Toyota bringing Prius mfg stateside [Archive]

Ankf00

07-10-08, 02:28 PM

Toyota also said it would stop building its two largest vehicles, the Tundra pickup and Sequoia sport-utility vehicle, for three months before permanently halting production of the Tundra next spring at one of two plants that make it.

Tundera consolidated from IN to TX, Highlander moved to IN from MS, Prius moved to MS

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/business/worldbusiness/11toyota.html?hp

I'm left wondering what's the long term plans for GM's truck assy facility in Arlington, TX

Methanolandbrats

07-10-08, 02:39 PM

I'm left wondering what's the long term plans for GM's truck assy facility in Arlington, TX

GM "long term plans".........:rofl: oh gawd, I almost pissed myself laughing when I read that. Nobody in GM can find their ass with both hands much less "plan for the future".

cameraman

07-10-08, 02:44 PM

Sales of the Prius declined 33.7 percent as a result of tight supplies.

How could they be that far off? Did they have a huge surplus that they were selling off last year or are they having production problems?

oddlycalm

07-10-08, 04:33 PM

How could they be that far off? Did they have a huge surplus that they were selling off last year or are they having production problems?
They had a massive surplus built up because they were barely selling at all. It took really expensive gas to get people to buy those pig ugly things with a dashboard that lights up like the Ginza at night. :yuck:

No reason a hybrid has to be an ugly uncomfortable car, but the Prius is. Even the seats are like foam rocks covered with cheap fabric. Zero rear visibility so they have a video camera in the rear...:shakehead

oc

cameraman

07-10-08, 04:47 PM

Gotta say I've never given one a second glance.
If we get anything it will probably be a Honda Civic GX NGV.

Unless of course they make a CNG Mini Cooper...

Indy

07-10-08, 06:01 PM

Had a Prius and it really grew on me. The biggest problem was the size, which was tough to use in my business.

I wonder what they will use the Indiana Toyota plant to make?

SteveH

07-10-08, 06:15 PM

I wonder what they will use the Indiana Toyota plant to make?

Profit.

Dirk Diggler

07-10-08, 06:16 PM

Nobody in GM can find their ass with both hands...

Agreed. Even if you spotted them the hole.

Ankf00

07-10-08, 06:47 PM

I wonder what they will use the Indiana Toyota plant to make?

Highlander.

And yea, the Prius is one godawful product. They're all over this place though... :shakehead

Going home yesterday an Echo drove past and I was wondering why so many cars designed for economy are ugly as sin. It's like they don't want their product to sell...

cameraman

07-10-08, 07:16 PM

oddlycalm

07-10-08, 07:29 PM

Had a Prius and it really grew on me.
Were you able to have the growth surgically removed...? :eek:

Sorry, couldn't resist. The Prius drives just fine, which is why it's a shame they goobered the design. I spent most of a day driving one in and around town an it great. Nothing like electric motor torque off the line.

oc

Methanolandbrats

07-10-08, 07:58 PM

I saw a nice looking econobox, the Volvo C30.

Then I looked it up and it get 19 mpg in the city:rolleyes:

227 hp 5 banger :confused:

If they were to make a high mileage version they would sell like mad.

Another one that *might* make it to the USA

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2007/08/2008_volvo_c30_efficiency_achi.html

nrc

07-10-08, 08:13 PM

I saw a nice looking econobox, the Volvo C30.

Then I looked it up and it get 19 mpg in the city:rolleyes:

227 hp 5 banger :confused:

If they were to make a high mileage version they would sell like mad.

They do. Just not here. You can get it with about three different diesels and three smaller gas engines in Yurp.

It's ironic. One of the reasons we don't get some of these choices (other than the fact that few people would have bought them 12 months ago) is that EPA certification makes additional drive-train options very expensive. So all the regulations intended to clean up our air are reducing our choices for more vehicles that would emit less pollution overall.

