Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

Another victim of high fuel prices, the next-generation Lexus SC has been canceled by Toyota while plans for the replacement Toyota Avalon Sedan might also be shelved. The SC is having a very low sales record, moving only 1,230 SC 430 units in the first six months of this year, down more than 40% from a year ago. A new version of the Lexus SC had been in the drawing boards and was supposedly slated for production in early 2009 but was pushed back to mid-2011; now it has been canceled according to Toyota insiders.

Meanwhile, Toyota is also mulling whether to cancel the planned replacement of the Camry-based Avalon which is slated for production in early 2010 in the automaker’s Kentucky plant.

Last week, Lexus announced the MSRP for two of its special edition packages - the Pebble Beach Collection for the RX350 and the ES350. Both of the brand’s vehicles would be receiving for the very first time the Pebble Beach Edition special edition package which is actually a part of a relationship that Lexus has with the Pebble Beach Company.

The Lexus RX 350 is a luxury utility vehicle and if you would like to add the Pebble Beach package, you would have to shell out $3,880. As per the Lexus ES 350, a luxury sedan, the package could be added for $4,170. For each vehicle model, only 6000 packages would be produced.

Some of the features that would come with the RX 350 package would include three colors available - Classic Silver Metallic, Truffle Mica, and Obsidian Black. The vehicle would also be given wheels wearing 18 inches. A new chrome grill and a special trim for the interior is also included.

As for the ES 350 Pebble Edition package, the color choices would be Truffle Mica, Obsidian Black, and Tungsten Pearl Silver. 17-inch wheels would be also added and these would be coming with seven spokes.

All roads lead to Paris from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15 as the 2006 Mondial de l’Automobile opens at the Paris Expo, Porte De Versailles. Just like in previous Paris Motor Shows, automakers from all over the globe will turn out in full force to reveal their latest brand new models and concept car designs. This year, the spotlights will be on the latest hybrid and alternative fuel cars competing with high-end luxury cars and exotics for the public’s attention. Companies from Audi to Toyota will unveil their hottest new models and show a glimpse of their future design directions.

European automakers will take the covers off their top new models. The French have a number of major launches up their sleeves including Citroen’s midsize C4 Picasso and futuristic C-Métisse concept car. Meanwhile, Citroen’s mother company Peugeot is hoping that its Epure and 908 RC concept cars will both be a success. Another French automaker, Renault, will show off its new Nepta, a cabriolet concept with motor driven gull wings, 3.5-liter V6 engine, and 420-hp direct-injection gasoline engine.

Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota recently announced that it had developed the world’s first rear-end collision detection system that warn drivers of an impending collision with the help of a radar device installed in the car’s rear bumper. This radar senses if a vehicle is a approaching from behind. When the system detects a possible collision, sensors in the front headrests detect the position of the driver’s and front passenger’s heads. The system then changes the headrests’ positions to prevent the risk of whiplash injury.

Meanwhile, warning lights will start flashing to caution the driver of an impending crash from behind. According to Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe, a sophisticated computer will be installed on a new Lexus LS luxury car that will power this rear-end collision detection system. The Lexus LS will go on sale in Japan but the rear-end pre crash system will not yet be offered in the US.

Do you know what your favorite Hollywood Stars have been seen driving? Forbes.com recently featured a list of luxury cars that America’s celebrities own. With tons of money to burn, it’s not a surprise that the list is a veritable showcase of some of the most expensive cars today: with hybrid and horsepower as the main trends. The almost half a million price tag of the Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren is no big deal for Britney Spears. Paris Hilton drives a Bentley Continental GT priced at $170,000. Meanwhile, superstars Julia Roberts and Leonardo DiCaprio have opted for gas/electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, even though they can afford much more expensive cars. Here’s a list of some of the cars of the stars.

