2014 International (Detroit) Auto Show

[4x4mike]

There is some interesting things being unveiled.

New Supra?
http://touch.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/concept/ft1/index.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/auto-shows/toyota-ft-1-concept-hunting-corvettes-porsches-2014-detroit-auto-show-article-1.1577901


Aluminum bodied F-150:
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-detroit-auto-show-ford-truck-20140113,0,1356693.story#axzz2qJU9uboH

[Good Times]

dang was gonna post up about that new Toyota FT1 (aka maybe the new Supra?) beat me to it!

I like the new Honda Fit but *** is the build it in Celaya Mexico deal? Bah! that's a big bummer.

[Good Times]

btw the Kia GT4 Stinger is a pretty fancy looking piece considering it's coming from Kia. Boy have them come a long way to be able to build a prototype like this.

Much props!

http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/dfda5d1311981bafe7e2507e16796df8/kia-gt4-stinger-concept-detroit.jpg

[corax]

btw the Kia GT4 Stinger is a pretty fancy looking piece considering it's coming from Kia. Boy have them come a long way to be able to build a prototype like this.

Much props!


Kia has proven they can fast-track vehicles from concept to production . . . now, if they can pull it off, without losing much of the flavor and keep it Right Wheel Drive, I'll be impressed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Ohlep2od8

BTW, love the fans in the front opening on the FT1 - gives it a definitive "turbine" look
http://indianautosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Toyota-FT-1-Front-fascia-NAIAS-2014-1024x682.jpg

[Seanz0rz]

I hope the KIA looks just like that when it comes out. It won't, but might be REALLY damn cool!

As for the Supra, once the beige police at Toyota get their hands on it, it might actually look like something we would want to buy. That styling is too over the top for me, but I do hope they keep some of the design cues. I really like the shape of the green house, and the really long nose. Those vents into and out of the rear wheel wells are really nice too, but I doubt those would make it. The nose looks a little too much like an F1 car or Ferrari Enzo (the ugliest of the prancing horses, IMO). The fans are wicked cool though!

[04 Rocko Taco]

The FT1 doesnt do to much for me honestly, while it is a wild looking concept, I would love it if Toyota just built exactly the same Supra they used to, but I suppose I should just let go of that dream. The FT1 I am afraid will either end up a little to bland, ot will end up closer to the LFA, which while not supercar performance, I would consider much closer to supercar money. If they can keep this around $60K it would be reasonable, but I honestly dont know who can afford to buy brand new cars anymore. Certainly not me.

I think the idea of the Aluminum F150 is pretty cool. I would have no problem with it, keep the same power plant, lightweight (although not by that large of a margin - I would think) Surely it will help with gas mileage, and otherwise, I dont see the downside. an accident is going to damage either aluminum or steel, and Ford upped the frame from 23% high strength steel to 77% to keep it rigid.
Saturns had plastic body panels, people still loved those.

[Kryptoroxx]

The FT1 doesnt do to much for me honestly, while it is a wild looking concept, I would love it if Toyota just built exactly the same Supra they used to, but I suppose I should just let go of that dream. The FT1 I am afraid will either end up a little to bland, ot will end up closer to the LFA, which while not supercar performance, I would consider much closer to supercar money. If they can keep this around $60K it would be reasonable, but I honestly dont know who can afford to buy brand new cars anymore. Certainly not me.

I was thinking the same thing because the supra we all remember was a sexy sexy car. The way I see it though they actually kept a good portion of the original lines from the Supra. You can tell that while the style is "bold" that it is the Supra's attention demanding daughter (sound familiar lol?). I agree that once the production designers get their little hands on it the styling will dull down a bit but I think the Supra would need a major update to become a main attraction again plus a powerplant that holds true to the name. Hopefully it is still an I6.

I definitely am not a fan of the nose. It screams F1 racer which is great for track. Imagine what will happen to those fans the first time the neighborhood squirrel gets hit by that so maybe not so great for street. If they combined the FR-S front end and the FT-1 front end to make it more of a street car I think they'd have something. Currently that thing looks like it could take on the Lexus LFA and come out with some teeth left.


I think the idea of the Aluminum F150 is pretty cool. I would have no problem with it, keep the same power plant, lightweight (although not by that large of a margin - I would think) Surely it will help with gas mileage, and otherwise, I dont see the downside. an accident is going to damage either aluminum or steel, and Ford upped the frame from 23% high strength steel to 77% to keep it rigid.
Saturns had plastic body panels, people still loved those.

It's a neat idea for production but imagine if that happened to the 3rd gen 4runners....we wouldn't be wheeling them so much because of the properties of aluminum. It's a great metal but difficult to work with imo. So people who just drive will probably not even notice the difference except at the pump but the people who tinker will probably shy away.

