2002 Toyota Corolla Le Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Toyota/Mazda factory will reportedly be in Alabama or North Carolina

The Toyota/Mazda factory sweepstakes appear to be nearing a conclusion as Bloomberg and Automotive News are reporting the location has been narrowed down to either North Carolina or Alabama. The joint venture plant worth $1.6 billion would add 4,000 jobs to whichever state lands it. To even be considered, Toyota and Mazda have reportedly sought a $1 billion incentive package from interested states in the form of tax breaks and other support. At least 15 states had apparently been jockeying for the factory, including Mississippi, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas and South Carolina. Toyota presently has an engine factory near Huntsville, Ala. The state is also currently home to Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz assembly plants. North Carolina currently does not have a car manufacturing plant. This would also represent Mazda's return to American manufacturing, as its present lineup of cars and crossovers is produced in Japan. The company had previously built cars in the United States along with its former partner Ford. Related Video:

Driving the McLaren GT, Audi S7 and Vintage Electric Cafe bicycle | Autoblog Podcast #639

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. This week, they've been having some fun in the McLaren GT and the Toyota 86 GT. James has spent some time with the very lovely Vintage Electric Cafe e-bike. They've also been driving the Ford Ranger and Audi S7. In the news, Ford gets new leadership, and Micro Machines are back, baby! Autoblog Podcast #639 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Reviews 2020 McLaren GT 2020 Toyota 86  Vintage Electric Cafe e-bike 2020 Ford Ranger 2020 Audi S7 New Ford CEO Jim Farley faces immediate challenges Micro Machines are back in stores, including the famous Super Van City Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Scion trying to build business case for FR-S convertible as Subaru bows out

Hope may remain for a convertible version of the Scion FR-S, according to a report from Ward's Auto. You'll recall that rumors were swirling about the feasibility of a rear-drive Toyobaru convertible as early as October, and that back in November, Subaru - which makes the FR-S, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 - essentially nixed the idea of an open-topped variant.
"We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen," brand chief Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told Automotive News, according to Ward's, at the Tokyo Motor Show. "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change."
Despite Yoshinaga-san's arguments against a droptop variant, Toyota is apparently still considering the model. Speaking to media at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Scion's US vice president, Doug Murtha, hinted that the rear-drive droptop was in the works.