Latest news with #Morizo
Scoop
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Jones And Thomson Focus On Securing First Win In Japan
Zeal Jones and Bayden Thomson will press the rest button and aim for their first outright win when the Morizo Challenge Cup rally series heads into its final three rounds. Round five didn't exactly go as planned with Jones retiring from Rally Kamuy with damage sustained from contact with a hidden concrete drain after once again contending for a top three spot in the results. Once again, the crew had to adjust to new surface conditions - a feature of the learning process from this season's Morizo campaign – but there were plenty of positives to take forward into the final three rounds which begin with Rally Hokkaido at the beginning of September. 'Day 1 at Kamuy was steady as we again got used to a new experience, surface with the car. But throughout the day we improved - especially in the afternoon loop of after some setup changes at the service. We finished with two stage wins to finish the day in second overall, 30 seconds behind the leader but a minute ahead of third. 'Overnight, we evaluated our chances for the championship and risk assessed what was possible. In the morning we got the word to push hard on Day 2 and apply some pressure to the leader to try to force a mistake. The first stage of that second day was actually the first time we could drive the car the way we wanted to, with the nature of the road a bit more what we were used to. 'It was all looking great on a familiar surface, but with two corners to go we unfortunately took a small cut which pushed us wide out in the grass half a wheel width too wide. Hidden in the grass was a concrete drain that hit the rear left which kicked us up and into the drain channel itself which we drove in for 100m trying to get out before getting stuck. 'To make matters worse, we later heard we had been catching the lead car and it had a very similar moment at the exact same spot, but got away with it. Through our calculations, we were also on track to take 10 seconds out of them, reducing the gap down to just 20 seconds.' Jones and Thomson remain second in the points but now trail leaders Otake Nao and Hashimoto Misaki by 73 points. Mathematically it's is still possible to take the title, but Zeal is focussing on producing three more solid results from the final three events, and hopefully that elusive first win. 'We certainly feel that if everything comes together we now have enough knowledge to push for that first win and at least keep the pressure on the top contenders in the championship. 'We are the top car in the Cusco team so that's a positive as well, but I think we have to focus on making that next step up in terms of performance and in terms of results, so that's how we will approach the final three weekends.' 'The team again are motivated knowing a win is within striking distance with more testing scheduled before the next event, Rally Hokkaido 5-7 September. Rest assured we will be fully focussed on taking that first win.' The Morizo Challenge Cup is a new category run as a class within the All Japan Rally Championship. All crews compete in Toyota's GR Yaris, where tight rules and limited modifications put the focus on driver skill and teamwork. All drivers must be under 25 years old and the objective of the championship is to provide a stepping stone to higher rallying categories for Japan's rising rally stars. With a Japanese mother, Jones' entry into the championship was welcomed.
NZ Autocar
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
2025 Lexus LBX Morizo RR Review
Toyota has unleashed four GR variants and now Lexus has taken the smallest and turned it into the top LBX model. Naturally it isn't called a GR but an RR variant of its compact LBX crossover line-up. And unusually it has Morizo in the name. That's because this particular LBX was developed in part by 'Master Driver' Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. On track, Toyoda's nickname is Morizo, so that's why the RR is known thus. Morizo was also one of the mascots of the 2025 World Expo held in Japan. Who knew? The RR in the nameplate refers to Rookie Racing as opposed to Gazoo Racing. Anyhow, the RR is closely related to the GR Yaris, just like LBX is related to Yaris Cross. For they utilise the same platform. However, the RR Morizo is somewhat wilder, more athletic. It's 15mm wider and rides 10mm lower than the others in the range. The driver's hip point is also 10mm lower for that sense of oneness with the vehicle. Its body kit is nicely restrained, and features body-coloured wheel arches and side skirts. It's full of purpose but not too ostentatious. This is a Lexus, after all. It's all very smooth too, in that aero-inspired way. Powering the RR is a 206kW/390Nm three-cylinder 1.6L turbopetrol, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Evidently the bodywork, suspension (multilink instead of torsion beam rear), brakes and tyres were uprated for optimal performance. The car's head designer, Kunihiko Endo, said the concept was about bringing a smile to the face of the true enthusiast while offering the refinement of a Lexus. And indeed in the right circumstances this will make some smile while others might find themselves laughing maniacally. Contributing to those special moments is an electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive system, and front and rear Torsen limited slip diffs. Also enhancing athletic ability is significantly enhanced body rigidity thanks to almost 500 extra spot welds and an additional 13m of structural adhesives. There are special underbody stability braces and a rear performance damper as well. Active Sound Control amplifies driving sounds through the audio speakers. This involves synchronising engine and exhaust resonances as the vehicle accelerates and slows. The RR is evidently Morizo's weekend drive. He believes it will 'redefine expectations in the luxury small SUV market'. And he is right about that, except for one pesky rival with a similar aim. Purely coincidental it was that we drove the facelifted Cupra Formentor VZ just before hopping into the Lexus LBX Morizo RR. I hadn't at that stage cottoned on to the fact that both of these sell for just under $90k. And while the Formentor is larger (4451mm vs 4190mm) with a bigger four-pot 2.0 engine, they're both five-door sporty compact crossovers. Each features a warmed over turbocharged engine and both have AWD to help them stick. Each looks absolutely up for it in the styling department too, with bulging body work, big wheels, and proper attitude, especially up front. Both go hard but the Spaniard with its bigger, more potent (245kW/420Nm) 2.0L IL4T has the performance edge. The slightly smaller LBX with its tricky diffs is a bit more of a corner terrier than the Formentor but it's otherwise Cupra all the way. It looks more aggressive, is half a second quicker on the sprint and doesn't really put too much of a foot wrong. Okay, there's not a whole lot of legroom in the rear, but the LBX is worse off on that front, as it is for luggage space (315 vs 345L). Where the Formentor truly nails it is in the ride and refinement stakes. The RR is simply loud over coarse chip surfaces – 78dB is so un-Lexus like – where the Cupra's worst is a more acceptable 72dB. And the Formentor ride is a decent cut above with its adaptive dampers – literally you can go from soft to hard in 15 steps – where the LBX has fixed suspension. Not that the LBX is as firm riding as its GR progenitor but it cannot compete with the user-adjustable adaptive damping of the Cupra. The final arbiter to my mind is that the LBX is based on the GA-B small car platform underpinning the Yaris Cross. And it shows, despite efforts to cover this up. Yes, there's lots of alluring Alcantara but there are hard plastics where there really shouldn't be on a car costing this much, the central screen is slow and old fashioned and Lexus still seems fixated with control systems that obfuscate. Try changing the data you see in the instrument panel. It took me several days of mussing before stumbling on how to do it. Yes, the information is there but it isn't that easy to manipulate. It reminds of the Lexus answer to iDrive which was tricky to use for left handers and was eventually ditched. This latest effort is almost as annoying. Okay, so changing the trip data can be a bit of a mission but then no more so than most of the controlling touchscreens that blight many of the new energy cars we drive nowadays. And in many ways the basic nature of the core car makes this otherwise simple to operate. To your left and in front of where the centre bin isn't (no room for that) are three buttons, one of which is for the Sport mode. The default is Normal. An AWD button changes things from variable to 50-50 fixed. We rather liked the even more tied down feel of the latter. Not quite so straightforward though is the manual shift mechanism. You pull back on the lever to select manual, all good but you don't then pull back again to return to Drive. You must push across diagonally to the right while pulling down or else you'll select Neutral on the go. Weird. And annoyingly this won't run in eighth gear at 100km/h. Or it least it won't most of the time. You need to be doing at least 105 before it flicks into eighth and holds it there. So generally on the open road, you're in seventh. Which may explain why the best fuel use figure prior was 13.3L/100km. A bit much, especially given the claimed figure of 9.5L/100km (rightcar agrees). Perhaps the previous driver became intoxicated by the yowl of the hot 1.6T triple on the boil. This is meant to run 0-100 in 5.2sec but we fell a bit short on that front, with a best of 5.4sec (Formentor 4.8sec). The 80-120 overtake of 3.3sec was also a little down on the three sec run of the Cupra. Enough for bragging rights. As to our fuel use, we managed to halve the previous best figure for a time – it uses about 6.5L/100km on cruise control during motorway running. Expect eights when you're not hitting it, just cruising (similar to Formentor) and roughly around 10L/100km when having a little fun. Going mental will net you into the teens and likely a ticket or two. But it does turn the hydrocarbons into a musical warble in Sport mode or with ESP off. That's thanks in part to Engine Sound Enhancement. The rest of the time the music from the 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system will just have to suffice. Those even contemplating this car will know what they're in for. It's essentially for couples with nothing more than a dog, or maybe grandkids on occasion to transport, given limited room in the rear and the luggage