Toyota

News

Toyota Made The Largest UFO Catcher On Earth

9:00PM October 12, 2011 | Brian Ashcraft

UFO Catchera are Sega redemption games. Arcade punters operate a claw and attempt to pull out prizes that range from stuffed animals to instant noodle. Sega didn’t make this particular UFO Catcher. Toyota did. More »


News

An Augmented Reality Japanese Pop Star Of Your Very Own

10:30AM September 20, 2011 | Mike Fahey

Japan’s beloved virtual pop goddess Hatsune Miku, star of her own video game series and hundreds of thousands of user-create YouTube videos, is now the voice of the 2011 Toyota Corolla, and you can hold her in the palm of your hand. More »


News

Toyota Continues To Chase Nerds (Now With Less Awkwardness)

9:30PM July 11, 2011 | Brian Ashcraft

The Nagoya-based auto maker is already going after Western otaku with its bizarro take on virtual idol Miku Hatsune. Next up? Japanese otaku. More »


In Real Life

Toyota’s Nerd Marketing Sure Is Awkward

4:00PM May 6, 2011 | Brian Ashcraft

Toyota is the world’s biggest auto maker. It must be doing something right. This ad, though, isn’t one of them. More »


In Real Life

This Gaming Rig Has Four Tyres, Multiport Fuel Injection

2:30PM March 6, 2010 | Owen Good

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/6cZfilbNP00&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube"} );

At least dad here doesn’t look like a doofus flailing the Wiimote. He’s still got the swervy hands and overbite that indicate the the guy was told to look like he’s playing a video game, not actually play one. More »


News

Toyota Unveils New Hybrid Car For “The 8-Bit Generation”

8:40AM January 12, 2010 | Michael McWhertor

Car maker Toyota unveiled the FT-CH “dedicated hybrid concept” at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, a car notable for its younger skewing design, cheaper price and, in Toyota’s own words, its “8-bit generation” inspired design. More »


Uncategorized

Brain Age Creator Creating Intelligent Toyotas

2:30PM December 19, 2007 | Mike Fahey

Professor Ryuta Kawashima is the master of brain training. Having trained the brains of millions of gamers, he has now taken the next logical step – training the brains of Toyotas. Toyota and Kawashima are currently together on various technologies to help older drivers drive safely. Technologies such as intelligent systems that monitor a driver’s behavior in order to curb dangerous behavior, such as sudden increases or decreases in speed, falling asleep at the wheel, or getting in the car in the first place. “We envision future cars will be able to monitor brain and emotional activity to back up elderly drivers,” said Kawashima, a Tohoku University scientist who worked on Nintendo Co.’s best-selling “Brain Age” games _ and whose smiling image is the guide in the series.

While I am all for promoting driving safety, I just don’t know about helping the elderly drive longer. I respect the elderly. I have some of the elderly in my family. I just think there is a certain point where you have to resign yourself that you can no longer safely operate a vehicle. I know Kawashima’s heart is in the right place, but age happens.

More »


Uncategorized

Yaris Free Running To Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday

6:40AM October 9, 2007 | Michael McWhertor

Yaris the car is the fuel-efficient Toyota Echo replacement that’s designed for girls. Yaris the game is a free Xbox Live Arcade “advergame” that will let players drive the titular automobiles through all sorts of (eight) different tracks. How’s it look? Free! I can only assume it plays “Free!” as well, as the download doesn’t go live on Marketplace until this Wednesday.

Unlike a real Yaris, the virtual version comes equipped with a scary mechanised phallus under the hood that will let you shoot giant 8-balls, bike-riding sumo, and hover toasters. Here are some ellipses to illustrate speechless-ness.

Yaris [Xbox.com] More »


Uncategorized

World of Warcraft/Toyota Tacoma Commercial

4:30AM October 8, 2007 | Flynn De Marco

There are no trucks in World of Warcraft? Well, There are now. The latest Toyota Tacoma commercial is set in the WoW universe and surprisingly it’s actually pretty funny. I’m not a WoW-er myself, but I still got a kick out of it. In my mind I just mentally replace WoW with D&D and it’s sort of the same thing.

If you’d like to see a better quality version of the video just without the Toyota tag at the end, make the jump. More »