Here are a few of the most terrifying responses to the terrifying question asked by the LA Times: "Have you experienced sudden acceleration in a Toyota?":

3/30/2006 My Solara completely lost control while trying to brake.I did 2 complete 360s, hit a concrete wall and landed in a mud ditch.$10,000 dollars worth of damage and 3 weeks later the only thing Toyota told me that it was driver error. This car had a mind of it's own. -Janet Cobb

I work for a law firm and we have a case where 4 young adults were in Lexus and could not stop the care after it accelerated on the freeway, they ended up hitting the concrete bridge and the car burned up with all 4 people in it. All killed. -Patricia

i own a 2009 Toyota Venza and i just ran through a restuarant no one was hurt but it could have been worst my car just took off Toyota checked my car out and said thay could not find anything i am scared to drive it now. -JM

The next generation Prius: Saving the planet by killing the people who are ruining it.

What is a "job," really? For millions of Americans, it's something they don't have. So why worry about it? Why try to be like all the successful generations that came before you? Why not "do your own thing," for sustenance?

If you don't have the balls to live the full-on unemployed life, don't worry: you have options. It doesn't have to be like an episode of The Office, without the humorous aspects! There are many new jobular models in the new employmongering paradigm. At Best Buy's headquarters, they have a "Results Only Work Environment," where there's no set hours, as long as the work gets done. Hippies love it! "One runs meetings by teleconference from his cabin near a lake; another does much of his work electronically while following his favorite rock band around the country."

Corporate hippies make me sick. Take a lesson from the CEO of Toyota: He stood up at a press conference and groveled his ass off, like a disgraced scared lonely child with muscular dystrophy wandering in a wolf-infested haunted forest of doom. He apologized for financial losses and safety issues and layoffs and, honest to god direct quote here, told the audience, "I'm sorry I am standing on a podium, standing above you."

All these new models so far are sickening. Is there any hope for Real Men? Yes: The New York City Building Department is still infested with mobsters. They hate hippies. They don't apologize for shit. And they die in jail. That's called a "job."

The Prius features an extended battery for all-electric operation — how green! (Unless you count the coal which more than likely generated most of that electricity.) MyRide says that Dharmaraj's outré choice of scissor-wing doors means "the Lamborghini-door trend is officially over." (Photo by MyRide)

At The Front

One: The most obvious change from generation to generation is at the front, and the first sign that this is something new comes from the headlights. The previous generation said "aerodynamic" while the new, feathered lights say "sporty" more than anything.
Two: The new grille is also far more aggressive, shifting the logo into the middle with a pointed, almost F1-esque nose crease.
Three: Like the 2009 Toyota Matrix, the new Prius' nose features a lower front airdam with a dual-foglight package.
Four: Compared to the previous generation, the cab appears slightly further forward. It is hard to say if this is just an illusion created by the lower placement of the mirror and angle of the beltline or an actual change. Either way, the effect is to create a more forward leaning stance.
FIve: The little crease at the edge of the bumper could be an aerodynamic touch or purely aesthetic.

Mid Section

One: The line running along the center of the doors in the previous generation has been moved down further along the wheel wells, which makes the new Prius look tall-and-squat as opposed to long-and-lean. This appears to be an answer to the charge that the previous generation looked like a wedge or a jellybean.
Two: As mentioned, the beltline is raked towards the A-pillar, giving it a runner's stance.
Three: The rocker panels are now larger and more enhanced, appearing to flare a bit at the rear wheel well.
Four: The blacked-out B-pillar look has been transferred from generation to generation and the overall shape of the greenhouse hasn't been significantly altered.
FIve: The slab-slided Prius is no more. The doors angle further in towards the greenhouse with a line that carries from the front quarter panel back toward the shoulders.

