Toyota News Thread

[Schang105]

Good, this leaves more time for Akio to push through more GR science projects. First, I'd like to see the GRMN Supra with the new M2 running gear in North America. Then, up the crazy with GR Prius, preferably with a detuned version of the hypercar engine, like an RS3 is a baby R8. Then a GR MR2. The sky is the limit when ur the Chairman.

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[KahnBB6]

I just hope that the GR division remains as emphasized as it has been under Akio Toyoda with their attention to designing killer sports cars. Fully electric will be an inevitability sooner or later but regardless of what powertrain their GR's have I REALLY hope they keep designing them as hardcore enthusiast driver-centric cars in every possible way... NOT as "mobility" vehicles.

While we're still in a small window of time for some final cool ICE designs I am not so much concerned about the shift over to full electric as I am the WAY in which the vehicles are designed around full electric (ie: staying away from subscriptions for hardware capabilities already built into the vehicle, keeping a highly driver-focused *fun* experience as being the most important thing, driver-focused interior design rather than a sea of touchscreens where a dashboard and instrumentation area should be, etc., etc.)

Here's hoping that Koji Sato believes in and understands this as he steps into his role amidst all the other extremely challenging tasks he will have to face almost immediately to keep Toyota and Lexus on top.

 

[Bryster]

 

[jtsang25]

https://japantoday.com/category/business/toyota's-ceo-to-be-outlines-leadership-team-bullish-on-evs?

Looking like EV is full steam ahead.

 

[Tsuki8]

https://japantoday.com/category/business/toyota's-ceo-to-be-outlines-leadership-team-bullish-on-evs?

Looking like EV is full steam ahead.

 

[Diablo]

Jesus Christ ???

 

[GRMan]

He is not leaving Toyota, he is stepping up to be the Chairman of the Board!!!

The new CEO is obviously his man (ex GR engineer), his supporter. That’s why Akio put his guy in the top position but Akio still calls the shoots

 

[KahnBB6]

Akio Toyoda will still be very involved and his beloved pet projects and GR division will continue and grow under Koji Sato.

Toyoda has been at the helm for several years and this CEO change is not abnormal for Toyota Motor Corp. The company's recent overall electrification strategy change probably was discussed and ironed out in advance of Toyoda's decision to pull back from the CEO position to become Chariman so that a new face of the company, who nonetheless still shares much of Akio's core love of the special fun vehicle models, can execute a larger product shift within the company that perhaps didn't fully align with Akio's own take on things.

Either way... I know their BEV, hydrogen fuel cell and super-capacitor tech is going to improve and I could care less if tomorrow the RAV4 became a 100% BEV model. The GR sportscar models... they need some more years before the new EV tech matures enough to keep them fun when they can't be sold with gasoline or gasoline-hybrid electric drivetrains any longer.

But that leaves a LOT of other Toyota and Lexus models that will get revamped into BEVs and fuel cell vehicles faster than the GR division will. That's my guess anyway.

So long as Toyota and Lexus don't try to chase Tesla's poor build quality, infuriatingly underwhelming interiors and lack of driver engagement and fun and their terrible customer service and extremely poor end-owner access to long term replacement parts for cars as little as ten years old then I think the Japanese automaker will do just fine under Koji Sato.

...With Akio Toyoda looming in the background of course as he is chauffeured to business meetings in his one-off GRMN Toyota Century limousine.

 

[PerformanceSound]

Sato San will "unlock" the GR vault. Be patient. As I said before, if all goes well...2024 should be a revitalizing year.

 

[M4-NYC]

Sato San will "unlock" the GR vault. Be patient. As I said before, if all goes well...2024 should be a revitalizing year.

What does that mean? Four Loco revitalizing or Peyote revitalizing?

 

[FLtrackdays]

It’s incredible how he’s stood up to the mainstream EV push. The dude follows the market and what’s best for Toyota. What an asshole ?. But yeah, I love him. Hope he stays actively involved and keeps the free track days coming with every purchase!

 

[PerformanceSound]

It’s incredible how he’s stood up to the mainstream EV push. The dude follow the market and what’s best for Toyota. What an asshole ?. But yeah, I love him. Hope he stays actively involved and keeps the free track days coming with every purchase!

Its all in the engineers hands. Toyota has world-class engineers in various departments. They all concluded going EV would not be the right path at this time….and for good reason.

 

[cbrummell]

this has me crying at my desk GOD DAMN...

 

[KahnBB6]

Its all in the engineers hands. Toyota has world-class engineers in various departments. They all concluded going EV would not be the right path at this time….and for good reason.

While their goal is for hydrogen... which will take considerably more time to perfect for the vehicles, build out as to refueling infrastructure and ultimately on the cleanly produced H2 production side... isn't the Lexus brand in particular going mostly EV model by model over the next 10+ years aside from maybe 1-2 special gas-hybrid or gas-generator-hybrid special models?

It will likely be a mix of mostly BEV (but not with lithium cells) vehicles plus hydrogen fuel cell vehicles plus very niche/vintage synthetic gasoline or hydrogen combustion in coming years.

From all I read week by week on the subject it seems that all of these things will coexist.

 

[PerformanceSound]

While their goal is for hydrogen... which will take considerably more time to perfect for the vehicles, build out as to refueling infrastructure and ultimately on the cleanly produced H2 production side... isn't the Lexus brand in particular going mostly EV model by model over the next 10+ years aside from maybe 1-2 special gas-hybrid or gas-generator-hybrid special models?

It will likely be a mix of mostly BEV (but not with lithium cells) vehicles plus hydrogen fuel cell vehicles plus very niche/vintage synthetic gasoline or hydrogen combustion in coming years.

From all I read week by week on the subject it seems that all of these things will coexist.

I believe Lexus will offer more EV’s because of the price point of their cars and clientele. Lexus buyers have the cheese for the latest stuff. However, Toyota brand won’t be able to sell many EV’s because of their clientele (one of the many reasons). People are struggling as is paying $45k for a gas powered RAV4, imagine with a foreign made EV version….easily into the $50k’s. Wrong clientele. Isn’t the BZ4X (or whatever its called) flopping?

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