Toyota brings Super Off-Road Arcade Game to Smart Phones

Toyota released a new version of Super Off Road just for smart phones

Along with the launch of the new TRD Pro trucks, Toyota also re-launched the original Toyota Off-Road Game for smart phones. With this Toyota is encouraging, not just truck fans to “Get Dirty”, but smart phone users too.

Some might remember the arcade game as “Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road” this new version has dropped the celebrity approval but added some special Toyota tweaks. Toyota invites you to be the first to take the TRD Pro Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner off-road and online by playing Super Off  Road: TRD Pro Edition.

You can select your favorite TRD Pro model and put it to the test on the toughest, dirtiest, most difficult on line off-road track right on your mobile phone. 

The game works on your smart phone or on your tablet, allowing players to choose one of the new TRD Pro vehicles to race on an off-road course full of jumps, water-crossings, etc. The vehicles in the game are all faithful 8-bit recreations available with the same exclusive Inferno paint finish. 

Challenge your friends and compete to beat the leaderboard in a classic game environment dating to the era when the best video games were played on SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System).

Huntsville’s Toyota Alabama plant to celebrate expansion, production of 3 millionth engine

Toyota’s Huntsville manufacturing facility is celebrating the launch of the factory’s second V6 engine line, along with the invited guests, including Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama is also celebrating its fifth significant investment since it began operations 11 years ago. The construction project, which was estimated to cost $80 million when it was announced in 2012, was completed last month. This investment provides 125 new jobs to expand V6 engine production.

 “The launch of an additional V6 engine line and production of our three millionth engine are milestones that speak directly to the incredible 1,200 team members at Toyota Alabama,” said Jim Bolte, president of Toyota Alabama. “Our new V6

is particularly monumental because we are now the only Toyota engine plant in the world with four separate production lines.”

 “The latest expansion at Toyota is proof that Alabama continues to be a great place for automotive manufacturing companies to be successful”, Governor Bentley said. “Automotive manufacturing is one of the targeted sectors for growth in Accelerate Alabama, and this expansion will provide 125 more good paying jobs for the people of Alabama. I appreciate Toyota’s investment in Alabama, and I am proud that our partnership with the company is stronger today than ever before.”

Toyota Alabama’s total investment will exceed $850 million by July 2015, when its current $150 million machining project is completed. Last year Toyota Alabama produced more than 540,000 engines, a plant record. The maximum annual engine capacity is nearly 750,000 engines. The plant is the only Toyota facility in the world to produce four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines under one roof.

It produces engines for seven North American-built Toyota models: Camry, the Highlander, the RAV4, the Sequoia, the Tacoma, the Tundra and the Venza.

In honor of this milestone event, Toyota Alabama donated $50,000 gift to be split equally by two community non-profit organization, Harris Home For Children, a Huntsville-based foster care institution, and Nexus Energy’s Alabama Wise Program, a community energy program that empowers Alabama families to take control of their energy costs.

  

Fuel Cell Technology - Power to the People

One of the worst winters recorded has caused many outages and has literally left many people in the dark during the last few months. Millions of people experienced this. However, what if there is a solution, what if a car, or parts of it, could provide power during an emergency? Engineers in Toyota are looking for a solution; they are looking for “enlightened” ways to do just that. 

The Toyota FCV Concept is a practical concept of the fuel cell vehicle Toyota plans to launch around 2015, as a pioneer in the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Highly effective while producing zero emissions, a fully fueled vehicle has enough juice to power a small house for a week in an emergency. Engineers are currently working on establishing an external power supply device to connect the car to the house and help keep the lights on.

Millions of Toyota hybrids are on the road around the world, from Prius to Highlander to Camry.  One thing is common in all of them, the batteries. In Japan, Toyota gave new life to those old hybrid battery packs, as stationary power storage systems. The units are in use since 2013, and they supply peak power to Toyota dealerships around the country.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL) is now studying this used battery power system in order to help power their operations and support back-up power during an emergency. As one of Toyota’s model sustainable North American plants, it’s fitting for TMMAL to be the first U.S. facility to flip this switch.

Toyota Becomes First Daytona Rising Partner

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) has announced groundbreaking news that Toyota will be the first founding partner of both the massive Daytona redesign and at Daytona International Speedway as a part of its unprecedented $400 million Daytona Rising redevelopment project. Beginning in 2015, signing an 11-year deal will give Toyota naming rights for one of the track’s five “fan injector” grand entrances. Toyota will also have a prime presence in the central “World Center of Racing” zone that will overlook the iconic start/finish line when construction is completed in January 2016.

It is a multi-year project, including the Speedway’s nearly one-mile long frontstretch which, upon finishing in January 2016, will create a world-class facility with premium amenities, unparalleled in the industry, according to ISC. This includes retail and dining areas, dozens of video screens to provide fans with non-stop views of on-track action while they mingle with friends.  Fans will be able to socialize and enjoy themselves in this area prior to, during and after a race.

