Toyota Refreshes TMG EV P002 for Pikes Peak

Posted on: May 17, 2013

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) will send a revised TMG EV P002 to Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to defend its electric title. Based on last year’s ground-breaking run of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds, engineers at TMG’s electric vehicle technology center have generated more performance from the TMG powertrain to further improve the mark.

The P002 now has a top speed of 142.9 miles per hour, 1200 newton meters of maximum torque and 400 kW of maximum power. Before the annual climb, the EV P0002 will get aerodynamic upgrades and more track testing. A Schneider Electric EVlink DC charger will charge the P0002′s 42-kWh lithium ion ceramic battery on race day. All these upgrades and the history of record-setting gave Claudia Brasse, TMG’s executive coordinator of strategic EV development, reason to call the TMG EV P002 the “standard bearer for electric race cars.”

On June 30, just one week after TMG’s Toyota Racing team takes on the Le Mans 24 Hours with a hybrid prototype, Rod Millen will drive the TMG EV P002 at Pikes Peak. As a multiple record-setter at Pikes Peak and regular competitor in Toyota machinery, the 61-year-old New Zealander is highly experienced and will benefit from various improvements to the high-tech racer.

LAcarGUY Supports Heal The Bay’s “Bring Back the Beach” Fundraiser

Posted on: May 15, 2013

LAcarGUY is a longtime supporter of Heal The Bay, participation in beach cleanups, and most recently, LAcarGUY owner Mike Sullivan joined their Board of Directors. To celebrate our partnership, LAcarGUY’s Toyota/Scion Santa Monica will be donating a 2013 Scion FR-S for this year’s Bring Back The Beach live auction, with all proceeds going to Heal The Bay.

We urge you to support this great cause and join us for an amazing night on the Beach with Heal The Bay supporters

All-New 2014 Toyota 4Runner Showcases Off-Road Heritage

Posted on: May 14, 2013

While some people are switching to smaller cars or making the move to hybrids, for die-hard SUV fans, a proper SUV is the only way to go, rugged and capable of going almost anywhere. With the all-new 2014 Toyota 4Runner, there’s more features, more capabilities, along with a redesigned look and feel, inside and out, making it one of the few SUVs left that can literally tow its own weight!

One of the first things that stand out is its facelift with new headlights, grille and front bumper giving it an edgier and more muscular look. Smoked headlights, clear-lens tail, new 17-inch wheels on SR5 and Trail models, while the Limited continues to ride on 20s, and a standard roof rack on all trim levels complete the refreshed style on the outside. New additions to color choices include Super White, Attitude Metallic Black, Barcelona Metallic Red, and Nautical Blue Metallic.

Audi Pacific Hosts Iron Man 3 Pre Premier Screening!

Posted on: May 13, 2013

On May 2nd Audi Pacific hosted the private preview for Iron Man 3 in Torrance.  A BIG thank you to the over 160 customers that came out to experience the fun and see the Audi R8 and Tony Stark in action.

This special preview was before the Midnight first showing for the general public, in fact as the Audi Pacific showing was being ushered into the theatre, there were 10 lines of people waiting for the midnight showing.

This was the second time that Audi Pacific has hosted an Iron Man movie night at the AMC Del Amo in Torrance and it was great to see so many friends out to see it.

Toyota Unveils Green Concepts at Shanghai Auto Show

Posted on: May 6, 2013

At the Shanghai Auto Show last week, Toyota revealed a pair of green technology concepts, which might be a preview of hybrid systems that could appear in future models. Both cars are aimed at the Chinese market, with the FT-HT Yuejia debuting a six-seater hatch and the Yundong Shuangquing II previewing a new sedan model.

Toyota says that the hatch’s “Yuejia” name means “happy family”, while the sedan’s name combines “movement upon clouds” with the term “dual support” – the latter a reference to its petrol-electric powertrain. The Yundong Shuangqing II seems to be a more subdued version of the Furia concept seen at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, but now with a hybrid powertrain. Both the Furia and Yundong Shuangqing II concepts have sharply defined sheetmetal to separate the front of the car from the side. The two cars’ profiles look identical, from the upward kink of the rear side window to the character line that strikes through the door handles.