compartment. While this may be based on a compact Toyota, you'd not know it from the way it drives. It's genuine fun under the right conditions but is just too intrusive on our coarse chip surfaces, detracting from its otherwise gentler side compared with GR Yaris. You should also drive the like-priced Formentor VZ if you're after something just as fun, but if anything more premium in feel and refinement, quicker, roomier and just as menacing to behold. Lexus LBX Morizo RR $89,900 / 9.5L/100km / 215g/km 0-100 km/h 5.43s 80-120 km/h 3.33s (94.22m) 100-0 km/h 34.89m Speedo error 97 at an indicated 100km/h Ambient cabin noise 78.3dB@100km/h Engine 1618cc / IL3 / T / DI Max power 206kW@6500rpm Max torque 390Nm@3250-4600rpm Drivetrain 8-speed auto / AWD Front suspension Mac strut / swaybar Rear suspension Wishbones / swaybar Turning circle 10.8m (2.3 turns) Front brakes Ventilated discs (356mm) Rear brakes Discs (281mm) Stability systems ABS, ESP, TV Safety AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB Tyre size f/r-235/45R19 Wheelbase 2580mm L/W/H 4190 / 1840 / 1535mm Track f-1580mm r-1585mm Fuel capacity 50L Luggage capacity 317L Tow rating Not rated to tow Service intervals 12 months / 15,000km Scheduled servicing 4yrs / unlimited km Warranty 4yrs / unlimited km ANCAP rating Not yet rated Weight (claimed) 1485kg
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota's Chairman Shared This Controversial Opinion About EV Sports Cars
As the former President and CEO and now chairman of Toyota's board, Akio Toyoda has long balanced his corporate responsibilities with a passion for racing. Under the pseudonym "Morizo Kinoshita," he created a second identity on the track, competing in major motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Often behind the wheel of Toyota- and Lexus-branded race cars. In fact, his input behind the wheel at races and behind development, production, and race cars has been cemented so deeply into Toyota lore that cars like the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition have been named after him. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda doubled down on his skepticism of battery-electric vehicles. However, when acknowledging that some Toyota engineers want an EV sports car, he said that the idea doesn't exactly align with his values. "There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars," Toyoda told AutoNews. "But for me, as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine."In addition, he still believes that the company has a mountain to climb when it comes to building a selection of EVs that fit with Toyota's mantra of providing affordable, high-quality cars to its customers. Currently, in the United States, Toyota offers only one EV: the bZ4x, a crossover co-developed with Subaru. "Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to think about affordability, even with BEVs," he said. "Once Toyota has the capacity to offer affordable BEVs, then maybe that's a moment when I as a master driver will be introducing a BEV sports car." In response to a question asking him if in his capacity as Toyota's "Master Driver," would he ever race an EV in a competitve race, the man known to enthusiasts simply as Morizo expressed that he wouldn't want to race an EV because the kind of races he likes to do (endurance races) would be less about driving skill and more about the cars' technical limitations. "No! It's not exciting," he said. "Because you won't be able to go around the circuit for more than an hour. The kind of races I enter are mostly endurance races, so with the current BEVs, it's not going to be a race of the cars. It's a race of charging time or battery exchange or something. The next master driver will have to take on that challenge. That's their job." I am not exactly surprised about Toyoda's deterrance towards this sort of thing. He has been openly critical about EVs in the past, and this is just more ink in that section of the book. In a statement at a Toyota company event in January 2024, Morizo argued that EVs "come as a set with infrastructure," arguing that many Toyota drivers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity. "No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," Toyoda said. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain. I think this is something that customers and the market will decide, not regulatory values or political power." In the same AutoNews interview, he defended the company's push toward hybrids by saying: "we said as a company the enemy is carbon," additionally noting that in the span of making 27 million hybrid cars, it "had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road." "But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity," he said. "We should look at all options and work in all directions. As a company, we have been very consistent in saying what we're fighting against is carbon dioxide." Taken together, Toyoda's on-track alter ego and his cautious stance on EVs paint a clear picture: he's someone who believes driving should remain an emotional, accessible experience, not just a political or regulatory checkbox. Whether it's pushing Toyota's race cars to their limits or advocating for a more flexible approach to carbon reduction, Toyoda consistently champions a future where car enthusiasts still have a say in how that future looks.
