Toyota, a more stable automaker, is now feeling the impact of the self-fulfilling prophecy, that is, the breakdown of the economy, with talks coming out that the production of the 2010 Toyota Prius in the Tupelo, Mississippi plant will be pushed back.
It’s usually fun to speculate on what the future might hold, but this is one case where we’re not so enthused.
First of all, nobody in their right mind really wants to see GM fold (at least they shouldn’t), regardless of the fact that it has been mismanaged for a good portion of its 100-year run.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota’s shock profit warning shows its strategy of breakneck expansion has left it especially exposed to an industry crunch brought on by the global financial crisis.
As recently as last year, Toyota was riding high after eight years of earnings growth, during which time profits more than tripled and sales mushroomed to make it the world’s biggest carmaker ahead of General Motors.
But Thursday’s grim warning that profits would shrink by three-quarters this year was proof that even the mightiest are at risk from the current turmoil, raising the need for increased flexibility and, some say, more prudent investment from the Japanese giant.
Toyota’s in-house customization firm Modellista has introduced a pair of cosmetic packages for the all-new iQ mini car that is set to go on sale in Japan this November. (more…)
Here we have a transformed people mover, now turned into people flyer by Street Image. They’ve done this in the interests of high-performance fans, but primarily for the lucky sods arriving at SEMA 2008 this November. You’ll be able to spot it by its special kit that includes a rear hatch spoiler, a custom grille, and integrated hood scoop.
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