General Chat
Q:
I received this in an email from a friend and I thought it was worth sharing...
Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...
The Wall Street Journal
By Holman W. Jenkins Jr.
Nov. 30, 3005
We at the Toyota Motor Corporation are writing to address certain misconceptions that have arisen about your Toyota Prius model, which we are proud to note is driven by many celebrities, including Prince Charles and HBO's Larry David.
Our pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid, introduced in 1999, has become an object of adoration to the world's enlightened car buyers. Our competitors, including America's Big Three, are rushing out hybrid vehicles of their own. Unconfirmed media reports say that we at Toyota intend to double our hybrid output to 500,000 vehicles next year. Along with other members of the auto industry, we will be lobbying for tax breaks and HOV privileges for hybrid vehicles.
However, any romance entering its seventh year tends to go stale. Some purchasers have begun to question the practical value of our Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. You may be aware that a survey by Consumer Reports found that our vehicles achieve considerably less mileage (some 26 percent less) than the sticker rating implies. This has led to some unflattering media stories.
Let us assure you that the Prius remains one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year.
And should the price of gasoline rise to $5, after 10 years and/or 130,000 miles of driving, you might even come close to breaking even on your investment in hybrid technology.
We recognize that our customers have an "emotional" relationship with their vehicles. This transcends even the regrettable truth that driving a fuel-efficient car does not yield any substantial benefits for society if it doesn't save the owner money.
Contrary to any loose statements made by our marketing partners in the environmental community and media, petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse pollutants are released. Also, please note that the warranty and owner's manual say nothing about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. This is not an oversight. The Prius is an "oil-dependent"
vehicle. It runs on gasoline, supplied by the same world market that fuels other vehicles.
The Toyota Corporation regrets any misunderstanding our marketing may inadvertently have caused (or may cause in the future).
We share your belief that the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered. Further research by our economists suggests this will happen when the price of gasoline rises high enough to make alternative technologies cheaper than gasoline-powered cars.
We at Toyota want you to know we recognize this effect and have taken steps to compensate with the rest of our vehicle lineup.
Our 2006 Tundra pickup will be equipped with Toyota's new eight-cylinder engine, making it every bit as much of a gas guzzler as any American pickup. We are also redirecting our efforts to use our Hybrid Synergy Drive to increase power output rather than reduce gasoline consumption.
Take our new hybrid SUV, which produces 38 more horsepower but gets the same mileage as our conventional version. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "One question lingers after driving the 2006 Lexus RX400h: How did it come to this, that Toyota is now selling a hybrid gas-electric vehicle with no tangible fuel economy benefits?"
We hope this corrects any misimpression caused by our latest slogan ("Commute with Nature"). Hybrid technology is not "green" technology. Like heated seats or flashy exterior trim, it's merely an expensive option that generates large markups for the Toyota Corporation and its dealers.
You will share our pride in the latest figures from J.D. Power & Associates, which show that the Prius continues to move off a dealer's lot in just eight days, compared to 36 days for a Honda Civic hybrid. Clearly, our customers are willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of showing themselves behind the wheel of so conspicuously virtuous a vehicle.
But we are also a far-seeing corporation. We recognize that the Prius's distinctiveness may be a wasting asset for reasons outlined in this letter.
Other motorists may see the Prius operator and think "sucker." Our lawyers advise us this may affect your car's resale value. Toyota regrets any inconvenience.
We want you to know that Toyota remains committed to advancing hybrid technology just as long as our customers are willing to make it worth our while. Our esteemed competitor, Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, was recently quoted saying, "There's such a buzz today that no CEO of a car manufacturer dares to say his real opinion of hybrid because he's accused of being retarded."
Another esteemed competitor, GM, has suggested that hybrid technology is best deployed in city buses, where large fuel consumption and stop-and-go driving might actually make it economically sensible.
These are just two examples of the short-sighted, stick-in-the-mud marketing instincts of our fellow automakers that are helping to make Toyota the largest car company in the world.
Yours Truly, the Toyota Corporation.
Mans Prayer "I'm a man.... But I can change..... If I have too...... I guess"
No matter how good she looks, some other guy is sick and tired of putting up with her.
A:
Glad they cleared it all up...(Rolls Eyes)
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Wait till they have to replace the battery packs in those already overpriced hybrids, Any illusion of efficiency they might have imagined is thrown out the window when they write the massive check for batteries.....ouch.
Black, bumperless, 78 Z with MSA superturbo system, K/N cone filter, ported intake, and exhaust manifolds.....15.9 @87 mph.
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You should know this is one of those symbolic measures some people have to do so they can lord their "superiority" over "lesser others".
I can do that without pissing money away on a Prius, thank you very much!
LOL
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
more weigh, more expensive, more complexity, less mileage.
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It make YORGO so happy to visit comrades in Kalifornia and drive hybrid in carpols lane all alone.
Make YORGO much important visiting Siberian.
_____________________
Me YORGO...You Not
Post Edited (Nov 30, 4:02pm)
A:
My lawn mower is toyota, having a toyota car would be embarssing personally... They could make one run off oxygen and put out 2000HP, at the end of the day it's still a Toyota.
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
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85zx wrote:
> My lawn mower is toyota, having a toyota car would be
> embarssing personally... They could make one run off oxygen and
> put out 2000HP, at the end of the day it's still a Toyota.
>
Good Lord what an ignorant thing to say! but hey, whatever floats your balls
stan
1972 240Z, L28, R200, MSD (fuel system rework)
1991 CRX SI, many many mods
1982 280ZXT (engine and wheels are staying, everything else is going to the junkyard)
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Dr. Billings...Savior of universe!
