Toyota Presents the Successor to Last Year’s MR2 Study with the New GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II

At last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota showcased a concept study of an all-wheel drive hybrid sports car (see here) loosely based on the now obsolete MR2 roadster, developed in partnership with Japan’s GAZOO Racing.
Now the time has come for Toyota to unwrap its successor in the form of the GRMN SPORTS HYBRID Concept II that will receive both its public and racing debut at this weekend’s highly anticipated 39th Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany.
The name “GRMN” stands for GAZOO Racing tuned by Meister of Nürburgring, in honor of the late Hiromu Naruse (1944-2010), the Toyota chief test driver and head of the GAZOO Racing team who died in an accident last summer driving a prototype of the Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition in Germany.
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Toyota to Debut Battery Electric Vehicle Concept at 2009 Detroit Show

A Spartan press release accompanied by a teaser photo is all that Toyotas has revealed about its new battery-powered electric vehicle FT-EV concept car that will make its world premiere at the forthcoming Detroit auto show in mid-January. If ever there was a one-button press release, this is it: "Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. will display a battery electric vehicle concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. This display marks the world debut of this concept vehicle." Well, there you go. Guess we'll have to be patient for a few weeks until Toyota fills us in on the details. We remind you that Toyota's Detroit Show stand will also host the debut of the all-new Prius Hybrid.

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LA Auto Show: Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept

One of many alternative fuel applications being explored by Toyota is the use of compressed natural gas (CNG). For the Los Angeles Auto Show Toyota prepared a concept version of the Camry that combines a CNG fueled engine with the firm's Hybrid Synergy Drive system. To convert the stock Camry Hybrid into a CNG Hybrid Toyota's engineers replaced the gasoline fuel system with a compressed natural gas system that comprises of a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the sedan's trunk. To compensate for the loss of the spare tire Toyota fitted the CNG Camry Hybrid Concept with runflat tires.

The justify the vehicle's being as a concept, Toyota's designers also fitted the Camry with a 'light' bodykit that's complemented by new alloy wheels, dark tailamps, a lowered suspension for a more aggressive stance and most importantly, a new front bumper that does away with the grille making the sedan look like an offspring of the 'iQ' minicar.

According to the Japanese automaker, with the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its fuel tanks, the CNG Camry Hybrid concept has a range that exceeds 250 miles or 400 km.

The benefits of using CNG as a primary fuel source for internal combustion engines is that it's less expensive and it produces less pollutants and greenhouse emissions than gasoline. Also in concern of the U.S., there's a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. The downside is that you get fewer miles on a tank than gasoline plus in America, there are currently only about 1,000 CNG refueling stations nationwide, with less than half open to the public.

"With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn/low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy-source for the future," said Irv Miller, group vice president, TMS Corporate Communications. "With this concept, we are confirming our interest in pursuing CNG within our broad and comprehensive R&D scope."

This isn't the first time that Toyota has been experimenting with CNG as in 1999 the Japanese firm marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California. The test did not have any success though mainly because gasoline was very cheap at the time and due to the limited refueling infrastructure. The program was discontinued a year later, in 2000.



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Toyota RAV4 V6 Performance Sport Concept Premieres at SEMA

If the sole purposing of creating this concept was to hide the fact that it's a Toyota RAV4, then admittedly MV Designz did an excellent job. The RAV4 V6 Performance Sport Concept gets a custom-made wide bodykit accented by 22-inch Alloy Wheels, a hood scoop, a panoramic glass roof, billet door handles and, new front and rear faceless fascias. According to Toyota, interior modifications to the RAV4-based concept are limited to a new upholstery by Reyes. Maybe it's a matter of personal taste, but we get the feeling that if MV Designz hadn't "surgicaly" replaced the RAV4's face with a Pontiac-like mask, we might have actually liked the outcome.


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SEMA: Toyota's Yaris Tailback CNG Concept

No car seems to have escaped from the makeover-claws of the loony-tuning doctors at this year's SEMA show - not even the humble Toyota Yaris hatchback. The "Kermit-esque" Yaris Tailback concept has received a complete exterior overhaul featuring a wide bodykit as well as automated rear suicide doors and rear split tailgate. The custom body is accompanied by a set of DPE wheels that feature eleven inch wide rear wheels with a five and a half inch lip and are covered in Nitto rubber, Rotora big brake kit, and Tanabe lowering springs.

Pop up the hood and you'll discover that the greenish Yaris 5 Door Tailback concept features a compressed natural gas system (CNG) that offers the driver the ability to switch from the vehicle's combustion engine to CNG with the push of a button. The CNG tank and custom casing is housed in the rear of the vehicle and is unveiled as the rear tailgate is powered open.

The vehicle's interior boosts a Pioneer audio/visual system with two monitors that have the ability to display movies and videos which can be played through the integrated iPOD. Additionally, custom upholstery adorns the interior with gray suede and black leather front and rear seats with yellow stitching.

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SEMA: Toyota Tundra Ducati Desmosedici Transporter with 500HP

Toyota showed off three Tundra concepts in Las Vegas but the coolest one in town was by far was the Ducati Desmosedici Transporter. Built to carry the only street legal MotoGP bike ever produced, the scorching hot Ducati Desmosedici RR, the customized Tundra has been modified to accept a 6.5-inch bed that features flip up bedsides and a motorized loading ramp. The pickup truck is of course tied thematically to the bike, incorporating the Italian motorcycle company's red paint finish with white stripes. Power is provided by a 5.7-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 500HP and 550-lbs/ft of torque.

Additional features include integrated tool and spares storage, popup solar panels for accessory power, 22-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires, a lowering kit and an upgraded braking system.



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Detroit Show: Toyota Releases New A-Bat Hybrid Concept Image Gallery

In December we got a first taste of Toyota’s hybrid compact pick-up concept with the release of half a dozen of pics (click here for the press release). For those of you who want to see more today the Japanese carmaker revealed the full image gallery of the A-Bat Concept that consists of 50 high-res pictures.
The A-BAT which is smaller than the Toyota Tacoma pickup, rides on a unibody platform, a departure from what we've seen in standard pickups. The concept utilizes Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, but the Japanese carmaker hasn’t released any specific details on the powertrain. -Image gallery after the jump
Click On The Images To Enlarge


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