Originally posted by 1SICKLEX
Toyota has stated all their cars/trucks will offer hybrid by 2010. Glad to see we can have better fuel economy in cars that need it.

Toyota's new flagship has been caught on Camry! This is the firm's Mark X, which has been unveiled in its home market of Japan.

Powered by a choice of 2.5 or 3.0-litre V6 engines, both with automatic transmission, the Mark X is rumoured to be the replacement for the recently discontinued Camry. Bosses are said to be currently evaluating the car's suitability for sale in European markets.

The luxury newcomer is the latest to join a long line of Toyota's Japan-only models, which began with the Mark II in 1968.

This time, though, the car maker is hoping for a more global reach, and a version is already being developed for the US market. Whether it comes to Europe will be determined by demand. However, the rear-wheel-drive chassis is entirely new and, even if the Mark X doesn't come to the UK, it's likely that its platform will underpin the next-generation Lexus IS200.

TOYOTA Australia has made clear its intention to build high-performance sports versions of its mainstream Altona-built vehicles with the supercharged Camry TS-01 unveiled this morning at the Melbourne International Motor Show.

With a new-generation Camry due within 12 months, and an all-new, sportier Avalon following late in 2006, this near-production show car is not expected to hit Australian streets in its current form.

However, it does signal that from a technical standpoint Toyota Australia now has the nous and know-how to build such a car as it draws near to establishing a performance division to rival Holden Special Vehicles, Ford Performance Vehicles and Subaru’s STi brand.

"We are clearly moving in a new direction with this product," said Toyota Australia’s chief designer, Paul Beranger. "We’re looking at developing a range of sports models for a number of market segments. And this is, as you say, a step towards that.

"The Japanese are very supportive of what we’re trying to do – they know that we’ve got a pretty unique market here where we’ve got to do a lot of things with a smaller number of products than they have in Japan, so the sports range for Australia is a big growth area for Toyota.

"From a technical point of view, we could build this car tomorrow and be very comfortable that it would work."

Mr Berangar said Toyota was now in a position to exploit the market awareness and interest in performance cars that HSV and FPV have established – but with vehicles which have "the design quality, engineering finesse and sophistication that Holden and Ford don’t offer."

"We feel that we’ve got the combination of ingredients that will attract a new customer to Toyota and certainly draw from the existing customer base that Holden and Ford have," he said.

"There are certain people who will always want to buy Holdens and Fords ... (but) we are looking to broaden our market. We’re certainly looking closely at a lot of the European product that’s coming into Australia and we believe there is potential in Australia for vehicles like this (TS-01).

"We’d also like to look at exporting vehicles like this."

Built over the past nine months with a $600,000 budget, the Camry Sportivo-based TS-01 has a Roots-style supercharger – sourced from Toyota Racing Development in the United States – added to the venerable 3.0-litre V6 engine, which with 0.5bar of boost lifts maximum output to 185kW (up 40kW) at 6000rpm and 320Nm (up 36Nm) at 4000rpm.

More than a parts-sourcing, add-on-bits exercise, the TS-01 also led to collaboration between Japanese and Australian engineers to ensure the supercharger was fully calibrated with the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU).

"This has been the first time we’ve really been able to get into the ECU, with TMC’s (Toyota Motor Corp’s) assistance, and that’s really quite a milestone as far as our engineering here in Australia is concerned," said Toyota Australia new business development manager, Robert Allen. "We’ve taken some big steps."

Mated to the same five-speed manual transmission used in Sportivo – this one using a shorter, notchier throw but the same gear ratios – and using a beefier clutch derived from the Celica GT4 race car, the TS-01 is claimed to reach 100km/h from standstill in 7.2 seconds.

The exhaust is all-new rearwards from the catalytic converter, with a pair of two-inch stainless steel pipes running through custom-built mufflers and tuned to impart a distinctive – though nothing too outrageous – note. Not bad for a platform which was never designed to take a twin exhaust.

Sitting 20mm lower than Sportivo, the front-drive TS-01 received considerable attention to deal with the blown engine and to increase driver involvement – in essence, to get as close as possible to a neutral chassis.

While the front brace bar was removed, and the steering modified with 100 per cent stiffer steering bushes and 14 per cent faster rack ratio, reinforcements were added to the rear suspension mounting points to increase rigidity.

