TOYOTA WINS 2011 SALES RACE

Toyota has overcome production disruptions caused by a tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand to be the top-selling automotive brand for 2011.
Official figures released today show Toyota's market-leading performance helped lift the automotive industry past one million sales for only the fourth year.
Australians bought 1,008,437 new vehicles in 2011, of which 181,624 carried the Toyota badge - a level never reached by any other car company.
It was the ninth year in a row Toyota has been Australia's most popular automotive brand.
Toyota's total was more than 55,500 ahead of its nearest rival - an additional 1,000 sales every week.
Toyota's executive vice president David Buttner said Toyota's sales result was restricted by lack of supply due to the impact of the natural disasters.
"Those missing Toyota sales are due to vehicles that simply were not built due to the disruptions that occurred to production," Mr Buttner said.
"There is no doubt that, if those vehicles had arrived at Toyota dealerships, our sales in Australia would have topped 200,000."
Toyota's Corolla was Australia's best-selling vehicle for five months of the year - in January and from September through to December. A total of 36,087 Corolla sedans and hatches were sold to local motorists.
Corolla was pipped by HiLux as Toyota's biggest seller for the year with 36,124 deliveries. HiLux was Australia's best-selling ute, best-selling four-wheel drive and best-selling light-commercial vehicle. It was the outright best seller in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Camry was Australia's top-selling mid-size car for the 18th year in a row - an unbroken run that began in 1994. The seventh-generation Camry went on sale in late 2011 and will be followed by the Camry Hybrid in 2012.
Toyota was the only manufacturer with three vehicles among the top 10 sellers - HiLux, Corolla and Camry.
HiLux two-wheel drive, HiLux four-wheel drive, Camry, LandCruiser wagon and HiAce bus were all leaders in their respective market segments in 2011.
Mr Buttner said Toyota was Australia's leading automotive exporter with Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion sedans shipped to the Middle East and other markets.

FJ CRUISER: 4x4 OF THE YEAR

Toyota's FJ Cruiser capped off its first year on sale in Australia by winning 4x4 Australia magazine's 4x4 of the Year title.
FJ Cruiser beat the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, Range Rover Vogue TDV8 and Mercedes-Benz G 350 BlueTEC to take the top prize.
4x4 Australia editor Fraser Stronach said FJ Cruiser had finished the competition strongly, winning favour with the six experienced judges.
"Coming into the week-long 4x4 of the Year test, the FJ Cruiser was very much the outsider and a good deal behind," Mr Stronach said.
"But as the testing unfolded and the kilometres rolled by, the FJ proved itself to be the real deal and not just a ‘look-at-me wannabe'.
"Don't be fooled by the FJ Cruiser's toy-car styling as, underneath, lies the well-proven and robust mechanicals of Toyota's immensely popular Prado."
Toyota Australia executive vice president David Buttner said the award recognised Toyota's concerted effort to bring exciting new products to the market.
"FJ Cruiser underlines Toyota's prowess in four-wheel drive vehicle design backed by popular retro styling," Mr Buttner said.
"It is the latest vehicle in the Toyota range to bring renewed energy to our brand alongside the Rukus and the upcoming 86 sports car."
4x4 Australia magazine will publish the 4x4 of the Year feature in its February 2012 edition.

Sun, Sun, Sun ...

Rugby League legend and host of popular fishing show Escape with ET Andrew Ettingshausen has joined the Melanoma Institute of Australia ahead of the summer months in urging Australians to be sun conscious while driving.
Lisa Sampson, spokesperson for the Institute advises that people can be vulnerable to the harmful effects of the sun while travelling in motor vehicles.
"UV exposure from the sun has been proven to increase the risk of melanoma.
"It is important for drivers and passengers to protect themselves from the sun while travelling in the car by wearing long sleeves, applying sun screen and wearing sunglasses when driving into the sun," said Ms Sampson.
When sunlight penetrates the top layers of the skin, ultraviolet radiation (referred to as UVA or UVB) damages the DNA inside the skin cells.
Tinted window film that blocks UVA and UVB can be an effective part of protecting occupants from sun damage.
Desmond Lew, Divisional Manager National Parts and Accessories Toyota Australia, says that Toyota Genuine Window tint offers drivers and their occupants significant protection from the sun.
"Toyota Genuine Window Tint was awarded the highest rating of UPF 50+ by the Australian Radiation Protection & Nuclear Safety Agency.
"The tests also concluded Toyota Genuine window tint rejects 99 per cent of UVA and UVB rays.
"It is produced in partnership with 3M and pre-cut to fit your Toyota perfectly," said Mr Lew.
Andrew Ettingshausen says he tries to ensure his family practises good sun safety, and recently had his windows tinted with Toyota Genuine Window Tint.
"We lead a very active outdoors lifestyle, so I protect my family from the sun wherever possible," said Ettingshausen.
The Institute has five tips for being sun safe outdoors.
When you are exposed to the sun always wear sun screen, a broad-brimmed hat, wrap-around sunglasses, protective clothing, and seek shade during the hottest part of the day.

