I don't know that I want to read any more of the article.

Evan, I've e-mailed the article to efusco@priuschat.com. will that find you?

never mind...

hmmm. slowing change is a major major mistake and how can ANYONE say that Toyota has made any real mis-steps here??

if the world economy had not tanked then would the leadership had been considered a genius?

Hi All,

Toyota made a mistep with the Tundra. They started up US manufacture before all their vendors parts were carfully qualified. The big oops that made the news was the hollow camshaft vendor. That resulted in basically remanufacturing the engine compartments of those trucks in the dealer mechanic bays - a space not inteneded to be efficient, but versatile. That has got to be big bucs right there.

Does anyone believe that a Toyoda was the world's most qualified candidate to lead one of the largest companies in the world? Remember 30 years ago the US was going to break up GM, not loan them money.

I was able to go to this SITE first, and then link to the entire article. It is pretty sobering. Specifically talks about how they are rethinking the higher prices they've been putting on their cars (i.e., they realize they need to make them more affordable). Also specifically mentions the new Prius sunroof in the context of avoiding adding unnecessary tech research and gadgets for their cars that just drive up the cost and price.

Thanks for the link. As a "cheapie" I'm disappointed that the Prius became Americanized--more gadgets & glitz instead of more functionality & economy. The changes promised in the article will be welcome. Toyota got seduced by the Dark Side and the quick buck. At least it didn't take them long to realize their mistake and to make corrections. For the $10,000-$12,000 in fancy options they could have offered a 100mpg PHEV.

Well, for the most part it seemed to work out not too badly for them

Just as busting up the monopolistic AT&T was the right thing to do (Their management became so senile and slobbering that they thought Packet Switching would never work, and would never be needed anyway), it was also the right idea to bust up a company like GM

If lines like Buick, Pontiac, Chevy, etc would have had to prove their worth, they would be far different, healthier companies now

Hi All,

Very good article. Maybe there is hope for a 1.5 liter 2015 Prius after all ? And without all those buttons, and center console!

I think the Prius sun roof is total glitz. It weakens the chasis, and reduces the space available for the solar cells. Let the aftermarket do it for those who gotta have it. As to a solar power parking cooler - good functionality, keeps the electronics from heat soaking and opening up a via prematurly or frying a chip on a hot start, see it as a option people in Az, Ca, Tx and Fl will pay money for - so why not? A secondary rear vent (other than through the batteries) would be good for both summer (gets the heat out of the car fast - study the Opel Manta!) and winter (get the humidity out of the car) driving.

As a shareholder, I'm interested to see the new direction Toyoda takes MY firm.
I will say that Watanabisan.... will be missed. I think he was an honorable man and president.

The sunroof is possibly an easily understandable example of a gizmo, but surely it couldn't have cost that much to develop? A little panel running existing fans in the car? Btw, if you've ever had shabu shabu, its pretty funny to describe cars being painted that way.

Toyota may be known for affordable and dependable cars in the USA or Europe, but in general, I don't think they're as cheap as other manufacturers in Japan itself. If anything, their reputation is for carrying a Toyota premium. As for their current situation, all they've done is overexpanded in the face of a rapidly collapsing credit bubble. The loss they are projected to make is still far less than the profits in the previous year?!

Personally, I think the whole car sector is riddled with wants triumphing over needs. Obviously this pushes up prices, but I think satisfying wants is how you sell new cars in the first place. Everyone knows they are a depreciating asset. If folk don't want to spend money on getting from A to B, they'll buy a second-hand car like all those financial advice books say. Maybe there is a sweet spot for how much tech a new car needs, but I still think the new Prius looks like a brilliant car. Its more powerful AND gets better fuel economy. That is some achievement. If they are discounting and continuing the present model, that's a great one-two punch.

In a race to the bottom, Chinese and Indian manufacturers will win hands down. Toyota doesn't stand a chance.

In better news for Japan, capital flight to the yen as a safe haven looks like its over. Its back to 97 to the USD now.

I could not agree more. I too think the G3 Prius will capture an increasing share of the market, especially as the American and global economy turns and the price of oil starts to re-boot in reaction to higher demand.
The new Prius appears to display an improved transition of gasoline/electric propulsion to a higher level of energy efficiency. Since it also appears to incorporate the ability to install a re-chargeable Lithium-Ion battery within the same form factor as the Ni-MH traction unit, Toyota appears spring-loaded to continue its dominance as battery technology improves.

Regarding the race to the bottom, China and India both will eventually have to contend with rising expectations from their educated populace, who will demand an increasing share of the generated wealth; just as the Japanese did as they recovered from the devastation of WW2.

Confusion of left and right, it's not a "radical" rethink. Term you're looking for with respect to philosophy of change, would be, "reactionary" (e.g., a kneejerk). A reactionary rethink, at the helm of Toyota (e.g., "go back to the good 'ol days; regain lost virtues; too much change has occurred").

