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Toyota discontinuing FJ Cruiser after 2014 model year

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is not long for this world. According to the manufacturer's own fleet website, the rugged FJ will be discontinued after the 2014 model year, with the companies final orders due in June of next year.
Toyota first launched the FJ Cruiser in 2006 as a 2007 model, and aside from minor year-over-year changes, it has not been substantially updated. The FJ is the modern successor to the original FJ40 Land Cruiser that Toyota produced from the 1960s all the way up through 1984, when the automaker decided to better focus on its larger, four-door Land Cruiser line. Currently, it uses a 4.0-liter V6 engine with either rear- or four-wheel drive, and is available with either a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. Interestingly, word of the FJ's demise comes not long after Toyota's US boss, Bill Fay, reaffirmed his company's commitment to body-on-frame trucks in late July.
Also of interest, Toyota's fleet website states that the 2014 model year Prius range will have "minor updates," though it's unclear what those are as of this writing. When Autoblog reached out to confirm these developments with Toyota, spokesman Curt McCallister reminded us, "As is our corporate policy, we don't discuss future products beyond the present or upcoming model year."

Toyota, PSA extend partnership with new European van

Toyota and PSA Peugeot Citroen collaborate on a number of vehicles. One of them is a small van jointly developed by the two automakers but marketed individually under their own brands across Europe. Now they've announced the extension of that collaboration, and revealed the first image and details of their new product. Set to be unveiled at their respective booths at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March are the new Toyota ProAce, Peugeot Traveller, and Citroen Spacetourer. They replace the Toyota model of the same name as well as the outgoing Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch, and will each be made available in private and commercial shuttle forms. Although technical specifications have yet to be announced, each will share the same underpinnings and mechanical components, leaving only the parts you can see changing from one brand's version to the next. Expect engines to range from 1.5 to 2.0 liters and burning gasoline or diesel, but the latter will undoubtedly prove the more popular option in Europe. No mention was made of a replacement for the Fiat Scudo, another badge-engineered version of the same van program in its current form. That would seem to suggest that Fiat Professional is either preparing to go it alone with the next-generation Scudo, or phase out the model altogether. The current Scudo slots in between the smaller Doblo (imported to the US as the Ram ProMaster City) and the larger Ducato which was also jointly developed with PSA and sold as the Citroen Jumper/Relay, Peugeot Boxer, and here in America as the Ram ProMaster. The ProAce and its cousins are made by PSA at its Sevel plant in Valenciennes, France. Aside from their vans, the Japanese and French automakers also collaborate on the city car platform sold alternately as the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108, and Citroen C1. Fiat also partners with PSA on the smaller Fiat Fiorino/Qubo, Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo. All of which just goes to show what a tangled web they weave in the European market, especially where commercial vehicles are concerned. NEW STAGE IN THE CO-OPERATION PROGRAM BETWEEN PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN AND TOYOTA PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota Motor Europe (TME) reveal today the new Citroen SPACETOURER, Peugeot TRAVELLER, and Toyota PROACE. They will be available in MPV versions for private use and in shuttle versions for business use. Both companies therefore confirm the continuation of their co-operation agreement signed in 2012.

Race Recap: 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans defines 'endurance'

Commenting on the rush of events that rocked beginning and end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Paul Truswell of Radio Le Mans said "the race is about the ability to endure, not just the ability of drivers to do what they do for a long time." The entire race machine, all the way down to the pit boards and radios, has to survive the stress and abuse of the entire day. This was the race to prove those words.
There were two Toyotas, two Porsches and three Audis, five of the seven led the race at some point, six of the seven ran in the top three. Toyota will be hugely disappointed that it didn't win when its car and drivers were so, so strong, but they gave Audi the kind of scare we haven't seen since the best of Peugeot's days, and Toyota did a better job of it even in the loss. Porsche blew away everyone's expectations, falling 3.5 hours short of a fairy tale ending that would have made Disney cry.
But Le Mans doesn't really do fairy tales. Well, not that fairy tale. Audi's Twitter handle during the event was #welcomechallenges. As usual, Le Mans answered for the entire field.