Articles by Peter Lyon

It will be called the Egoist.

The born-again Sprinter is definitely a coupe and now there will be a four-door sedan for Toyota showrooms.  Even though sedans are not popular in Japan - with the exception of the car sold as the Lexus IS200 and Toyota Altezza - Toyota can see serious potential in a global car from the FT-86. The loyal Altezza customers are one reason why, according to a source close to Toyota, the sedan has been given the go-ahead. It also helps that the basics are available and easy to tweak for four-door work. In truth, using the FT-86’s platform for a sports sedan is a kind of insurance policy to cover any potential shortfall FT-86 sales.  At the same time, it makes the most of the rare rear-drive platform. One Japanese commentator even goes so far as to say that the sports sedan project is a safety net, just in case the FT-86 fails, so that Toyota does not have to cancel the project altogether. The Carsguide source tells us that the sedan will not only incorporate the FT-86’s Subaru Liberty-based mechanical package, but get the same 150-kiloWatt boxer engine and six-speed manual transmission (or CVT) from the Impreza as well. Expected to fall into a segment rivalling something between the BMW 1- Series and 3-Series, and including the Audi A3 and the Golf GTI, the Japanese domestic sticker price should land near $30,000. Given that more power might be required down the line, Toyota will have the ability to bring the Subaru Outback’s 3.6 litre H6 engine into the equation.  But by the time the new sports sedan - not to mention the FT-86 coupe- finally makes it to showrooms in 2013, Subaru will have its own in- house hybrid boxer engine. This will create yet another powertrain opportunity for Toyota and a package that will, according to our source, be more exciting to drive than Toyota’s current crop of hybrids.

The new Japanese hero is likely to line up against the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell as the fruit of a technical tie-up between Toyota and its American battery powerhouse, Tesla.  An insider close to Toyota tells Carsguide that plans have been put in motion to develop a supercar to rival the plug-in Audi and Benz speedsters and also the Citroen Survolt concept first seen at this year’s Geneva motor show. The Lexus is expected to produce more than 350 kiloWatts for a 0-100km/ h sprint time around four seconds. It is likely to feed its power through four electric motors, one at each wheel. It will also incorporate a switch that allows drivers to select between driving programs such as comfort, sport and super sport, a system which will also regulate battery use and vehicle range. The plug-in Lexus is not expected until 2015 but a Carsguide artist in Japan has already been at work on a peek at the project.  He has installed a computer-generated image on the Nurburgring racecourse in Germany, where the Lexus engineering team fine-tuned the LF-A.Toyota sources say the large grille and air intakes beside the headlights are critical to provide sufficient cooling for the electric motors. The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the LF-A project.  Toyota's recent investment in Tesla adds weight to the Lexus story, and company chief Akio Toyoda recently drove a Tesla Roadster during a dinner meeting with Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk. Sources say Toyoda is so impressed he green-lighted the Lexus program, while Tesla is also about to deliver two as-yet-unidentified EV prototypes to Toyota this week.  An electric RAV4 and Lexus RX are also being evaluated by both companies. Toyota, which has become the hybrid trendsetter largely thanks to the success of the Prius, now has the world’s largest range of hybrid vehicles and is fully aware of the stricter emissions regulations coming into play worldwide.  Not surprisingly, it sees EVs as one way of improving its carbon footprint while helping to repair the company’s damaged public image in the wake of the unintended acceleration fiasco. As Toyota continues to channel a huge portion of its research-and- development budget into hybrids, improving battery technology and electric motor output has naturally led the company to focus on EVs as well. Its Prius PHEV, which has a lithium-ion battery pack and a 30- kilometre range on electric power, follows the company’s initial trials in EV mobility with the FT-HV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and the FT-HV II’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota engineers who raced Lexus LF-As recently in the Nurburgring 24- hour race were impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s ability to lead the race for more than 22 hours using a fresh F1-style take on hybrid technology. The GT3 RH is fitted with a hybrid system that stores energy generated by the brakes in a large flywheel, to be fed back to the front wheels. One Toyota engineer hints that such a regenerative system could become normal in future race cars and open doors for road cars as well.