Lexus has always been very particular about the sound quality inside their vehicles: from the solid thump of a closing door to the low growl of a turning engine. The audio system is also one of the showcases of technological advancement in any Lexus automobile. The audio system in the new LS 460 offers a new dimension in audio experience. Lexus has teamed up with renowned hi-fi experts Mark Levinson to create the LS 460’s new Reference Sound Audio System, an enhancement of the original Premium Sound Audio System. The trademark quietness of the Lexus vehicle’s interior space is the perfect environment for the excellent sound reproduction of this audio system.

This new Mark Levinson audio system aims to provide the ultimate benchmark of in-car sound quality. This 15-channel amplifier and 450-watt speaker system is perfectly suited for the dimensions and acoustic properties of the LS460’s interior. The system uses an individual, all-digital signal path to each speaker or pair of woofers. The Reference Sound Audio System also uses sophisticated 7.1-channel speaker architecture which guarantees that everyone in the car can experience surround sound.

There’s also an Automatic Sound Leveling (ASL) feature which keeps the volume at a constant when on the move. All these features makes the Reference Sound Audio System one of the most sophisticated car audio systems today – perfect for one of the most luxurious and accomplished cars on the road, the Lexus LS460.

Luxury automakers have introduced a number of innovative features in the vehicles they roll out every year in the hopes of attracting more buyers. These range from a supercharged engine to plush leather interiors. Now, automakers are trying out new lighting effects and features to lure in more potential buyers. Some of the newest lighting effects include soft night lighting that aid passengers in finding controls, dropped items without fumbling for a switch. There are also lights fixed into the side mirrors of some vehicles that automatically turn on when a key fob near the vehicle.

Most of these innovative lighting systems are more on aesthetic rather than functional. Usually, lighting systems are standard equipment in vehicles while exterior lights are typically optional. Some of the luxury models offering new lighting systems and features are the Lexus GS and the Mercedes S-Class. The Lexus GS offers 18 lamps that light up different areas of the interior one after the other. Meanwhile, the Mercedes S-Class features a fiber-optic light strip that spans the dashboard and the doors.

The lights in the interior of the new Honda Civic SI glow read while the interiors of the Civic Coupe EX is blue-lit. The Saturn Vue Red Line lets owners choose from two personalized foot-well lighting colors: warm amber and cool blue. The new Dodge Caliber has a removable rear dome light that can double as a flashlight. Other light effects are a bit whimsical, like illuminated cup holders in the Subaru B9 Tribeca and red dashboard and center console illumination in Audis.

Toyota’s luxury arm Lexus is reportedly developing a new two-seat luxury sports coupe to be launched in 2009 for the Japanese, European, and U.S. markets. Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun said that the coupe will be based on the LF-A concept car which Lexus displayed at the 2005 NAIAS in Detroit. The LF-A concept car has a 5-liter V-10 engine and Formula One racing technology. If launched, the new luxury sports coupe will become the priciest model in Toyota’s vehicle lineup. As customary in Japanese newspapers, the Shimbun did not cite sources. As of press time, Toyota has yet to confirm these reports.

The market share of the three major domestic automakers continues to slip, with sales for the month of May remaining flat, and market share falling to a near-record low of 52.9%. General Motor’s share fell to 22.7% down from 28.8% in 2005. Ford also experienced a slight drop in share, from 18.9% last year to 18.6% this year. Ford’s perennial bestseller, the F-150 saw a drop in sales by up to 6% last month, despite incentives. Chrysler’s share took a dive to 14.3% from 15.5%.

Meanwhile, Asian automakers continue to expand their share of the market. Toyota’s sales were stronger by 17% boosted by strong performance from luxury arm Lexus. For the second consecutive month, sales of Toyota brands outpaced that of Daimler-Chrysler’s. Meanwhile, Honda sales, riding on the very successful Civic, grew by 16.1%. Not all Asian brands, however, were looking up. Sales for Nissan dropped to 7.3% as most of the cars and trucks in its lineup are nearing the end of their model life. Demand for minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks stayed flat with buyer interest shifting towards smaller, fuel-efficient cars because of the high gas prices.