally-sustainable campus that our new neighbors will welcome and our team members and associates will be proud to call home." Toyota also unveiled an installation during the ceremony: the word "TOYOTA" in large letters, standing 10 feet tall and 64 feet wide. Inside each letter are native Texan Yaupon Holly trees, which represent "wish" trees, a Japanese cultural tradition. Students from the Plano ISD Academy High School and community participants contributed to the event by adding handwritten notes to the trees representing their wishes, dreams, hopes and inspirations.

Supra successor may be all-electric sourced from Tesla; MR2 returning too?

Rumors of a revival of the Toyota Supra and MR2 have been swirling for years right up until just this week when high-level Toyota employees all but confirmed their return.
But now The Detroit Bureau has put together news from different sources suggesting that the next Supra might be all electric. The report cites recent comments from Toyota senior executives hinting at plans to work with Tesla on a new joint project. The FT-HS Concept (shown above) seems a logical inspiration for a new Supra.
And on the other side of the equation is Tesla's design chief Franz von Holzhausen who was quoted last year saying his company was looking at its next project, probably a sports car, that would follow next year's intro of the Model X. He went on to suggest the car would compete directly with BMW's 3 Series, which, in coupe form, could be a worthy competitor to a Supra as well.