Latest news with #BestCar
The Drive
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
What's This V8 Doing in Toyota's New Hybrid Explainer Video?
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Toyota is gradually weeding out the V8 from its global range. The 300-Series Land Cruiser sold in global markets is V6-only, and even the Tundra is no longer available with eight cylinders. The Toyota V8 isn't entirely dead, however: It mysteriously lives on in a video highlighting the plug-in hybrid system that's available in the new RAV4. Is this a preview of a next-gen V8, or a random choice with no hidden meaning? Embedded below, the nearly five-minute-long video is titled '6th Generation 2.5L Plug-in Hybrid System.' As its name implies, it takes a deep dive into the sixth-generation plug-in hybrid system available on the 2026 RAV4. It's a pretty standard marketing and technical video, but the outline of a vehicle that's very clearly V8-powered appears on the screen at the 12-second mark. It illustrates 'an intuitive driving experience with powerful acceleration and responsive handling.' There's no denying it's a V8: You can see the valves and the pistons. Realistically, we're probably looking at generic stock footage added to fill a few seconds of screen time. We can't even tell whether the V8 in question is one made by Toyota or another manufacturer. Hell, it might just be an asset the production company simply used because it had access to it, and not even exist in real life. There's nothing ambiguous about the video, either. Carmakers know dozens of subtle ways to tease an upcoming engine or car, and this isn't typically how that's done. But, what if we're wrong? What if this is the subtlest of all previews? Nothing suggests that the RAV4 will get a V8, of course, but the rumor mill has churned out reports of a new, V8-powered Toyota in recent memory. Japanese magazine Best Car , which is either eerily accurate or stunningly wide of the mark, believes that a supercar developed as a follow-up to the Lexus LFA and marketed as a standalone GR model will make its debut before the end of 2025. And guess what its anonymous sources say will be under the hood? Yep: Eight cylinders. Power will reportedly come from a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 linked to a hybrid system for a total output of approximately 900 horsepower. Would Toyota really give us a preview of what sounds like its most exciting model in over a decade via a corporate training-like video? We doubt it, but we can't be sure. And, admittedly, we really, really like the idea of a V8-powered, GR-branded supercar. We've reached out to the company to ask about the enigmatic V8, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Keep your fingers crossed in the meantime. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota Celica and MR2's Return Would Restore Iconic '90s Nameplates
could bring back some hits from the 1990s based on reports of a new Celica and MR2. Both cars would likely be powered by the company's new G20E turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder The Celica has reportedly been confirmed, and sure looks like an MR2 development mule. Toyota's debut of a brand-new four-cylinder turbocharged engine at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon raised more than a few eyebrows. In an era where electrification grabs the headlines and crossovers rule the sales charts, stuffing a turbo four with as much as 400 hp in a subcompact Yaris seems suspiciously too much like enthusiasm for a company as serious as Toyota. And they stuck it in the middle? What are those 'Yota engineers up to exactly? Seems like someone has built a time machine at Toyota HQ because the company is set to turn the clock back to the 1990s and release two of its greatest hits. The return of the Celica and MR2 nameplates was hinted at in the first episode of a Toyota-produced anime series called Grip last November. A few weeks after that debut, Toyota's executive vice president Yuki Nakajima confirmed that the Celica was in Toyota's plans, as reported by Japanese magazine Best Car. The mid-engined GR Yaris M concept (pictured below) suggests that a reborn MR2 could be heading our way too. With the Supra on its way out the door, and a new one not slated until later in the decade, the return of a high-performance two-seater could slot right into Toyota's lineup as a halo car. Powertrain details are still murky as the car is not officially confirmed to be joining the Celica, but comments to AutoExpress by Naohiko Saito, Gazoo Racing's lead engineer, seem to indicate that all-wheel drive was going to be part of the setup. Considering how much fun the GR Corolla is, a