Gnam

07-10-08, 08:15 PM

Prius is a nerd car. ;) There's a green one around here with an 'OUR ERTH' vanity plate. I have to suppress the urge to ram it off the road whenever I see it.

A Civic Hybrid, on the otherhand, is a GREAT car. Great. :cool:

cameraman

07-10-08, 09:37 PM

They do. Just not here. You can get it with about three different diesels and three smaller gas engines in Yurp.

It's ironic.

Ironic isn't the first word that comes to mind:irked:

mapguy

07-11-08, 12:42 AM

Solution.

http://www.volksbloggin.com/wp-content/images/rabbit/volkswagen_rabbit_pickup.jpg

opinionated ow

07-11-08, 10:23 AM

this is what you do with Prius':

gsJjZIuF1lg

Methanolandbrats

07-11-08, 02:45 PM

Here's a diesel for the USA :D http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/spy-shots-bmw-335d-caught-ahead-of-u-s-launch-this-fall/ Not exactly an economy car and with all that grunt you'd have stop now and then to let the rear tires heal :thumbup:

07-11-08, 02:58 PM

this is what you do with Prius':

gsJjZIuF1lg

Nice! BillyBob must have ran through a few hundred $$ worth of MaDuece juice.

cameraman

07-11-08, 03:11 PM

Methanolandbrats

07-11-08, 03:44 PM

I find it the height of idiocy that you pretty much can't buy a modern high mileage diesel car in this country. The irony of the situation is driven home every time some turbocharged diesel pickup truck with an 8" diameter tailpipe blasts out a cloud of smoke that blocks everyone's vision of the road as he thunders off the line when the light turns green... Thank California. Also thank the slow changeover to Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel fuel. Five years ago India had better fuel. The fuel situation has been solved, 50 state clean diesels can now be sold and models will begin to appear. I'll bet ya that pickup ya saw had a chipped ECU....if you don't do it right they overfuel at wide open "throttle" and ya get the black plume. Did it look like this? :rofl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va8DceSfL6w&feature=related

Gnam

07-11-08, 03:54 PM

Yeah Baby! Two kinds of smoke!

Mz2Oh_DGo7M

During the 4th of July fireworks display, one of these trucks eased up behind the crowd and blasted his choo-choo steam whistle. Everyone jumped about a foot. :rofl: America! **** Yeah!

cameraman

07-11-08, 03:54 PM

I'll bet ya that pickup ya saw had a chipped ECU....if you don't do it right they overfuel at wide open "throttle" and ya get the black plume. Did it look like this? :rofl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va8DceSfL6w&feature=related

Exactly - no exaggeration. The only difference is the pipes are not vertical. They are horizontal at exactly head height if you are driving a Subaru Outback:flame:. The pipes are literally over six inches in diameter. There are about a half dozen of them in my neighborhood and they drive to work at the same time I do. Damn snowmobile draggers, their goal is to haul four sleds up the canyons at 90 mph.

JohnHKart

07-11-08, 09:00 PM

Had a Prius and it really grew on me. The biggest problem was the size, which was tough to use in my business.

I wonder what they will use the Indiana Toyota plant to make?

Same here...Not much out there touches the space and handling my Escort wagon has...and it's still getting great gas message @ 200,000. Maybe the Venza will do it. It's more like the Escort.

John

oddlycalm

07-14-08, 01:04 PM

Exactly - no exaggeration. The only difference is the pipes are not vertical. They are horizontal at exactly head height if you are driving a Subaru Outback:flame:. The pipes are literally over six inches in diameter. There are about a half dozen of them in my neighborhood and they drive to work at the same time I do. Damn snowmobile draggers, their goal is to haul four sleds up the canyons at 90 mph.
The good news for you is that unless your neighbors are very wealthy they won't be blowing raw fuel out of those pipes or dragging four snowmobiles anywhere for long. You'll still have your Scoobydoo and most of your money in your pocket while they will have donated most of theirs to oil companies.

oc