Brain...Jammed Vandals Destroy Seven New Toyota Models at 2011 Chicago Auto Show

Auto shows seem to have become risky business for car manufacturers. After the BMW 750i that was stolen at the Detroit motor show earlier this year, now more disturbing news comes from the Chicago Auto Show, where the Toyota booth attracted unwanted attention.

According to local newspapers, seven new Toyota models had their interiors vandalized by three young men, aged 20, 21 and 28. We don't know what really caused this deviant behavior, but one report attributes it to the fact that the three vandals were allegedly angry "about American jobs going overseas".

And it seems they wanted the Japanese cars to suffer badly, judging from the tools they used - screwdrivers and razor knives. The three young men were arrested on Wednesday evening before the show's closing time when guards noticed them acting suspiciously around a Toyota Camry. The mess they made inside the seven cars is substantial: dashboards were left smashed and ripped, seat upholstery sliced, windshields scratched, speakers cut open and turn indicators broken.

According to the police, the damage to the cars is estimated at $30,000. Interestingly, they had no preference for a particular model, vandalizing a Camry, a RAV4, a Land Cruiser, a Prius, two Tundras and one Lexus ES350. Funny thing, no accelerator pedal or floor mat were damaged...

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Chicago Sun Times

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America's Top 10 Selling Vehicles in 2010

The U.S. auto sales numbers for 2010 are out and once again, Ford's F-Series pickup truck has been crowned the best-selling vehicle of the year, a title which it has held for 34 years in a row. According to Autodata Corp., the Dearborn-based brand moved 528,349 units of its F-150 light-duty and F-250, F-350 and F-450 heavy-duty trucks in 2010, recording an impressive increase of 27,7 per cent over 2009.

The Chevrolet Silverado took second place with 370,135 units, or some 158,000 less than the F-Series. Sales of GM's pickup truck were up 16,9 per cent from the previous year.

Despite Toyota's recall debacle, the Camry finished third overall earning the title of the best-selling passenger car in the States with 327,804 units, posting an 8.1 per cent drop from 2009. The Honda Accord and Toyota Corolla followed in fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Overall, U.S. automakers had four vehicles on the Top 10 list, while Japanese carmakers took six spots. For more details check out the complete list below that includes percentage changes from 2009.

1. Ford F-Series------------- 528,349 (+27.7%)
2. Chevrolet Silverado ------370,135 (+16.9 %
3. Toyota Camry ------------327,804 (-8.1 %)
4. Honda Accord-------------282,530 (-1.7 %)
5. Toyota Corolla------------ 266,082 (-10.4 %)
6. Honda Civic---------------260,218 (+0.2 %)
7. Nissan Altima-------------229,263 (+12.6 %)
8. Ford Fusion---------------219,219 (+21.3 %)
9. Honda CR-V-------------- 203,714 (+6.5 %)
10. Dodge Ram-------------- 199,652 (+12.6 %)

2011 Toyota Camry SE Road Test and all photos

The combination of two words whose meaning is apparently contradictory called an oxymoron, like "living dead", "dangerously safe", "almost pregnant" and "Camry Sport.

Though as strange as it may seem, in short, the car has a certain logic. A typical Camry is well known for its comfortable ride, soft as a marshmallow itself, its direction unclear and the lack of driving pleasure. But the SE version of the Toyota sedan seems to avoid being characterized as boring.

Yet, Toyota sells so many copies of the Camry every year we have to realize one thing: driving dynamics do not reflect the priority of everyone, and should not be either. That may well offer the SE sport to those shopping for a Mazda6 or Ford Fusion?

The Camry SE has aerodynamic additions that provide a little more style to its familiar form, like a front bumper, a rear diffuser, side skirts and a spoiler on the trunk. Personally, I would not get a Camry without these additions. In fact, as they can give the car a sportier look, a competitor like the Suzuki Kizashi is not displayed and no one looks much sexier.

The interior offers a feeling industrial. In addition, alignment of parts of the dashboard is poor, and that's since the consolidation of the sedan for the 2007 vintage. The mixture of dark gray and light gray is nothing exciting. However, all orders well designed, with large buttons and rotary controls easy to use air conditioning, comes to forgive part of monotony.

