Hydrogen fuelling at TME

We have a new addition to our Zaventem Proving Ground. Starting last week, we now have the capability to refuel our hydrogen test vehicles on-site at our R&D Centre. Not only is this a big step forward, speeding up our work, but it’s also one of a kind in Belgium. More after the break.

LFA at The Ring

Earlier this month GAZOO Racing – racing arm of Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan – announced their 2012 race season activities. Around the same time, Toyota Switzerland also announced their entry in the VLN races at The Green Hell, a.k.a. Nürburgring Nordschleife, this year with two Toyota GT86‘s. Both racing teams will also take part in the gruelling 24 Hours of Nürburgring later this year. Their first race of the season, VLN2 took place last Saturday. Race report after the break.

GT86 logo

Both these values are something we hold really dear, ever since President Akio Toyoda personally highlighted that being rewarded by our customers with a smile is his key priority. From what I experience on Saturday, I’d say the recipe is: take a naturally aspirated, boxer engine, put it into a low centre of gravity, light-weight, rear-wheel-drive car, give it a sprinkling of a test track, and voilà!

Since the GT86 model launch programme began, there have been plenty of reviews and videos all over, heaping praises of our new sports car. But, not many employees have yet had the chance to really feel it for themselves. Ready to remedy that, our Internal Communications team organised a GT86 experience event. (More after the break)

Longest Antarctic expedition ever

In last week’s post, I promised that we would bring you a video highlighting the Hilux’s epic journey in the Antarctic. The video is a bit more than that though. In 2007, the Hilux became the first car to reach the Magnetic North Pole. Since then, it has conquered Icelandic volcanoes and an earlier Antarctic expedition, all to aid scientific research. Check it out after the break.

You’ll also find a diagram (thanks to Arctic Trucks) on how the Toyota Hilux vehicles were prepared to tackle the extremes of the South Pole.