The Detroit News reported that Toyota’s top executive in the United States said that the company was reviewing its entire operation here, including whether to close a factory in California and when to open a factory in Mississippi.

In an hour-long interview with reporters at Toyota’s Washington office, Yoshimi Inaba said Toyota is not profitable in North America despite cost cutting in the organization.But he said he hopes the company could be profitable in its next fiscal year in North America.

Inaba, who is president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor America and chairman and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, is taking up his responsibilities at a crucial time for the Japanese automaker. Toyota’s sales have fallen 38 percent in the first six months of the year — to 770,000 cars and trucks from nearly 1.25 million vehicles in the first six months of 2008. U.S. industry auto sales fell 35 percent in the first half of the year.

When Toyota starts talking about closing plants and or not opening new ones, then times are not only tough, they’re dire.

What’s your summer rite of passage? Some put the tops down on their convertibles or open up the sun roof on

Jeep Jamboree

their autos and let in the fresh air. Others take their motorcycles out for a spin. For those of us that love four wheeling, it’s time to hit the trail with your friends or family, and one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for one of the 32 events for 2009 sponsored by Jeep Jamboree USA (JJUSA). With locations spread throughout the U.S., this 4WD Jeep adventure-company provides guided tours along some of the best off-road trails in the country, timed for climate and local beauty, with entrance to pristine backcountry areas that are often limited-access, or inaccessible to others.

The Texas Spur Jeep Jamboree’s spring event is timed to capture the splendor in the heart of Texas Hill Country, with cactus and blue bonnets in bloom, as the native live oaks leaf out in shades of lime and emerald, and also to provide a wide variety of wheelin’ that can range from dirt track and sandy, dry wash to moderate-to-nearly-extreme rock climb, in Llano (pronounced LAN-o) County, located two hours north of San Antonio and an hour and a half northwest of Austin. JJUSA’s trained guides are on-hand to instruct attendees, who can range from newbies to expert drivers, with rigs that can range from stock-from-the showroom-floor models to military trucks and home-built rock crawlers-all with a Jeep pedigree.

This yea’s 4^th Annual Texas Spur spring event drew 247 participants, driving 133 Jeeps, and hailing from 15 states to the small city of Llano, located on the banks of the Llano River. (see sidebar: you can still register for the fall trip!) This popular Jamboree, organized by locals Tony and Nancy Winkler who, along with their local trail guides, have dozens of years of 4WD experience and are at-the-ready to dish out true Texas hospitality, was sold out shortly after it was listed online earlier this year.

Go to www.JJUSA.com for a complete listing of events for 2009.

Sue Mead

Aireal view of GM's new proving ground.

In the agreement GM has leased a portion of the Yuma Proving Ground from the government on which several test roads and support facilities have been built. Both the Army and GM will have access to road systems they currently did not have on their property. A win – win for both groups.

GM sold the Mesa Proving Ground when residential and commercial building encroached on their heretofore rural area. As property values increased the value of the land the Proving Ground was sitting on became more valuable for development than for testing. GM’s rapid move from road testing to lab testing to using math based tools enabled the testing needs to be met with a much more modest size facility and limited test roads.

“This new facility meets several of our important product development needs,”? said Ken Morris, executive director, Vehicle Integration, Proving Grounds and Performance Division. “We have a longer hot weather testing cycle, we have great partners with the Army and the city of Yuma, and we have a facility that will meet our needs in the years to come.”

The new facility will employ 75 engineers, technicians, and support staff, have 40 miles of roads, and cover 2400 acres of property on the Yuma site. The bulk of the work with be hot weather related testing, powertrain, ride and handling, and other vehicle development activities. Yuma has proved to be a perfect fit for GMs needs with a longer hot weather season than the Mesa area, relatively isolated and secure from photographers looking to get shots of the latest models being tested, and excellent support capabilities from the Yuma community.

Despite what our egos tell us as Americans, when it comes to consumer technology, we’re clearly second to Japan and maybe third to somebody else. Who knows?

As part of the spin, a video of the i-Miev debuted in early June as part of the United Nations World Environment Day.

The video showcases the performance and durability of Mitsubishi’s pure battery electric vehicle – the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) – in a series of tests and in comparison to its Japanese market i gasoline counterpart.

So for those who can’t wait to catch a glimpse of the i-MiEV on the road after it goes on sale in Japan this summer, they can catch the minute-and-a-half video at www.mitsubishicars.com or by clicking here.

It’s clear from the video that emitting zero on-road carbon emissions and using no fossil fuel are not the i-MiEV’s only talents. The small, yet roomy, four-passenger i-MiEV is shown in acceleration and slalom tests side-by-side the turbocharged gas-powered i car on which it is based.

