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Toyota will introduce several new battery EVs by 2025

Toyota has been a champion of hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but in the near future it will bet heavily on battery EVs as well. The most recent statement from the Japanese manufacturer details there are several new BEVs in the pipeline. Toyota has stated its intent for half of its global 2025 sales to consist of electrified vehicles. Plans include selling 4.5 million hybrids, which perform well in Toyota sales metrics already ͗ Reuters says 80% of global hybrid vehicle sales are Toyotas. But 1 million vehicles will be EVs with either battery or hydrogen fuel cell power. From 2020 on, the carmaker will introduce at least 10 new BEVs, six of which will be based on the electrified version of its TNGA platform, dubbed e-TNGA, and sold globally. There will be a host of electric SUVs and crossovers in different sizes, along with a sedan and an MPV. Toyota says its EV plans must include a stable supply of batteries, as well as improved battery life and durability and proper reuse. It has found partners in China's CATL and electric carmaker BYD to help with battery availability. Earlier this week, Toyota announced that it is planning a jointly developed, all-wheel-drive battery electric crossover together with Subaru, and the resulting vehicle will probably be one of the six new models mentioned above. Subaru is also likely to benefit from the joint development deal, as it is a bit player in large parts of the world, and a partner like Toyota will come in handy when coming up with completely new vehicles.

Ryan Tuerck's Ferrari-powered Gumout GT4586 debuts at SEMA

Las Vegas is famous for its shotgun marriages, but the only Sin City nuptials we're interested in is the one officiated by Ryan Tuerck between a Toyota GT86 and the V8 engine from a Ferrari 458 Italia. The insane Gumout GT4586, as it's called, is probably one of the most well-known of the 2016 SEMA Show's stars, after video popped up showing the rear-drive Frankenstein firing up and spitting flames through its weird, front-mounted exhausts. The day after we published that video, which showed the GT86 in mostly bare frame, Gumout and Tuerck posted a second clip showing the Japanese-Italian coupe literally running rings around a 458 while wearing its sheetmetal and yellow-tinted headlights. The car's look in that second video carried over to the Las Vegas Convention Center floor, where the GT4586 showed up sans hood, ludicrously wide tires, and a huge wing and rear diffuser. It's clearly a good-looking car. You can check out our full SEMA gallery above, or, click the video below for a second look at Tuerck's Ferra-yota in action below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Incrementally better than ever | 2017 Toyota 86 First Drive

We'd love to tell you that the incremental upgrades bestowed upon Toyota's rear-wheel-drive coupe as it made its transition from Scion FR-S to Toyota 86 have transformed it into a perfect sportscar. If only a few more horsepower, shorter rear-end gearing, and tiny aero updates were enough to quell all the complaints that enthusiasts have leveled at the machine since the platform first hit the road in 2012, this review would have been so much more satisfying to write. Sadly, that's not the case. Don't get us wrong. The 86 is still extremely fun to toss around a twisty road. The chassis is impressively balanced, the steering is direct, and the shifter is sweet. Sorry to impart upon you this well-worn trope, but the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow is, in this case, completely accurate. The 2017 Toyota 86 is nothing if not entertaining. But it's not completely new. It hasn't been transformed. It is, in the end, the same as it ever was. It will take about three minutes of your time to watch the videos below, in which we cover pretty much everything that's new for the 2017 Toyota 86. Toyota 86s equipped with manual transmissions get a five-pony boost to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Automatic models soldier forth with a carryover 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 200 hp and 151 lb-ft. Apparently, more than half of Scion FR-S buyers chose the automatic. That's unfortunate, as it drains a good deal of the fun out of the 86 experience. Choose the manual and you'll be rewarded with an easy clutch and a rewarding short-throw shifter. And, as we said, five more ponies, courtesy of intake and exhaust tweaks and the polishing of some internal engine components. The only upside to the automatic is improved fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. Manual 86s are EPA-rated at 21/28. Along with the small bump in power, the 2017 86 gets a 4.3:1 rear-end gear ratio in lieu of the old 4.1:1 unit. That ought to translate into a small improvement in acceleration that really only matters on paper. In the real world, on actual roads, the difference is negligible. To eke the most out of the 86, you have to constantly work the shifter and keep the engine north of 5,000 rpm. It's still not particularly quick, but it's definitely fun. There's plenty of noise inside the 86, from the wind, the road, and the engine.