In addition, Toyota will serve as an official partner of “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500, and will receive official pace car rights in 2015.

 “When we started drafting the designs of  DAYTONA Rising, we envisioned partnering with equally forward-thinking organizations like Toyota to bring forth the very best experience for our fans and guests,” said ISC Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy. “Toyota has been a great partner for many years and will continue to work together to enhance the fan experience at many of our facilities across the country."

 “DAYTONA Rising represents our commitment to delivering engaging and innovative ways for our partners to showcase their brand,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “We’re proud to integrate Toyota into this historic project. Our fans and guests will now enjoy more exciting, innovative and engaging experiences from the moment they enter the new facility to the time they reach their seats and beyond.”

The partnership was announced at the Chicago Auto Show, at the same location where, more than 10 years ago, Toyota initially announced its plans to participate for the first time in NASCAR, as a part of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 “This is unique opportunity for Toyota to elevate our brand in the motorsport community, especially through the DAYTONA Rising project,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. “ISC and  Daytona International Speedway will provide strong platforms to interact with our guests and most importantly, our race fans.”

Toyota FCHV Handling The Polar Vortex

Record low and cold temperatures have stranded many East Coast drivers, but not those that are testing the Toyota fuel cell in the area.

Connecticut-based Proton Onsite, which operates a fleet of ten Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell vehicles, says that even in single digit temperatures, the FCHV-adv shows no signs of frostbite, according to Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

“We had another snow storm Tuesday night and this morning the temperature was 3 degrees,” said mark Schiller, Proton vice president of business development. “I went out to my Toyota FCHV-adv and brushed off a foot of snow before starting the car right up. No problem”, he added.

When compared to a purely electric vehicle, the fuel cell car has the upper ground in terms of real-life application: an almost zero effect over the performance even in the harshest environments. Schiller claims to still get around 300 miles on a single tank. “The vehicle performed flawlessly,” he added.

Air Products in Allentown tells the same story.

“Our employees have driven it to community and business-related events during one of Pennsylvania’s worst winters in recent memory,” says Nick Mittica, Air Products’ commercial manager, hydrogen energy systems. “The FCHV-adv has great performance.”

Apparently, over the last decade, the Toyota fuel cell fleet has logged millions of miles in some of the most extreme climates on the planet. From Yellowknife, Canada (temperatures as low as – 30 degrees Celsius) to the Death Valley (severe heat), Toyota have tried them all.

There’s a lot of testing to do, but in 2015 when FCHVs hits the road, it will all be worth it. 

Toyota To Heat Up Frigid Chicago With Action-Packed Auto Show

 2014 Toyota Tundra rolls into the Chicago Auto Show

Toyota upgrades its full size pickup to go toe-to-toe with the best from the US

Within the U.S. automotive industry the Chicago Auto Show is historically known as the venue for automakers to reveal new pickups. Toyota will debut the new TRD Pro Series for the Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner in an area reminiscent of an adventurous desert landscape. Toyota is determined to keep up by offering a new Tundra for the 2014 model year.

The Japanese automaker promised a better, more chiseled looks for the Tundra, and a more refined interior, both of which are necessary to complete in the combative full-size pickup segment. 

The 2014 Toyota Tundra does have a more chiseled appearance. With this distinct look we think they are all sufficiently aggressive for the macho U.S. pickup market. Toyota claims a more refined interior, and that’s important with high quality new interiors from Ram, and soon General Motors. A quick look around the interior reveals improved materials with more and more soft-touch surfaces as you move up the model range. Eight airbags, including dual knee bags, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, are also standard on all grades.

The model lineup consists of the base SR, the SR5 (Tundra’s sales leader), the better equipped Limited and two upscale grades: the Platinum and the 1794 edition, named for the year a ranch was founded in San Antonio, Texas, the land where the Tundra is now built. The dashboard is redesigned, but it keeps large buttons that can be controlled while wearing work gloves. CrewMax, the crew cab, gets more front and rear legroom, and the rear seats can fold down for improved storage space.

The Platinum comes with components such as Toyota’s Entune infotainment system and segment-exclusive blind-spot monitor and rear-cross traffic alert, while the 1794 is Southwestern themed, with saddle brown leather covering.

How well the new Tundra drives will be determined by the test drive. The 2014 Tundra uses three carryover engines, all of which are quite efficient. The base engine is a 4.0-liter 270-horse power V6. The next step up is a 4.6-liter 310-horsepower V8, and the top-line engine is a 381-horsepower V8.

The 2014 Tundra should start around $25,000 and top out at, or above $50,000 when it goes on sale in September. The Tundra is a quality truck with plenty of capability, and the 2014 model looks better and promises to be more sophisticated.

Live stream: http://new.livestream.com/Toyota/TRDpro?sf1721157=1

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