Got a sneaky feeling Toyota will not be much longer, wallowing in its Formula 1 folly. That, and NASCAR -- egregious fundamental mistakes.

Three cars that killed Detroit:

1). Retrograde Ford GT-Fordie
2). Retrograde Dodge Viper
3). The ZR1 Corvette

Like GM, Ford and Chrysler, morale of the story, "...ya dance with the one who brung ya," Toyota forgot who it was -- and what it was -- which made them great.

Quarter million dollar car for drug czars, crony capitalists, and movie stars, I sincerely hope Toyota reconsiders their anticipated LF-A, a vehicle almost certain to burden the high-end of their dealership chain, with yet another slow mover.

Opportunity cost of the pimp 'n hoe car mentality, building cars for greedy CEOs, drug-dealers and movie stars, took its toll on the big three. They took their eyes off the ball. They forgot who -- and what -- is truly important. They've forgotten who it was who made them great. As clueless as they can be, the Big-3 have long since forgotten how to build high performance vehicles.

Toyota never has. They never will.

Devoid the vaguest sense of reality (e.g., aspiration of a 7' 24" at the Nurburgring playpin takes the cake), the LF-A is the antithesis of how a designer would pen, clean sheet of paper, a purposeful performance vehicle.

Sadly, as Toyota's Prius inches ever closer toward its 2010 synthesis, it slowly loses its romance.

Auto oligopolies no longer answer, to us. They haven't, for a long-long time. They answer to Ivy League Wall Street analysts, partial to Rolex watches, call-girls, strange carnivorous fish aquariums in their dining rooms, and cumbersome luxury 4WD SUVs they're averse to driving, off-road. Auto makers no longer aspire to build automobiles, for us; they aspire to subsidize conspicuous consumption, for lazy politicians, crony capitalists, drug Czars, Hollywood movie stars...

Pasty CNBC apologists, laughing all the way to the bank, with your money.

Shades of the ZR1 Corvette, active reading (e.g., "... Touchdown! Toyota, the number one automakers! And, the crowd goes wild!"), the LF-A boils down to sophomoric end-zone theatrics, indicative of the NFL... Just another one of those didactic examples in life that lets us know exactly how they really feel, about us.

Any idiot can build a 600 horsepower racing mail; stuff it in a hopelessly overweight chassis, limit supply to one/hundredth minimum efficient scale, pin a quarter million dollar price point bubble over the marginal price, marginal revenue donkey...

Accomplishes nothing. I don't know why they think that works, for them.

Marginalizes everything else on its new car lots; saddles their networks with an overpriced, overweight, high maintenance slow-mover. Jilts everyone who can't afford a quarter million dollar mid-life crisis car, to up their liability limits to account (e.g., pardon my French, if you please; just no other way to say this...) for the one ass#### who can...

Anything on the market worth getting excited about, lately? Anything under the 50 thousand dollar price-point worth driving, these "dayz?" Not a darned thing in sight, been searching high and low, trying to remember back to when the last time I said to myself, "WOW...MAN-O-MAN, I HAVE GOTTA HAVE THAT CAR!"

Exception, my 2004 Prius, it's been just over twenty years (e.g., 1988) since last I said that.


Regards,
~ S a m u e l


| '88 MR2 Supercharged |
| '07 Outback | '04 Prius |


////////////////////////////////////////

My only concern with Mr. Toyoda's decision is that of perception by the general public. Often, if a company revamps its product line and goes 'downward' or implements 'revolutionary change' in its technology and ideas, the public percieves this as a downward move in the company overall and they'll shy away from product purchases. Mr. Todyoda needs to be very careful or Toyota may loose their market edge.

Jayman, I don't think Mr Toyoda has officially taken over yet.

The big mistake with GM was in the mid 80's when the divisions were disassembled and Saturn was added. Until then, each division of GM operated as a sepaarate entity and had to prove its worth. Once GMNAO was created the whole thing became a muddled mess, and the competitiveness within GM ceased. Saturn drained off way too much product and money.

I think Scion is an example of Toyota doing much the same thing and if they develop a "prius" brand they will be traveleing down the road GM has been on.

they take few roumours and anecdotes and create full article around it...

Back to basics means that they are focusing on quality. It has nothing to do with equipment. Thats why they have different grades of equipment you can purchase.

Toyota has not been raising prices of their cars with their models, in fact thats what allowed them to raise their marketshare around the world. Check new Rav4, check latest RX350, etc. Same happened with Corolla/Yaris in Europe as well - we gained huge market share around here when competition introduced new small cars that were as expensive as Yaris while new Yaris stayed the same price.

In fact Toyoda was one that created IS-F... So I wouldnt read much into the article.

p.s. what article says basically is that Prius should have never existed, and yet now Toyota's top focus is hybrids for gaining larger market share.