Toyota Finally Shows Signs of Life, Yet Haters Gonna Hate

Images courtesy of  Toyota

In the past I have argued that Toyota has killed off its soul as an automaker because it stopped producing exciting models like the Supra, MR2 and Celica and instead has been pumping out quite a few uninspiring vehicles in bland colors. This is why I was shocked when Toyota revealed it was co-developing the Scion FR-S (or Toyota GT) with Subaru. The Lexus LFA was another surprising move by a company known for its body rolls and numb steering.


It now seems that Toyota is not finished with its attempts to produce more exciting vehicles, even if it continues to produce massive amounts of Camrys for people who do not want to feel like they are driving when they are driving. And of course there are quite a few irrational haters out there who will continue to hate Toyota even as the automaker starts to break away from the thing these people supposedly hate it for.

One huge surprise was the recent reveal of the Toyota Hybrid-R, a high-powered and more aggressive-looking Yaris that is outfitted with a hybrid powertrain. I saw quite a few people gagging that Toyota used a Yaris for a performance concept as they complained that the Yaris is gutless or "too small." The gutless argument is irrelevant considering the car's powertrain has been swapped out. As for the "too small" argument, I'm sure plenty of these people would not have any qualms about getting behind the wheel of an MR2, Pontiac Fiero or something like that, which was a completely tiny car.

There were even some who still accused Toyota of being "boring" because their performance car was a hybrid and, as all of us who did not even get our GED know, hybrids are automatically slow, boring cars that are driven by "tree huggers" who care about not breathing in a bunch of carcinogens. These people irrationally fight against progress in the automotive industry and likely were on the forefront of letting everyone know why electronic fuel injection was ruining cars back in the day.

So what's to hate about the Toyota Hybrid-R Concept? It's styling is a little wild, but it's a concept vehicle. I'm not a huge fan of the look of the Yaris, but the big gaping air intake in the front fascia, larger wheels and side skirts actually make it look better. But the real exciting thing is Toyota has produced a hybrid vehicle that could spank the hell out of most pure gasoline-powered vehicles. The Hybrid-R's powertrain pumps out an impressive 414 horsepower. The car is outfitted with a motor that will send power to the rear wheels as needed so slippage does not occur during hard cornering maneuvers.

I would think people would welcome a Toyota hybrid that can whip around a track, instead of yet another version of the Prius. Maybe some people are, but there are plenty of whiny little fanboy racers who are taking to social media to roast Toyota when the company finally is showing some signs of life once again. Because haters are gonna hate irrationally no matter what.

National Microcar Rally 2013

I've always enjoyed sketching microcars whenever I get the opportunity and this was an opportunity not to miss.. a whole field full of microcars. Run by the National Microcar Rally Committee on behalf of all the Microcar clubs, and takes place over several days, where like minded micro owners meet up and have runs out to various locations during the days leading up to a static display on the final day that is open to the public, and so I went along to sketch these fascinating and unusual cars in the Malvern hills. The most interesting of the cars on display all seemed to belong to the Register of Unusual Microcars, otherwise know as RUMCar. 

 1956 Rollera Francaise (type r1)

(ink sketch)

Designed by Egon Brutsch the Rollera is one of the smallest microcars ever made, the size up from the worlds smallest microcar the Brutsch Mopetta. Brutsch was apparently a genuine con artist who travelled around convincing people to build his designs and then never paying them. After a few unsuccessful car designs he went on to design segmented houses also made from fibreglass:

(photo found on www.rollermobilclub.ch)

This Rollera is one of only 4 known in existence and was bought via a small ads article in a French motoring paper, with no photo. Upon arriving in Pau in southern France to see the Rollera the current owner found that the seller had bought 4 of these cars in the 70s hoping to make his fortune. After not selling a single car he scrapped 3 of the 4 and kept one to remind him of his mistake.

Scootercar Mk1 vs Trojan 200

(ink sketch)

After seeing the back end of the Scootercar I decided to produce this sketch comparing the back ends of both machines, as I find the back ends are more exciting than the front.

Fuldamobil S4 and Frisky Sport Micro Sketches

(ink sketch)

In order to catch two of my favourite cars of the show before the day was through I decided to go small by dividing an A4 page in 4. This was great fun and I learn a lot from doing these as each sketch took about 15 min tops. Now for the geeky stuff....

The Fuldamobil was produced in the NWF factory in Germany between 1950 and 1959. Several versions of the car were made and the design was also licenced out to various countries including the  UK, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Greece, India, Chile, South Africa and Argentena where a pickup verison was made. The S4 has a neat trick where the seat folds down into a double bed, unfortunately once the bed is down you cannot access the door handles to get out.

The Frisky was made in Wolverhampton between 1958 and 1961. The car was originally conceived by racing driver Captain Raymond Flower. After many attempts to sell the idea Henry Meadows took on the concept and worked on a prototpe called the Bug in 1956 and from there the Frisky was born. This particular model the Frisky Sport runs a Villiers 3T twin 2 stroke. The Frisky Register was set up in 1978 to support owners of the cars.

