FastMotoring Motor News In Speed

Toyota has challenged the odd by designing a concept car that combines four cars into one. The innovative Toyota ME.WE can be configured as a small city car, off-roader, ute and convertible, making it adaptable to a wide variety of lifestyles.

The 5-seat electric concept car is positioned as an intelligent “no frills” response to the ecological threats posed by mass production and the growth of the global car fleet.

A joint venture between Toyota and leading European industrial designer Jean-Marie Massaud, the car’s name reflects a simultaneous concern for individual freedom (ME) and responsibility towards society (WE).

The ME.WE uses materials that are lightweight, robust and recyclable – a tubular aluminium structure, body panels made from expanded polypropylene, and bamboo for the floor and dashboard.

Design concept of the interior, passengers always takes priority over luggage, which can be carried on the roof, protected by a neoprene cover. The rear luggage space can be extended, transforming it into a platform like that of a ute; the car can also provide the “wind-in-the-hair” experience of a cabriolet by opening all the windows, including the windscreen.

Instruments are limited to a single screen above the steering wheel that indicates vehicle speed, battery charge, trip information and navigation instructions delivered by a smart phone.The smart phone itself is mounted below the screen and allows occupants to create their own personal environment with music and other apps, as well as controlling the cabin air temperature.

Minimalist bench seats, also constructed from expanded polypropylene, can be removed and used for a picnic.
Simple design is matched by ease of use: it has an electric motor in each wheel like the recently unveiled Toyota i-ROAD and its batteries are located under the floor, as with the Toyota iQ electric car.

The ME.WE provides two or four-wheel drive, giving it the ability to cope effectively with different terrains, some of which may be inaccessible to a traditional car.

But it is much lighter than conventional 4×4 vehicles: Toyota says the Yaris-sized car could weigh as little as 750kg – a minimum weight saving of 20 per cent compared with a conventional car in its class. The body panels weigh just 14kg – a saving of around 180kg compared with the use of steel.

Expanded polypropylene is strong and has better thermal insulation properties, resulting in less use of the car’s electric heater and air-conditioning system. Toyota’s European design and development HQ, ED2, and Massaud, a noted architect and inventor, have pooled their expertise and used existing technologies to produce a realistic concept car.

Toyota says the project has enabled it to gain insights into the future of the automobile from the perspective of a non-automotive design studio. The cross-pollination of ideas and fresh perspectives are an important part of the creative process as Toyota seeks new solutions for better vehicles.

Collaboration with Massaud began in 2011. He said today’s cars have become an accumulation of constraints more than a source of freedom. “Our lives and needs require more adaptability, simplicity and lightness,” Massaud said. “The car of today should be seen as a personal mobility solution that can deliver more.”

Toyota has emphasised the inherent innovation of the ME.WE by unveiling the concept car in its Paris showroom – Le Rendez-vous Toyota on the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées – rather than at a motor show. It will be on display until 12 June 2013, it is part of an exhibition showing other aspects of design including models, drawing tables and selected materials.

Unfortunately for people who love this concept as Toyota confirmed there are no plans for the ME.WE to enter production.

Photo Gallery: Toyota ME.WE Concept Car

Today, Toyota Motor Corporation announced a special service campaign on certain Toyota models to address the issue of possible improper manufactured passenger side front airbag inflator that could cause rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally during a crash.

TMC has undertaken a special service campaign to replace the airbag inflator module for front side passenger in the interest of ensuring customers’ confidence and peace of mind.

For Malaysia, UMW Toyota Motor has received confirmation from our principal, TMC that there are approximately 18,700 units of Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla Altis manufactured from year 2000 to 2003 which are involved in this Special Service Campaign in Malaysia.

Although there have not been any reported cases in Malaysia, UMW Toyota Motor will be conducting this campaign to ensure our customers’ vehicle remain reliable and trouble-free.

UMW Toyota Motor will contact all customers involved to carry out the necessary corrective measures at no cost. No other models sold by UMW Toyota Motor produced before year 2000 and after year 2003 are affected by this campaign.

The New Toyota Vios 2013 is finally here, not available in Malaysia yet but the Vios will look pretty much same if not identical to the one just revealed in Thailand. Designed to be more appealing to the younger generation, the new Toyota Vios certainly looks much better compare to the last generation that we Malaysian call it the “dugong Vios”.  Aligned with the New Toyota vehicles design theme, the New Vios certainly looks sportier, at some angle it reminds of the Ford Fiesta.

Disappointingly it is still powered by the same 4 speed gearbox mated with 1.5L engine that produces 109 HP (80 kW) and 141 Nm of torque that is more than 10 years (since 2002). There will be a few variants of specs as we can expect here. In Thailand, the higher end model will have projector headlight, bigger wheels, all round disc brakes and some interior, exterior differences.

The swift body lines helps the new Vios looks sporty, it makes us feel like the designer had took more effort when designing this Vios. The interior in 2013 Toyota Vios looks much better than generation as well. We see some resembles of the current Honda City. Toyota has got rid of the center speedometer design of the previous generation. Again, more swift lines continues of the design of the interior which makes the new Vios 2013 feels like it has upgraded itself to a different segment.

The current Toyota Vios is sold around RM70,000+ to RM90,000 . We expect the new Vios 2013 will be priced at this range to keep the competition with the vast variety of competition in this segment ( Honda City, Nissan Almera, Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta & etc). By looks, we are quite confident it will do a good sale once it reaches our shore. However, we look forward for Toyota to bring in some new engine at our shores.

Gallery : 2013 Toyota Vios

Toyota Australia has started exporting its new locally built 4-cylinder engines to Thailand and Malaysia for the first time. Now, the new Toyota’s Altona engine plant in Victoria has begun full production of the new 4 cylinder AR series engine.

Approximately 18,000 engines are estimated to be exported in 2013, while more than 90,000 engines will be fitted to Toyota Australia’s locally built Camry and Camry Hybrid sedans for domestic and export markets. Approximately 108,000 engines will be produced this year, of which 85 per cent will be petrol engines and 15 per cent hybrid.

The first shipment of both petrol and hybrid engines are expected to arrive in February 2013 to Thailand and Malaysia.

Just 2 hours ago, Toyota USA published a teaser for the latest Toyota’s Furia Concept at YouTube. The Furia Concept model will be displaying at the 2013 Detroit auto show. Basically, we can see it’s a orange colour sedan with a carbon fibre trunk lip. That’s all we know for now until the full details are released in a week time.