Toyota performance... a dying breed?

trd.sports.m

Ok lets face it. Toyota has generally hit rock bottom on the performance charts.
Video magazines sometimes run for over 5 issues without even a remote sighting of a performance car manufactured by Toyota.
Is it time to abandon ship and switch to more dedicated tuning car manufacturers like Subaru or mitsu?

The supra in my opinion is no longer a contender with the big guns because even though the power plant is capable of big numbers the finesse that newer technology brings is completely absent.
The 3SGTE-powered Celica has gone the same route.
Toyota is the only company that has gone the route of replacing ALL of its legendary performance cars by watered down relics of their predecessors or as in the case of the supra, taken the approach of total extinction.

I personally sent an email to Toyota headquarters regarding this issue and they assured me that the supra was gone never to return despite rumors to the contrary. They even apologized for the change of focus explaining that their new focus is comfort and eco friendly cars, and suggested exploring sporty alternatives from Scion and Lexus.

So what are die hard Toyota tuners supposed to do when they now have a sport Celica outputting 190 BHP non-turbo when just one model before the car was fully loaded with performance and outputting 255 BHP turbocharged. They got rid of the Legendary Trueno and Levin.
The successor of the MRII the Toyota MRS seems to have awesome potential but Toyota ensured that even this would not be an option for die had Toyota fans by equipping the car with an engine that rightfully should have been fitted to a light fishing vessel.

What about the new comers offered? Well the Vitz RS seems to be a pretty decent car if you're interested in driving a zoomy 160 BHP shoebox.
What about the Scion TC? Never seen one that comes fast and I’ve also never seen one in Trinidad.
What about the corolla XRS? Well if this is what Toyota decided to offer as the competition to the likes of Honda’s new civic type R they might have well just sold a wind-powered skateboard. The Corolla XRS is ANYTHING BUT a sporty car. It is even LESS powerful than the 4AGE 20 valve powered corollas that preceded it and the suspension equipment is in accordance with this digression.

What is even more vexing is that tons of research and development continues to go into the discontinued supra thanks to GT 500 JGTC teams. As if to mock Toyota’s discontinuation of the car, in almost every event the supras like the Esso, Advan and au Cerumo supra are ALWAYS on top of the standings. Strangely enough though Toyota refuses to continue production of the supra whereas Nissan continues to develop the Z taking advantage of R&D data from the track and using it to make the road going versions cars of true sports pedigree.
What Toyota car in production right now can boast of inheriting one single shred of racing pedigree from the likes of the Toyota F1 machine, or the JGTC cars, or any other Toyota that excels in motor sports on the world stage?

Well for those of you who have endlessly deep pockets and there seems to be a growing trend towards this phenomenon locally, there is but one last dying hope. Yes you guessed it. LEXUS.
For the price of the average heart transplant you could make a down payment and possibly the first installment one of these awesome vehicles.
The disappointment here though is that although these cars are stacked to the roof with every conceivable luxurious comfort and also have enough horsepower to shuttle you to the moon, the cars don’t seem to handle that well due to inferior suspension design choices and gross weight disadvantages.
For those privileged enough to have viewed the Best Motoring International track test review of the Lexus IS 350 that was equipped with a supercharger from Toms racing, you might recall with some dismay the comments about the vehicle as being fit for “soccer moms”.

One can only hope and pray that the Lexus IS-F is not going to follow in this manner and has undergone sufficient development to sensibly take full advantage of the 400 horse power it is said to be packaged with. The chassis rigidity and design as well as the suspension design and the way the traction control equipment reacts as well as the braking equipment and tires that Toyota’s engineers have selected and of course the fine tuning of all of these to function together as a complete car will inevitably determine the success of this car with enormous potential.
Hopefully Best motoring will decide to give this car the opportunity to show that Toyota is still a contender in the performance arena.
Anyway for those of you who aren't yet familiar here's a look at Toyota’s only hope in performance street cars.

corollalover101 · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:21 am Post subject:

Funny enough Toyota's shift is a predecessor to what many car companies will be doing soon, the HP war is essentially over with increased fuel costs and new emissions laws coming to the EU in 2010, most manufacturers are increasing R&D in hybrid and alternative fuels tech

Toyota seems more concerned with sales numbers that the desires of performance purists, and considering their tremendous sales volumes they are successful at that

[X]~Outlaw · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:

Toyota knows where the market is right now...and right now HP doesn't sell cars as much as fuel efficiency does.