And it will come with a lithium-ion battery pack, a first for Toyota.Toyota intends to turn Prius from a single car into a full line of vehicles, partly because of its future hybrid plans and partly because its research shows people around the world instantly associate the word Prius with hybrids. The first extension of brand Prius from today's five-door family hatch is an MPV, scheduled for a debut in March 2011 - most likely at the Geneva Motor Show in Europe.It is a relatively straightforward move for a car being called the 'Alpha' in Japan. The MPV sits on the same mechanical platform as the current Prius in showrooms, but gets a body stretch for space for an extra row of seats in the back. It will be about 300 millimetres longer overall, with a wheelbase increased by 20 millimetres. The name is a similar stretch, since the car is a 'plus-Alpha' addition to the Prius.The mechanical package will be inherited straight from the Prius, which means its 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and THSII hybrid system. But it will lose out slightly to the regular car on fuel economy, thanks to its extra weight.The Alpha’s biggest claim to fame is the MPV will employ lithium-ion batteries, replacing the current Prius’s nickel-metal hydride type. At just one-third the weight of the current battery pack, the new Li-ion batteries generate greater power and are already in use in the prototype Prius plug-in hybrid.A five-seater version of the Alpha is also planned, but this vehicle will use the current nickel-hydride batteries to save cost, according to one Toyota insider. The same source tells Carsguide that Toyota is bullish about pricing and will take the Alpha seven-seater into showrooms with a price that undercuts many current MPV rivals, including the Honda Odyssey.

Nissan has recently confirmed solid plans to bring Infiniti down under - after a failed first attempt in the late 1980s, just as Toyota launched Lexus - and its Essence concept car could be the headliner. The Essence was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show last year and Japanese sources now say the car is headed for production.It could become the new Nissan Skyline but is equally likely to wear an Infiniti badge as the brand is expanded and sharpened for a global focus. Infiniti is already being driven hard into Europe off the back of trendy SUVs and a diesel engine program now underway.A source close to Nissan says the upcoming Infiniti G37 coupe for 2012 will pick up a sizeable amount of inspiration from the Essence. That means the general shape, including the gaping nose and rearward cabin, of the striking silver concept coupe.The Essence concept car is surprisingly 'real world' in size and shape, with an overall length of 4.7 metres and a wheelbase of 2.2 metres. But there could be some surprises on the powertrain front.Nissan, which is pushing its green credentials strongly in 2010 with the launch of the Leaf plug-in electric car, is almost certain to go for some sort of hybrid drive on the new Infiniti. That's a contrast to the twin-turbo 3.7-litre V8 fitted to the concept car with a claimed output of 450kW.The Carsguide source suggests that it is most likely to inherit the 3.5-litre hybrid powertrain from the current Infiniti M35 coupe, but a new tie-up with Daimler in Europe could lead to a diesel hybrid drive with even better economy and emissions.