Rear

One: We're waiting for a better picture of the rear, but in the meantime it appears the larger presence of the rocker panels has created a line that moves around the rear of the car that's picked up the sheet metal. The purpose of the black wings along the edge of the previous model was primarily aerodynamic and it looks better with body-matching paint.
Two: Though there is a new look for the shoulders, with new definition, the car retains a similar, if slightly less angled, C-Pillar.
Three: More fanny? Hard to say, but it looks like there is more junk in that trunk.
Four: Wheel design for the Prius has always been of the "appliance" variety. These sporty, flared five-spokes clearly point to a new direction.
FIve: The gas tank now appears to be on the other side — just kidding. These are opposite sides of the car.

If our sources at Green Hybrid are correct, this is a teaser for the upcoming 2010 Toyota Prius. No, really. Of course, we'd be surprised if anybody actually felt any sensation of anticipation from this photo. Who knew Toyota could release an even worse teaser than the first one? Although this shot does finally confirm speculation at least one part of the vehicle is capable of being opened and closed. Fascinating. We're going to take a nap now.

[via GreenHybrid]

Those waiting to see the 2010 Toyota Prius sans camouflage shall wait no longer now that Toyota has dropped their first official teaser shot of the next-gen Prius at Prius Chat. What is it, exactly? You're most likely looking at the new logo as displayed on the start-up screen for the new Prius. OMG! WTF! SO EXCITING! The logo is clearly tougher than the previous generation's look, perhaps readying itself for war with the fuel-sipping challengers on the horizon. Unofficial but revealing spy photos of the next generation Prius below.

(Thanks to Danny for the tip) [Prius Chat]

This new Honda Insight concept borrows more from modern Honda hybrids than it does from its namesake, one of the first hybrids available for sale in the US. Despite that early availability, the early car was only a two seater, wasn't particularly speedy at the on-ramp, and lacked certain creature comforts modern car buyers expect, hybrid or not. With this latest iteration, all of those complains are vanquished, with a full five passenger seating capacity, a large cargo area, and as many creature comforts as you want to check on the options list.

Will the new Honda Insight be the one to bring some real competition to the dedicated hybrid market? We're tending to think yes. However, we'll have to wait till its biggest direct competitor, the redesigned 210 Toyota Prius, drops at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Honda Introduces All-New Insight Dedicated Hybrid Concept Vehicle at Paris Motor Show

PARIS, France, October 2, 2008—Honda Motor Co., Ltd. presented the concept model of its all-new Insight dedicated hybrid vehicle scheduled to be introduced in 2009, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show (October 2–19; Press Days: October 2–3).

Based on a theme of achieving dynamic performance through excellent aerodynamics, the exterior design of the Insight concept model combines excellent environmental performance and a fun to drive spirit. The compact Insight Concept measures 4,375 mm (172.2 in.) in length, 1,695 mm (66.7 in.) in width, and 1,425 mm (56.1 in.) in height, with specially designed, ultra-light aluminum wheels and 205/40 R18 tires. With a cockpit that enables the driver to experience the joy of driving, the interior of the Insight Concept provides an advanced and futuristic feeling that is possible only through a hybrid vehicle.

The all-new Insight, which will be developed based on this Insight Concept, will be a five-door, five-passenger hatchback equipped with Honda’s lightweight and compact hybrid system, with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine serving as the main power source, assisted by an electric motor. While achieving fuel economy on par with the Civic Hybrid, the new Insight will also achieve excellent utility and light and comfortable driving through the adoption of a new platform developed specifically for this vehicle. Honda will begin sales of the all-new Insight in Japan, Europe and North America in spring 2009, and projects annual global sales of 200,000 units.

In his speech at the Paris Motor Show, Honda Motor president & CEO Takeo Fukui said, “This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop.”

The name Insight was chosen to denote that this new vehicle provides "insight" into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers.