Terran · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

I suppose Toyota is responding to the ever-increasing demand for more efficient vehicles today - when gas and oil prices are at a record high and wide speculation that oil resources are becoming a premium, and, of course reducing the impact of emissions on the environment.

If Toyota was NOT responding to the demand for more efficient vehicles, they would not be a brand of first choice. Apart from that, a wider cross-section of their markets have banned the sale and distribution of cars that exceed certain levels of efficiency as well as power output.

If they wish to stay in business, it is only wise that they respond favourably to the demands placed on them.

SurGTR · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:54 am Post subject:

maybe they capitalizing on the niche market, since performance oriented vehicles is not anymore

varung · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:58 am Post subject:

the world is changing and the focus has shifted. toyota has an evolving vision and believes that to offer a vehicle that is against the world trends of decreasing fuel and oil reserves would be irresponsible and clearly bad for business.

so get with the programme and stop whining like a baby.....steups

Terran · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:01 pm Post subject:

All of these are reasons why people are encouraged to buy Hybrid vehicles, if they can afford it.

Raziel · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:05 pm Post subject:

IS F numbers

Engine Type
V8, 90-degree with aluminum block and cylinder heads

Horsepower (SAE)
416 @ 6,600 rpm [1]

Torque
371 lb.-ft. @ 5,200 rpm[1]

Displacement
5.0 liters (4,969 cm3/303.2 cu. in.)

Valvetrain
DOHC, 32- valve, Intake camshaft with Electric Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-iE), Exhaust camshaft with Hydraulic Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i)

Designation
2UR-GSE

Bore x Stroke
3.70 in. x 3.52 in.

Compression Ratio
11.8:1

Emission Certification
ULEV II
Maximum Engine Speed (redline)
6,800 rpm

Performance
0-60 mph Acceleration (mfg. estimates)
4.6 sec. [1] [5]
Top Track Speed (mfg. estimates – electronically limited)
170 mph [1] [5]
¼-Mile Acceleration (sec)
13.0 [1] [5]
Coefficient of Drag (Cd)
0.30

It was actually in the NYC auto show, you can get Force upgrade components for the regular IS (Alteeza) as well.

Interestingly they seemed a few months ago to have more model options, including this animal with a 5L V10(Supra replacement?)

Problem is as rightly mentioned, most manufacturers are getting out of the high performance (high gas consumption) markets, due to the global economic uncertaintanty and high gas prices.

Right now in the US, anything with a 6 cylinder or higher has no resale value, nobody wants them anymore.[/url]

noobie · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject:

Toyota as the main company has their focus. The Performance market they are leaving to their smaller and perhaps more specialised Lexus brand.

And none of it really matters anyway, the real 'next' step is 100% Max Torque electric cars Smile

I waiting for Top Gear to get hold of a Tesla!

teems1 · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

lies

Jarno Trulli was on the podium in France a couple weeks ago for Toyota F1.

Never mind the fact Toyota F1 is a Japanese owned team, has one of the largest budgets, is based in Germany, with an Italian and German driver.

Conrad · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject:

gt4tified · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:19 pm Post subject:

TRDcorolla · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject:

i totally agree with gt4tified,

and

TRDcorolla · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject:

Click for full-size.

Terran · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM1MwUDMEOg&feature=related

TRDcorolla · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKf4FOyo56s&feature=related

Mark Divr · Street 2NR Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Tech posts: 77 My 2NRide:

OK GUYS MUNCH ON THIS

http://www.turbomagazine.co..._twin_turbo/photo_01.html

Cjruckus · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

Toyota performance isn't a dying breed.

They are currently dominating Nascar. Kurt Busch is enroute to destroy the Most Wins in a season record. And his car is a Toyota.

Maybe the "affordable performance" is out of the question. If you want speed, drop the paper.

ghostbusters · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

toyota is diversifying, into brands, keeping the toyota brand as a comfy economy solution, scion as the young buyers solution, lexus as the high power luxury solution and soon they'll be trying to buy out subaru, they own daihatsu as their low cost alternative brand, and they have shares in Yamaha, who happens to have the best alloy research facilities and motorcycle engines in the world, na they aint dead, just less accessible

AllTrac · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:15 pm Post subject:

the need to get out of the thinking that if its not a 4 banger turbo awd its not performance oriented. Most manufacturers and slowly phasing out the turbocharger and putting foward high compression and fat torque curve with better emission. Bring on the v8's toyota Twisted Evil