The Toyota Supra has long been the object of my affection.  I've lusted, needed, wanted, and loathed others driving by in their sexy Japanese import.  It wasn't your typical rice burner, something you could laugh at and one definitely not driven by the typical pimply faced 16 year old.  No, the Supra is and was what dreams were made of.

Believe it or not, the original Toyota Supra was not what most think of when they hear twin turbos spooling up.  The original Supra was more like a Celica rip off, boxy, ugly, just like any other import in the late 70's.  Originally the Supra was released in Japan (obviously) in 1978 and then made it's way over in 1979 with barely over 100 horsepower.

1979 Supra

By 1982 the Supra had undergone a few changes most notably in the engine bay, where the inline 4 was swapped out for an inline 6.  Further changes included some typical 80's flares for the skirts and bumpers, along with the option of a performance or luxury model.  This new 80's makeover even included a semi-advanced stereo system, complete with 7-Channel graphic equalizer.  I love the 80's.

1982 Supra

By the time the late 80's rolled around we were starting to get a little more serious.  The Supra was starting to brand itself a sport import and less like a 2-Door family car.  The inline six was massaged over and was starting to breathe out just at 200 horsepower.   It was in 1989 that Toyota also offered a Turbo, that netted an additional 30 horsepower over the base 200 on the 3.0 litre inline 6.   The bigger power gains and lighter weigh components allowed the Supra to be a real contender in a domestic controlled market.

It's 1993 and we can start talking about the Supra design that us in our late 20's came to know and love.  When I hear the word Supra, this is the model that immediately comes to mind and the turbo whine I associate it with.  This is also the year the Supra got it's largest horsepower increase, which allowed the inline 6 cylinder Turbo to produce over 300 horsepower.  This increase in power coupled with it's lightest components ever, with sport tuned suspension, would allow the twin-turbo Supra to rocket from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.

1993 Supra

1994 Supra

Yes, the Toyota Supra is quite possibly the only importa that makes my pants tight.  It's also the only 'rice burner' I'd ever be caught dead in.  It makes this love even more bittersweet that Toyota haulted production in 2002, making the Supra a collectors item.

Depending on who you believe, there have been numerous believers that the Supra will be revived, even as early as 2005.  Some of these rumors stated that the next generation Supra will included a V8, going against years of inline 6 superiority.  According to some publications 2008 was supposed to mark the return of the Supra, but obviously that has come and gone.  In todays automotive landscape and economic crisis, I don't think even Toyota will be taking risks with developing a new sport import to lust over.
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It is no secret for car buyers that right now, some of the best vehicles are not made by American companies.  In fact, Honda and Toyota, and perhaps even Hyundai makes some of the best vehicles that the average consumer can buy.  They last much longer than their American counterparts, they hold their value well, and are very enjoyable to drive.  It is no small wonder that Toyota is now the biggest car company in the world.

It's also no secret that car companies in America are really struggling.  And this could mean the loss of many millions of jobs if something isn't done about it.  So I pose this question to you, would you buy American automobiles to save American jobs?

Personally, I don't think I would. That sounds harsh, but let me explain.  Many foreign vehicles are actually made America.  Did you know that? Down in the south, far from Detroit companies such as Toyota, build trucks and cars using American workers and American plants. So, is buying a foreign car actually destroying American jobs? Yes and no.

American jobs will be lost more because of poor management more so than from poor worker quality.  Of course, part of the blame does fall on the American auto workers union's for being greedy all of these years, constantly wanting to get paid more even if they are producing less.  The whole industry is very shortsighted and is now reaping the rewards of their shortsightedness.

If you really want to help the American car companies, buy the best car that fits your needs the best and don't worry about what company is.  If you buy a high-quality vehicle that shows the other companies that they are going to have to produce high-quality vehicle to get your business.  That is a lesson that every company needs to learn to succeed. If you really want to help the car companies and save American jobs in the long run, you should buy the best vehicle in your budget.

