2010 Toyota RAV4 EV Concept

Toyota RAV4 EV Concept released at LA Auto Show. Good performance its which added a major powertrain option, along with minor feature and cosmetic changes. The demonstration vehicle weighs approximately 220 pounds more than the current RAV4 V6 yet it will accelerate from zero to sixty nearly as quickly.

The Toyota is currently testing is powered by a lithium metal oxide battery with useable output rated in the mid-30 kwh range. However, many decisions regarding both the product, as well as the business model, have not been finalized. Battery size and final output ratings, as well as pricing and volume projections of the vehicle Toyota plans to bring to market in 2012, have not been decided.

The Toyota RAV4 EV received several distinct exterior styling changes including a new front bumper, grille, fog lamps and head lamps. New EV badging and the custom “mutually exclusive” paint color, completed the transformation. The interior received custom seat trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button shifter and dashboard meters. The RAV4 platform brings a 73-cubic-foot cargo area with rear seats folded down – no cargo space was lost in the conversion to an electric powertrain.

Toyota’s comprehensive technology strategy is a portfolio approach that includes a long-term commitment to hydrogen fuel cells, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics all driven by the further proliferation of conventional gas-electric hybrids, like Prius, as its core technology.

Toyota has announced that coinciding with the arrival of the Toyota RAV4 EV in 2012 it will launch, in key global markets, the Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) and a small EV commuter vehicle. It will also launch, in key global markets, its first commercialized hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in calendar year 2015, or sooner.

Mazda Shinari Concept makes North American debut

Mazda’s current Nagare design language starts with smiling faces and moves back into wavy body panels. It’s hit and miss on the automaker’s existing lineup of cars. The Mazda Shinari Concept, which we previously saw in Milan and now makes its North American Debut here at the 2010 LA Auto Show, aims to change that.

The flowing lines are present, but they appear to be more organic, almost as if they were shaped by the wind itself flowing over the body of the car. The Shinari is the brainchild of Mazda’s Global Head of Design, Ikuo Maeda and it represents an entire new design philosophy known as KODO.

Described by Mazda with terms such as speed, tension and alluring, the KODO design language shows us a future filled with much more stoically aggressive vehicles. Gone is the O HAI THERE! happy face, and in it’s place is a visage that appears ready to tackle the road while the wind flows over the swoops, creases and curves.

Unfortunately, as you might expect, we will never see the Shinari enter production. However, if Mazda can glean some new designs from Maeda’s gorgeous styling exercise, then we could be in for some very good looking vehicles from the Japanese automaker.

U.S.-spec 2012 Mazda5 coming to LA Auto Show

We first saw the next-generation Mazda5 when it debuted in Geneva earlier this year, but now Mazda has confirmed that the version destined for the United States will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. 

Badged as a 2012 model, the U.S.-spec Mazda5 won’t differ all that much from its European kin in terms of appearance. A good thing, since the mini-minivan benefits from a healthy does of Mazda’s swoopyNagare design language.

Unsurprisingly, the 2012 Mazda5 will be powered by the same 157-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-four that we enjoy in the Mazda3 and Mazda6. Happily, Mazda will still be offering the 5 with a manual transmission in addition to the standard automatic, making it more attractive to those of us who prefer the engagement that row-it-yourself gearboxes have to offer. Multi-configurable seating for six is available inside with the usual list of standard and optional features.

Report: Mazda working on next-gen rotary-powered RX-9

According to a report from Autocar, Mazda is currently working on a successor to the old RX-7 and the current RX-8. (We’ve heard this before. Many times.) Believed to carry the RX-9 nameplate, the next-gen sports car is tipped to ditch the innovative but clumsy quasi-four-door layout of the current RX-8, and that the platform is to be spun off from the MX-5 roadster. But what you really want to know about is the engine.

Dubbed the 16X project, the new Renesis rotary engine is expected to grow in size considerably over the RX-8′s and pack around 300 horsepower – quite a bit more than the 232 hp we enjoy in the current car. Mazda is also said to be hard at work keeping the engine as clean and efficient as possible, as the current RX-8′s high fuel and oil consumption have driven it out of certain markets already. 

The Japanese automaker could alternatively turn the RX-9 project strictly into a hydrogen halo vehicle, which might be nice if you happen to live near a hydrogen pipeline, less so for the rest of us.

Report: Mazda working on next-gen rotary-powered RX-9

According to a report from Autocar, Mazda is currently working on a successor to the old RX-7 and the current RX-8. (We’ve heard this before. Many times.) Believed to carry the RX-9 nameplate, the next-gen sports car is tipped to ditch the innovative but clumsy quasi-four-door layout of the current RX-8, and that the platform is to be spun off from the MX-5 roadster. But what you really want to know about is the engine.

Dubbed the 16X project, the new Renesis rotary engine is expected to grow in size considerably over the RX-8′s and pack around 300 horsepower – quite a bit more than the 232 hp we enjoy in the current car. Mazda is also said to be hard at work keeping the engine as clean and efficient as possible, as the current RX-8′s high fuel and oil consumption have driven it out of certain markets already. 

The Japanese automaker could alternatively turn the RX-9 project strictly into a hydrogen halo vehicle, which might be nice if you happen to live near a hydrogen pipeline, less so for the rest of us.

SEMA 2010: Mazda Miata Super20 makes two decades even more worth it

Both the UK and Europe got 20th anniversary edition Mazda MX-5s earlier this year, and we now have our own version… in concept form. Speaking to the same color and materials designer who gave us the skinny on the hip and evil Mazda2s, we were told that the brief with this one was to make the Miata a little tougher without going too hardcore. A hard top goes in the place of the canvas roof and the form is draped in dark gray speckled with gold metallic. 

The orange accents in the darker stripes are tuned to that metallic hue, and they are matched by the orange roll cage and orange contrast stitching inside. Other notable details are the suede inserts on the interior, the first-gen door handles, the reworked grille area sans Mazda’s smiley face and a badge-less nose.

Under the hood is a reflashed ECU controlling a supercharged Cosworth motor, an ACT clutch, Mazdaspeed coilovers and shock tower brace, and Racing Beat hollow anti-roll bars. StopTech and SpeedSource throw in braking hardware behind 16-inch Enkei wheels on fat rubber. As for the chances of us anything like it in real life, you’ve heard this one before: “There are discussions…” Spy it yourself in the gallery of high-res photos below.