It’s called the Toyota GRMN Sports Concept II and, based on its AWD system, I think it could be part of that partnership that Toyota forged with Subaru. I’m not sure how the GRMN (German?) factors into that, though, since both companies are Japanese. They say it stands for “GAZOO Racing tuned by Master of Nurburgring.” The Master of Nurburgring is the late Hiromu Naruse, head of GAZOO Racing and a former test driver for Toyota.

That said, there’s no boxer engine under the hood (maybe it has nothing to do with Subaru after all). Instead, they’ve opted for a 245bhp 3.5L V6 located centrally. That is dedicated to the rear wheels, while the front wheels are driven entirely by an electric motor. And yes, it’s a roadster. And yes, it looks very hot.

Now we have to ask: is this just a concept car or is the second coming of the Toyota MR-2/MR-S? It can’t be the new Supra, since the Lexus LF-A is more their supercar schtick.

The post Toyota’s 295 HP GRMN Sports Concept II hybrid convertible appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When you take a look at the Lexus lineup, you’ll find that most of the cars with hybrid technology are toward the top of the range. That’s changing with the more entry-level minded Lexus CT 200h. It’s not going to be as cheap as a Yaris, but it’s one of the most affordable Lexus vehicles yet.

Unfortunately, that comes with some sacrifices. Starting at $29,120 US (£23,485 UK), the Lexus CT 200h is supposed to compete against the likes of the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3, except it comes loaded with that whole Synergy Drive thing. It uses the exact same tech as the Toyota Prius, but in a slightly more upscale package.

And we do mean slightly. Early reviews are saying that the interior leaves something to be desired: with “plasticky leather and shiny plastic trim, the CT 200h is beaten by a VW Golf for premium feel inside.” The performance is lacking too, and they’re not fans of the “numb steering” and the not exactly smooth regenerative brakes.

It’s good to see Lexus flesh out the range with more hybrid options, but even the entry-level CT 200h looks like it’s overpricing itself for what it is.

[Auto Express UK, Lexus]

The post Lexus CT 200h Hybrid Brings Down the Lexus Scale appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

At $375,000, the Lexus LFA supercar was a sight to behold. Considering that it costs about four times as much as the competiting Nissan GT-R, you have to wonder why someone would want the most expensive road car that Toyota has ever produced. And now you wonder even more with an even more expensive version.

Upping the ante is the new Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package. While only 500 of the regular LFA supercars are being produced, a mere 50 of these upgraded Japanese supercars are going to be made available. With the bump in price to $445,000, the LFA Nurburgring is the most expensive road car ever made by a Japanese manufacturer.

So, what does all that extra cash buy you? Power output is only marginally increased from 552bhp to 562bhp, but they’ve worked on several aerodynamic improvements that allow the monster to race around the legendary Nurburgring track in under 7:20. That’s bloody fast, in case you’re wondering. They’ve also improved the sequential gearbox to switch between gears in 0.15 seconds, compared to the 0.2 on the regular LFA.

In addition to the little changes here and there, buyers of the LFA Nurburgring also get a special jacket commemorating the purchase, a night’s stay at Nurburgring, and a one-year pass to the circuit to rip around the track. The white, orange, and black models are selling at the aforementioned $445k, but matte black comes in at a $20,000 premium.

The post Lexus LFA Supercar Gets More Expensive with Nurburgring Edition appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

2010 Toyota Prius

For the past few years, the mighty Toyota brand had taken a major bloodbath. The company which at one point could proclaim with a straight face they had “The Best Built Cars In The World”, is now under worldwide scrutiny for its quality control and overall product safety.

“Drive a Toyota. You’ll Never Stop.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been a total of 52 confirmed deaths to date that can be linked to what is being dubbed: “unexpected acceleration” in their vehicles. In a delayed reaction by Toyota execs, the US government finally stepped in to pressure the car maker to initiate a mass recall, pulling over 8 million Toyota & Lexus vehicles off the road for repairs worldwide.

But the big question still remains….Why? Why is this happening?

Theories have been argued ranging from gas pedals all the way down to simple floor mat slippage. However, no one has really been able to pinpoint the true source of this public catastrophe. A few weeks ago, Mr. Toyoda himself sat in front of agitated House committee with only apologies and little answers.

Facing a dead end in its investigation, federal regulators are now looking at a new culprit: cosmic radiation. Yup, I said it.  Just when there was no one left to point the finger at, an “anonymous tipster” directed regulators to look into the impact that energy particles from outer-space may have on sensitive microprocessors, similar to the kind found in most modern cars.

An in-depth article written by LiveScience explains how Toyota has led the auto industry in replacing mechanical components with microchips to run a growing list of features in their cars. According to scientists, the binary code in chips can be corrupted in what’s called a “single event upset” by high-energy particles that bombard us constantly from space.

Cosmic rays hit Earth - Illustration: S. Swardy / U. Chicago / NASA

While military and aerospace industries have long known about the effects of cosmic rays on computation, automakers have given the subject little attention. If testing shows any positive proof in this direction, the standards in which auto makers manufacture their electronics systems in the future will have to be revamped to military-spec quality to prevent any future such disasters. This could mean even more expensive costing cars.

I’m no statistician, but I think the likelihood of this number of vehicles being randomly struck by space-born particles at just the right moment in their computational cycle, causing a catastrophic malfunction, is beyond ridiculous. Everyone on earth would have won the lottery before this happened. Toyota is not the only car company on the road using chips to control things. Have you ever tried to open the door of a Cadillac when the batteries die? You might as well use it as a paper weight at that point.

Today’s horoscope: If you bought a Prius because you love the Earth, maybe you should just ride your bike to work today.

The post Anonymous tipster says “Toyota’s crashes caused by Cosmos” appeared first on Mobile Magazine.