Five Axis injects 60's racecar cool into.... a Yaris?

Since Troy Sumitomo founded Five Axis Design in 2002, his Toyota-centric carrozzerria has always been known for unconventional designs executed with great skill. Well, this year's SEMA project car was no exception.

Who else but Troy could look at the plain-jane, commuter car lines of a Yaris hatchback and think of building a 60's-inspired roofless racer?

With the idea of paying homage to the Toyota 7 — one of many legendary Japanese race cars — in mind, Sumitomo set out to build a stripped-down, no-nonsense driver's car.

Off came the roof, then most of the windscreen followed by all of the interior. In it's place, a custom hard tonneau cover, turning the Yaris into a single seater with a fairing that frames the drivers headrest. The US-spec bumpers, headlights and taillights were all removed, to be replaced by their JDM counterparts, taken from the Vitz RS.

Under the hood, Sumitomo and his crew knew that the stock 105-hp 1.5-liter four banger wasn't going to do the job if left unmolested. So on went a TRD-designed Roots supercharger and custom cold air intake. Paired with a prototype exhaust header designed by DC Sports and backed up by a GReddy titanium exhaust, the combo added another 60 horsepower and more importantly, about 70 pound-feet of torque.

Countering the added go with whoa is a set of GReddy disc brakes, using 282 mm rotors clamped by six-piston calipers up front and two-piston calipers out back. The custom built brakes are framed by a set of Sumitomo's own rims. 17-inch diameter and 7.5 inches wide, the FIVE: AD S6 rims are powder-coated in a satin gunmetal color and wrapped in 225/45 R17 Yokohama tires sporting a custom tread carved by the designers at Five Axis.

Ensuring the Yaris Club lives up to its racing credo is a set of Tein Super Street coil-over dampers, with a TRD Yaris strut brace up front. To stiffen the Yaris' chassis and retain the structural strength lost by removing the roof, the interior is framed by a very stout perimeter cage, with a roll hoop integrated into the fairing behind the driver's seat.

As for the interior, there's not much left. A Sparco steering wheel, racing seat, shift knob and pedals replace the stock Yaris equipment. A TRD Vitz RS gauge cluster sits in a custom housing braced by a brushed aluminum frame. And smack dab in the middle of the dashboard is custom designed rear-view mirror that looks like it was plucked off the 7 itself.

The only bit of un-futzed-with Yaris interior I could find was the interior door lever on the driver's side. It's buried under the mass of the car's bright red roll cage; you really have to hunt for it.

Which brings us to the paint.

Some of you won't recognize the Toyota 7 in any context outside of Gran Turismo 4. But despite that, the 7 was a remarkable machine in its day. At a time when big block V-8s ran the table, the 7 took the opposite path, introducing the era of turbocharging, overhead cams and small-displacement, high-output motors that we all take for granted today.

So to see a Yaris wear the 7's searing crimson and white so perfectly is a little confusing, very satisfying and more than a bit frustrating.

Confusing, because a Yaris is best known as a commuter car.

Satisfying for memories it evokes -- a time when Toyota built sports cars for the common man.

Frustrating, because it takes a visionary like Troy Sumitomo to create a new one.

Toyota, are you listening? [Five Axis]

Does Scion's future lie in Toyota's new iQ?

In the years since Scion introduced the second generation xB, the once-booming Toyota division has watched sales go stagnant. While rising gas prices have helped sales of the xB and xD hatch, both models are less fuel-efficient than their predecessors. Consumers and reviewers alike have lamented the loss of the lighter and more nimble Scions of years past.

Late last week, MotorTrend reported that Toyota is considering sending their IQ subcompact to US shores as a new Scion model. According to sources inside the Japanese automaker, the rebadged iQ will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Toyota iQ was developed for the Japanese and European markets as a 2+2 competitor to the two-seater Smart for Two. At nine-feet, nine-inches long, five feet high and five-feet, five-inches wide, the front-wheel-drive IQ manages to squeeze in a diminutive rear seat that unfolds from the flat load floor.

