The Toyota 86 / Scion FRS is a sporty car that holds its own both on the street and track, but what if you were to replace its D-4S boxer engine with an electric powerplant? Meet this electrified Toyota 86 by auto enthusiast Philip Schuster, which is now powered by a first-generation 2014 Nissan Leaf powertrain generating 200 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Read more for two videos and additional information.
The Performance Truck by Brad Deberti just might be the craziest Toyota Tacoma you’ll ever see, and not just for its looks. Speaking of aesthetics, this vehicle starts as an extended/access cab Tacoma body, but has been dropped ultra low, complete with a wide stance. The low front splitter goes all the way up to the iconic Toyota grille and headlights, while flared fenders, air intakes, rear wing as well as a diffuser were added to finish off the aggressive look. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Japanese startup SkyDrive Inc., led by former Toyota engineers, have begun test flights of their prototype flying car with a human pilot. They are planning a public demonstration with a human pilot this summer. It’s touted as the world’s smallest flying car and features a slim cabin with four horizontal drone-style propellers at each corner. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Top Speed Motors
Top Speed Motors in Brooklyn, New York is offering a 2015 Toyota Sienna for $19,495, but it’s unlike any that you’ve probably seen in the past. With 42,625 miles on the odometer, this vehicle looks like a typical minivan from the outside, but slide open the rear passenger doors, and you’re greeted with a mobile office for one. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Lexus and Toyota’s European Advanced Design Studio has unveiled several futuristic lunar vehicle concepts for the Document Journal magazine. They’re all based on the Lexus LF-30 Electric Concept, starting with the Lexus Lunar Cosmos (above) by designer Jean-Baptiste Henry, which supposedly hovers over the moon’s surface. In the back, there’s a glass observatory that allows for a group experience contemplation of Zero G. Read more for additional pictures and information.
The Hennessey Velociraptor V8 isn’t a vehicle you’d normally associate with street racing, or just racing in general, but that’s exactly what the Texas-based tuner did when it pit the truck against a 2020 Toyota GR Supra. Just to recap the latter is powered by a turbocharged BMW-sourced 3.0L inline-six engine generating 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, while the truck sports a supercharged 5.0L V8 producing 758 hp at the crank. Read more for the video and additional information.
Toyota Motor Co. announced today that it’s investing $394 million in Joby Aviation, a company that is currently developing electric air taxis that will eventually transport people over gridlocked highways and city streets. This makes the California-based Joby the best-funded “eVTOL” (electric vertical take-off and landing) startup to date, with a total of $720 million raised thus far. Read more for a video and additional information.
Weighing just 2,822-pounds, the 2020 Toyota GR Yaris is a street-legal hot hatch built for rallying, born from the automaker’s title-winning experience in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine producing 257 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, transferred to all wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. This means it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in under 5.5 seconds and tops out at an electronically limited 143 mph. Read more for the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon reveal and additional information.
What if there was a prototype city where one could test out the latest technologies, such as AI, robots, sustainable energy, cars, etc.? Introducing Toyota’s prototype “Woven City,” which is a 175-acre plot of land that will be turned into a futuristic theme park of sorts, with construction set to begin in 2021 with Danish architect Bjarke Ingels’ Big designing the entire thing. Read more for a video and additional information.
This may look like a Hummer H1, but it’s actually the ultra rare Toyota Mega Cruiser. This large, heavy-duty four wheel drive vehicle made its debut in 1995 and is currently the largest 4WD vehicle ever built by the automaker, designed primarily for military use as an infantry transport, a light prime mover for heavy mortars, and mobile surface-to-air missiles in the Japan Self Defense Forces. Read more for a video tour, additional pictures and information.