_____________________
Me YORGO...You Not
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"My lawn mower is toyota, having a toyota car would be
embarssing personally... They could make one run off oxygen and
put out 2000HP, at the end of the day it's still a Toyota."
Yes, is very embarassing to make lawnmower and F1 cars.
Where is Nissan F1 team?
Maybe busy designing new lawnmower to compete with Big Red
_____________________
Me YORGO...You Not
A:
Honda make lawnmower and race in F1.
Maybe secret in F1 compretitions come from Lawnmower technologies!
Maybe Nissan can change badges on Renault lawnmowers...becomes intstant points leaders LOL.
_____________________
Me YORGO...You Not
Post Edited (Nov 30, 4:29pm)
A:
LOL!!!!!
OMFG, that is really clever!
stan
1972 240Z, L28, R200, MSD (fuel system rework)
1991 CRX SI, many many mods
1982 280ZXT (engine and wheels are staying, everything else is going to the junkyard)
A:
Holy crap!!
Maybe the American F1 hopeful will come out of Briggs & Stratton.
I can hear it now.... <use british accent> Here comes Joe Billy Bob in the Briggs entry....wait, he's ran the other car in the wall!!!" <other announcer, southern accent> "No that's not Joe Billy Bob, that's Earnhart Jr coming in for the pass...looks like he gave him a little love tap on the way in....that's just racing folks...just swapping a little paint"
Ken
'82ZX n/a 2+2
'02 Sportster XL1200C
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I've got 2 lawnmowers w/ Yamaha engines. So what?
Rusty but running.
Polish cell phone and two tubes of Aluma-seal.
And, now we are historic.
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"My lawn mower is toyota, having a toyota car would be embarssing personally... They could make one run off oxygen and put out 2000HP, at the end of the day it's still a Toyota."
Hey - your car runs on oxygen. And it's not even a Toyota!
-- Next Up: SCCA ITR 300ZX --
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I did say owning a toyota would be embarassing for me PERSONALLY; so that's not ignorant. I can have a personal opinion cant I? lol Here in Australia performance and Toyota do not go together. In my opinion it takes more than one good car (supra) to be considered respectable.
But this is getting off topic, I think it's great Toyota are looking at other alternatives means for power even if it's not perfected just yet.
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
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Regardless of who makes them, you're right about the batteries... $4500 to replace every 5-8 years. Nuts. Here are a few sources with some hard facts in them about hybrids:
http://www.omninerd.com/articles/articles.php?aid=41
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/alias__carpointau/tabID__6491/ArticleID__5487/DesktopDefault.aspx
I have to admit I was fooled by them too until a coworker showed me the numbers.
From the article:
""A replacement battery on the Insight retails for $6840," said Honda spokesman Mark Higgins. Honda began selling the Insight hybrid in Japan car in 1997 and in Australia in 2000. It sold 44 Insights before withdrawing the futuristic-looking two-door coupe from the market earlier this year. Honda will re-enter the hybrid market with the Civic sedan in March, and aims to sell around 20 per month." (australian dollars)
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LOL, who wrote this satirical bit about Toyota?
I don't understand how people think hybrid cars were designed for fuel efficiency. The first hybrid I saw was at the 1992 Geneva Auto Show where a VW had both a small turbodiesel engine and an electical motor. VW did it as an attempt to reduce emissions . . . NOT TO INCREASE FUEL MILEAGE!
Celebrities buy the Prius because it is eco-friendly . . . all the while driving around in their Escalades, supercharged V8 Mercs, Lambos, and Ferraris.
The most hypocritical POS I've ever seen!
1971 240Z
"Fear is exciting for me." -Ayrton Senna
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my faveorite quote is about the combustion engines days being numbered.. what the hell?? even a hydrogen engine is a combustion engine.. frikkin retards... when gasoline runs out we will use synthetic lubricanats and run our antiques off alcohol (wich is a renewable resource and can be run in our gasoline engines with little to no modifications)
1991 Pearl White TT A/T - e-mail removed from profile due to spam.
A:
i'm sure it's not "real" since it is so non-businesslike in it's wording. no business letter these politically sensitive days would use phrases like "any romance entering its seventh year tends to go stale."
nice parody though...
79 280ZX -The best selling sports car of all time
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Come on, folks. I can't believe anyone is actually entertaining the possibility that this is anything but satire.
It goes so far as to list the author, and the publication he works for.
It is damned funny, though.
'74 260z---NA L28 MSnS-E w/ Innovate Wideband
Already sparking, soon to be squirting.
Cogito, ergo dolorum.
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I believe Briggs & Straton make a racing engine - for go-karts.
Not so far off.
Ed and Jeanne's
ZXelda 1981 280 ZXT: ZXena 1990 300 ZX
1941 Buick Special Sedanette (Betty)
1956 Dodge Royal (Dorothy)
1971 Buick Riviera (Rita)
1975 Ford F-150 Stepside (Fiona)
1992 Firebird (Frieda)
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CaliTT, you are correct sir. Hell they have synthetic lubes and alchohol that I can run my car off of now, and gain HP. At least I will be able to drive it in 50 years when it is a relic.
1972 240Z always in progress
***WARNING*** MY POSTS MAY CONTAIN SARCASM
A:
Diesels can run on vegetable oil.
Now Z-less
89 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo 5 speed
88 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo Automatic
05 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins 4x4
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I remember ages ago some idiot here in Australia put vegetable oil in some gas car and it worked! lol He made some modifications, which I dont remember but apparently it stunk like ass as it drove past. Like 50 year old deep fryer oil, nasty...
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project