2005 Toyota Highlander 4d Sport Utility 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: 'Racing Extinction' Tesla, Wards praises 3 hybrids

The makers of Racing Extinction used a tricked out Tesla Model S for their movie. The artists and activists used the electric car as a platform to project images from nature in various cities to raise awareness about imperiled wildlife. In addition to a the high-powered projector, the Model S features a electroluminescent paint job that emits light to mimic creatures found in the wild, such as bioluminescent sea life. It also has a thermal imaging camera in the front of the car with a filter to view CO2 emissions. Check it out in the video above, and read more at Ecomento. WardsAuto has named the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid's powertrain to its list of 10 Best Engines. As the first plug-in hybrid to make the list, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter praises Hyundai engineers for their "impeccable job blending fuel efficiency with refinement and daily usability." Wards notes the car's smooth transitions between electric and hybrid modes, and a well-connected six-speed automatic transmission. Other electrified vehicles to make the list are the 2016 Chevrolet Volt and 2016 Toyota Prius. Read more from Hyundai, at Green Car Reports. FEV's plug-in hybrid battery pack has gone into vehicle series production. The 10-kWh battery pack, developed by the German development services provider, offers an all-electric range of about 30 miles. FEV says its battery management algorithms are just as important as choosing the right battery hardware. "The core system for the battery development is our own mature battery management system (BMS), now in its third generation, that together with optimized algorithms allows a very reliable and stable control of the battery," says FEV's Dr. Michael Stapelbroek. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from FEV below. Hybrid Vehicle Goes Into Series Production FEV development competence consists of batteries, controls, as well as complete drive systems FEV has demonstrated competence in the development of alternative drive concepts for almost twenty years. Most recently, yet another plug-in hybrid vehicle has gone into series production with technology provided by the Aachen-based developer. In addition to using an innovative transmission concept which is based on a FEV patent, FEV also developed the battery technology of the plug-in hybrid vehicle to series production readiness.

Toyota projecting record profits, thanks in part to weak yen

Toyota retained its global sales crown in 2014 by selling 10.23 million cars in the calendar year. As the positive number might suggest, the Japanese automaker is doing extremely well financially, too. Although, some tougher times might be on the horizon. Toyota recently released its financial figures for the three fiscal quarters running from April 1 through the end of December 2014. Net profit jumped an impressive 13.2 percent to 1.727 trillion yen ($14.7 billion) for that period. It could be the Japanese automaker's most profitable time ever when the fiscal year ends in March, if things keep going this way, according to The New York Times. Toyota's own profit forecast for the 12-month period is also up by 130 billion yen ($1.1 billion) to 2.13 trillion yen ($18.1 billion). One key to the company's success is the low value of the Japanese yen, because it allows Toyota to make more money on each vehicle the company sells abroad. The currency is now worth relatively less than any time since the early '70s, according to The New York Times. Despite the rosy financial numbers, actual sales have started to fall, albeit a very slight amount. Through the three fiscal quarters, the company sold 6.73 million cars, a drop of just 45,365 vehicles. Toyota also reduced its forecast for the fiscal year to 9 million units, rather than the original estimate of 9.05 million. According to The New York Times, the shrinking Japanese auto market and difficulty in China might mean losing the global sales lead next year. For the US, sales jumped 145,411 units from April through December to a total 2.1 million vehicles. Operating income reached $4.27 billion, nearly 50 percent more than last year, according to The New York Times. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Announces April – December 2014 Financial Results February 04, 2015 Toyota's global net income jumped 13.2 percent during the nine-month period (April 1– December 31, 2014) of the 2015 fiscal year. Global Financial Highlights: Global sales decreased by 45,365 vehicles to 6.73 million, with strong sales in North America and gains in Europe, offsetting decreases in Japan and other regions.

MotorWeek proves '90s were awesome with Supra, Stealth, RX-7, Corvette, 968, 300ZX comparo

Oh, the heady days of 1993, back when the Clinton Presidency was just getting underway, and it seemed like every hot new rock band was coming out of Seattle. Sports cars in the US had finally shaken off the shackles that slowed them during the '70s and '80s, and you could buy any number of legitimately quick vehicles again. MotorWeek recently went digging into its archives to find this six-model test from 1993 showing off some of the best semi-affordable performance coupes that money could buy at the time, and it's priceless.
Featuring the 1994 model year Toyota Supra in twin-turbo guise and MY 1993 versions of the Porsche 968, Nissan 300ZX TT, Mazda RX-7, Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette LT-1, MotorWeek definitely covered all of the bases. One thing that might surprise younger readers is these cars' performance. The video only provides 0-60 acceleration times, but several of these vehicles would still be considered pretty potent today - over 20 years since going on sale. The Supra is especially impressive, hitting 60 miles per hour in just 5 seconds. Even today, that's nothing to sneeze at.
Given their performance potential and still-attractive looks, it's amazing that some of these coupes are old enough to drink now. The progress of interior design and safety equipment in the intervening years is pretty shocking, though. In most of these models, having two airbags is touted as a big deal. Scroll down to watch a Throwback Thursday blast from the past about some of the '90s best sports cars.