An unlikely sports hybrid coupe is about to inject some passion back into Honda.  The CR-Z is unlike any other hybrid, and not just in the way it looks. It promises to drive more like a performance car than a Prius hybrid and even has a six-speed manual gearbox.It comes at a time when Honda has backpedalled on many fronts, from its Formula One team to the NSX supercar project and a plan to revive the S2000 droptop. Instead, it has been focussing on good, clean family transport like the Jazz, Civic and CR-V.The CR-Z is expected in Australia later this year with a pricetag somewhere beyond $35,000, although there is no hint yet on the final number.  The car began as a concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and there were some people who questioned the final production car when it was revealed at the Detroit show in January. It was toned down in the nose and the futuristic cabin was gone.But the project leader on the CR-Z, Norio Tomobe, says people have misunderstood the objectives.  “We were not aiming for a modern-day CR-X. We wanted to create a totally new type of hybrid sports coupe that would take us into a more discerning and environmentally-conscious 21st century," Tomobe says."The fact that’s it’s a hybrid just adds another intriguing dimension to the sporty mix. If it reminds you of the CR-X then that’s purely coincidental.”Sitting on a slightly shorter but wider Insight mechanical platform, the CR-Z employs a wheelbase that’s shrunk by 115mm, while it has also lost 30mm in height and is 44kgs lighter than the Insight.Slipping into the driver’s seat, that 30mm seems undervalued because you sit so much lower in the CR-Z. There’s plenty of headroom for driver’s up to 194cm, but forget the rear seats, which would struggle to hold a 12-year-old. But flatten the seats and you create 401 litres of luggage space, enough for a couple of suitcases or two golf bags. Cabin trim and quality is well above the Insight and the instrumentation shows more design flair. It’s also well set-out, superbly illuminated and intuitive.To boost performance and lift the thrill factor, engineers replaced the Insight’s 1.3-litre petrol engine with a 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine from the Jazz, and then mated that with a revised six-speed manual transmission lifted from the European 1.8-litre Civic.  In contrast to the engine’s 84kW/145Nm, the electric motor generates 10kW/78Nm and - through a complicated calculation - the end result is 91kW174Nm in total. Fuel economy is 4.85L/100km.“Given the 1.5 litre’s greater torque we had to redesign the IMA system and gearbox to cope with the greater amount of torque,” explains Tomobe.   He admits the CR-Z is a bold step but is convinced Honda has launched the coupe at the right time.  And there is even more to come, with a high-performance tuned CR-Z from Mugen in 2011.I am pleasantly surprised when I come face-to-face with the CR-Z at an exclusive preview drive in central Japan. It looks like nothing else on the road.  It's instantly recognizable as a CR-Z with the imposing grille and upslanting headlights, and the design flows through to a cleverly sculptured rear deck.As I prepare to drive, Tomobe suggests I go for the sports mode to get the best impression of his new car. This regulates throttle response and employs the electric motor as a kind of mild supercharger to assist the engine when accelerating. The first thing I notice is the beefy torque as I move away, as it jumps from rest to 100km/h in just over nine seconds. Still, I expected this and the CR-Z is noticeably faster than the Insight.  Keep the engine spinning between 4000 and 6000 revs and the CR-Z will reward any call for go, as the specially-tuned throatier exhaust adds a sporty new hybrid note.Compared to Econ mode, which effectively restricts throttle action and contributes to the overall economy, the Sports mode is a keeper.  With world-beating manual gearboxes like those in the S2000, NSX and Civic Type R, the CR-Z has a lot to live up to, and thanks to some inspired revision on the European Civic’s gearbox the CR-Z’s six-speed delivers deliciously short throws and a firm, precise linkage action.Honda paid special attention to steering too. The coupe’s revised electric-assist steering is superbly weighted, has excellent steering feel and turns in on a penny. It's no surprise that Tomobe benchmarked the steering on his own BMW 325i M Coupe.  The CR-Z also has a rigid chassis, with a significant revision to the torsion bar rear suspension also improving the right and handling.The Insight is plain harsh and the CR-Z is stiff but compliant, a big difference.  There are many Insight carryover parts on the CR-Z but there are also some strategic differences. Like the brakes, which are fully hydraulic with regenerative braking only as an assist mechanism. And the result is sure-footed stopping power every time.

stylingsharp drivingrefinementno price yetCVT gearboxneed to push revsNothing is more important to Mitsubishi, right now, than its all-new RVR. It's the most important new arrival since the latest Lancer, which has now been in showrooms for around five years. The RVR - or ASX, for Active Sports Crossover, also being

