In December of 2011, BMW and Toyota signed an agreement to collaborate on lithium-ion battery development, and the deal included a provision where BMW would small-displacement diesel engines for Toyota products sold in Europe. It was brought up at the time that the partnership could expand further, and seven months later, it apparently has: Reuters reports the two companies “have now agreed several projects” in “other fields of cooperation.” Funk Flex
Auto Talk: NHTSA expands Toyota fire probe to 1.4M cars and trucks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has grown its investigation into certain Toyota models to cover a full 1.4 million cars and trucks. Reuters reports the government safety agency has upgraded the investigation to a full-blown engineering analysis, which may eventually lead to a recall. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Le Mans Starting Grid Set, Audi Hybrid Takes Pole But Toyotas Break Up The Pack
There were times during the past two days of qualifying when it looked like Audi might own the first two rows of the starting grid for this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The R18 e-tron quattro hybrid cars were running the quickest lap times, with the two diesel R18 Ultras following close behind. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Toyota Converts All-electric ‘Ring Racer To Pikes Peak Hill Climber
The number of electric race cars entered into this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb continues to grow with Toyota Motorsports GmbH announcing today that its TMG EV P002 race car will compete at the 90th annual climb to the clouds. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Toyota Working On Playstation-Compatible Track Day Black Box For Scion FR-S
Autocar reports Toyota and Subaru are working on ways to sharpen the GT 86, BRZ and Scion FR-S triplets. While that may mean buyers could see a convertible version of the sports coupe as soon as 2014, engineers are also working on a variety of other improvements, including a new track telemetry system. Using an onboard black box, the gadgetry will record a slew of data from track days. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Toyota recalling 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport over faulty ECU
Lexus has announced a voluntary recall of roughly 650 2013 GS 350 F Sport models over a potential issue with one of the electronic control units. Funk Flex