Little has been revealed about the concepts’ hybrid drivetrains, although Toyota has confirmed that a new system is being developed at its Changshu plant in China.

LAcarGUY at Manhattan Beach Earth Day Event

Posted on: May 1, 2013

This past weekend, LAcarGUY‘s team were on-hand at the unveiling of the official H2.0 Fountain at Polliwog Park on Earth Day. LAcarGUY is proud to be among a number of community partners who have contributed to support Leadership Manhattan Beach’s initiative to provide seven state-of-the-art water drinking fountains to the community, where three of which include a fountain especially for canine companions.

LAcarGUY‘s Manager of the Environment, Alisha Auringer, and CIO, Tim James, had the opportunity to fill up their water bottles using the bottle-refilling dispensers! LAcarGUY was also presented with a sponsorship plaque from the wonderful team at Leadership Manhattan Beach.

Check out a few pics from the day! If you attended the event, tell us what you think of the new drinking fountains!

Toyota Celebrates 5 Million Hybrids Sold Worldwide

Posted on: May 1, 2013

Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced a milestone, that it has sold five million hybrid vehicles worldwide. Nearly two million of those sales were sold in the United States, under the Toyota and Lexus brands. In Canada, over 77,000 hybrids have been sold to date and account for over 80 percent of Canada’s total hybrid sales in 2012.

In the U.S., Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles make up 70 percent of the automotive industry’s total hybrid sales, while they account for 16 percent of overall Toyota and Lexus sales both locally and globally.

LAcarGUY Sponsors Manhattan Beach H2.0 Drinking Fountains

Posted on: April 25, 2013

LAcarGUY is proud to be among a number of community partners who have contributed to support Leadership Manhattan Beach’s initiative to provide seven state-of-the-art water drinking fountains to the community, where three of which include a fountain especially for canine companions.

The locations of the new water stations are determined by the city’s Public Works Department for high use and visibility and can be found at the following locations: the Strand by the Pier, Polliwog Park, The Greenbelt, Marine Avenue basketball courts, and Manhattan Village soccer field. Future stations include the Strand by El Porto and Metlox Plaza. Manufactured by Most Dependable Fountains, Inc., the “H2.0 Station” is nearly 4-feet-8-inches tall and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Leadership Manhattan Beach has a mission to develop and unite community leaders by providing a flagship nine-month leadership training program that is held annually. 25 to 30 Manhattan Beach community members (adults and high school students) are selected to be part of the program to learn about various community services and programs. Individuals work collaboratively on a class project that brings immediate benefit to the City.

LAcarGUY Sponsors Grades Of Green Trash Free Lunches

Posted on: April 24, 2013

LAcarGUY, the leading hybrid dealer group in the world, was a proud sponsor for the second annual Grades of Green Trash Free Lunch Challenge at local schools.

There were 17 local schools that participated in the challenge and the top three were all sponsored by LAcarGUY stores! First Place went to Lunada Bay Elementary School, sponsored by Pacific Porsche. They won by reducing trash going to landfills by 87.5%. The school was honored with a celebration on Earth Day, on April 22, and will received a $1,000 education grant.

Toyota Introduces Prius Endurance Racecar

Posted on: April 23, 2013

It’s not something you would expect to normally hear in the same sentence, Prius and racecar. But Toyota continues to surprise and be on the forefront of innovation. Toyota’s Prius model is known for its fuel-efficiency, not for speed or performance. Well, Toyota didn’t design the street-version of the Prius of performance but the Prius designed specifically for endurance racing, on the other hand, is a different story.

Toyota calls its new Prius racing car the world’s fastest Toyota Prius. The car is a GT300 spec racing car that debuted last year in Japan at the 2012 Super GT series. The car hit the track again a couple of weekends ago at the Okayam Circuit in South Japan. It was a sight to see a Toyota Prius up against the likes of Audi, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, and other racecar and sports car brands.