Are you one of the few people looking to put a brand-new Lexus HS 250h in your driveway? Better act fast. Inside Line reports that Toyota’s luxury division has killed off its slow-selling HS model. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Toyota Takes Title Of World’s Largest Automaker Again, For Now
Now that the title of world’s largest maker has become a clear and eager battle, we can expect more regular updates on the progress of the combatants. Bloomberg reports that Toyota snagged the #1 crown in Q1, taking it away from General Motors with 2.49 million units sold across its five brands compared to 2.28 million for GM. Volkswagen was just another tenth down at 2.19 million units sold. Funk Flex Find Flex On Google+
Auto Talk: 2012 Toyota Yaris SE
Toyota lost much of its credibility with enthusiasts after killing off what few performance cars it offered years ago, and yet the average car buyer still seems drawn to most anything wearing one of its badges. Even so, there has been one vehicle in the Toyota lineup that enthusiasts and cars-as-appliance shoppers have seemingly agreed upon for all the wrong reasons: the Yaris. Funk Flex Find Flex On Google+
Auto Talk: Toyota working on even more exotic followup to Lexus LFA?
Many countries have produced supercars with price tags that dip into the six figures, but that rare breed of exotic that fetches upwards of a quarter million is all but completely exclusive to Europe: Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani out of Italy, Bugatti from France, McLaren and higher-end Aston Martin models of Britain, top-of-the-line Porsche offerings from Germany, Koenigsegg of Sweden and so on. That’s what makes the Lexus LFA so exceptional. It extends beyond the Acura NSX and the Nissan GT-R that previously defined the top end of Japanese supercars and joins its European rivals at the very top of the market. But that, we’re reading, is only the beginning. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Toyota retools development process with goal of creating more exciting cars
These days, most Toyota models are about as likely to get your pulse up as the latest hardware from Frigidaire. But it wasn’t always so. There was a time when Toyota counted itself among the world’s sports car manufacturers with vehicles like the Supra, Celica All Trac and MR-2. Those two-doors helped forge generations of enthusiasts before the company shuttered its go-fast ambitions, a door that is only now starting to open again thanks to the new GT 86/Scion FR-S codeveloped with Subaru. Now, according to Automotive News, the company has unveiled a new development and manufacturing framework designed to aid in producing more exciting vehicles. According to CEO Akio Toyoda, the revamped system will allow the company to design multiple models at the same time to reduce costs. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: Miami Toyota dealer tacks $7,000 onto price of Prius C
A Twitter user with the handle miami4me2c discovered something interesting at a Toyota dealer in Miami and thankfully shared pictures of this unusual Prius C Two window sticker. Remember, the base Prius C starts at just $18,950, and the upgraded Two trim normally starts at $19,900. With the options that dealer Al Hendrickson has added to the car, it should cost $20,839, but then someone at the dealer added a “Market Value Adjustment,” which comes in at an astonishing $6,995. Total cost for the “cheap” Prius at this particular dealer? $27,834. We agree with what you just thought: that’s completely absurd. Funk Flex