But first some stats on the Toyota Camry Hybrid. For starters, it's a "dual-mode" hybrid utilizing the same Toyota-branded Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the Toyota Prius. The trim level of the Camry Hybrid is relatively up-featured, including LED taillights, a DVD-based navigational system and most of the features found on the top-of-the-line Camry XLE. Though the Camry was originally advertised with a higher mileage, new EPA standards bring the over-reaching hybrid down to a city and highway rating in the low-to-mid 30 mpg range. Despite the lower rating, the Camry Hybrid is still the sales king for those who want a hybrid, aren't concerned about highway mileage, and want something that looks more normal than a Prius. However, there are alternatives to the super number one best automaker from the land of the rising sun.
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
MSRP: $26,150

2009 Honda Civic GX CNG

The Honda Civic GX CNG is an interesting study in alternative fuel sources, their advantages and what-the-hell T. Boone Pickens is talking about. The GX looks just like any other Honda Civic, but runs on compressed natural gas typically added from a home fueling station. This Civic is inferior to the Camry in terms of city or combined mileage, but slightly bests the Toyota sedan on the highway. The Civic GX also has a lower cost of ownership (it needs minimal services), has a significantly smaller carbon footprint and costs about the same. The technology is still in development, though, so less than 1,000 vehicles are typically produced each year.
City: 24 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg
Combined: 28 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $25,090

2009 Kia Rio (Auto)

The Kia is among the smallest, cheapest new cars for sale in the United States, coming in at more than half the price of the Toyota Camry Hybrid and more than 1,000 pounds lighter. Powered by a 110-horsepower fourbanger tied to a CVT transmission, the little Kia is slightly better than the Camry on the highway, though much worse in the city. While much cheaper, the Rio offers few of the features and almost none of the prestige, comfort, desirability or practicality of the Camry. Even with limited availability for Toyota, the 2008 Rio only bested the Camry Hybrid's sales by 134 cars.
City: 26 mpg
Highway: 35 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,145

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS Coupe XFE

Essentially a 2009 Chevy Cobalt with a few light tweaks, the Cobalt XFE is modified ever so slightly to improve fuel economy — and prove that an American car can make the grade without a hybrid drive. Adjustments are mostly under the hood where the engineers tweaked the intake and exhaust valve lift duration, swapped the transmission gear ratios for lower operating revs, and put on some low-rolling-resistance tires. The result may only be 1 mpg over the previous year, but that's a step in the right direction. Like the other cars that take the lighter approach, the biggest gains are found at highway speeds.
City: 25 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $15,225

2009 Mini Cooper (Manual)

Fans of the Mini Cooper have always been able to boast about all the fun they have driving their itsy-bitsy British bimmer — so much fun that they forget to mention that it gets stellar gas mileage. Though not as useful as a Camry as a family vehicle, the Mini is at least a few hundred times more fun and gets a combined mileage just 2 mpg short of the big hybrid. There are no tricks here. The Mini is just a well-engineered, sufficiently-powered small car offered with a sixth gear.
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $19,200

2009 Toyota Yaris (Manual)

All of the 2009 Yaris models equipped with the manual transmission get the same EPA mileage, so you're not necessarily stuck with a little three-door hatch if that's your route towards mileage. The five-door S hatch comes equipped with rear-window wipers, fog lights, MP3/CD player w/ iPod interface and other nice features, though you'll have to tack on $3,000 to the base price. Though it can't quite compete with the Camry in city driving, this tiny Toyota does better on the highway and is close on the combined cycle.
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,205

2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

We found the 2008 Mariner Hybrid to be a fairly decent ride with only a few flaws, many of which were addressed with the 2009 refresh. The Mariner Hybrid, and it's twin brother Escape Hybrid, is most similar to the Camry in that it offers power, luxury and good gas mileage in a single package — an SUV package at that. Though slightly off the Camry's total, this is one of the few vehicles that bests the Toyota in the city.
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $29,750

2009 Volkswagen Jetta & Jetta SportWagen TDI (Manual)

Both the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and its wagon sibling the SportWagen are within the Camry's price range and offer the utility, relative luxury and foreign car appeal of the Toyota. Unlike the Camry, the Jettas are both eligible for a tax credit. In the ongoing diesel-versus-hybrid debate the TDI twins step up with a comparable combined cycle and a substantially higher highway experience, a reflection of the efficiency and power of the diesel engine. And there's no risk of running short because of battery supplies.
City: 30 mpg
Highway: 41 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $21,990/$23,590

