GM set to Reclaim No1 Position Thanks to Toyota’s Mounting Woes

One automaker’s misfortune is another’s gain, or so it seems with GM and Toyota. With the effects of Japan’s Tōhoku earthquake still being felt and full scale production unlikely to resume at Toyota’s Japanese plants until the end of the year, GM is likely to reclaim the top spot as the world’s largest automaker.

Adding to Japanese automakers woes are the numerous recalls and the bad publicity brought about by the sudden unintended acceleration debacle in 2009 and 2010, both of which have hurt the brand’s image for reliability.

Meanwhile, a post-bankruptcy GM has gone from strength to strength. Better products – including the likes of the Buick Lacrosse and Chevy Cruze and Equinox models – are helping bring GM into the second decade of the 21st century. Toyota, meanwhile, is struggling to maintain sales with an ageing range of vehicles, bad PR and diminished production capacity.

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Toyota Expects to Resume Normal Production of all Models in November or December

The aftershocks from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami continue to affect Toyota Motor Corporation as the automaker said on Friday that it will take several months before normal production of all its models resume to normal. According to the company announcement, global production will begin to ramp up in July in Japan and August in North America, with all models back to normal production in November or December 2011. Read more »

Toyota Corolla vs Ferrari F430: Can You Guess Who Wins this Race?

Pitting a puny stock Toyota Corolla against a Ferrari F430 and asking which car would win in a straight line race sounds like a joke, right? Well, under any other circumstances, you would be right to take this as a shaggy dog story but this comparo, which was made for a Japanese TV show, has a peculiar twist to it: the race was run in reverse gear… So, now that you know, can you pick the winner? Enjoy the quirky drag race between the Corolla sedan and Maranello’s supercar in the video clip after the break.

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After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN’s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.

Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

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Japanese Carmakers Lose More than 500,000 Vehicles to Earthquake, Toyota hit the Worst

It’s been over a month since the first of a series of earthquakes along with a catastrophic tsunami hit Japan’s shores resulting in devastating destruction and flooding, but the country is still feeling the effects in more ways than one.

According to a news report, Japan’s big seven automakers have lost more than half a million units of output since the March 11 quake. To make matters worse, even though many factories opened recently, they have not yet reached their full production capacity due to a lack of parts.

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Toyota Reduces North American Production Due to Lack of Parts from Japan

The devastating consequences of the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the country’s auto industry continue to unfold. Today, Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it will reduce its North American production because of the lack of parts. The Japanese auto giant said that over the next few weeks, its American vehicle plants will operate on a reduced schedule, with production suspended on April 15, 18, 21*, 22, and 25. The same goes for most of the company’s North American engine and component plants that will follow a similar schedule.

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Toyota May See Production Diminished by 500,000 Cars because of the Earthquake

The shortage of parts and electricity problems in Japan in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake may delay the production of at least 500,000 Toyota vehicles, according to market research company Advanced Research Japan.

The world's largest carmaker may subsequently see its operating profit drop by at least 100 billion yen ($1.2 billion) in the 2010 fiscal year (ending March 31 2011) and up to 200 billion yen in the 2011 fiscal year. Auto analyst Koji Endo says any impact on production destined for export will affect earnings even more. “Hardly any cars will be built in April and a very low level of production will continue from May,” Endo was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

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Wald International Tricks Out BMW’s Latest 5-Series F10 Sedan

Noted Japanese tuning house Wald International is preparing its first customization take on the latest BMW 5-Series sedan. Details are still scant as this is a project in the works, but the Wald-modified 5-Series Sports Line Black Bison Edition gets a collection of aero body pieces made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

The exterior kit includes a new front bumper design with additional air vents and LED daytime lights, along with bespoke side skirts, a beefy rear apron housing a diffuser and the firm’s familiar exhaust tail pipe design, and a fixed boot lid spoiler. A new set of multispoke alloy wheels complete the look.