cut-down, mid-engined two-seater version would be aces. And there's every chance it would look great too. Toyota's FT-Se concept debuted at the 2023 Tokyo auto show as a potential EV platform, but its packaging would be ideal for a midship layout. As for the Celica, that could very well end up as a reborn version of the 1990s All-Trac, with turbocharged power and all-wheel-drive grip. If the Sega Rally theme tune just started playing in your head, then yes, it's possible Toyota could enter a motorsport version of this car in rallying, as new WRC rules have loosened up a little. Even though Toyota is far more dependent on moving RAV4s and Camrys out the door in their masses, it's nice to see that there's still time to work on the fun stuff. Right now, a little mid-engined Yaris is zooming around a test track in Aichi prefecture, working on its Pokemon evolution to level up into a new MR2. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wild Rumor Suggests Toyota, Mazda Could Share an Inline-6 in Future Sports Cars
The current version of the Toyota Supra has its charms, but its deep BMW roots leave it feeling very little like any other Toyota product. Mazda, meanwhile, doesn't even make a sports car larger than the MX-5 any more. Both of those things could be changing soon, and a wild new rumor suggests that the related cars will both use the same inline-six engine. That rumor is from Japan's Best Car, which reports that Mazda is preparing a sports car to succeed the long-lost RX-7 line. Unlike the rotary-equipped PHEV Iconic SP concept shown two years ago, the magazine claims that this model would be powered by an inline-six engine shared with Mazda's corporate allies at Toyota. This car would be front-engined and rear-wheel-drive, suggesting possible shared development between the Mazda and the potential successor to the current BMW-aligned Supra. If Mazda were to go forward with this rumored sports car, it would be the brand's first rear-wheel-drive performance car larger than the Miata line since the RX-8. Toyota, on the other hand, has a wide variety of performance cars across its Toyota and Lexus lineups. Since embracing performance cars again in the 2010s, the brands have introduced the GR 86, the newest Supra, the Lexus LC grand tourer, and rally-style GR variants of both the Corolla and the not-for-America Yaris. This Supra report is far from the only new performance car rumor swirling around Toyota, either. Toyota has teased possible returns for both the Celica and MR2, and a new trademark in Brazil suggests that a GR Celica could be coming soon. The brand has also showed off and tested a GT3 concept that is expected to go racing in the near future, although the production version of that car could be sold as a Lexus rather than a Toyota. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wild Rumor Suggests Toyota, Mazda Could Share an Inline-6 in Future Sports Cars
The current version of the Toyota Supra has its charms, but its deep BMW roots leave it feeling very little like any other Toyota product. Mazda, meanwhile, doesn't even make a sports car larger than the MX-5 any more. Both of those things could be changing soon, and a wild new rumor suggests that the related cars will both use the same inline-six engine. That rumor is from Japan's Best Car, which reports that Mazda is preparing a sports car to succeed the long-lost RX-7 line. Unlike the rotary-equipped PHEV Iconic SP concept shown two years ago, the magazine claims that this model would be powered by an inline-six engine shared with Mazda's corporate allies at Toyota. This car would be front-engined and rear-wheel-drive, suggesting possible shared development between the Mazda and the potential successor to the current BMW-aligned Supra. If Mazda were to go forward with this rumored sports car, it would be the brand's first rear-wheel-drive performance car larger than the Miata line since the RX-8. Toyota, on the other hand, has a wide variety of performance cars across its Toyota and Lexus lineups. Since embracing performance cars again in the 2010s, the brands have introduced the GR 86, the newest Supra, the Lexus LC grand tourer, and rally-style GR variants of both the Corolla and the not-for-America Yaris. This Supra report is far from the only new performance car rumor swirling around Toyota, either. Toyota has teased possible returns for both the Celica and MR2, and a new trademark in Brazil suggests that a GR Celica could be coming soon. The brand has also showed off and tested a GT3 concept that is expected to go racing in the near future, although the production version of that car could be sold as a Lexus rather than a Toyota. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