Miami Herald
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Toyota's Chairman Shared This Controversial Opinion About EV Sports Cars
As the former President and CEO and now chairman of Toyota's board, Akio Toyoda has long balanced his corporate responsibilities with a passion for racing. Under the pseudonym "Morizo Kinoshita," he created a second identity on the track, competing in major motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Often behind the wheel of Toyota- and Lexus-branded race cars. In fact, his input behind the wheel at races and behind development, production, and race cars has been cemented so deeply into Toyota lore that cars like the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition have been named after him. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda doubled down on his skepticism of battery-electric vehicles. However, when acknowledging that some Toyota engineers want an EV sports car, he said that the idea doesn't exactly align with his values. "There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars," Toyoda told AutoNews. "But for me, as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine." Related: Cadillac Confirms Another Future High Performance V-Series EV In addition, he still believes that the company has a mountain to climb when it comes to building a selection of EVs that fit with Toyota's mantra of providing affordable, high-quality cars to its customers. Currently, in the United States, Toyota offers only one EV: the bZ4x, a crossover co-developed with Subaru. "Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to think about affordability, even with BEVs," he said. "Once Toyota has the capacity to offer affordable BEVs, then maybe that's a moment when I as a master driver will be introducing a BEV sports car." EVs are not "exciting" to drive, says Morizo In response to a question asking him if in his capacity as Toyota's "Master Driver," would he ever race an EV in a competitve race, the man known to enthusiasts simply as Morizo expressed that he wouldn't want to race an EV because the kind of races he likes to do (endurance races) would be less about driving skill and more about the cars' technical limitations. "No! It's not exciting," he said. "Because you won't be able to go around the circuit for more than an hour. The kind of races I enter are mostly endurance races, so with the current BEVs, it's not going to be a race of the cars. It's a race of charging time or battery exchange or something. The next master driver will have to take on that challenge. That's their job." I am not exactly surprised about Toyoda's deterrance towards this sort of thing. He has been openly critical about EVs in the past, and this is just more ink in that section of the book. In a statement at a Toyota company event in January 2024, Morizo argued that EVs "come as a set with infrastructure," arguing that many Toyota drivers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity. "No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," Toyoda said. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain. I think this is something that customers and the market will decide, not regulatory values or political power." In the same AutoNews interview, he defended the company's push toward hybrids by saying: "we said as a company the enemy is carbon," additionally noting that in the span of making 27 million hybrid cars, it "had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road." "But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity," he said. "We should look at all options and work in all directions. As a company, we have been very consistent in saying what we're fighting against is carbon dioxide." Taken together, Toyoda's on-track alter ego and his cautious stance on EVs paint a clear picture: he's someone who believes driving should remain an emotional, accessible experience, not just a political or regulatory checkbox. Whether it's pushing Toyota's race cars to their limits or advocating for a more flexible approach to carbon reduction, Toyoda consistently champions a future where car enthusiasts still have a say in how that future looks. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
An Astonishing Solid-State Battery May Recharge as Fast as Refuel Within Just 2 Years
