The Legend 1984 Toyota Sprinter Trueno Gt-Apex

The Toyota Sprinter Trueno / Toyota Corolla Levin is a compact sports car produced in Japan from 1983 – 1987. They are commonly referred to as the AE86, or by the Japanese pronunciation hatchi-roku (86). Many people consider this car to be a large influence in developing a market for sport compact cars in America and Canada. The car was powered by a state of the art twincam engine developed by Yamaha and Toyota. This vehicle has since become an icon of the JDM community, and is famous for drifting thanks to Keiichi Tsuchiya (Drift King). Tsuchiya and his AE86 invented the organized drift competitions in both Japan and America. Credit for the immense interest in the AE86 also goes to the drifting manga / anime Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno, a story of a boy who drifts his AE86 in the mountains of Japan.

The engine in the Trueno and Levin is the famous 4a-ge. It is famous because of its willingness to rev, and it’s refinement for the time. Twincam engines were still in their infancy when this car was produced and it was instrumental in convincing people of this new technology. The engine went on to power the MR2 in NA and supercharges forms, then in Japan it was refined with ITB and variable valve timing to produce up to 165hp. The engine is a popular base for many kit cars because of its low weight and ease of tuning.

2012 Toyota Sienna

The 2012 Sienna is a 4-door, up to 8-passenger mini van, available in 10 trims, ranging from the FWD 7-Passenger I4 to the Limited AWD 7-Passenger V6.

Upon introduction, the FWD 7-Passenger I4 is equipped with a standard 2.7-liter, I4, 187-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. The Limited AWD 7-Passenger V6 is equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 266-horsepower engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 23-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims.

The 2012 Sienna is a carryover from 2011. 

Toyota FT-86 The New AE86

Toyota and Subaru are collaborating on a shared four-cylinder sports car that will be sold in two versions, beginning near the end of 2011. Largely engineered by Subaru, the cars will get a rear-drive platform consisting of a steel structure with aluminum body panels. A small, 2.0-liter flat-four engine made by Subaru will sit low behind the front-axle line. Toyota previewed its FT86 concept at last year’s Tokyo auto show; Subaru has yet to show its cards.

Neither automaker has released official names, but it is rumored that Toyota may revive “Celica,” which has been on hiatus since 2003. “FT” means “future Toyota,” and the “86” serves as a reminder of the rear-drive AE86 Corolla of the 1980s that has achieved cult status among drifters. Designed at Toyota’s European studio in the south of France, the FT86 concept’s shape is expected to enter production unchanged.

Toyota’s boss, part-time racer Akio Toyoda, recognizes that the brand lacks emotional appeal and doesn’t offer gobs of driving pleasure, so the company hopes the new car will inject some fun into the lineup. For Subaru, the new vehicle brings a dedicated rear-drive sports car to the company’s stable of all-wheel-drive hatchbacks, wagons, and sedans. But Subaru has built its reputation and much of its sales success on extolling the virtues of all-wheel drive, so how the sports car will change Subaru’s heading remains to be seen.

Toyota Land Cruiser SUV

Land Cruiser has evolved over time from a basic four-wheel-drive utility vehicle in its early years to an upscale eight-passenger sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold in 188 countries. Yet, this iconic vehicle has retained a loyal following as it remains true to its off-road heritage with uncompromising go-anywhere capability.

For the 2013 model year, Land Cruiser receives exterior and interior styling enhancements. Additionally, Land Cruiser will now come with all features as standard equipment, including new driving performance features, and an array of significant safety and convenience features. Among the many popular features that were formerly available as options, but are now standard, are rear-seat DVD entertainment system, color-keyed rear spoiler, rain-sensing windshield wipers, center-console cooler box, headlamp cleaners, leather-trimmed steering wheel, multi-information display, voice and Bluetooth® hands-free controls, leather-trimmed shift lever and heated second row seats. Toyota’s Premium Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Navigation with Entune multi-media system and JBL® audio is also standard.

Scion iQ

Here’s what the new Scion iQ has going for it: It’s tiny outside, but not so small inside. Four people can wedge in when necessary. It’s good-looking, the interior design is about the best of any cheap car, and the seats are comfortable. The suspension is simple, but it works well, and the precise steering and its size make the iQ super easy to park. And although the front-mounted 1.3-liter engine makes 94 hp, the iQ weighs just a cheerleader more than a ton.

Toyota Prius

The 2012 Toyota Prius ranks 10 out of 19 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 34 published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Prius, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The 2012 Toyota Prius isn’t the fastest or best-handling car, but auto journalists say its excellent fuel economy ratings will appeal to green car shoppers.

Reviewers say that if you’re looking for a fuel-efficient car, the 2012 Toyota Prius should be high on your list. Its fuel economy ratings are some of the best in the industry, excluding all-electric cars. For 2012, Toyota introduced the all-new Prius Plug-in. Like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, the Prius Plug-in lets owners charge the battery by plugging it into a standard wall outlet. Reviewers like that the Prius Plug-in’s battery can be recharged in three hours or less, depending on the wall outlet’s voltage.

The 2012 Prius is well-liked by test drivers for its quiet cabin, spacious trunk, high-tech electronics and comfortable ride. The Prius gets knocked for its soft suspension, squishy brakes, numb steering and lackluster acceleration. The automotive press says that if fuel economy is your top priority, the Prius is a top contender and worth a test drive. However, if you’re looking for something engaging to drive, this isn’t the car for you. They say its hybrid powertrain is extremely boring when you’re behind the wheel.

Other Cars to Consider

Although the Honda Insight is the Prius’ obvious contender since it looks so similar, it ranks poorly among hybrid cars. A better car to consider is the Ford Fusion Hybrid. It has a higher base price, but test drivers like its roomy interior and good fuel economy. Although is uses more fuel than the Prius, test drivers say it’s a good option if you’re looking for a green car with the practicality of a midsize sedan.