I wish the driver's seat cushion can be lowered further because my head is tickled by the ceiling while driving: would recline, for it would be inappropriate cons with my usual driving position. The leather seat surfaces are slippery, and with little lateral support, it bustles constantly on the seat in the curves, or it grips the steering wheel.

The space at the back, very generous, three adults can sit on the bench with little chicane. Trunk space, meanwhile, excels with its 425 liters.

I would also like that you can get Bluetooth connectivity without having to opt for all leather and transparent panel. Yes, you can buy a module at the dealership BLU Logic, unfortunately it does not buttons mounted behind the wheel. It would also be nice to have the USB audio da chain without using a group of options $ 3,130.

Under the hood lies the 4-cylinder 2.5-liter 16-valve engine introduced recently by Toyota: it develops 179 horsepower (10 more than in the LE and XLE versions) and a torque of 171 lb-ft. A 6-speed automatic transmission with manual mode is also included, since they can not get manual gearbox in Canada.

The 0-100 km / h in 9.2 seconds making, which is not so bad, and one of the fastest in our recent comparison of mid-size sedan. It does not feel as fast when driving more inspired, because the 6-speed automatic will be slow to react, even in sport mode, for the sake of fuel economy. Traction control is hibernating all summer, since it will probably never apply until there is no snow on the ground.

Speaking of fuel economy, our one-week trial ended with an average of 9.1 L/100 km, which is more than acceptable.

At full throttle, the engine becomes noisy, only by adopting a more relaxed driving, the interior of the Camry is quiet. The turnover of the car is comfortable, obviously, and the suspension so-called "sport tuned" pleasantly surprised us: not by its rigidity, but by how it makes the car more enjoyable to drive. Note that we did not say "exciting to drive, since management is still unclear at the center, which does not inspire to go hunting for twisty roads.

The base price for a Camry SE 4 cylinder falls to $ 27,755, while the band leather and transparent panel said earlier on our test car bringing the total to $ 30,885. For the price, a Suzuki Kizashi appears smaller but more captivating than the Camry, if a sports sedan is your cup of tea of course.

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2010

The 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan offers high quality and reliability of the petrol powered Camry together with increased fuel efficiency. The Toyota Camry Hybrid can operate on any combination of the two power sources. Its power is transferred to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT was chosen for its ability to keep the gas engine in its most efficient power band.

The Toyotoa Camry Hybrid is a front-wheel drive four-door sedan that comfortably seats five passengers. This model is made available in one well appointed trim it comes standard with Hybrid Synergy Drive, a combination of electric motor/gasoline engine fitted with an efficient, continuously variable transmission (CVT). The standard warranty for hybrid-related components is a very long 8 years/100,000 miles. A moonroof, navigation system, leather seats and heated front seats are all optional, please see the lists below. Standard safety features include stability and traction control, six-airbags, and a tire pressure monitor.

More than just a few people are calling this car “the best hybrid on the market today”.

MSRP – $26,150

Fuel Economy Estimates

EPA Fuel Economy Est – Hwy (MPG) 34
EPA Fuel Economy Est – City (MPG) 33
Fuel Economy Est-Combined (MPG) 34