[4x4mike]

I saw this this morning. Seems like folks who really want a small diesel and a pick up will be all over this. I have a feeling this will give Toyota and the Tacoma a run for it's money and/or make other manufactures sh!t or get off the pot.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/01/14/gm-diesel-off-road-pickups-ready-to-wander/?intcmp=features

[paddlenbike]

I think Ford is leading the way in technology, which definitely could not have been said ten years ago. I read there is a new engine for the F150 as well, a 2.7L twin turbo V6. It is difficult to imagine a powerplant the size of a Tacoma 4 cylinder powering a full sized truck, but I know it can be done. I've driven a new F150 ecoboost V6 and was really impressed. If I were shopping for a new truck today, Ford would get my money.

[DHC6twinotter]

I really like both the Kia GT4 and the Toyota FT1. Both cars look great, although I'm not a huge fan of the FT1's trunk lid. The fan placement on the FT1 is kinda cool.

Cool to see that the Colorado/Canyon is getting a diesel. Hopefully this will persuade Toyota to put a diesel in the Tacoma and 4Runner.

[Kryptoroxx]

I saw this this morning. Seems like folks who really want a small diesel and a pick up will be all over this. I have a feeling this will give Toyota and the Tacoma a run for it's money and/or make other manufactures sh!t or get off the pot.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/01/14/gm-diesel-off-road-pickups-ready-to-wander/?intcmp=features

I think its time toyota brought their d4d engines in. I was stationed on mainland Japan for a spell and their turbo diesels are nothing short of awesome. If for some reason my 2.7 decided to completely dump on me tomorrow I would consider going to dieseltoys.com and getting one of their packages installed. They arent cheap but doubling city gas mileage with a real 4wd vehicle would save tons of money over the long run.

stamped and snail mailed

[DHC6twinotter]

I think its time toyota brought their d4d engines in. I was stationed on mainland Japan for a spell and their turbo diesels are nothing short of awesome. If for some reason my 2.7 decided to completely dump on me tomorrow I would consider going to dieseltoys.com and getting one of their packages installed. They arent cheap but doubling city gas mileage with a real 4wd vehicle would save tons of money over the long run.


Yup, I just got back from a 6 week trip to the Philippines, and the diesel Toyota Fortuner is super popular there. They also have diesel Land Cruisers (Prado and 200 series) and the diesel Hilux. Diesel fuel in the Philippines is also ~$0.75 USD/gallon cheaper than regular gas, so I'm sure that has something to do with diesel popularity. Oddly enough, most of the cars are gas, and most of the taxis are CNG.

I'd love to see that happen here, but I think I'd have to see what the price increase of a gas motor will be. With diesel fuel being more expensive, it may take a while to recoup the initial sticker price increase, even with higher MPG.

[04 Rocko Taco]

... dieseltoys.com ...

Had never heard of this... been thinking of an HT1 swap in our 80 series, being as it was, I thought, hey a shop that does the swaps, cool, lets check it out.... HO LEE SHEET.
25 grand? Ouch. Pass.

[Kryptoroxx]

I can't say it's not expensive and that I could do that instead of get pizza one weekend but what are the diesel options in america? Either its a huge truck or its a tiny car. Nothing that is in the normal SUV range or pickup range.

My buddy just paid 38 grand for a jetta TDI. The golf TDI isn't much cheaper. Mercedes makes a diesel but even if I could afford to buy it I couldn't afford to have the dealer work on it.

Any way that you go about it it is gonna be expensive. I figure I would rather have it in a vehicle I love to drive already than leave Toyota just to have a diesel. Just my thinking.

Then again I also only paid 6k for my 4Runner. Another fact that I tried to get my parents to help me get a 4runner back in 98....but 30k was way out of reach for me back then. I had just gotten my license lol.

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[04 Rocko Taco]

Oh no doubt it is a great option, I am just not going to pay 25K to get it in a 18 year old Land Cruiser.
If I take the swap idea any further will source an engine and parts and swap myself. It still wont be cheap, but not 25K.

[Kryptoroxx]

I wouldn't mind taking a stab at it but with the amount of stuff that has to be swapped and changed....its pretty daunting.

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[DHC6twinotter]

Chris, seeing as how the 80 series already had a diesel engine in overseas markets, it seems like you could source an engine and related parts for a lot cheaper. You could buy a half-cut for a lot less than 25k and just swap the parts over to your LC.

Yanmar makes a marine engine based on the 1HD, and I've always thought it would be neat to see one in a LC.