BMW and Toyota partnership hit medium / long term

The official press conference that this memorandum of collaboration in research and development of environmentally friendly technologies, will be held at 15 hours (GMT) in Tokyo, but Auto Toad is in a position to forward all details of this partnership between BMW and Toyota.

The basis of this agreement of medium / long term it is very simple: BMW and Toyota agree to work together to develop environmentally friendly technologies for their cars of the future. This will include research and development of new lithium-ion batteries and it is also established that the BMW diesel engines will provide 1.6 and 2.0 liters to Toyota Motor Europe.

This is the basis of the agreement signed today at the Tokyo Motor Show between the two constructors, a memorandum of understanding for a partnership of medium / long-term research and development of the next generation of environmentally friendly technologies.

As mentioned, this partnership will extend also to research and development of new lithium-ion batteries that could be used in electric and hybrid models, this memorandum is expected to extend this collaboration to other areas that are identified by both builders and advantageous to both parties.

This partnership will bring the diesel engines of 1.6 liters and 2.0 for models sold by Toyota Motor Europe from 2014, which shows a reversal in the brand strategy in Europe. We recall that in 2009, Akio Toyoda, Toyota's president, said the company's focus on Europe would be the hybrid models, away from the diesel that Toyota does not get lost in the crowd read, other builders with diesel ranges. In fact, at that time, the president of Toyota ended up with plans to develop a block 1.6-liter turbodiesel in partnership with Isuzu, Toyota brand owned by 5.9 percent.

This part of the agreement with BMW, which sees the German diesel engines under the hood of Toyota from 2014, is the assumption of the error committed with the stated bet on hybrids. The continuing loss of market share in Europe is the biggest proof of that, because the market of the Old Continent is dominated by more than half of its volume for diesel cars that use less fuel and emit less CO2 than petrol models, and much more interesting in using the hybrids. And beads made, the hybrids have not been above 2% market share in Europe, which is too little to allow a bet as deliberate as it did in hybrid Toyota and its Lexus counterpart.

Anyway, with this agreement, Toyota reverses its strategy from 2014 and will offer an expanded product range, and these two years to develop, which will translate in a frantic period of the new Japanese brand.

At the time of signing of the memorandum, Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of BMW AG said "Toyota is the market leader in providing environmentally friendly technologies usable in mass-produced products and the BMW Group is the world's most innovative and Premium between sustainable producers. Let us now join forces to further develop environmentally friendly technologies and expand our technology leadership in their respective segments. Provide Toyota with our dynamic and efficient diesel engines is more important in a planned expansion of our business from sales of engines and powertrains. "

On the side of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Company, said that "it is a great joy for us to enter into this partnership for medium / long term with BMW, a company with its very own culture and a rich history of success as manufacturer in Europe, a brand that makes cars fun to drive. In the spirit of contributing to the future development of automobile industry and society, both companies will bring this agreement to its comprehensive know-how '- starting with environmental concerns - to build the best cars ever. "

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Toyota reveals Fun-Vii

The Toyota Fun-Vii is a car that you can change the color and what there is exposed the ease with how to make the discharge of an application for a "smartphone", and the entire exterior of the vehicle interchangeable. The Vii has Fun 3 places, 4.020 meters long, 1.745 meters wide and 1.415 meters high, with a wheelbase of 2.750 meters. That is, the size of a Yaris.

Inside, the navigation system provides continuous information and can provide this information with a voice synthesizer. Internet connection and a data network, allows constant updates to on-board programs, including control of the vehicle and multimedia system.

The Fun-VII will be able to talk to network with other vehicles and infrastructure, thus preventing accidents due to lack of visibility or distractions and allow contact with friends that are circulating around. Obviously most of the controls are accessible from a "smartphone".

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BMW joins the Toyota

Essentially, the idea is to provide the BMW Toyota with its excellent Japanese brand diesel engines and send to Munich hybrid technology is well established to be developed by BMW.

The announcement of this partnership will be officially in the Hall of Tokyo, but rumors have circulated for a long time and a source at BMW told several media that talks between the two brands are a reality, declining, however, confirm the official announcement that this exchange of technology.

In simple terms, it is an exchange of interests. BMW to Toyota will provide the building blocks of 4 and 6 cylinder turbodiesel with common rail technology and TwinPower for this use in the range of expanded and revised models to market in Europe and other markets, offering top engines in the Toyota and Lexus.

The part of Toyota, BMW to deliver the current and future hybrid technology, properly tested and make more reliable for the German brand to develop its range of environmentally responsible models. In addition to making the brand BMW i alternatives to purely electric models.

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Toyota GT-86 reveals

The final name ends up being a tribute to the famous and fantastic Corolla AE86 known in Portugal as the Toyota Corolla GT Twin Cam 16v, keeping the rear wheel drive model like that and nothing more. Known as the EWuropa GT-86, the U.S. will be named FR-S and will be sold as Scion and Toyota in Japan is only 86.
In addition to the rear-wheel drive, the GT-86 uses the same block of two liters of boxer Subaru BRZ achieved with 200 hp at 7000 rpm and a torque of 205 Nm at 6600 rpm, which claims the second Toyota, offers impressive performance for a model that weighs only 1180 pounds. The maximum speed is 250 km / h.

According to Toyota, the GT-86 measures 4240 mm long and 1285 mm in height, was not disclosed to wide. Either way, it is a very compact car that Toyota is the four-seater sports world's most compact and the lower center of gravity. Either way, Toyota paid much attention to the behavior and thus put all mechanical items as low as possible (the Boxer engine helps!) And created a distribution of weights of 53/47 between the front and rear. Regarding suspension, McPherson front and a scheme overlaid serve the purpose of giving a good performance, helped by 17-inch wheels of origin.

The GT-86 will go on sale in European markets from the summer of next year.

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