With 4.4 million cars rolling out of its factories since January this year, Volkswagen-Porsche managed to edge Toyota out of the top spot in terms of production.

Volkswagen-Porsche’s success can be contributed to several factors. In July, nearly a quarter of the group’s global sales came from a range of VW models made specifically for the Chinese market. China lowered sales taxes on cars, effectively boosting demand for this vehicles. The group also benefited from cash-for-clunkers programs in Germany and Britain.

According to IHS Global Insight, though, Toyota may have indirectly had a hand in VW-Porsche’s vicory. Producing just 4 million cars this year, the Japanese auto make decided to halve its output during the first quarter of 2009.

“That extremely hard brake has been keeping Toyota behind Volkswagen by quite a margin. Due to government incentiveas, Volkswagen was not forced to decelerate so hard,” said Christoph Stürmer, director at IHS Global Insight.

Source: Guardian

Who’s worried about the 2016 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards? Definitely not Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or Subaru.

The new standards, part of a nationwide fuel economy program proposed by President Barack Obama, cover model years 2012 to 2016. The program requires auto makes to offer a fleet-wide fuel economy of 35.5 mpg.

While 35.5 mpg seems to be quite a leap from the current industry standard of 25 mpg, Japanese automakers aren’t even breaking a sweat. By 2016, Toyota plans for hybrids to take 30% of sales. The make’s also researching battery technology that’s better than lithium-ion products.

Honda claims that modifying its current hybrid technology will help it get past the new CAFE standards. Aside from that, the make’s developing ways to make its cars lighter and more aerodynamic.

Subaru’s feeling confident, too. “I think we can meet the rules by improving our current drivetrain technology,” said Subaru President Ikuo Mori. “But if the rules become more stringent, it will be very difficult to do so with the internal combustion engine.”

Source: Automobile Mag, Wikipedia

The 2010 Sai was set to make its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, but Toyota jumped the gun and unveiled the Sai a little ahead of schedule.

2010 Toyota Sai

The 2010 Sai is based on the Lexus HS 250H, and is a gasoline-electric hybrid. Built like a larger Prius, the Sai features an interior that’s 60% made of ecological plastic. The car also carries the Toyota Hybrid System II, powered by a 2.4-liter engine coupled with an electric motor and a reduction gear. Exhaust gases are used to heat the engine, resulting in quicker engine start-ups.

The 2010 Sai’s standard safety features include steering-assisted vehicle stability control and a rpe-crash safety system. The latter warns the driver when it detects collision risks. The driver can also keep track of the Sai’s real-time fuel efficiency through an Eco Driving Indicator. The Sai’s interior center cluster also features the Remote Touch System, providing the driver touch-screen control of the navigation screen.

Source: 4wheels News

If you’re planning to buy a car in the Golden State, then the California Air Resource Board’s got a new rule that concerns you.

The California Air Resource Board, or CARB, is California’s primary “clean air agency”. CARB’s looking to launch a “Cool Cars” program by 2012, and as part of that program, the board mandated for all cars sold in California to have metallic glaze on their windows.

“This is a common sense and cost-effective measure that will help cool the cars we drive and fight global warming,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board.

Vehicle emissions are expected to be reduced when less energy is needed to cool the car’s cabin. The metallic glaze coating reflects the sun’s rays, lowering the car’s interior temperature.

Asian automakers, however, aren’t excited about the prospect. Honda said that the requirement simply wasn’t feasible, and Toyota mentions the make’s unplesant experiences with metallic-coated glass.

The metallic tint film would add between a hundred to a couple hundred dollars to each car’s price. Auto electronics, such as GPS navigation systems, could also be affected.

Source: The Detroit News

With the Car Allowance Rebate System program well underway, there appears to be some trends with what clunkers are getting traded-in, and what vehicles are being driven off the showrooms.

Sitting atop the bestsellers list is the trusty Toyota Corolla, accounting for 19.4% of total sales. The Corolla’s longtime rival, the Honda Civic, comes in second. In fact, the list of ten is dominated by Asian carmakers; the Toyota Camry placed third, the Hyundai Elantra is in 5th, the Nissan Versa in 6th, the Toyota Prius in 7th, and the Honda Accord and Fit in 8th and 9th places, respectively. Honda, meanwhile, bagged 13.0% of the total sales.

2009 Toyota Corolla

The top 10 list of guzzlers traded-in, on the other hand, was filled with American-made cars. The Ford Explorer 4WD, the Ford F-150 pickup 2WD, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD, are in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spots, respectively.

The Department of Transportation noted that car owners participating in the Cash for Clunkers program were downsizing, trading in trucks and SUVs for smaller sedans.

Source: AutomobileMag & Yahoo News

At least, not to General Motors (GM).

Following reports that Toyota would be willing to share Prius technology with GM should the latter file for bankruptcy, the Japanese auto make today denied any truth to the said claim.

The false reports were published in the Daily Yoimuri, one of Japan’s largest newspapers. The report claims that Toyota, by sharing the technology under the Prius’ hood, would reinvent GM’s image as a manufacturer of gas-guzzlers. And if GM accepted hybrid technology from Toyota, the Japanese auto make would be the owner of the world’s de facto hybrid technology, in addition to being the world’s largest auto make.

That’s some serious bragging rights right there, if only the claim was true.

2010 Toyota Prius

Source: Automobile Mag

Toyota Motor Corporation, one of the world’s largest automakers, has released a few details on the make’s developments of a solar-powered car.

Japanese newspaper The Nikkei reported this week that Toyota is working on a vehicle partially powered by solar cells on the vehicle itself. The concept car can also be recharged through solar panels. The said vehicle, however, still has a long way to go before its market release.

Toyota is an auto leader not only in sales, but in environmental awareness as well. The Asian make’s manufacturing plant in Tsutsumi, central Japan uses solar panels on its roofs to produce and harness electricity.

In light of 2008’s economic recession, the Nikkei also said that “the solar car is part of efforts by Japan’s top automaker to grow during hard times”. Toyota announced last December that the company experienced its first operating loss in 70 years.

(source: Associated Press)