0-60mph – 8.3 seconds




TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2010

Specification

Hybrid System Net Power: 187 hp (140 kW) standard
Engine
2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve dual VVT-i four-cylinder, 169 hp [1] @ 6000 lb.-ft. rpm/167 @ 4100 rpm
2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve dual VVT-i four-cylinder, 179 hp @ 6000 lb.-ft. rpm/171 @ 4100 rpm
3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve dual VVT-i V6, 268 hp @ 6200 lb.-ft. rpm/248 @ 4700 rpm
Hybrid Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four-cylinder Hybrid: 147 hp @ 6000 rpm, 138 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm standard
Rating emissions
Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV-II) is not available
Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards
Ignition
Electronic, with Toyota Direct Ignition (TDI) standard
Electric Motor Power Output: £ 199-ft@0-1.500 rpm (105 kW @ 4500 rpm) standard
Type of motor: Permanent magnet AC synchronous motor standard
Voltage: 650V maximum standard
Traction Batteries Power Output: 40 hp (30 kW) standard
Battery Type: Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) standard
Voltage: 244.8V standards
6-speed manual overdrive is not available
6-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift is not available
Kept electronically controlled variable transmission (ECVT) standard
Drivetrain: Front engine, front-wheel drive is standard
Construction Agency
Unitized body with front and rear reduce vibration sub-frames-standard
Hybrid Suspension: MacPherson strut front suspension with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, dual-link independent rear suspension MacPherson struts with gas-filled shock absorbers and standard stabilizer bars
Suspension
MacPherson strut front suspension with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, dual-link independent rear suspension MacPherson struts with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar (SE adds sport-tuned shock absorbers and springs, strut tower and trunk-mounted braces)
Steerage
Variable-assist power rack-and-pinion (Hybrid adds standard power-assist)
Turning circle diameter, curb to curb (ft.) 36.1
Brake
Power-assisted ventilated front / solid rear discs with four-channel 3-sensor Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
Hybrid Brakes: Power-assisted ventilated front / solid rear disc with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and integrated regenerative braking standards
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [4] with Traction Control (TRAC)

Features

Aerodynamic multi-reflector-beam projector lights with auto on / off feature standard
Aerodynamic multi-reflector lamps projector-beam with blackout sport trim and auto on / off feature is not available
Blue-colored headlamp bezels standards
Integrated front fog lights optional
LED (light-emitting diode) for tail, stop signs and lights, standard side
16-in. steel wheels with P215/60R16 tires and full wheel covers standard
16-in. 7-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
17-in. 5-spoke alloy wheel machine with P215/55R17 tires
not available
16-in. 10-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
16-in. 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are available only as part of option package

Include dual-color outside mirrors power standard
Heated outside mirrors optional / available only as part of option package

Acoustic noise-reducing windshield standards
High Solar Energy-absorbing (HSEA) standard glass
Washer-linked variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle standard
Power tilt / slide moonroof with sliding sunshade is only available as part of option package

Blackout sport grille is not available
Heavy-duty electric rear window defogger with timer standard
Dual exhaust not available
Chrome-tipped exhaust standards
Color-spirited front and rear underbody spoilers and side rocker panel molding is not available
Color-spirited rear spoiler lip

Choice

Integrated front fog lights optional
Auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass mirror is available only as part of option package
16-in. 7-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
AM / FM CD player with integrated satellite radio, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands-free phone capabilities and music streaming via Bluetooth ® [3] wireless technology, Vacuum fluorescent displays, six speakers and in-glass antenna
JBL ® AM / FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with integrated satellite radio [audio jack 1], MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands-free phone and music streaming capabilities via Bluetooth ® wireless technology, eight speakers in six locations, Vacuum Fluorescent Display and FM diversity reception
Color-spirited rear spoiler lip not available
Voice-activated DVD navigation system [4] with integrated backup camera, JBL ® AM / FM four-disc in-dash CD changer with integrated satellite radio, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands free -the ability of phone and music streaming via Bluetooth ® wireless technology, eight speakers in six locations and FM diversity reception
Heated outside mirrors optional / available only as part of option package
Leather-trimmed sport seats are not available
Leather-trimmed seats and door trim with integrated armrests and dual front and rear map pockets
Heated front seats is available only as part of option package
Multi-adjustable power passenger seat is not available
Smart Key System with Push Button Start and remote illuminated entry standards
Power tilt / slide moonroof with sliding sunshade

2010 Toyota Camry makes its debut at Detroit

Considered by some of us the best-selling passenger car in the United States, the new 2010 Toyota Camry was officially unveiled today at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Scheduled to go on sale in March this year, the 2010 Camry and Camry Hybrid come with a new exterior styling, performance, safety, audio and convenience features. Featuring an upgraded standard powertrain for 2010 the new vehicle comes with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) capable to deliver 160 hp for Camry, LE and XLE grades.

For the SE grade the powerplant delivers 179 hp while for those who want even more power, the Japanese manufacturer offers a 3.5-liter V6 delivering 268 horsepower. All the three engines can be connected to a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift.

© Source: autospies
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