Hybrids are getting a lot more attention as gas prices go up. Now you see more and more of the popular but ugly Toyota Prius on the roads. Hybrids are good cars because they get great fuel mileage but its limited to the city. Once you get out on the freeway you will see very little difference between a hybrid model car and its regular non hybrid model.

If you do mostly city driving a hybrid is a great choice as it gains electricity back with regenerative breaking. This means when you stop it uses generators to gain back energy as you stop. When you are not stopping and going like on the freeway you can see why Hybrids do not do well on freeways.On a freeway you might not like a Hybrid being they usually have like a 1.3 liter gas motor that will be powering you. They use a small motor so it does not burn much gas and at freeways speeds you wont have much passing power.

There is another way to get good fuel mileage and you wont have to worry about any of these set backs the hybrids have. What I am talking about is a diesel vehicle. Diesel engines are more efficient than gas engines but you don't usually see them in cars but in big trucks. In Europe diesel engines are very popular but in America they are not. As fuel prices go up they are starting to make more sense in the USA too.

One diesel car the Jetta Beetle can get 50 miles per gallon without any hybrid technology! The same goes for the other 2 models Jetta makes that runs on diesel. All 3 models get great fuel mileage and have none of the set backs a hybrid has. These are not the stinky diesels of the past but clean diesels of the future. One guy even did some minor modifications to a diesel beetle and he is getting a steady 70+ miles per gallon! He added a different spoiler and a free flow catalytic converter among other things and that was all it took.

A Jetta is also a good bit cheaper than a Hybrid and you never have to replace batteries. Honda may bring over a diesel in the near future, the Honda Civic Diesel! If you want good fuel mileage without hybrid set backs take a look into a diesel car. They might just save you a lot of money!

Diesel Jetta

The economy is going down fast. It has been bloated for so many years and has been extremely faked by the worlds governments. We are now seeing just where our economy is, the real economy. Jobs are being layed off and so people do not have as much money. As you may have seen and heard the car industry is hurting very badly during this time. Without money people can't buy cars and so car companies are seeing close to 50% drops in car sales compared to last year. Its not that people do not have money,they still do its just that they are saving everything now.

The New York times is reporting on a interesting story about how cars from Toyota and other car companies are having to moth ball their cars. Each day thousands of cars are being made in plants all over the world. Then they are loaded onto a ship and sent overseas to America and other countries. Well the thing is people are just not buying the cars. When the cars get over here they are not being taken to sellers but the car companies are renting acres of space that is usually used to temporary store containers to store their cars on. Toyota alone has cleared a deal for 6 acres worth of land to store cars on for an unknown amount of time! They even want more land! This has been going on for 2 years now but is getting worse.

Toyota has slowed production down to meet demand but what will they do with all those cars if people are not buying them? Whats really bad is we could have a surplus of 2007-2008 models with no miles on them for years to come. They will only go down in value so its not good for car companies. Cars are being stored at airports and fairgrounds also I read. Its amazing what just a slowdown of the economy can do to some businesses.

Dealerships are actually denying truck loads of cars because they just can't sell them fast enough. General motors is going to go bankrupt soon they are saying also. Toyota is hurting just as bad though as GM as their car and SUV sales are way down. You may have noticed Toyota's "Saved by Zero" commercials. Its a sign they are hurting badly,desperate to get rid of a car. If you NEED a new car this is the best time to find one but I suggest you buy a used one. People are almost giving them away.

Take a look at the picture on the New York times article about the cars being stored. Its just amazing to see just how many cars are sitting their with no place to go!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/bu...orts.html?_r=1

09 Venza

Toyota has announced final pricing on the upcoming release of their 09 Venza.  The 09 Venza crossover was supposed to make waves with advancements to make people want an ugly mini-van, but with todays announced pricing it looks like it will be a challenge.  As of this posting Toyota says the base model will have an MSRP of $25,975 and the all wheel drive v6 version will list at $29,250.

