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Toyota Yaris (FRENCH-Built Cars return to USA)
Automobilemag ^ | Fall 2005

Posted on 10/28/2005 3:29:04 PM PDT by dagnabbit

Toyota is showing its redesigned three- and five-door Yaris subcompacts at Frankfurt--which is actually news for America, because the three-door and a sedan will go on sale in the U.S. next spring as 2007 models, replacing the goofy Echo. The U.S. version of the Yaris is powered by a 106-hp 1.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine that makes 103 lb-ft of torque and is mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. The Yaris has an independent MacPherson strut front suspension and a rudimentary torsion beam rear end. The Yaris's base price will be low because features such as ABS, front side and side curtain air bags, and power windows and locks will be optional.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Japan; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: automakers; automobile; buttuglycar; citroen; drunkautoworkers; eggmobile; france; happydays; inayaris; kneestotheirchest; lecarredux; liberalguynliberlgal; peugeot; renault; theydrovewithpride; toyota; unitedstates
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To: atomic conspiracy

That is NOT going to sell here. It's the size of a lawn mower. And it's even uglier than the Prius.


21 posted on 10/28/2005 3:44:21 PM PDT by The Phantom FReeper (Have you hugged your soldier today?)
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To: martin_fierro

Winner of fastest retreat rally (German border to Paris).

22 posted on 10/28/2005 3:48:13 PM PDT by dagnabbit (Vincente Fox's opening line at the Mexico-USA summit meeting: "Bring out the Gimp!")
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To: freedumb2003

Man, that is one sweet ride.


23 posted on 10/28/2005 3:50:25 PM PDT by SaveTheChief ("I can't wait until I'm old enough to feel ways about stuff." - Phillip J. Fry)
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To: The Phantom FReeper

I think they're just arriving now in Canada and get launched in the USA at a show in November, before public sales in the Spring.

So I guess we'll soon see how well Toyota has done their homework regarding the U.S. market. They don't screw up too much, but who knows.

One thing I don't expect is for Toyota to play up the "Made in France" angle much.


24 posted on 10/28/2005 3:53:05 PM PDT by dagnabbit (Vincente Fox's opening line at the Mexico-USA summit meeting: "Bring out the Gimp!")
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To: dagnabbit
WORST CARS OF THE MILLENIUM



Renault Dauphine

"Truly unencumbered by the engineering process."

"At the time, it cost about half the price of a Volkswagen... which was half the price of everything else. How could Renault do this? Simple. It had half as many parts."

"This car topped out at 45 mph. Since the minimum speed on the Florida Turnpike is 40, patrol cars would follow me, waiting for me to hit a hill so they could ticket me."

"From a historical perspective, it's a shame that the French spent their Marshall Plan dollars on automaking."

"A side impact by a bicycle totaled my Dauphine after only one year."



Renault LeCar

"I'm convinced that the body metal for this car was supplied by Reynold's Aluminum."

"Like any French restaurant in America, it was overpriced, noisy, moody, and would put you in mortal danger if you had an accident with anything larger than a croissant."

"Our Le Car couldn't climb a hill fully loaded, so the passengers had to get out and walk up."

"I left it unlocked overnight, and it was finally stolen. The insurance check paid for a textbook."

25 posted on 10/28/2005 4:03:24 PM PDT by doug from upland (David Kendall -- protecting the Clintons one lie at a time)
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To: doug from upland

I had a '73 Renault 12.

Strange little car...

Among its traits was the fact that I had to readjust the timing to suit the weather. I just got out, twisted the distributor until it ran right, then ran it for the rest of the day.

4 passenger, but a trunk that would swallow a Christmas tree (and did!).


26 posted on 10/28/2005 4:08:26 PM PDT by TWohlford
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To: atomic conspiracy

Thx...looks like a real kick-@ss mini. I like it!


27 posted on 10/28/2005 4:28:47 PM PDT by Dark Skies ("A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants." -- Churchill)
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To: doug from upland
For whatever reason, my family had a Dauphin for a while. I loved it...it was alien.

I lived in a small town and drove it at 12 y/o (on Saturdays). Authorities weren't sure it was a car.

28 posted on 10/28/2005 4:31:36 PM PDT by Dark Skies ("A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants." -- Churchill)
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To: dagnabbit
From the inside


29 posted on 10/28/2005 4:38:48 PM PDT by Bommer (TEXANS - VOTE NOV 8TH FOR PROPOSITION 2 - THE MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT)
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To: dagnabbit
Yes, but this is a Toyota, not a French-styled car. As such, the car is designed to cater less to French buyer tastes.

By the way, Toyota has operated in France a good number of years. Not only was the previous version of the Yaris (essentially a hatchback version of the US-market Echo sedan) built there, but I believe a number of other Toyota models are built there, too.

30 posted on 10/28/2005 4:44:22 PM PDT by RayChuang88
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To: Dark Skies
Check out its great-grandson, the 1980 2CV Charleston:

Besides the Charleston, 2CV special editions have included such exotica as the 1980 James Bond version, which had bullet hole stickers and 007 decals to commemorate a movie appearance; the Bamboo (a weird green color scheme); the 1950s Sahara, which had 4 wheel drive; and the 1985 Dolly, with a two-tone lipstick paint job.

31 posted on 10/28/2005 4:56:35 PM PDT by atomic conspiracy (Islamo-terrorists: Strike force of the MSM)
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To: dagnabbit
..Picture it, driving down the highway in this fine car and pulling into a Motel 6 at the end of the day...

I'll stick with my Fremont, CA assembled Corolla.

32 posted on 10/28/2005 5:01:35 PM PDT by WalterSkinner
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To: Proud2BeRight
French built by a riceburner company. Is it possible for me to despise it any more?

Yeah. All you have to do is own one...

33 posted on 10/28/2005 5:05:45 PM PDT by null and void (The only thing that wakes you up faster than coffee is spilled coffee...)
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To: TWohlford

I had an R-12 station wagon. Strange little car indeed. It could never ever decide which of two idle speeds to stay on for more than 15-20 seconds.


34 posted on 10/28/2005 5:09:42 PM PDT by null and void (The only thing that wakes you up faster than coffee is spilled coffee...)
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To: WalterSkinner

Good plan, I stuck with my Fremont assembled Prizm until it went Tango Uniform at a bit over 225,000 miles.


35 posted on 10/28/2005 5:12:22 PM PDT by null and void (The only thing that wakes you up faster than coffee is spilled coffee...)
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To: Bommer

My step son had one in Costa Rica--there are a lot of them down there. I drove it a couple of times. Roomy enough for 4 adults. Drove like a Toyota; not exciting but likely very reliable. The only 'weird' thing is the instrument panel. It's not really what it seems. You are actually seeing the info projected from down below somewhere--when you look really closely you can see that it is a reflection kind of like in a periscope.


36 posted on 10/28/2005 5:21:09 PM PDT by hanamizu
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To: atomic conspiracy
I love the 2-CV, but my fave is the Traction...


37 posted on 10/28/2005 5:28:50 PM PDT by Dark Skies ("A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants." -- Churchill)
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To: dagnabbit

I hear they only come in white


38 posted on 10/28/2005 5:29:56 PM PDT by TheRedSoxWinThePennant
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To: Bommer

I guess the center mounted speedometer means you don't ever have to worry about going too fast.


39 posted on 10/28/2005 5:33:40 PM PDT by Fresh Wind (It is Watergate yet? Is it Watergate yet?)
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To: Nat Turner

?

?


40 posted on 10/28/2005 5:36:30 PM PDT by Surtur (Free Trade is NOT Fair Trade unless both economies are equivalent.)
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