Scion FR-S Named 2013 AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star

The Scion FR-S was named a 2013 AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star today as part of the leading automotive publication’s annual list. To earn its spot, industry judges evaluated the FR-S against all current model year vehicles on sale in the United States across all categories.

In naming the FR-S, AUTOMOBILE Magazine highlighted the rear-wheel sport car’s engaging driving experience and accessibility.

“The affordable and fun-to-drive FR-S is not only a welcome addition to the automotive landscape for American enthusiasts, it’s also exactly the sort of vehicle we’ve been hoping to see from Scion,” said Jean Jennings, president and editor-in-chief at AUTOMOBILE Magazine. “We are very happy to celebrate its arrival.”

The FR-S comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, a limited-slip differential and 2.0-liter flat boxer engine that produces 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque.


Courtesy of Toyota Pressroom

Toyota and National Center for Family Literacy Launch $10 Million Initiative

Toyota and the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) are launching Toyota Family Learning, a six-year initiative that will create a new model for literacy by expanding it beyond the walls of the classroom and into homes and communities. This new initiative will engage families in learning together both online and offline, incorporating digital elements launching later this year, including a website, mobile app, social media and more. Today, the first phase of Toyota Family Learning goes live: a grant program for communities to fund new family mentor and service learning programs targeting vulnerable families.

Five organizations will be awarded a three-year, $175,000 grant, in addition to a wide range of NCFL training and communication support, learning items and materials. Fifteen grants will be awarded over the course of the six-year initiative. Schools, libraries and community-based organizations that provide services to families are eligible to apply. Submissions are being accepted now through June 24 at www.toyotafamilylearning.org. Submissions will be evaluated on a number of factors, including strength of existing services, commitment from community partners, and strength and innovation of proposal. Grant recipients will be notified in July.

“The vision for Toyota Family Learning is to become a modern-day movement for families learning together and this grant program launch is the first of many steps we’ll be taking in the coming months and years to make that vision a reality,” said Sharon Darling, president and founder, NCFL. “The components of this initiative are all rooted in increasing Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time® that is so critical to improving family literacy.”

“For over 20 years, we’ve been proud and humbled by our partnership with NCFL, which has helped more than one million families learn and grow together,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation at Toyota Motor North America. “We’re excited to build on this with the new Toyota Family Learning initiative and look forward to seeing how local community organizations will help expand our work beyond the classroom and into homes and communities.”

This new initiative is the latest in Toyota’s long-standing support of NCFL’s mission to advance family learning and literacy. Since 1991, Toyota has been a strategic partner to NCFL, providing more than $36 million to fund 256 literacy programs nationwide and impacting more than 1 million families. Program highlights include:

• Toyota Family Literacy Program: brings parents and children from immigrant families together in a classroom to learn and engage with culturally relevant programming.

• Toyota Teacher of the Year award: annually recognizes individual educators for their efforts to improve literacy among learners of all ages. The winner receives a $20,000 grant to implement his or her classroom project.

• Toyota Families in Schools: establishes learning services in schools and engages parents and at-risk students aged 5 to 12 years old by providing academic and home-life support.

Courtesy of Toyota Pressroom 

Toyota Camry ranked among top quality vehicles

Toyota Motor Corp. has retained its spot among the top quality automakers in the U.S., according to Consumer Reports.

The magazine ranked the Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE among the top five automobiles of 2013. The Camry was praised for having all of the safety features one would expect from a top-selling sedan combined with an impressive 40 miles per gallon city/38 mph highway.

San Antonio is home to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas Inc. plant, where the Tacoma and Tundra trucks are assembled.

Courtesy of bizjournals.com

A Billion Horsepower and Growing - Toyota's West Virginia Plant Celebrates Production of Its 10 Millionth Unit

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc., (TMMWV) and its 1,300 team members celebrated production of the plant’s 10 millionth powertrain unit at a ceremony this afternoon with guests from the state’s business and civic community.  Powertrain units include engines and automatic transmissions.

Facts about TMMWV and its 10 millionth powertrain:

• TMMWV is the first plant outside of Japan to produce 10 million units.
• Every 20 seconds a Toyota vehicle rolls off a North American assembly line with a TMMWV powertrain product.
• Total output of all engines produced at TMMWV tops 1 billion horsepower.  

“From the very beginning, our mission was to support Toyota’s growing North America operations by building high-quality powertrains for our customers,” said TMMWV President Yogi Suzuki.  “Our team members’ focus on quality, safety and their commitment to continuous improvement is second-to-none.  West Virginia has been and will continue to be an important part of Toyota’s efforts to localize production in North America.”

TMMWV, which assembles four-cylinder and V6 engines and 6-speed automatic transmissions for nine of 12 North American-produced vehicles, recently completed its seventh major expansion earlier this year resulting in 80 new jobs.  Production began in 1998.  Cumulative investment at the plant is $1.3 billion and annual capacity is more than 650,000 engines and more than 520,000 automatic transmissions.

Courtesy of Toyota Pressroom