2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Nissan is still technically selling the Altima Hybrid, a car that is a direct competitor with the Camry, but sales have lagged far behind nearly all of its competitors. Why? It may have something to do with battery supply, but it also may have something to do with the reason why people are choosing the regular Camry over the regular Altima: age. The Altima, though refreshed, is a rather tired design that lacks the same appeal and luxury of the Toyota. It trumps the better-selling green sedan in the city, but no one seems to care.
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $26,650

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

It should come as no surprise that the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, currently the third-best selling hybrid car behind the Camry, bests the Camry in all areas of fuel economy by a large margin. It's smaller. It's lighter. The Prius is more of a competitor to this hybrid than the Camry, though Toyota has done a good job of making their larger hybrid price competitive with the Civic sedan.
City: 40
Highway: 45
Combined: 42 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $23,550

2009 Toyota Prius

The king. The reigning champ. The green boss. You can't touch the Prius and neither can the Camry Hybrid — at least not in mileage. Though all of these buyers are likely eco-minded, some hybrid huggers just don't like the Prius, don't want a hatchback or maybe just think the larger hybrid sedan is a perfect foil.
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Combined: 46 mpg
Advantage: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $22,000

[Hybrid Sales Data: HybridCars.com. Fuel Economy Data: FuelEconomy.gov]

NextAutos whispers that the next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius could be part of

"a whole family of Prius models. That means that we also will see a station wagon and maybe even a convertible with the Prius badge."

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Our "snap" guess is yes. Given that Toyota has long been upfront about its goal of building a million hybrids a year by 2010, we have to give the company the benefit of the doubt on its supplier chain. Remember, the Toyota Manufacturing Process (TMP) actually started the concept of lean manufacturing and just-in-time supply. To that end, the company is building its own battery facility, reducing exposure in that most critical of hybrid components. And with plans to make room for more Priuses at a Japanese factory and to build them in the US at a new plant in Mississippi, Toyota appears to be taking steps to alleviate pent-up Prius demand.

So, half a million Priuses a year? Despite the mere thought bringing blood flowing out of our uber-enthusiast ears, we have to give Toyota credit for ratcheting supply up when demand exceeds it on this product, as opposed to being forced to ratchet supply down when demand drops like a rock. That's always been the problem our poor, poor US automakers have had — always trying to wring every sale out of a product in an attempt to meet and beat the U.S. financial markets quarterly expectations. Now our only question is — how will the world cope with so much new smug? [Automotive News, Sub. Req.]

Is it the 2010 Toyota Prius? Maybe. All we know is it looks to be either a test vehicle for the next-gen Prius or the worst application of after-market Prius accessories we've ever seen. Unfortunately we're not expecting solar panels until the 2011 Prius, so that doesn't help us. Nor do we see any Chinese-made "Made In The USA" stickers — of course that won't be slapped on the side either until 2011, so there's really nothing we can see to distinguish this Prius from the 2009 Toyota Prius in front of it. Well, except for the heavy white tape and plastic. Although we shouldn't complain about this Prius' looks. At least it's not killing anyone. (Hat tip to Cord!) [Mr. Ben @ Flickr]

Toyota to build Prius in U.S., Highlander to Indiana; all Tundra to Texas
07/10/2008

July 10, 2008 - Erlanger, KY - Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.

The changes are as follows:
- Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles.

- The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009.

- Production of the Tundra full-size pick-up truck, currently built in Indiana and Texas, will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant in Spring 2009.
In addition, Toyota will temporarily suspend Tundra and Sequoia production beginning August 8 due to the declining overall market for full size trucks and SUVs. Production is scheduled to resume in early November. Team members at both facilities, as well as the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines, will continue to be provided work.

"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production. But this good news about production mix demonstrates our long-term commitment to our North American operations and to our team members, supplier partners, and communities where our plants are located," said Jim Wiseman, vice president/external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). "By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger."