Huge price for not a lot of vehicle, especially for the base price as a front wheel drive 4 cylinder.  Below are a list of standard features for the 09 Venza.

• Electronic Power Steering
• Rear spoiler
• Cruise control
• Integrated fog lamps
• Privacy glass
• HomeLink(R)
• Six-disc CD changer with roof-mounted Dual-zone automatic climate
• XM(R) satellite radio antennacontrol with air filter and
• second row seat vents
• A tilt/telescopic adjustable steeringSix-speed transmission with wheel with integrated audio controls sequential shift
• Vanity mirrorRear windshield wiper
• 20-inch wheels on V6; 19-inch wheels on Electrochromic rearview mirror
• four-cylinder with compass
• Power windows with auto up/down function Cargo area one-touch forward-fold
• jam protection on all four doors seat levers
• Tonneau cover
• Seven airbags
• Rear personal overhead lamps
• Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)
• Dual exhaust on V6
• Front active headrests
• 14-degree rear seat recline

LEED Certified Toyota Dealership

Toyota announced today the opening of the nations first 'Green' Toyota Dealership in the Western USA.  Mark Miller Toyota had their grand opening today marking the first Toyota dealership to LEED-Certified.

"Anyone familiar with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive knows there is a screen that shows the car's energy use over a time period. We'll have the same sort of panel inside the dealership that shows the building's energy use over the last half hour or so," added Miller.

Being LEED-Certified means that Mark Miller Toyota built their facility using the latest environmental technologies for a 'greener' work environment.  This translates into parts of the building being made from recycled materials, installation of high efficient cooling heating and cooling systems, and high speed service doors that cut down on the amount of air released from the building during opening and closing.

The Toyota Prius hybrid car has won the 'Greenest Technology' Award at the British Techology Awards.  Talk about a mouthful of crap, award, award, award.  Ironically this green technology was found right along the likes of the Apple iPhone, BBC iPlayer, and Nintendo Wii.

The vote was taken online and in the UK the Prius gets all kinds of rockstar lavish treatments.  For example, a Prius owner gets a break on their parking permits.  I'm sure this huge discount on a parking permit offsets the incredibly high price tag of early adoption.

Prius Win

Looking for something slightly larger than a golf cart to tool around in?  Well you are the target buyer for Toyota's latest creation, the 09 iQ.  This teeny tiny 4 seater will be available this fall in Japan and European markets, so the US will have to wait for this glorified go-cart.

Although small in size the 09 Toyota iQ is big on safety features.  First it's all steel frame makes this baby weigh in at almost 1900lbs and sports a whopping 12 airbags, including the worlds first rear window air bag.

The 09 iQ is of course a hybrid, which will help Toyota meet it's goals of building 1 million hybrid vehicles a year by 2010.

EF9 2923 IM A HYBRID I RUN ON BEER AND BIKER PATCH    US $4.15

CADILLAC Escalade ESV EXT CTS STS DTS XLR SRX Hybrid V    US $5.99

Shift Racing Stealth Hybrid Off Road Blue Glove Lg NOS    US $5.99

Toyota has announced the development of a new safety feature, which will come as an option in their upcoming iQ vehicle.  The Rear Window Air Bag will act as a curtain to protect rear seat passengers from debris in the case of a rear end collission.

It's a world first from Toyota who wants to make side air bags and shield air bags 'standard' equipment on all new vehicles.

Rear Window Air Bags in iQ

Toyota has announced that they will be upgrading the batteries in their upcoming 09 and 2010 model year Prius hybrids.  Furthermore they will be upgrading the tiny 1.5 litre engine to the one currently used in the Camry, a 1.8 litre.

The new batteries will be made with nickel-metal hybride packs.  Everyone is still waiting around on the Lithium Ion on battery pack with plug-in capabilities.

Toyota Prius