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." As a racing driver himself, Akio Toyoda, Toyota Motor Company's chairman, is one of only a few automotive top brass who knows proper car control. He even has a nickname, 'Morizo,' which he used to secretly race the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2007. Along with possessing a deep understanding of how to make Toyotas go fast, he's taking big steps to steer the future of electric vehicles for Toyota. That starts with investing in solid-state batteries, which Toyota hopes to implement in its customer vehicles as soon as 2027, with mass production set for 2030 and beyond. We wouldn't be the first to tell you that EV interest has waned considerably since its prominence in the early 2010s. When the technology was in its infancy, there was a linear trajectory of improvement; that linearity has since plateaued, and we see EVs now with an average of around 300 miles of range, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. We've reached the apex of current battery tech, and many automakers are now looking at solid-state batteries as the answer. Inherent in their name, solid-state batteries use, well, solid electrolytes instead of liquid. Toyota says the new battery tech allows for faster movement of ions and a greater tolerance for high voltages and temperatures. These qualities bring many advantages, especially longer range and faster charging times. Toyota says its batteries of the future would be able to supply 620 miles of range and be fast-charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 10 minutes, which is about the time it takes to refuel your typical gasoline vehicle. Solid electrolytes also lower the risk of fires while increasing energy density—the amount of energy a battery can deliver compared to its weight. This will theoretically allow Toyota to produce a higher-capacity battery pack that's lighter and more powerful than ever. For context, the Japanese automaker says its prototype batteries are about the size and thickness of a thin spiral notebook. Heat is the biggest enemy of the current battery technology: Charging a battery quickly produces a tremendous amount of heat. The same can be said for rapidly discharging a battery; it's one of the reasons why high-performance EVs struggled for such a long time to do a full lap of the 12.9-mile Nurburgring Nordschleife course. Mini was the first to attempt a lap record in 2010 with a prototype EV-converted Mini Cooper—setting a somewhat lukewarm lap time of nine minutes and 52 seconds. Volkswagen's motorsport division already developed a bespoke fast-charging solution for its I.D. R Pikes Peak car as early as 2018. Considered to be cutting-edge technology at the time, it was able to juice up the battery pack in as little as 20 minutes. However, the lithium-ion (liquid electrolyte) battery still struggled to keep cool with the amount of energy being pumped into it in such a short amount of time. Seven years later, we're still facing the same issues with the same technology in road vehicles. Along with greater range and fast charging times, Toyota is also looking at the aerodynamic benefits of solid-state batteries. Most EVs have their battery packs mounted underneath the vehicle's floor to keep the center of gravity low. However, Toyota says the current batteries are too tall, forcing vehicles to run a higher ride height to stop them from scraping the ground. This is detrimental not only to handling, but also aerodynamics. If we reduce the height of the battery pack, the vehicle's height can also be reduced, lowering its CdA (coefficient of drag multiplied by frontal area) and increasing its effective range. For context, Toyota says the battery pack in its all-electric bZ4X is 150mm tall (5.9 inches), while its batteries of tomorrow could be made as thin as 120mm—4.7 inches. Sure, that's just a sneeze over an inch of ride height, but that's not an insignificant amount. The Japanese automaker also mentioned that it would be able to shave another 20mm off to make low-profile batteries for performance EVs where weight distribution is even more important. Unsurprisingly, Toyota isn't the only automaker looking to implement solid-state batteries. Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, and let's not forget Tesla—among others—are all working on implementing solid-state batteries before 2030. We'll have to see how this evolves in the United States, pending the effects of tariffs on the automotive industry. Many manufacturers are considering hybrid batteries—combining solid and liquid electrolytes—to be a more approachable alternative in the interim. Solid-state batteries have many 'holy grail' benefits, but they aren't without compromise. For instance, solid-state batteries are much more complicated to produce, still have longevity concerns, and swell considerably while charging. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