They range from a tiny supercharged Toyota iQ to a full-race Lexus LFA and deliver on the recent promise by Akio Toyoda, the new chief executive of the Toyota Motor Corporation, to inject excitement, passion and driving enjoyment into the world's biggest brand.The most important car is a turbocharged version of Toyota's FT-86, which shows the potential of the production car that Toyoda plans to use to bring young people back to his brand.  There is no sign of a hotrod Camry at the show, the third-biggest 'tuner' event in the world after SEMA in the USA and Essen in Europe, but Toyota's introduction of its hero cars creates the biggest surprise since the start of the Global Financial Crisis. The Salon line-up is also a massive contrast to the conservative and underwhelming effort by Toyota at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, traditionally Japan's biggest motoring event.At the Auto Salon, Akio Toyoda does the introductions himself and spends more than 30 minutes talking about the cars during a presentation that partly erases some of the pain of the company's withdrawal last year from Formula One racing. Toyoda said simply ‘We quit’ at the F1 press conference, but also promised cars ‘that generate fun and passion’.The first of the passion pack is unveiled at the Salon and, despite a couple of aero-tweaked Prius sitting on the same stand in a nod to Toyota's hybrid drive, there is plenty of good news.  The FT-86 concept has pumped-out bodywork and a powered-up turbo engine, proving the tuner potential in a car that will be in showrooms in 2011. It's a classic rear-wheel drive coupe, just like the original Corolla Sprinter that has become a drift favourite around the world.The rich mix of raunchy metal actually starts with a supercharged iQ GRMN concept produced by Toyota's current tuner favourite, a company called Gazoo Racing Master of Nurburgring. It's still a tiny three-seater but it's quick.  There is also a 1.5 litre rear-drive Aigo that has been switched from front-drive, a 325 kiloWatt high-performance Lexus IS-F Circuit Club Sports and a full a race-specification LFA.The big surprise is a car called the GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept, also produced by Gazoo.  This two-seater, four-wheel drive hyrid sports coupe is based on the old Toyota MR-2 and boasts a mid-mounted 3.3-litre V6 engine and the company's well-known THSII hybrid system, a delicious combination that generates over 400 kiloWatts.Draped in a carbon fibre body and tipping the scales at around 1500 kilograms, against a final target in the 1300 range, the V6 drives the rear wheels while the electric motor propels the fronts. It can drive in silent EV mode in the city and, when called upon for some quick acceleration, the V6 springs to life and engages the rear rubber.This combination could very well put Honda's CR-Z to shame, even if Honda is calling its new coupe "The world's first hybrid sports car".  Stories leaking out of Honda say the CR-Z has only lukewarm performance, unlike the MR-S hybrid that has near-supercar performance and reportedly sprints from 0-100km/h in under 4.5 seconds.So, what's the bottom line from the Tokyo Salon? Based on what Toyota unveiled, it intends to make good on its passion promise and create cars that people really will want to buy.

Yes, there is a chunky new body, but otherwise the Japanese niche maker has ticked all the expected boxes: a revised four-cylinder boxer turbo, a re-hashed symmetrical all-wheel drive system, and re-designed double-wishbone rear suspension as part of a mechanical package which allows a roomier cabin inside a bigger body.SafetyIt will almost certainly get the maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP, although there was no need to test its crash performance during a first drive of the B4 2.5 Liberty GT in Japan last week.BodyAt my exclusive drive in the mountains of Subaru's Tochigi proving ground my first impression was the car's 'street presence.' The new Liberty looks bigger and taller all-round with substantial modifications in the sheetmetal.It is over 100mm longer, 50mm wider, 80mm higher and the wheelbase has stretched by 80mm as well, although kerb weight has only risen by 20kg. All that translates into oodles more head and legroom.EngineThe Liberty B4 has a fully-rebuilt 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer engine now making 210kW, up from 191, with torque in the five-speed auto up to 350Nm.Of special note is the redesigned turbo which now sits low down at the front of the engine bay just behind the number plate and a lot closer to the exhaust manifold, a modification that beefs up response while reducing turbo lag.Equipment The optional McIntosh sound system, arguably the best in-car sound system in the world, now plays DVDs and has a 40 gigabyte hard drive capable of storing 2000 songs and a 5.1-channel surround system. Other new stuff includes a 'Lineartronic' constantly-variable transmission, knee airbags, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlamps, push-button starting and a reversing camera with factory satnav.DrivingThe new turbo engine strutted its stuff and demanded me to drive harder on Subaru's tight winding course, and the car felt more planted than any earlier Liberty.Power delivery is linear and strong with maximum torque coming on tap as low as 2000 revs and staying on the boil to 5500rpm. With almost no noticeable turbo lag, the Legacy's sequential five-speed auto gearbox devours gear shifts with the flick of its polished aluminium paddle-shifters and almost no shift shock. A re-tuned blipping control on the downshifts also delivers seamless entry into corners allowing me to focus more on smoother braking and turn-in. A six-speed manual will also be available.The newly fitted double wishbones do wonders for the suspension, and Subaru rates them as a priority change. The latest electronically-assisted power steering delivers a clear message and the chunky nose tucks in nicely while the rear end stays low and flat, generating more grip than ever before. These new wishbones counteract unwanted camber fluctuations while producing prodigious levels of grip. That equals quicker, more stable cornering.Surprisingly, ride quality has also improved, especially for rear-seat passengers.For more detailed information, see your newspaper’s Carsguide section or check back here later this week.

