Hasta La Gadget!

The sophistication of car navigation systems in Japan is remarkable and continues to get better, with companies developing better and easier to use units, with additional fun features.
Fujitsu group company, Fujitsu Ten, has introduced its latest and greatest ECLIPSE model – ULTRA AVN (AVN-ZX02i). It has an extra large monitor size, fits in 17 different Honda, Toyota and Nissan car models, has improved view-ability and improved traffic recognition and warning capabilities.
It also has …

Nokia’s position in the smartphone market may be precarious (if improving), but its Location and Commerce (read: mapping) division has developed quite the reputation. Toyota is the latest big car manufacturer to pay cash to get Nokia’s Here Local Search installed on Mr. Toyoda’s in-car infotainment units. The Japanese giant is planning to have the software baked into its vehicles in Europe, Russia and the Middle East by early 2014. At the same time, the duo have agreed to work together on how best they can develop Here’s navigation potential even further.

Filed under: Transportation, Software, Nokia

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This week Toyota reclaimed its former spot as the world’s largest automaker with a 23% gain in global sales for 2012. Toyota sold 9.75 million vehicles during 2012 allowing it to take the top spot from GM. GM sold 9.29 million vehicles in 2012.

Another automaker that was in the hunt for the title of world’s largest automaker was the Volkswagen, selling 9.07 million vehicles globally. Toyota sales numbers also include its sub brands including Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Limited. Toyota was the world’s largest automaker for the first time in 2008.

However, Toyota fell behind GM a few years later after its supply chain was disrupted as a result of the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand. Toyota credits much of its success to high demand for its Prius hybrid vehicle line, Toyota Camry, and SUVs. For 2013, Toyota is forecasting 9.91 million vehicles sold.

That prediction shows an expectation of modest growth in 2013. Toyota didn’t offer insight on its sales for specific geographic areas when it announced it was the world’s largest automaker. The company did say that it didn’t expect to meet its 2012 goal of selling 1 million cars in China. Toyota previously noted that it had sold 2.1 million vehicles in the United States during 2012.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Toyota becomes the world’s largest automaker is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BMW and Toyota have finalized their partnership on sports cars, fuel-cell tech and more, signing a binging agreement that will also see the German and Japanese marques collaborate on new lithium-air batteries. The deal, which builds on the two car company’s previous “memorandum of understanding” back in June 2012, focuses on four key areas for the future, with green motoring and lightweight, fun performance cars both on the agenda before 2020.

On the green side, BMW and Toyota plan to continue their joint work on fuel cell systems. They will share their existing research, and then collaborate on a “fundamental fuel-cell vehicle system” – consisting of fuel-cell stack, system, hydrogen storage tank, battery, and motor(s) – as well as the infrastructure to fuel it, with a mind to producing a working, practical setup by 2020.

Beyond that, however, will come lithium-air batteries, jointly researched as the eventual replacement for lithium-ion power packs as used in most recent all-electric or hybrid cars. That will take a little longer than the fuel-cell technology, but the target is a battery with far greater energy density than current-gen technology, improving range and reducing bulk and weight.

Slimming cars is, indeed, another of BMW and Toyota’s goals, not to mention applicable both to performance models and to green vehicles. Reinforced composites, more traditionally used in racing cars, will play a greater role in mainstream models, it’s suggested, including the fourth strand of the two companies’ collaboration: a new sports car.

A joint platform for a mid-sized car will be created, with a goal to complete that by the end of this year. The system – which will presumably be used as the underlying basis for two differently designed, branded, and positioned vehicles – will combine the best of Toyota’s EV, fuel-cell, and hybrid technology as well as BMW’s strengths in driving experience and dynamics.

It’s unclear when production models based on the platform might appear, though both firms have been flirting with squeezing performance out of what would normally be considered green technology. Toyota revealed the sleek NS4 hybrid concept last year, as well as demonstrating the speeds that could be squeezed out of electric vehicles with its Le Mans car, while BMW’s i8 Spyder is resolutely a sports machine, despite running on electricity.

Meanwhile, there are indications that this won’t be the end of Toyota and BMW’s work together. Comments from Dr. Herbert Diess, a member of BMW’s board, at a press conference in Japan to announce the binding agreement suggested it is the first in “a shared vision” that is necessary to cater for all types of mobility requirement in the future.

BMW and Toyota official tech buddies: Sports cars, Li-Air batteries, more is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There are rides, and then there are rides. I would certainly lump this highly customized Toyota Sequoia under the latter, thanks to the effort of the folks over at Lexani Motorcars. In a nutshell, they have managed to customize a Toyota Sequoia by padding it with its fair share of armor just in case you happen to be in a tight spot, but just in case that is not enough for a rogue country’s dictator, the Toyota Sequoia has also been kitted out with bling, where you will find exclusive creature comforts such as wine coolers and huge leather seats that would certainly make any rock star feel at home inside. This luxurious SUV does seem to target folks who want the best of both worlds – security as well as entertainment and being treated like a king.

One thing’s for sure, this is an armored car that certainly goes against the grain, as it is very different from the conventional notion of a huge limousine, just like the one the U.S. President rides around in. Good to know that this is one low key armored vehicle that will not drag any attention to you, not at least until you stop and a bevy of gorgeous ladies step out from it with you, and photographers get a glimpse on the amount of fun one can have inside.

Sporting composite armor that delivers a very high degree of protection without weighing it down a whole lot, the standard 2013 Toyota Sequoia has managed to be modified to where it is thanks to the assistance from professional car armorers. The clever implementation of Kevlar, ceramic composites, ballistic steel and laminated armor glass will allow it to withstand penetration by 7.62 x 51 mm M80 NATO Ball ammunition, while the floor clears the height for blast protection to meet STANAG 4569 Level 1 certification, letting it stand blasts and shrapnel that are equivalent to two hand grenades wired together and detonated simultaneously. Both fuel tank and battery are also armor plated.

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[ Lexani Motorcars’ customized Toyota Sequoia is the bomb copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]