Featured Threads Archive

Bought at an auction.

Temperatures are dropping!

This weekend is a good time to check your tire pressure and top it up.

With lower temps you may be a few pounds low- maybe not enough to trip the TPMS (if any) but you can still lose fuel economy before that tire light comes on.

Toyota is resigning the Corolla with a very modern sporty look and HEV, PHEV, and BEV powertrains, to arrive circa late 2027. It looks like Toyota is going all out in the modern-car race with sporty looks, software-defined vehicles, self-driving, EV powertrains, solid-state batteries, etc.

A Waymo car ran over a beloved neighborhood cat, who was sitting in front of it by the curb and then went under it just before it suddenly started with a jerk maneuver to change to the next lane. It is sad.

I see what is wrong here:

• Bystanders seeing the cat sitting in front of the car but not alerting the cat or the car
• Waymo not programmed for cat or animal safety
• Waymo accelerating and maneuvering way too fast, faster than a typical human driver would do—while this is safe in AI-predictable situations, it is not what a skilled driver do and dangerous in unexpected situations
• Better warning sounds
• Safety upgrade involving animals needed

Waymo confirms its car killed KitKat, Mission bodega cat

https://www.autoblog.com/news/toyota-says-youve-been-misled-most-hybrids-arent-really-hybrids

Here's a peek at what Toyota/Lexus will be showing at the Japan Mobility Show starting on October 30th. Toyota looks to push their Century line and Lexus looks to push, well, interesting stuff.

Japan Mobility Show 2025 | Corporate | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website


Century lineup including some past models.

I'm only going to show things relating to their ground vehicles. Not to be shown is their Joby, Catamaran, House, or Hub.


Sport concept

Micro Concept

LS Coupe Concept

Their LS Concept. Yes it has 6 wheels. I would be hesitant to call it a minivan, more like a van. As a DIYer, no to that!

Google tells me:

Tundra Twin Turbo V6 Hybrid AWD

Inverter


Electric Motor


Inverter Cooler


Nimh Battery


Front view of stripped down model

2026 Toyota RAV4 vs. Honda CR-V Hybrid: Settling the Great Compact SUV Debate—Again

New Land Cruiser "FJ" Makes World Premiere | Toyota | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Toyota Global released details of the Land Cruiser FJ today. Land Cruiser FJ will be built on the IMV (Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle) platform, same platform that the Hilux uses. Here are some key features:

Exterior Design:

• Follows a silhouette that emphasizes a square cabin, taking into consideration the habitability and cargo capacity that successive generations of Land Cruisers have prioritized
• Expresses a lean, strong sense of mass and fun through a rectangular body with a dice motif and chamfered edges
• The front and rear express a powerful sense of stability through a composition of powerful bumpers and flared fenders on a taut, simple body
• Both front and rear corner bumpers are removable, segmented types, allowing...

2026 Toyota Camry Features & Benefits | Toyota Canada

No idea how long it'll stay up before they fix it but it says "plug-in hybrid Camry" lol.

So today I was having my propane backup heating system serviced ... really a fireplace. I went out to get the paper and noticed a car similar to mine sitting in the driveway. It seemed a bit odd from the side but what didn't register immediately so I went around the back and found it was a hybrid but with a Propane sticker under the model designation. Went to the side and took this picture. Come to find out the company has all their vehicles converted and you start the car normally and once the engine is warm you hit a button and convert to propane. Tank is in the spare tire well so you give up something. Has an additional gauge telling you how much propane you have left. So a tri-power hybrid. Now what abbreviation do we use?

Yes, the AE86 BEV Concept Is an EV, but It Has a Manual (!) and Is a Blast to Drive

Saw this video featuring a 1993 Toyota Corolla LEVIN EV concept vehicle built by Lexus engineers!

/

This is great news for me:


It means I can test drive alternatives to my expected 2024 Model 3 by visiting Canada. Probably Mexico too.

Bob Wilson

Toyota is finally saying bye to its obsolete multimedia system, which is perhaps the biggest complaint about its vehicles. The Gen 6 RAV4 to go on sale in about a month will use an entirely redeveloped multimedia system based on their new Arene software platform. It is their first shot at building a fully software-defined vehicle (SDV) in the next few years. They had been behind some other companies like Tesla in this regard.

Among the improvements:

• Much faster, smoother, and more intuitive interface using a powerful processor
• Quick-access controls as in smartphones
• 5G connectivity through AT&T
• Customizable displays
• High screen resolution
• Built-in front, rear, and side dashcams—no more bulky accessory dashcams needed
• Full navigation info displayed on the multi-info display behind the steering wheel
• All ADAS features controllable through the multimedia screen
• Much improved voice control
• Over-the-air (OTA) updates through the Arene software...

EVs are not for everyone, 12 EVs That Are Already Failing in 2025:


Bob Wilson

Toyota has beaten the others on the race to mass-produce all-solid-state batteries, leaving several start-ups and major companies behind. They have begun their manufacturing plans for their sulfide-based all-solid-state battery. Gen 6 Prius (2029 debut model year) will use an all-solid-state battery.

Mass production of solid-state Toyota BEVs to start in as early as two years (in 2027).

Toyota aims to launch the ‘world’s first’ all-solid-state EV batteries | Electrek

fuel stabilizers test over 5 years

Sae.OrgWebapp Wear - Hybrid vs Plug In vs ICE

The new, redesigned RAV4 (2026 model year), America’s best selling car by far, is about to be released as early as tomorrow or the next few days. It opens an entirely new era for Toyota with the new Arene platform and TSS 4.0 with over-the-air (OTA) updates to the car’s automatic driving and electronic systems.

I’m about to drive the new Toyota RAV4. What do you want to know?—The Autopian