If you’ve got more money to spend, the Chevrolet Volt is worth a test drive. It features a similar drivetrain to the Toyota Prius Plug-in, but the Volt’s drivetrain is more versatile. The Volt’s electric-only range is longer, and it’s more efficient when operating on electric power alone. However, the Prius does get better fuel economy in gas/hybrid mode.

Toyota Camry

The 2012 Toyota Camry ranks 15 out of 19 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 14 published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Camry, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

Auto reviewers think Toyota made the best-selling Camry even better with a redesign for 2012 thanks to its excellent fuel economy, refined performance and high-quality interior.

Test drivers like the redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry for its roomy interior, best-in-class non-hybrid, non-diesel fuel economy, relaxed ride and smooth engines. With the changes for 2012, most reviewers expect the Camry to retain its position as one of the best-selling cars in the class.

The 2012 Camry gives shoppers a good mix of comfort, engine power, interior space and technology. They’re glad Toyota made improvements where necessary and left other areas that didn’t need tweaking unchanged. Motor Trend says, "Besides being a best-seller, it has arguably been the best car in its class for 20 years, so improvements tend to be incremental, not phenomenal, like those of the '08 Chevy Malibu, '10 Ford Fusion, '11 Hyundai Sonata, and possibly the '12 VW Passat."

The main gripe reviewers have with the 2012 Toyota Camry is its redesigned exterior. Although they think it looks better than the 2011 model, they still note that the Camry has a conservative, bland look. While some say they wish Toyota would make the Camry a little more edgy, they understand that bold styling might limit the Camry’s mass-market appeal.

If you’re shopping for a roomy, capable, fuel-efficient midsize sedan, the 2012 Camry is definitely worth a test drive.

 

Toyota Supra

The first Toyota Supra's appeared in Japan in 1978, and production continued until 2002, with the car undergoing three major revisions culminating in the Mk IV twin turbo Toyota Supra of 1993 - 2002.The Mark IV Toyota Supra was offered with two different engine options; a naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE, 3.0 litre, straight 6 with 220 horsepower and 210 ft/lbs of torque, and a 2JZ-GTE 3.0 litre twin turbocharged straight 6 with 320 horsepower and 315 ft/lbs of torque.

For many, part of the twin turbo Toyota Supra's attraction comes from the easily upgraded power output. 450 - 500 horsepower can be had out of the stock turbos with a free flowing intake and exhaust system coupled with an aftermarket boost controller.

The MKIV Supra's turbochargers operate in a sequential format where, at first, all of the exhaust gasses are routed to the first turbine for reduced lag. This results in increased boost and enhanced torque as low as 1800 rpm. Approaching 4000 rpm, the exhaust gasses are routed to the second turbine for a "pre-boost" mode, although none of the compressor output is used by the engine at this point. Around 4500 rpm, the second turbo's output is added to the intake air, and both turbos operate in parallel. The sequential operation of the Toyota Supra's turbos allow for improved low-end response.

The Mark IV Toyota Supra, although no featherweight, was extensively lightened compared to the previous generation. The use of aluminium for the hood, targa top, front crossmember, oil pan, and upper A-arms helped. As did dished out head bolts, a magnesium steering wheel, plastic petrol cover, and a gas injected rear spoiler. Despite having more features such as dual airbags, traction control, larger brakes, larger wheels, and larger tires, the MK IV Supra was at least 45 kgs (100 lbs) lighter than the outgoing model.

External review by AJI:

The MKiv Toyota Supra saw an extensive weight reduction diet over the previous version of this model. At a time when Supercars were being produced left right and centre, Toyota decided to get in on the act with the MKiv. Honda had already realeased the NSX and Nissan with the Skyline and the 300ZX, and with Europe and its choices of British, Italian and German high performance cars the Supra was fitted with a twin turbo setup and the export version hit the market with 326bhp as standard.

The export version of the Supra was the highest specification version of the Supra, this is strange as the Japanese home market versions are usually this way. So therefore this saw the export versions fitted with stronger steel turbos, bigger brakes, bigger fuel injectors, glass headlights, full leather interior, and generally more 'toys'. They were all twin turbos and came in either 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. The export MKiv was generally over engineered, it therefore produces a car that can easily be tuned to the 450-500bhp area without the need to upgrade vital internal parts. The getrag 6-speed gearbox is a good strong unit and the 6- cylinder engine is a racey unit with plenty of torque.

The export Supras were tested and produced a 4.9sec time to get to 60mph. The top speed of the export versions is 180mph, and 6th gear if it were allowed would result in a top speed of 196mph if the car had the power to get there.

The Japanese home market versions of the Supra came with a large tick-box on the specification lists. But the two main models were the RZ (the twin turbo) or the SZ (the normal aspirated version). Later in the production line the GZ was released which was basically an RZ with all the extras ticked. And later still the Japanese home market version went through a facelift giving it the bigger brakes and other details which included a modification to the front bumper.

The engines between the J-spec and the export version has some considerably differences. The turbos were ceramic as opposed to steel, the fuel injectors were smaller and although the torque figure was still very coparable to the export version the bhp figure was slightly down.

The J-specs had a top speed of 170mph due to the slightly lower bhp figure. And, they got to 60mph in 5.1sec. The automatic versions always had slightly worse performance figures due to the power loss through the transmission, but the auto box is still considered one of the best on the market.

The Euro-spec version of the export model saw the inclusion of a bonnet vent to aid cooling to cylinders 3 and 6, the Japanese home market and US export version never had a bonnet vent. Some home market Supras appeared with no rear spoiler, this is down to the tick-boxes on the spec. list.