Caught on Film: Alert Toyota Driver Saves Careless Motorcyclist's Life

Due to the fact that motorcyclists are far less protected in the event of an accident, they usually pay more attention to the road than car drivers.

But not this time as the man seen in the video footage below riding the scooter carelessly took the corner a little too wide and too fast. As a result, he drifted to the other side of the road and eventually lost traction and fell down.

Luckily for the biker, the driver of the oncoming vehicle (which appears to be an older-generation Toyota Corolla sedan), was fully alert and managed to avoid hitting him the last moment.

Read more »

Toyota to Boost Output of American Factories to 70% by June

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused severe problems to automakers all around the world, mainly due to the lack of parts, but at least Toyota seems to be recovering at a faster pace than expected. Today, the world’s largest automaker said production at its North American facilities will rise to approximately 70 percent of normal in June, up from around 30 percent in May when it was forced to idle factories for several days or reduce shifts.

Read more »

Toyota Corolla vs Ferrari F430: Can You Guess Who Wins this Race?

Pitting a puny stock Toyota Corolla against a Ferrari F430 and asking which car would win in a straight line race sounds like a joke, right? Well, under any other circumstances, you would be right to take this as a shaggy dog story but this comparo, which was made for a Japanese TV show, has a peculiar twist to it: the race was run in reverse gear… So, now that you know, can you pick the winner? Enjoy the quirky drag race between the Corolla sedan and Maranello’s supercar in the video clip after the break.

Read more »

Indian Firm Whips up a Ferrari F430 Replica out of a Toyota Corolla

Here at Carscoop we’ve shown you Ferrari F430 clones based on all sorts of sports cars ranging from the oh-so popular Pontiac Fiero to the Toyota MR2 and even the Toyota Celica. Now it’s time to show you an F430 doppelganger of even more humble origins as this creation is reportedly based on a Toyota Corolla.

Read more »

Frozen in Time: Brand New 1970s Toyotas Abandoned on Dealer Lot in Cyprus

The Green Line is a 180 kilometer-long (112 miles) stretch of land that divides the island of Cyprus and its capital city of Nicosia. It was created as a demilitarized zone or a buffer, if you prefer, between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot controlled areas of Cyprus after Turkey invaded the Mediterranean island back in 1974. Here, lies an unoccupied piece of land that seems to have been frozen in time.

Now, we know some of you may be wondering what any of this has to do with an automotive website like Carscoop, so let’s cut to the chase and get to the story.

The answer is a stunning gallery from Bo de Visser, a photographer and journalist from The Netherlands, who was able to visit the Green Line in Cyprus and discover an abandoned Toyota dealer lot with an amazing collection of new cars from the 1970s.

Read more »

VIDEO: What if Toyota Made a Cute Darth Vader Commercial?

Everyone seemed to love Volkswagen's Darth Vader Super Bowl commercial. In fact, some people out there liked it so much that they wanted to see what it would be like had Toyota made the ad. Well now we know (which is half the battle). Needless to say, the Toyota version isn't as heartwarming. It is quite entertaining, though. Check out the clip below for 1:08 of dark-sided hilarity.

Read more »

This 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Packs a Big-Block 454 / 7.4-liter Chevy V8

Let us introduce you to our find of the day; a 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Coupe retrofitted with a big brawny classic American V8 powerplant. This wolf in sheep's clothing was once powered by a small four-cylinder engine but now comes with a 454 cubic inch (equal to 7.4-liters) big block Chevrolet V8 powerhouse that drives the wheels through GM's Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission.

Read more »

Toyota Releases Pricing for 2011 Corolla and Matrix Facelift

Toyota has announced retail prices for the U.S. market facelifted 2011 Corolla and the soon to be released 2011 Matrix. For the 2011MY, the Corolla received some minor exterior and interior appointments and is offered in three trim levels (Corolla, LE and S), with prices starting from $15,600. The base Matrix starts from $18,545.

Read more »

2011 Toyota Corolla Facelift: First Official Photos, will Debut at LA Show

The Los Angeles Auto Show will be opening its doors to the members of the press tomorrow, but Toyota can't wait to share its facelifted 2011 Corolla sedan. The Japanese firm's bread and butter model has received a mild makeover along with some equipment upgrades. It will go on sale in the States in December.

The most obvious visual changes concern the front end which gains new bumper, grille and headlamp designs. At the back, there are newly styled tail lamps as well as a revised turn lid and rear license garnish. Other changes include the slightly larger side-view mirrors, an engine undercover that promises to improve air management under the car and new wheel designs.