You can't really get around it. There are others, from the original Honda Insight to the Civic hybrid and even the upcoming Porsche Cayenne and Panamera, but Prius was and is the benchmark. Right?Given the fact that the fuel-sipping Toyota was the petrol-electric trailblazer and kicked off the hybrid movement some 10 years ago, it has definitely earned its place in automotive history.Now, the car's third generation is here and it looks, well, much like the old one.But there is good news too. The all-new Prius is faster, handles more like a regular car, gets better mileage and employs higher-quality materials.It is going to face much tougher opposition, especially from a born- again Insight that looks a lot like the Prius and will be pitched lower on price, but the Toyota headliner is still the car being used to push the one million-a-year hybrid attack by the world's largest carmaker.Size wise, the new Prius is pretty much the same as before. It's just over one centimetre longer and sits on the same length wheelbase as before. The exterior design is a safe evolution of the current wedge- shape and is marginally slipperier through the air.But then you don't buy a Prius to admire it in your driveway. You buy it to make a social statement.Final pricing for the car has not been set for Australia, but the aim in the USA is to have it at $25,000 and to convert even more people than the greenies and movie stars who have already made it a hit _ particularly in California, where it is allowed in the car pool lane with only the driver at the wheel."It will be here in July," says Mike Breen of Toyota Australia, confirming the timing but not the price or equipment levels."It will be competitively priced. The specifications are different from the US, and there are a couple of things we get that the Americans do not, and they make a difference. They make a difference to the vehicle and as a result they have an impact on the pricing."Breen definitely rules out the Japanese plan to run the new Prius alongside the old one, to give a price fighter to combat the new Insight."We are not going to run the old with the new. The market will not sustain the new generation and the old generation being sold simultaneously," he says.He admits it was considered, but rejected."We are selling a Prius. But we keep an eye on all our competitiors."DrivingSitting in the tight new cockpit, I fire up the engine _ or at least push the start button to engage the silent electric motor.Power is up from the outgoing 1.5 litre's 57kW to the new 1.8's 73 at 5200 revs, with 142Nm of torque at 4000. Total power including the electric motor comes to 100kW, and there's an extra 27kW from the carryover nickel-metal hydride battery pack.No, the latest and greatest lithium-ion batteries are not yet in the picture for the Prius.A new front transaxle reduces power losses by up to 20 per cent and is now gear-driven to reduce friction and includes a reduction gear as well, meaning it can run at higher revs and make more power.The employment of the Atkinson cycle 1.8-litre engine is the main reason why the new car achieves a claimed 5L/100km economy, an improvement around five per cent Gently depress your right shoe and you can creep away in stealth mode _ or EV mode, one of three _ at up to 40km/h traveling up to 1.5km before the engine cuts in. Other modes are Eco, which most drivers will use, and Power for those who want quicker merging speeds on highways.The new hybrid might be over 40kgs heavier than the predecessor, but it still turns better and accelerates harder thanks to the new THSII hybrid system which helps it sprint from zero to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds.Using a feather throttle in my short 80-kilometre test around the perimeter public road surrounding Toyota's Fuji Speedway, I managed to move into the 4L/100km range. So Toyota's numbers are right on the money.The bottom line?The new Prius feels less like a hybrid and, well, more like a Toyota.More like a Corolla.Thanks to beefed-up torsional rigidity and revised suspension, there's better straight-line stability and braking response while the brake pedal does not suffer from that spongy feel of past regenerative brake setups.Its electrically assisted power steering has better weight and feedback when you steer into a corner, even though the predominant response is minor front-end push. It also gets a telescopic steering wheel which makes it easier to adjust and find the ideal driving position.Inside, Toyota has moved the fuel display and economy guage to the top of the dash in easier view. You also get a heads-up display which reflects in the lower section of the windscreen but in plain view to keep you up to date with your speed.Unfortunately, however, the driver's seat feels cramped due to the intrusion into the driver's knee and leg space of the rather thick and cumbersome centre console and dash.The Prius will impress many with its technological tour-de-force construction and better handling.But you still have to ask if the economy and so-so handling are enough to pinch buyers from diesel hatchbacks, without relying on the feel- good factor of a benchmark green purchase.