While the rear seats aren't particularly spacious, the additional capacity make the iQ a more palatable prospect as an urban runabout for a single-car household.

The city car meme is reinforced by the iQ's exceptional fuel economy. When equipped with the 1.0-liter VVT-i SOHC inline-three and a five-speed manual, the iQ delivers a combined fuel economy of 65.7 mpg in the EU test cycle.

The iQ is also stuffed to the gills with safety features. In addition to usual alphabet soup of antilock brakes, side and front airbags and electronic traction control systems, the iQ offers the world's first rear passenger airbag. Since the rear seats occupy most of what would otherwise be the trunk, Toyota equipped the iQ with a rear curtain airbag which deploys in a rear-end collision if the rear seat is in use.

If the rumors are indeed true, the Scion-branded iQ would likely be offered with the 1.5-liter four offered in the Toyota Yaris, backed by either a five-speed manual or a version of the European market MultiDrive CVT automatic.

Ideally, the Scion iQ would be priced at about $16,000, putting it in direct competition with the Smart ForTwo passion coupe.

The logic behind selling the iQ stateside is that the city-friendly runabout would lend credibility to the brand's targeted urban demographic -- a concept that seems lost considering that the xB and xD are larger and heavier than their predecessors.

A 65 mpg commuter car with such quirky styling would go a long way toward granting the Scion brand a new, buzz-worthy model.

On a personal note, while I'm hesitant to give voice to the rumor mill, I would be pleasantly surprised if this one comes true. Speculation is inevitable in an industry where automakers rely on secrecy, but the rumor mill has also been used as a tool to lead competitors astray. Even though all the marketing logic adds up, take all of today's news with a grain of salt.

Naturally, as the Los Angeles Auto Show draws near, we'll be watching this one closely. Stay tuned.



[MotorTrend]

Auto News Wrapup: F-bombs, tax bills and buyouts

Cerberus in talks to buy out Daimler AG stake in Chrysler

A day after the company's bold assertion to enter the EV market in less than three years, Chrysler may soon be owned wholly by current majority shareholder Cerberus Capital Management.

This afternoon, officials from both companies confirmed the talks regarding the sale of the 19.9 percent stake Daimler currently holds in Chrysler LLC. A spokesman for Cerberus Capital Management also said that the current supplier agreements between Daimler and Chrysler would continue after a potential sale.

The private-equity firm Cerberus bought 80.1 percent of Chrysler from Daimler AG in August 2007 for $7.4 billion. Chrysler Holding encompasses Chrysler LLC, the automaker, and DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC, known to the market as Chrysler Financial.

"It's still very early to tell why this is happening," Aaron Bragman, auto analyst at Global Insight, told Reuters. Bragman posited that the full purchase of Chrysler may be a prelude to selling the automaker whole to a third party.

House approves $25 billion in auto industry loans; Senate passes $7,500 tax credit for plug-in hybrids

As the mortgage bailout dog and pony show continues on Capitol Hill today, the House of Representatives voted 370 to 58 in favor of a $25 billion aid package for American automakers and suppliers. The bill sponsors the issuance of low-interest government-backed mortgages that would allow automakers to retool factories and expedite the production of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The Senate is expected to vote on the budget bill by week's end; President Bush is likely to sign it. When signed, the new loan program will set a new precedent in government involvement within the auto industry, far exceeding the 1979 bill which provided loan guarantees to Chrysler Corporation.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement:

"Some critics will call this loan package a bailout. It is not. These loans amount to a little more than 1 percent of the real bailout -- the one that the Bush administration wants for Wall Street at a cost of $700 billion to taxpayers.

"The loans to the automakers will cost about $7 billion and will be repaid to the taxpayer at a profit," Dingell said. "The auto direct-loan package is a good deal for auto workers and a good deal for taxpayers."

Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, complained that the bill was put together by a handful of Democratic leaders and the vote was taken before it was properly reviewed in session.