New "86" Sports Car

Toyota has taken the wraps off its newest sports car, announcing it will be called Toyota 86 or "hachi roku" in its home market, Japan.
The unveiling occurred when Toyota president Akio Toyoda drove a production prototype down the main straight of the Fuji Speedway, south of Tokyo.
Mr Toyoda said the new rear-wheel-drive sports car was all about "waku doki" - a car that creates excitement and gets your heart racing.
"I am very proud of this car," Mr Toyoda said. "Thank you for the patience of car lovers. They are going to enjoy this car."
The 86 is a rear-wheel-drive car with intuitive handling that embodies the essence of driving enjoyment.
It features the world's first horizontally opposed D-4S engine, combining "boxer" engine technology with Toyota's cutting-edge D-4S direct injection technology.
The engine is installed front mid-ship to create an ultra-low centre of gravity and low inertia. It is the world's only horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel-drive package.
As a result, the 86 offers fun driving at a level unprecedented in earlier sports cars.
It carries on the spirit of the AE86 Corolla in its aim to be a car that evolves with its owner.
The lightweight and compact rear-wheel-drive platform was designed to achieve superior handling and create the world's smallest mass-production four-passenger sports car (by volume).
The vehicle's newly developed engine delivers exceptional output and torque as well as superior response at low and medium speeds.
The D-4S, with separate twin injectors for both direct injection and port injection, boasts a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This provides high output and high torque over a wide range of engine speeds and contributes to improved environmental performance.
The engine's redline is 7500rpm with maximum output of 147kW. Even so, the engine achieves fuel efficiency and environmental performance that rivals that of a standard two-litre sedan.
Customers will have the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a special sports-driving six-speed automatic transmission.

The 86 has the lowest hip-point of any Toyota-brand production vehicle and creates a driving position suited for driving enjoyment.
The rear seatbacks fold down to the front to create a luggage space that can accommodate four sports wheels or two golf bags.
The exterior design features a predatory look at the front; the sides are a modern take on Toyota's sports-car heritage; and the rear view is wide and sturdy despite the compact cabin.
The interior design seeks the essence of sports cars by emphasising the form, placement and materials of each element.
The seatbacks and cushion surfaces are designed to provide support during acceleration g-forces from the front, the back and to the sides. In addition, the shape of the front seats is designed to prevent elbows from interfering with gearshift operation.
The circular steering wheel has a diameter of 365 mm, the smallest in a Toyota-brand vehicle. The wheel's surface was optimised with exhaustive feedback from test drivers to enhance steering performance and grip.
A three-cluster meter built around the tachometer has been designed with particular attention paid to display placement, markings and typeface to enhance visibility and readability during sports driving

Fun, Fun, Fun ...

Toyota has used the unveiling of its new 86 sports coupe to declare its commitment to producing more 'fun-to-drive' cars.
Global president Akio Toyoda said cars must have an emotional presence that inspires drivers.
"Personally, I love the smell of petrol and the sound of an engine, so I hope that this type of vehicle never disappears," Mr Toyoda said.
"I hope that motor vehicles will continue to provide dreams and inspiration to people for all eras.
"I believe that if it is not fun, it is not a car."
Mr Toyoda said that, no matter how advanced cars become, it was important to retain the anticipation of buying a new car and the excitement of gripping the steering wheel and driving.
"Today it is said that young people have little interest in cars as there are much more interesting things.
"As an automobile maker, I find this quite frustrating.
"It is for this reason that we are committed to making cars that will evoke this feeling of 'fun to drive, again' in as many people as possible.
"This is Toyota's declaration."

Toyota Motorsport GmbH to participate in 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours



Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has confirmed that it will take part in several races of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The entry will be based upon an LMP1 prototype chassis from TMG, and a petrol-hybrid powertrain produced by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.
TMG’s high-performance technical centre in Cologne, Germany, where the LMP1 chassis has been designed, developed and produced, will be the base for the team.
The car is planned to take part in a roll-out around the turn of the year prior to an extensive test schedule in early 2012. Further details will be confirmed in due course.
Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Corporation senior managing officer and TMG Chairman, said that while Toyota has entered the race before, using its hybrid technology this time would pose a completely new challenge.

TOYOTA releases an even tougher Landcruiser



Toyota has listened to the demands of miners, farmers and other customers by launching an even tougher LandCruiser 200 Series wagon.
The turbo-diesel GX has the features much-loved by owners who tend to torture, not just drive, their LandCruisers. They include vinyl floors, twin barn doors at the rear (vertically hinged), 17-inch steel wheels, a snorkel, 93-litre main and 45-litre auxiliary fuel tanks, five seats, under-body protection plates and a standard car key.
Based on the GXL variant, the new GX is the spiritual successor to the 100 Series Standard Grade.
New GX is not without creature comforts, but they are designed to complement the tough work life of the vehicle and its owner. They include a single CD player, manual air-conditioning, power windows with driver’s auto up/down and power-operated exterior mirrors.
There is no skimping on protection because the new variant keeps all the GXL safety equipment, which is important for drivers and for the OH&S requirements of companies running fleets. It includes driver and front-passenger airbags, curtain-shield airbags, vehicle stability control, active traction control, hill-start assist, multi-terrain anti-skid brakes and Toyota CRAWL – effectively an off-road cruise-control system.
The GX has a 195kW/650Nm 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel engine, six-speed automatic transmission, full-time 4WD with Torsen limited-slip centre differential and two-speed transfer case. Other features include a 60/40 split-fold rear seat with adjustable seat-back recline and adjustable head restraints and tilt-and-telescopic steering-column adjustment.
Its four-spoke urethane steering wheel has control switches for the four-speaker CD tuner audio unit.
The audio head unit has facia-mounted 3.5mm AUX/USB# input, MP3/WMA compatibility and Bluetooth™*# hands-free/audio streaming capability.

# Not all devices will be compatible and functionality will vary depending on the device.

* The Bluetooth™ word mark is owned by The Bluetooth SIG, Inc