The S model seen in these photos features a standard body kit that adds a front spoiler, rocker moldings, and upper and lower rear spoilers.

Read more »

European Toyota Corolla Sedan Receives Subtle Facelift

The European-market version of the Corolla that's offered exclusively in sedan form has just received a mid-life facelift for 2010 with freshened exterior and interior styling.

On the outside, the updated "Corolla 2010" gets a new front fascia with a redesigned bumper, upper and lower grille, as well as restyled headlamps. To the rear, changes include the new license plate garnish, tail lamps and bumper.

The new, power retractable door mirrors with integral turn indicators and fresh designs for the hub-caps and alloy wheels complete the exterior makeover.

Read more »

Toyota Announces Details on Recalled European Models, Says up to 1.8 Million Vehicles May Be Affected by Sticky Accelerator

Less than 24 hours after Toyota Motor Europe announced that it would be investigating potential accelerator pedal issues on its European models, the Japanese automaker released details on the affected vehicles. The recall involves a total of eight models. These are listed below:

-AYGO (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009)
-iQ (Nov 2008 – Nov 2009)
-Yaris (Nov 2005 – Sep 2009)
-Auris (Oct 2006 – 5 Jan 2010)
-Corolla (Oct 2006 – Dec 2009)
-Verso (Feb 2009 – 5 Jan 2010)
-Avensis (Nov 2008 – Dec 2009)
-RAV4 (Nov 2005 – Nov 2009)

The company said that precise number of involved units is still under investigation, but may reach up to a total of 1.8 million vehicles in the Old Continent, adding that no Lexus or other Toyota models are affected by the recall to solve a potential accelerator pedal issue.

"Toyota's policy is to put its customers first, in all circumstances", said Tadashi Arashima, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.

"We understand that the current situation is creating concerns, and we deeply regret it. We would also like to reassure customers: the potential accelerator pedal issue only occurs in very rare circumstances. The announced action is a preventive measure aimed to guarantee the highest safety standards to all customers."

According to Toyota, there is a chance that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms on the affected models may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position

Toyota said that the issue is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn.

The Japanese automaker added that only a limited number of incidents have been reported in Europe, and that the company is not aware of any accident resulting from this issue.

Earlier this week, Toyota suspended sales of eight vehicles in the U.S. due to the sticky accelerator problem while the firm also added another 1.1 million vehicles to last fall's recall of 4.3 million vehicles in the USA.

Toyota Suspends U.S. Sales of Eight Models Including Camry, Corolla and RAV4 to Deal with Accelerator Pedal Issues

Only a few days after announcing that it would recall approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models, the Japanese automaker said today that it will temporarily suspend sales of eight Toyota vehicles that are on the recall list in the USA. No Lexus or Scion models are included in the sales suspension. The affected Toyota models are listed below:

• 2009-2010 RAV4
  
• 2009-2010 Corolla
  
• 2009-2010 Matrix
  
• 2005-2010 Avalon
  
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry
  
• 2010 Highlander
  
• 2007-2010 Tundra
  
• 2008-2010 Sequoia
  

For the record, the Toyota models not affected by the temporary sales halt are the Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale.

According to the company, the new sticking accelerator pedal recall is separate from the on-going recall of around 1.7 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to reduce the risk of pedal entrapment by incorrect or out of place accessory floor mats.

In this latest recall, the Japanese automaker said that it has investigated isolated reports of sticking accelerator pedal mechanisms in certain vehicles even without the presence of floor mats.

According to Toyota, there's a possibility that certain accelerators may, "in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position."

"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," commented Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter.

"This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We're making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible."

Because of the sales halt, the company said that it will stop producing vehicles on certain production lines for the week of February 1. The affected factories are listed below:

--Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (Corolla, Matrix, and RAV4)

--Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Sequoia and Highlander)

--Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky – Line 1 (Camry and Avalon)

--Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (Camry)

--Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (Tundra)

Toyota Builds 5,000,000th North American Corolla

On Tuesday August 19th, Toyota quietly celebrated a very important milestone in its history with the production of the 5 millionth North American built Corolla. Introduced in 1966 in Japan, the first Corolla came to the United States in the summer of 1968. It took the Japanese automaker 18 years to begin manufacturing Corollas in the States with the first models being assembled at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) in Fremont, California in 1986. -Continued

Two years later, in 1986 production commenced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ontario. Overall, more than 30 million Corollas have been sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling cars of all time.

Via: Toyota Open Road