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Toyota bringing sextet of retro-liveried GT86s to Goodwood [w/poll]

Automakers and the teams that race their products switch liveries all the time. From time to time you might see them revive a classic color scheme from their history, like Lotus has with the JPS black and gold, or Nissan did most recently with one of the GT-R LM Nismo prototypes it's bringing to Le Mans this year. But Toyota is going a step further. At the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month, the Japanese automaker isn't just showcasing one new car with a throwback livery – it's bringing six. They're all based on the GT86 (which we know as the Scion FR-S), and each pays tribute to an iconic racing car from Toyota's history. The yellow and green one pays tribute to the Yatabe Speed Trial 2000GT from 1966. There's another decked out in white and blue in tribute to the 2000GT that Carroll Shelby showcased in the US back in '68. The red one with the black hood pays homage to Ove Andersson's rally-spec '72 Celica. Another one in red with yellow stripes harks back to the IMSA-spec Celica from the mid-80s. There's the Castrol livery from the Group A rally-spec Celica GT-Four, and finally a tigerskin-effect livery derived from the Esso Ultron scheme from Japan's own touring car championship. In addition to the special vinyl wraps and decals, each of the sports cars features throwback wheels, a stainless steel exhaust and a lowered suspension. But of course it's the livery that makes them special, and you'll want to check them all out in the extensive high-resolution image gallery above and cast your vote in the poll below. GT86 PAYS TRIBUTE TO ITS HERITAGE WITH CLASSIC TOYOTA LIVERIES Visual celebration of decades of sporting design and engineering excellence at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - Fleet of six GT86 coupes finished in one-off classic liveries celebrating great Toyota race and rally cars of the past - Classic look captured in vinyl wraps and decals plus lowered springs, stainless steel exhaust and retro-styled wheels - Cars available for public drives in the Goodwood Festival of Speed's Moving Motor Show on 25 June, then on static display supporting the GT86 Drift Experience at Goodwood's race circuit Many of the qualities that make the GT86 an exceptional modern sports car are rooted in generations of classic performance Toyotas, from its great handling to its timeless, low-slung styling.

NHTSA investigating 30,000 Toyota Camry Hybrids for brake assist problems

Older model Toyota Camry Hybrids are under investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potential braking problems. Enough complaints have poured into the NHTSA website that the agency is now taking a look at the problem, which could affect around 30,000 vehicles from the 2007 and 2008 model years. According to Reuters, 59 complaints have been submitted revolving around an "intermittent loss of assisted braking" which means the car takes longer to stop. Interestingly, the rate of complaints is increasing. Toyota is reportedly cooperating with NHTSA and there has not yet been an official recall on the Camry Hybrids. In 2006, Toyota said Brake Assist was "an electronic function that senses an emergency stop and applies increased braking power once the driver touches the brake pedal." When Toyota unveiled the 2007 Camry Hybrid, it proudly stated that the new Brake Assist function would be standard. Other Toyota hybrids have had problems with their brakes in the past, including the 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h hybrid. You can read some of the complaints about Brake Assist in the Camry Hybrids to the NHTSA here. People are saying that the "Check VSC" lights can come on before the brakes loose some of their power and a lot of them are being quoted repair costs of over $3,000 by Toyota dealers. Featured Gallery 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid View 38 Photos News Source: Reuters Green Toyota Hybrid brakes

NHTSA may investigate new Toyota unintended acceleration case

After paying a $1.2-billion settlement to the US government last year, Toyota largely put the unintended acceleration recall behind it. Although, there were still some civil lawsuits to handle. A new case where the owner of a 2009 Lexus ES350 is petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open another analysis could draw the issue back to the forefront. Investigators are still deciding whether to research these claims further, though. According to this petition, the owner's wife was driving the ES350 in February 2015. While pulling into a parking space, the sedan allegedly surged forward, and there was a low-speed accident. The claim asserts there are at least two other similar cases in NHTSA's database: one in a 2009 Camry in 2009 and another in a 2010 Corolla in 2014. Specifically, this person wants an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed," according to the agency. NHTSA will do further research into this person's claim and will decide whether to conduct a full investigation into the alleged issue. This won't be the first reappraisal of unintended acceleration in Toyotas by the agency in recent months, though. Between September 2014 and May 2015, NHTSA evaluated a similar petition with allegations covering 2006-2010 Corollas, and the government body decided to deny that one because the problem couldn't be replicated. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Low-speed surging Date Investigation Opened: JUL 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: DP15005 Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) LEXUS ES350 2009 Details Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation SUMMARY: In a letter dated June 19, 2015, a consumer petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed." The petition was prompted by a February 2015 crash involving a model year (MY) 2009 Lexus ES350, which allegedly surged as the petitioner's wife was pulling into a parking spot.