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 13 manufacturing plants. In addition, new plants are under construction in Ontario and Mississippi. Toyota directly employs over 43,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $21 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $30 billion per year. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.

"But solar power is not seen as a viable solution to power cars. Solar panels are expensive due to rising silicon prices and storing energy is difficult, the source said. It was unknown how much the solar panels on the new Prius cars would cost, or how many solar-mounted versions Toyota would build."

First off, there was an overall drop in vehicle sales in the United States — that's obviously going to affect sales of the largest fuel-suckers first, but the current economic situation affects anyone looking to buy right now, even in the hybrid marketplace. But the biggest factor isn't the issue of demand, it's supply. Toyota decided to only create about 175,000 Prii a year and is sticking to that number — mostly because their suppliers don't have the ability to quickly add capacity. That means despite the increase in demand, there just aren't any more to buy. The Camry Hybrid's seen a sales drop as well, because of this same supplier issue.

Comically, the biggest winner for the month were Saturn's hybrids — the Vue crossover and Auru sedan. Aura sales were up an astonishing 800%! Obviously since the Vue is a larger vehicle, it only saw a month-to-month increase of 750%. Unfortunately, due to some of their own serious supply issues, like battery leakage problems, 800% only translates to total monthly sales of 36 and 750% only translates to another limp volume number. Again, a supply issue.

Other hybrids also did reasonably well, including a 100.6% month-over-month increase in sales for the Nissan Altima Hybrid and a 3.5% year-over-year increase for the Civic Hybrid. But given that hybrid sales in the US for 2008 total only 155,958 vehicles, minor fluctuations make a big impact on monthly results. Overall, although hybrid sales are up 4.5% compared to the first five months of 2007, if neither Toyota or GM are able to get their supplier issues licked, we're not expecting it to start raining hybrids anytime soon. [WSJ, HybridCars.com]

In the game, which makes its debut today, Bianca, a good-looking assistant designer at an urban fashion house, finds herself — and her new 2009 Camry — enmeshed in a world of espionage. A $5 million print, radio and online campaign that will run in media primarily consumed by African-American women aims to drive the target demographic to iflookscouldkill.com, a site where "fashion and espionage collide," said Susan Bonds, president of 42 Entertainment.

Naturally, Bianca's unwitting involvement in spy tradecraft will be assisted by Camry's onboard Bluetooth, navigation and push-button ignition system, all features that will be "seamlessly integrated" into the content, Ms. Bonds said.

Why Camry hasn't caught on with African-American women is something of a mystery.

Probably not enough espionage!

[Ad Age]

The choice of whether or not to allow the Prius to be assembled in the United States (most of the parts will likely be built in China/Japan) or the choice of production facilities is probably more Toyota's than GM's. More importantly, according to one Toyota spokesperson, they are actually contemplating the decision:

"Nothing has been decided on production of Prius at the joint venture New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., even though Toyota is always seeking ways to build the most appropriate production system."

...Toyota — thank you for helping to make it easier for people across the world to sleep at night, comforted by the soporific effect of believing they're actually doing something, anything for the environment — and continuing the commoditization of the driving experience at the same time. Luckily, Toyota's hoping to make it to two million Prii sold in significantly less time than it took them to sell the first million. They're even hoping to reach a million hybrids a year by sometime in the 2010's. Incidentally, this past year, Toyota sold more Tundra pickups in the U.S. than Prii — to the tune of just under 200,000 of the pick-me-ups versus 181,221 of the happy hybrids. Go green! [Green Car Congress]

A factory-installed plug-in hybrid option — though I wonder if tapping a coal-powered electrical grid improves the Prius's carbon footprint that greatly. The real questions are: Who will prove more environmental in the court of pseudoscientific, envirosocial one-upsmanship — the owners who hold on to their existing vehicle, or those who trade in for the new, more fuel-efficient ones? And will the Bay Area see more violent, Prius-hating backlash?(Photo by Rick Audet)