Toyota has said that the company is no longer interested in being the world's largest automaker in sales, according to Automotive News. Satoshi Ozawa, executive vice president for Toyota, was quoted as saying that there was no meaning behind the brand being in the top slot, and that customer service and satisfaction were more important to his company. Ozawa also said that he believes that Toyota will never have the goal of being number one.
In the past, the Japanese automaker had said that it intended to carve out a 15-percent slice of the global sales market. That would have made the company first in sales by default.
Toyota eclipsed General Motors as the world's largest automaker in 2007, but a recent rash of recalls, quality and reliability concerns have been attributed to the company's quick expansion. This year, Toyota expects to see profit fall by 31 percent compared to last year due to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters of March of this year.
Source : http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/13/toyota-says-there-is-no-meaning-in-being-no-1/
Monday, June 13, 2011
Schumacher Mi-3 lays claim to title of World's Fastest R/C car with 161.76 mph pass
If you're reading these words, there's a good chance that there's at least one remote-controlled car sulking in your basement or garaged in a cardboard box in the attic. Most of us walk away from R/Cs for good once we get our hands on full-scale transportation, but a select few individuals keep tinkering with the scale models. Those guys go on to create some pretty awesome contraptions.
Guys like Nic Case. Case set the world record for the fastest remote controlled car a few years ago by clocking a top speed of 161.76 miles per hour with his custom-built racer.
The car uses a carbon-fiber chassis and $4,000 worth of electrical components to do the deed. If that's not crazy enough for your, Case says that he now has his heart set on building an R/C capable of ripping past the 200-mph barrier. The mad scientist says that he's currently in the midst of construction. Hit the jump to see the Schumacher Mi 3 whirr its way into the record books.
Source : http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/13/schumacher-mi-3-lays-claim-to-title-of-worlds-fastest-r-c-car-w/
Guys like Nic Case. Case set the world record for the fastest remote controlled car a few years ago by clocking a top speed of 161.76 miles per hour with his custom-built racer.
The car uses a carbon-fiber chassis and $4,000 worth of electrical components to do the deed. If that's not crazy enough for your, Case says that he now has his heart set on building an R/C capable of ripping past the 200-mph barrier. The mad scientist says that he's currently in the midst of construction. Hit the jump to see the Schumacher Mi 3 whirr its way into the record books.
Source : http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/13/schumacher-mi-3-lays-claim-to-title-of-worlds-fastest-r-c-car-w/
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
At first blush, Munich seems like an awfully long way to travel for the chance to drive a mid-cycle refresh. But Volkswagen has good reason to ask us to schlep across the Atlantic to drive its updated-for-2012 Tiguan: Momentum.
The compact crossover had a bit of a knock-kneed start out of the gates when it arrived in the U.S. in May of 2008 as a 2009 model. While demand was spectacular at home in Europe, the VW failed to find early favor with North American shoppers, despite entering a white-hot segment. But that's rapidly changing. Last year, Tiguan sales increased from fewer than 14,000 units to nearly 21,000, and this year, it's on its way to a new record, selling almost 3,100 units in May alone. And thanks to a series of meaningful updates for 2012, there's every reason to believe that the kid brother of the pricey Touareg will continue to find increasing favor among consumers.
The compact crossover had a bit of a knock-kneed start out of the gates when it arrived in the U.S. in May of 2008 as a 2009 model. While demand was spectacular at home in Europe, the VW failed to find early favor with North American shoppers, despite entering a white-hot segment. But that's rapidly changing. Last year, Tiguan sales increased from fewer than 14,000 units to nearly 21,000, and this year, it's on its way to a new record, selling almost 3,100 units in May alone. And thanks to a series of meaningful updates for 2012, there's every reason to believe that the kid brother of the pricey Touareg will continue to find increasing favor among consumers.
Camaro ZL1 will have automatic option, offer ZR1 traction system
The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will go into production in the first quarter of next year, and now, Al Oppenheiser, General Motors' chief engineer on the Camaro, has confirmed a few details about what we can expect with the range-topping muscle coupe.
During the Camaro homecoming at GM's Oshawa pant, Oppenheiser stated that in addition to an automatic transmission option, the ZL1 will be available with the same Performance Traction Management system found on the Corvette ZR1. In the Corvette, PTM incorporates launch control, as well as the normal traction control, active handling and selective ride control systems.
What's more, Oppenheiser stated that the ZL1's output numbers will be higher than the originally estimated 550 horsepower. The ZL1 is powered by the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 as the Cadillac CTS-V.
Source : http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/13/camaro-zl1-will-have-automatic-option-offer-zr1-traction-system/
During the Camaro homecoming at GM's Oshawa pant, Oppenheiser stated that in addition to an automatic transmission option, the ZL1 will be available with the same Performance Traction Management system found on the Corvette ZR1. In the Corvette, PTM incorporates launch control, as well as the normal traction control, active handling and selective ride control systems.
What's more, Oppenheiser stated that the ZL1's output numbers will be higher than the originally estimated 550 horsepower. The ZL1 is powered by the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 as the Cadillac CTS-V.
Source : http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/13/camaro-zl1-will-have-automatic-option-offer-zr1-traction-system/
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