Chevy Volt to qualify for maximum plug-in hybrid tax credit

Meanwhile in the Senate, General Motors is one step closer to their wish of a $7500 tax credit to help jump-start sales of the Chevrolet Volt. In a wide-ranging and intricate tax bill, a small provision creating a new tax credit for buyers of plug-in electric vehicles was passed today.

The credit would start at $2,500 and rise to as much as $7,500 for a light-duty vehicle, depending on battery capacity. As currently written, the Chevrolet Volt qualifies for the maximum tax credit. The measure would begin to phase out tax credits for plug-in electrics after 250,000 units have sold — a marked contrast to the 2005 tax bill that began to phase out after only 60,000 units.

The complex tax bill ricocheted through the various subcommittees for months, but when the votes was taken, the bill passed by 93-to-2. The House must still act on the bill, but with the upcoming recess for the election, a vote is expected by week's end. The White House dropped objections to some provisions unrelated to the plug-in hybrid tax credit.

As of a few days ago, Toyota officials complained that the 2011 plug-in hybrid Prius would be excluded from the tax credit. It's unclear how far the Senate moved to meet Toyota's objections, but it appears the issue has been resolved.

Dropping "F" Bombs: Ford family heir sells 1M shares of company stock

And in our last news item of the night: Bill Ford, chairman of Ford Motor Company and grandson of founder Henry Ford, dumped one million shares of common stock on Sept. 19 — in part to pay off debt incurred by exercising stock options in 2004 and 2005.

Ford sold the shares at an average weighted sale price of $5.05 on Thursday and continues to hold more than 5.3 million shares of common stock in the automaker, according to a filing on Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ford bought over 1.4 million common shares in the company since March 2004 and another 1.5 million in March 2005 after exercising options granted over the years, according to SEC filings. Share prices fell in the immediate aftermath of Friday's sale before rebounding to close at $5.03 tonight.

[AN, Reuters]

Confirmed: Lexus IS convertible will debut at Paris Motor Show

After nearly two years of speculation over a rumored IS convertible, Lexus confirmed today that the production version will make its press debut at the Paris Motor Show on October 2nd.

The 204-horsepower IS250 convertible will be the first model to hit US dealer showrooms, to be followed closely by the more fleet-footed, 306-horsepower IS350 convertible.

The engines and drivetrains carry over unchanged from their sedan counterparts with one notable exception — the IS250 convertible will not be offered with the IS250 sedan's optional all-wheel-drive system.

Lexus has yet to say whether the fire-breathing, 400-horsepower V-8- powered IS-F sedan will sire a convertible version.

Early predictions suggested that a cloth top would be used partly in an effort to keep costs down. Yet as the latest spy shots from AutoTelegraaf show, the new IS convertible will feature a retracting hardtop similar to the current BMW 3-series convertibles.

Stay tuned; as the reveal date draws near, official pictures will be forthcoming.

[Photo Credit: AutoTelegraaf via TPP]

Lexus LS460 AWD debuts this week at Moscow Motor Show

For the snow-bound plutocrat seeking all-wheel-drive in a full-size sedan, the Audi A8 has long owned the market.

Acura has mounted their own challenge with the RL sedan, but the lack of a V-8 engine has seemed to continually blunt sales, even as gas prices continue to climb.

Lexus has also chipped away at Audi's sales with the LS 600hL hybrid sedan, but the six-figure price tag and limited production has kept the car out of mainstream competition.

It makes sense, then, that Lexus has chosen the motor show in the snowiest of climes to come out swinging with a viable competitor.

The Lexus LS460 AWD - which will debut at the Moscow Motor Show this week - will be the first all-wheel-drive Lexus sedan to be sold in quantities sufficient to challenge Audi's dominance.

The new model's all-wheel-drive system uses the same compact Torsen limited-slip center differential used on the LS600hL, but retains the 381-horsepower 4.6 liter V-8 and silken eight-speed automatic transmission used on its rear-wheel-drive sibling.