Keys to the i-MiEV’s performance include an ultra-quiet permanent magnet synchronous motor and a powerfully efficient lithium-ion battery pack that can be quick-charged up to 80 percent of capacity in as little as 30 minutes. An onboard charger accepts 110V (12-14 hour full-charge time) or 220V in half that time.

Mitsubishi Motors’ i-MiEV will be the world’s first practical electric vehicle offered by a major automobile manufacturer when fleet sales begin in Japan this summer.

If completed, the deal would save 13,000 jobs at Saturn and it would preserve the customer-focused Saturn brand.

The proposed transaction is part of GM’s rebuilding efforts outlined in the viability plan that was submitted to the U.S. government earlier this year and is now a part of GM reorganization plan submitted to bankruptcy court.

Under the terms in the memorandum of understanding, Penske would obtain the rights to the brand as well as certain other Saturn assets. GM would continue production, on a contract basis, of the Saturn Aura, Vue and Outlook.

The bottom line is that Penske gets a practically all new Saturn product line that is supported by loyal customers and 350 of GM’s best dealers. More than four million Saturns have been sold since 1990.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. But bet the farm that Penske will pay nowhere near the estimated $5 billion that it cost GM to create Saturn.

TUSTIN, Calif. (June 10, 2009)- A recent survey found that 81 percent of Americans agreed that the faster the government gets out of the auto business, the better.

More than half of consumers think auto companies bailouts were a bad idea. The survey, conducted by AutoPacific, also found that:

• Forty-eight percent DISAGREE that having the government in charge of General Motors and Chrysler will result in more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.
• Fifty-four percent DISAGREE that having the government in charge of General Motors and Chrysler will result in much cleaner cars and trucks.
• Sixty-six percent DISAGREE that having the government in charge of General Motors and Chrysler will result in cars and trucks Americans want to buy.

It sounds like it’s the government in which Americans don’t have much faith.

Like just about everything else, it will be a process. As the judges test drive various products, at the end of Augusts we’ll be asked to pick the best five cars and trucks we’ve test driven. Our picks will be pruned to 10 finalists.

Cadillc Converj Concept

Amongst other things, I’m now one of twelve judges for the inaugural Internet Car and Truck of the Year contest. Publisehrs of automotive Web sites as well as automotive bloggers will name the best car and truck of the year winners around Thanksgiving.

In late October, we’ll be asked for our top three choices out of those ten. Those picks become the finalists and around Thanksgiving we’ll take a final vote and voila we’ll have the winners. Here’s the good part, consumers will be asked to do the same thing; once we select the finalists.

In other words consumers will also vote for Internet Car of the Year. The result should give us a winners that are reflective of consumer tastes. The consumer web site http://internetcarandtruckoftheyear.com: Where Internet Pros and Average Joes Pick the Car and Truck of the Year

FW

The Supersports is also the first Bentley capable of running on both gasoline and biofuel, pioneering the use of FlexFuel technology in the luxury sector. This represents stage one of the company’s commitment to make its complete model range compatible with renewable fuels by 2012.

With 621 bhp) and new Quickshift? transmission that halves shift times, the Supersports sets new performance benchmarks for Bentley. It accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 204 mph.

Although it’s a little early for pricing, you can expect the W12 turbocharged Bentley Supersports to cost in the neighborhood of $200, 000 to match its 200 mph speed.

The U.S. News Media Group recently released its first annual Best Cars for the Money awards, available online at http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-for-the-money . The study evaluated more than 200 models based on U.S. News rankings and IntelliChoice.com cost analysis. It will be featured in the December 29 issue of the magazine which goes on newsstands December 22..

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money awards recognize 14 vehicles that earn the highest marks for overall value and appeal within their respective categories. In determining the award winners, U.S. News has taken its newly released 2009 Car Rankings and combined them with total cost of ownership data provided by IntelliChoice.com.

Although it’s the first time, anything that helps consumers make the right choice is, especially now, worth noting.

Subcompact Cars Honda Fit

Compact Cars Hyundai Elantra

Midsize Cars Toyota Camry (includes Camry Hybrid)

Full Size Cars Toyota Avalon

Upscale Cars Lexus ES

Luxury Cars Lexus GS (includes GS Hybrid)

Sports Cars Mazda Miata

Compact Crossovers/SUVs Mazda Mazda5

Midsize Crossovers/SUVs Toyota Highlander (includes Highlander Hybrid)

Luxury Crossovers/SUVs Lexus RX (includes RX Hybrid)

Full Size SUVs Chevrolet Tahoe (includes Tahoe Hybrid)

Minivans Toyota Sienna

Compact Pickups Toyota Tacoma

Full Size Pickups Chevrolet Silverado

Alas, the list sort of speaks for itself in the sense of what automakers are not on it.

Frank S. Washington