Toyota wants to sell a million vehicles in Europe each year, according to Toyota Motor Europe's Executive Vice President and COO, Thierry Dombreval. Dombreval put the goal on the record at the Toyota Urban Cruiser press conference in Geneva, saying that for 2005, the company's Toyota and Lexus brands sold 964,000 cars - the ninth year of consecutive sales records. The majority of those cars were built in Europe. Toyota has invested more than 6.1 billion Euros in Europe and employs more than 55,000 people, including 600 engineers in the recently expanded R&D center in Belgium.
T-Sport Ups the Yaris' Sport Quotient
2006 Toyota Yaris T-Sport concept |
The Yaris T-Sport is the concept for a future, fast version of the new Yaris, with a lowered sport suspension and a substantial, but yet-unknown, power boost. The concept stands on 17-inch wheels and has unique front and rear fascias, a chrome tailpipe, and special taillights. The sporty Yaris will get a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and is expected on the market in the fourth quarter of this year.
Urban Cruiser Takes Over for RAV4
2006 Toyota Urban Cruiser concept |
Toyota also unveiled the Urban Cruiser at Geneva. It's a concept that could succeed the outgoing three-door RAV4. Elvio d'Aprile, chief designer of Toyota's ED2 design studio in the south of France, styled the concept in the same Vibrant Clarity design theme that now marks all Toyota's latest creations. The name Urban Cruiser says it all - Toyota intends this one to stay on the streets, not off-road.
Spyker Looks East
Spyker was scheduled to unveil its D12 Peking-to-Paris concept on Wednesday, the second press day at Geneva. But Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars, thought it a waste of publicity to have his new SSUV, Super Sport-Utility Vehicle, sitting fully covered on the stand on Tuesday. With Dutch forwardness he took off the cover at the scheduled preview party today. The new car is the second model line for Spyker; it's 195 inches long and 78.7 inches wide. It has a variable height from 66.1 in to 69.7 in and weighs 4178 lb. The SSUV seats four and has 4WD. The high-performance 6.0-liter Volkswagen W-12 engine makes 500 hp, giving the vehicle the power to reach 60 mph in five seconds and a top speed of 185 mph. Spyker will start production of its SSUV in the fourth quarter of 2007.
2006 Spyker D12 concept |
The D12, meanwhile, has an aluminum body with four doors, the rear ones suicide-type. The body is fitted on an aluminum space frame. The W-12 works together with a six-speed automatic transmission with F1-style shift paddles. Spyker has good reason to build this model in the heritage of the historic brand. A Frenchman, Goddard, participated in the Peking to Paris race in 1907 with his factory-backed Spyker 18/22 hp and finished the grueling race second after three months of crossing paths no car had gone before.
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