The front spring rate was raised seven per cent, the rear spring rate 3.5 per cent and front and rear shocks retuned in accordance. High-stiffness drop links on the front and rear stabiliser bars were used to reduce roll, and rear toe angles were dropped to almost zero degrees – close to race-car spec – with design parameters all the while ensuring road comfort and compliance.

The latter is still to be verified, of course, however massive wheels and ultra-low profile rubber were eschewed for a more practical combination in 18-inch rims and 225/40 ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sports.

Set in a stunning open-spoke pattern, the wheels give onlookers a good view of the brakes, which at each front corner show a black PBR C5 two-spot calliper. Ferodo performance brake pads were used front and rear, the front disc diameter was increased from 280mm to 325mm (rear discs were not touched) and the brake booster was retuned.

Weight distribution remains around the same at an estimated 65/35 front/rear, and while neither the show car nor the test mule built alongside it has been plonked on a set of scales, kerb weight is believed to be around the current circa-1400kg Sportivo mark.

The question to ask now is: Is it any good? Mr Allen said the development car outperformed several benchmark cars including HSV and FPV cars and Subaru’s Liberty GT.

"In terms of overall refinement, it’s a more refined package and in handling and feel it’s a point-to-point car and probably just as quick," he said of its performance against the local muscle cars.

"It doesn’t have the outright cred in a drag strip sense – (but) we’re only a little bit behind in that regard.

"We took the development car and the Subaru (Liberty GT) and a couple of other vehicles up to Winton, we drove them around and came home and thought the package we’ve got here is a better-handling package … and performance is equal or better as well. Even though that’s an all-wheel drive, performance-oriented car.

"So we felt that that was our target – and we’d over-achieved."

The exterior has received a subtle workout from Toyota Australia’s in-house design team, with carbon fibre skirting around the vehicle and some fine attention to detail with modular front and rear skirts, brake cooling slots, bonnet holes, a deflector on the grille (which sends more air under the bonnet), little air splitters on the wing mirrors and flared wheel arches.

A large rear wing with a Formula One-inspired centre-mounted LED brake light and provision for an adjustable rear flap is also used.

Inside, there’s little write home about save for increased driver’s seat bolstering, tan suede trim, backlit instruments and some more use of carbon fibre trim.

"What we’ve tried to do with this car is take the family Camry and give it some character," Mr Beranger said. "One of the things that we feel is important is to be able to communicate the technology to the customer, because the package the engineering group put together is pretty impressive for a car like this.

"We haven’t rushed out and built a car that is dramatic in terms of design. We feel that we want to maintain the credibility of Camry as the product base for it … (and) it really is an integration of engineering and styling brought together in a sophisticated but very sporty package."

Toyota Will Build Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Version of Camry in Kentucky in Late 2006


GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) -- Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday announced plans to begin producing a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its popular Camry model in late 2006 at its largest North American plant in Georgetown, Ky.

The Japanese automaker said it will have capacity to build about 48,000 of the environmentally friendly vehicles each year. It represents Toyota's first hybrid auto production in North America.

"Once the decision was reached to make a hybrid version of our best-selling vehicle -- the Camry -- the Georgetown plant was the natural choice," said Gary Convis, president of the plant.

Toyota said it plans a $10 million investment in the Georgetown plant, but said it expects capacity and employment to stay the same. The plant 12 miles north of Lexington employs about 7,000 workers and can build up to 500,000 vehicles per year.

Hybrid production will take place on the plant's existing lines, the automaker said. No new construction is planned. The $10 million will go mainly for equipment modifications and employee training.

Toyota said specific details about the Camry hybrid will be released later.

California and Canada also made a push to land Toyota's first North American hybrid production.

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who is on a trade mission to Japan, participated in Toyota's announcement by satellite.

"This is truly a great day for Kentucky," Fletcher said.

Toyota opened the Georgetown plant in 1987 and it sparked a boom in automotive suppliers in the state. Toyota President Fujio Cho ran the Georgetown plant for its first seven years.

The 7.5 million square foot plant produces the Camry, Avalon and Solara models. Toyota's North American headquarters is in Erlanger, which is in the northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati.

Hybrid cars get better mileage than regular gasoline powered cars because the hybrid switches back and forth between an electric motor and a gasoline engine.

Kentucky lawmakers passed tax legislation earlier this year allowing a manufacturer of hybrid vehicles to recover training and some equipment costs.

Besides the planned hybrid Camry, Toyota also produces the hybrid Prius and Lexus RX400h luxury hybrid sport-utility. Next month the Toyota Highlander hybrid midsize SUV goes on sale in the United States.