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New Video Footage from Japan’s Terrifying Tsunami

A new video clip showing the tremendous power of the tsunami that hit Japan after the 9.0 earthquake on March 11 has surfaced on Youtube. The video starts out with a mass of cars pushed over the road as the water creep ups towards the street and starts gaining momentum, eventually destroying everything in its path, including several buildings. Perhaps even scarier is the fact that the person behind the camera continued to roll despite the imminent danger all around him… Check out the clip in the video after the break.Read more »

Mazda, Honda Suspend U.S. Orders for Japan-Made Models

Mazda has suspended all US orders for cars built in Japan as the carmaker is preparing to shut down its plants once again after a short reopening period. According to the automaker’s American spokesman Jay Amestoy, the decision will affect shipments of cars that were due to arrive in the U.S. in May. The Mazda official added that it was uncertain when normal activity will resume.

Mazda USA imports almost all its range from the Japan, except the U.S.-built Mazda6 and Tribute. The models produced in Japan are the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5 / Miata, RX-8, CX7 and CX9. Mazda halted production at its Hiroshima and Hofu plants from March 14 through March 21, but three days ago, it resumed temporary production using parts it had in its inventory.

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Source Code: Toyota Fights to Limit ECU Code Viewing in Legal Battle

Could Toyota's source code hold the answer to its sudden acceleration problems? Possibly, and it's currently working with attorneys to smooth out how this code will be analyzed in its ongoing unintended acceleration legal woes.

For those of you too fried to remember, Toyota had a bit of a flub a couple years ago regarding unintended acceleration in some of its vehicles; the problems were originally blamed on floor mats, poorly designed pedals, and driver error.

Currently, plaintiffs and their attorneys are still fighting for a proper explanation and compensation even though "the [U.S.] government's comprehensive review of Toyota's source code found no electronic causes of [unintended acceleration] in Toyota vehicles."

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Subaru Also Extends Production Halt at all Car Plants in Japan

The situation in Japan for the country’s automobile industry appears to be much worse than originally believed with many carmakers struggling to resume domestic output following the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that killed thousands of people and damaged factories as well as infrastructure.

Following yesterday’s announcement from Toyota, Subaru said today that it will extend closures at all five of its automobile assembly plants in Japan until Monday, March 28. The automaker’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) had previously announced its production suspension until March 24.

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Analysts Predict Expensive Fuel and Factory Shortages Could See Prius Price Rise

There’s an old saying that goes, “One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity,” that I think is particularly apt in describing this latest story. With the civil war in Libya nudging petrol prices skyward and with the growing fear that Japan’s earthquake crisis will slow production of Toyota’s ubiquitous Prius hybrid, American consumers are flocking to their nearest dealership to snatch one up.

Tammy Darvish, the owner of four Toyota dealerships around Washington D.C. explains: “A lot of customers are convinced that prices will be going up and that availability [of the Prius] will be a little short.”

A Texas Toyota dealer is reporting that his sales have doubled in the last six weeks due to steadily increasing fuel prices. And with no U.S. factory producing the popular hybrid five-door, it’s not like there’s a backup supply if things become more pear shaped in the land of the rising sun.

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Toyota Postpones Prius V Launch in Japan after Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis

The latest victim of the ongoing crisis in Japan is the new minivan version of the Prius as Toyota announced today that it has decided to postpone launch of the car at its home market. “No decision has been made at this time on when the launch will be rescheduled,” Toyota said in a statement.

Despite the delay in Japan, Toyota said that the North American version of the Prius V, which is scheduled to launch at the end of summer 2011, remains on track. “No decision has been made in regards to a possible need to change the launch timing,” Toyota said.

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Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche Donate €2.5 Million for Japan Earthquake Relief

Volkswagen and Audi today announced that they will donate €1 million ($1.42 million) each for humanitarian aid to the Japanese people affected by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Asian nation on March 11. Porsche also said it will offer €500,000 ($707,000) to assist people affected by the natural disaster. Aside from these contributions, the VW Group has announced the launch of a donation campaign among its employees.

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Toyota Further Extends Shutdowns at Japanese Plants

Toyota said on Tuesday that is has decided to continue the vehicle-production halt that began on March 14 at all of its plants in Japan including subsidiary vehicle manufacturers through March 26, as the company faces shortages of parts from local suppliers that were affected by the disastrous earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear crisis that followed after. This is the second time in less than a week that Toyota extends a halt of its manufacturing plants in Japan.

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