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Toyota pays tribute to Clarkson as he asks press, fans to leave producer alone

Say what you will about Toyota, but the Japanese brand was generally treated pretty well by former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, despite the fact that the show routinely destroyed the brand's vehicles in each encounter. Whether it was a Hilux of some vintage, his attempts at annihilating a Kiwi Corolla (technically an Auris) or his honest attempts at reviews, the now-unemployed host has enjoyed quite a history with Toyota. It's hardly surprising, then, that the behemoth automaker's UK arm has put together a Clarkson montage, following the host's firing. There are some classic clips, featuring the vehicles mentioned above, as well as some amusing moments featuring the host himself. While the motoring world is still reacting to Clarkson's firing yesterday, the host has already broken his silence on the matter after getting intercepted by the media while cycling through London. "All I would like to say is, I wish people would leave Ois alone, because none of this is his fault," Clarkson told the media while deflecting questions about his potential arrest, the BBC reports. "Ois," of course, refers to Oisin Tymon, the Top Gear producer Clarkson physically and verbally assaulted following a full day of filming. Clarkson is a polarizing character, to be sure, but it takes a big person to make that kind of statement following his firing from a show he was so integral to. Check out Toyota's video up top, and then click over to the BBC to see Clarkson's comments to the media.

Couple survives 50-foot fall from overpass in Toyota

It doesn't matter the make or model - modern vehicles are technological miracles when it comes to occupant protection. Take this story out of New York City, which involved two people going for a very wild ride in a Toyota Matrix.
Carlos and Raquel Broadbelt were on the Cross Bronx Expressway overpass when they hit a patch of ice while dodging a pothole, sending them hurtling into a guardrail and over the side of the overpass. They fell 50 feet onto the road below. Despite the catastrophic accident - and the mangled Toyota - both driver and passenger walked away. The couple spent a night in the hospital just for observation.
The Broadbelts' miraculous survival has even surprised doctors, who told Dave Carlin from CBS New York they'd never seen an accident like it. Take a look below for the full news report from CBS New York.

Japanese earthquakes send ripples through auto industry

The earthquakes since April 14 in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are having aftershocks on the US auto industry, particularly for Toyota. The company shut down most of its factories in the country due to parts shortages, and the plants will be closed at least through April 23. "Decisions regarding recommencement of operation at plants in Japan will be made on the basis of availability of parts," the company said in a statement. According to Automotive News, Toyota's closed factories include a vast range of popular models in the US, including the Toyota Prius, Mirai, RAV4, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus ES, LS, IS, GS, RC, NX, RX, GX, and LX. The company's only sites in Japan that are still open build Hino trucks, Daihatsu models, and the Toyota Century limo. Toyota isn't yet sure whether these shutdowns could lead to vehicle shortages in the US. "As you can imagine, we are still reviewing the situation and working to learn more," company spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. "While we know that production will be suspended in stages at most of our vehicle assembly facilities in Japan between April 18th and the 23rd, we do not know if they will continue production suspensions. Also, any effects to our inventory and/or sales have yet to be determined." He expects the automaker to know more in the coming days. Many of the affected Toyota plants aren't even in Kumamoto Prefecture, but major suppliers have factories in the region. For example, Aisin Seiki and Renesas Electronics both had to shutdown operations at plants in the area, according to Automotive News. Toyota isn't the only automaker affected. Nissan experienced a brief slowdown but was back to work on Monday, and Honda has suspended a motorcycle plant in the region until Friday. Mitsubishi had to close a production line due to the parts shortage, according to The Japan Times, but it didn't affect US models. "A supplier to our Mizushima plant has been impacted but they only supply an engine part for our mini car line. That line has been temporarily shut down due to that situation," spokesperson Alex Fedorak told Autoblog. "That same plant builds the Lancer and i-MiEv and there has been no impact to that line and production continues uninterrupted." Two major quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture around Kumamoto city in the past week. The first on April 14 measured 6.4 magnitude, and a second on April 16 measured 7.3.