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2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Giving Vanilla A Good Name
"Vanilla." Taken in modern context, that's not a compliment, but it should be. Vanilla actually has exotic origins, and as spices go, only saffron is more costly. Despite the realities, calling something "vanilla" is not whistling in admiration. The Toyota Camry has been called "vanilla" countless times since its debut, but both the car and the bean have something up their sleeves.
Scoff all you want, but vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor, and there is no mainstream sedan that outsells the Camry. Apparently, vanilla has an underlying tinge of filthy lucre. We didn't feel rich, exactly, wheeling around in the Camry Hybrid, but we came away impressed, nonetheless.

Is this the fourth-gen Toyota Prius? [w/video]

A new video has appeared on Prius Chat of a camouflaged hatchback that just might be the next Toyota Prius. There's nothing here that concretely proves what we're looking at is the fourth-generation model of the world's best-selling hybrid, but upon first glace, the Prius guess makes sense. In an ironic twist, the car was caught because it needed gas. Prius Chat user Savior1974 says that the car was spotted on a drive between Las Vegas and California in Baker, CA. Savior1974 wrote, "As we are leaving we see a car dressed as it were being road tested. Upon further inspection it looks like it might be a Prius. I took a quick video as I drove by but it's not the best quality." The launch of the next-gen Prius has been delayed because of more work that was needed to make the car more efficient and to improve the styling. Work on getting the Prius to work well with the new Toyota New Global Architecture platform also needed more time. Last summer, we heard rumors that the Prius' new design would be finalized in November 2014. There are a few points to keep in mind that might point to this being something other than the next Prius. First, the all-black, electrical-tape-style camo is not the normal wrap that the Toyota Technical Center uses for testing (compare with these early shots of the Prius C and these other fourth-gen Prius spy shots). Second, the Baker grade between Las Vegas and California (where the video was shot) is full of vehicles being tested by any number of automakers. Nonetheless, the lines of this car do look like a Prius, so we leave you with a gallery of stills from the video and, of course, the video itself, above.

Why Lexus shies away from plug-in hybrids

Lexus may have softened its stance a bit from the anti plug-in vehicle ads the Toyota luxury badge ran last year, but at least one executive from the company casts a pretty critical eye towards the concept as a way to cut both emissions and refueling costs. In fact, Lexus doesn't really buy the fact that buyers of plug-in hybrids are really looking to save both gas and the environment, Green Car Reports says, citing an interview at the recent New York Auto Show with Lexus executive Mark Templin. Templin also said hydrogen fuel-cell technology may be a better way to edge towards zero emissions. Templin decried plug-in hybrid technology because it adds weight to vehicles, which contributes to poor emissions figures in the process. He added that plug-in vehicle buyers are motivated more by potential tax credits and solo driving rights in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes than cutting back on fuel use. Last summer, Lexus ran an supposedly tongue-in-cheek print ad poking fun at how long it takes to charge a plug-in vehicle and how using air conditioning can shorten a car's charging range. Last spring, Lexus had to backpedal from an anti-electric ad it ran that had serious mistakes about hydrogen infrastructure. News Source: Green Car Reports Green Lexus Toyota Hybrid PHEV