1956 Berkeley SA322

 (ink sketch)

Built by the Caravan manufacturer of the same name and designed by Laurence Bond the Berkeley was a great seller back in the 50s, but the cars were only manufactured for 4 years. The body is fibreglass and the engines were motorcycle engines. This model in particular runs a British Anzani twin 322cc 2 stroke.

More Photos....

Scootercar Front 

 Trojan & Heinkel line up

 Messerschmitt line up

 Lovely patina on this one.

 AC Petite

(One of 17 known in the world)

 Frisky Family 3

 Frisky Sport

Goggomobil TS 300    

Kleinschnittger F125

1964 Fiat Neckar Weisenberg

 Nick and the Gorgeous Gordon

(1 of 6 known)

Goggomobil TL200

Zundap Janus 250

( Front or Back?)

 Originally used as an ice cream van in Germany!

Honda Civic Insurance

Honda Civic insurance can be just about as affordable as they come. There are many reasons why civic insurance is so reasonable but one of the main reasons is that the car is thought to be dependable, reliable, and safe. Honda has a reputation for manufacturing quality automobiles that stay on the road for years and provide a safe vehicle for drivers and their families. Several safety features that the Civic has include anti lock brakes with EBD, dual stage, dual threshold front airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags, front seat active head restraints, child safety seat anchors, and an emergency inside trunk release. With all of this safety equipment it is easy to see why Honda Civic insurance is affordable.

Another reason that helps lower the cost of insurance is that the Civic does not have an engine that is upgraded to the point of being dangerous. All models of the Civic have reasonably sized engines that get the job done. The 1.8 liter engine that comes with most Civics is rated at 140 horsepower and 128 pound feet of torque. Honda rates the output of the Hybrid's electric motor and gasoline engine at 110 horsepower and 123 pound feet of torque. The 2.0 liter Si models feature 197 horsepower and 139 pound feet. Finally, the Civic gets great gas mileage. Fuel economy estimates are 26/34 miles per gallon City/Highway for the five-speed manual, 25/36 miles per gallon for the five-speed automatic, and 21/29 miles per gallon for the Si six-speed manual. The Hybrid earns a 40/45 miles per gallon rating, the GX a gasoline-equivalent of 24/36.

As you can see the civic is a car that is ideal for a practical individual. It is a solid car with many features that make it highly insurable. Affordable Honda Civic insurance is just one of a million reasons to own this car.

Toyota Prius Insurance

The Toyota Prius is an eco friendly car and is a good choice high mileage user. Thus it saves a significant amount on your gas expenditure considerably. This car is priced at lesser rate than the other cars in its series range with these features hence it is also an economy car.

However when it comes to insurance, it belongs to the group 8. Thus the insurance rates are higher than cars in the same price range as the Prius. This might be due to the added features for the car. This also has a special hybrid engine technology and is very good on road.

If you are having a feeling that the insurance rate is a hitch over your monthly expenditure then think twice on the economic feature of the vehicle and also on the money you save in return for the fuel for your car.

Comparing to the insurance rates of corolla and other sedans the rate is higher for Prius, as this is a high specification car and is of medium size with lots of great features. The Toyota Prius insurance is estimated at an average of about $1340 which may vary with several factors.

Thus when you look for insuring your Prius then look out for prices online and get a clear idea on all the competitive market prices offered by car insurance companies. Toyota Prius insurance rates can be lessened by your personal driving experiences and also on several factors which you can use to get a good rate.

Toyota Sequoia Insurance

The Toyota sequoia is a complete family car. The new series launched this year has redesigned features which make it an ideal SUV which you might be looking for. With lots of added feature for the comfort of the people it is a great buy.

Getting Toyota sequoia insurance is important for several reasons and it might be essential in many cases. You will feel relieved of any damages or accidents if at all it should happen in the future.

Getting your vehicles insured is a must in many states and even if it is not, it is advisable in getting it done for any future expenses on your vehicle. The Toyota sequoia 2010 has got many safety features taking in point that it is a family car.

The many features which are present are mainly targeted to attract the buyers who look out for a complete family car with all up-to-date safety features. Hence this also adds to the fact that the insurance companies give this car a special preference for its reliability.

If you are an automobile associate when you get Toyota sequoia insurance you will be having a chance of getting to pay lesser monthly premiums and getting a good benefit out of it when it is necessary. The car offers good safety features in case of accidents, rollovers, thefts etc with new technology. And provided you have maintained a good driving record then you are likely to get lesser premium amounts.

Though getting to know about all the competitive rates for this particular model could be difficult you can make it possible easily using the internet resources. These resources provide you all the details of the insurance rates at the present and also with regard to your area and location, age, sex etc you can estimate the amount which you might be entitled to pay.