Under normal conditions, the center differential distributes 60 percent of the engine's torque to the rear
wheels. Yet the system can can react in mere hundredths of a second, redirecting as much as 70 percent of engine torque to either the front or rear wheels.

European sales of the LS460 AWD will begin in December, with the new model coming to US shores next year as a 2010 model.

[Source: Toyota]

Indolent pedestrians rejoice! Toyota Winglet scooter to rival Segway

Toyota has moved society one step closer to complete indolence with the introduction of the Winglet electric scooter concept.

Smaller, lighter and (likely) much cheaper than the Segway, the 22 pound two-wheeler promises to whisk us about in footstep-free nirvana. It won't be long till our shoes — if not our legs — become redundant.
Or atrophied.

(Source: Reuters)

Kia has got Soul... and it's headed our way

Since their arrival in the US 14 years ago, Korean automaker KIA Motors has been been playing it safe. But building cars for niches where they can compete on price leads to bland, mediocre cars... ones that work best when thought of only as an appliance. Like a toaster or a dishwasher.

To break out of the ranks of toaster-car makers, KIA needed to find some soul. Starting next spring, they'll have it in spades.

Aimed straight at the early 20-somethings not yet won over Scion brand, the Soul is a four door hatchback with coke-bottle flares and a wraparound windscreen.

At first glance, the Soul bears more than a passing resemblance to the current Scion xB. Arguably, it was KIA who first set the mold for a butch looking, car-based trucklet. At the Detroit Motor Show in 2006, design chief Peter Schreyer unveiled the Soul in prototype form. Two years later, a trio of fully operational concepts came to the Geneva Motor Show. (See below for a full gallery).

In addition to adding some visual flair to the brand, the Soul will also compete on price and fuel economy. While the xB is powered by a 158 horsepower 2.4 liter inline-four, the smaller, lighter Soul will be powered by the company's 1.6 and 2.0 liter inline fours, rated at 110 and 138 horsepower, respectively.

In an era of heavy traffic and high gas prices, KIA is banking that gas mileage will appeal more than raw horsepower to the Soul's frugal yet style-conscious buyers.

Pricing has not been finalized, but given the xB's MSRP of $16,420, expect the Soul to be priced near $14,000.

[Link]

Gallery:

Toyota to idle truck, SUV plants, begin US assembly of Prius

Responding to the decline in sales that prompted GM's shift from light trucks, Toyota will idle its Tundra and Sequoia production line in San Antonio, Texas for three months starting August 8.

While sales of the Sequoia SUV rose marginally, sales of the recently redesigned Tundra fell by 54 percent last month, signalling a reaction by consumer to sustained high oil prices and dragging Toyota's overall monthly sales down by 21 percent for the month.

Production of the Sequoia full-size SUV will also be idled at Toyota's plant in Princeton, Indiana. Production of the Sienna minivan will continue at Princeton during the transition, spokesman Mike Goss said.

During the shutdown, the Princeton plant will switch to the smaller and more fuel efficient Highlander SUV, which originally slated to be built at the Blue Springs, Mississipppi plant currently under construction.

Instead, the Mississipppi plant will begin production of the Prius hybrid in late 2010. This will be the first factory outside of Japan to produce the iconic hybrid.

The increase in production comes in response to a sustained increase in demand brought about by $4-per-gallon gasoline in the United States.

As reported by the Associated Press, sales of the Prius fell 34 percent last month as Toyota failed to meet demand for the 46 miles per gallon car. Priuses are sitting on the lot for just four or five days before they're sold, according to Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis for the Power Information Network, a branch of J.D. Power and Associates.

By contrast, the Toyota Tundra pickup is on the lot for an average 64 days before it is sold.

Toyota has 13 North American plants and two under construction in Mississippi and Ontario. The automaker has more than 43,000 workers in North America.

Toyota's U.S. shares rose $1.12, or 1.2 percent, to $92.60 in New York trading today, following the announcement.

[Link]