Toyota Owners Club

With domestic hygiene high on the agenda right now, it’s important to remember it’s not just your house that needs scrupulous cleaning, as your car is one of the most tactile items you’ll own, with multiple surfaces that need special attention too Although this article has been published by Toyota GB and features Toyota vehicles, the principles of keeping any car germ free are the similar and can be applied across a wide range of vehicles. During an average trip the driver and passengers are likely to be touching many surfaces that can attract dirt and germs, from opening the door to changing gear, or from adjusting the heating fan to switching the lights on. Ben Murphy, Toyota’s professional car detailer is responsible for keeping Toyota GB’s fleet of press vehicles cleaned and professionally maintained. On average, Ben cleans about 30 cars per week but in busy times this number can rise to 46. As well as ensuring high standards of vehicle hygiene, Ben has to bear in mind that meticulous car reviewers expect every vehicle they assess to look and feel as good as new. In a new short film from Toyota (Toyota tips on keeping the car germ free) Ben demonstrates 40 potential touch points around the car that need specific cleaning attention, using a RAV4 as an example. “I try to be as efficient as possible,” Ben explains. “Our cars return to our press fleet garage from all over the country and I have to think – ‘where have people touched?’. For example, a driver will probably approach the car with the key in their hand and pull on the door handle. Then there’s the steering wheel and horn, the gearstick and surprisingly the rear-view mirror, because most people adjust the rear-view mirror when they get in the car. The interior of the driver’s door is a common touch point, especially on our press fleet cars which are driven by many different people. Think about all the people who get in the car and use the controls to put the window down a bit.” Ben also has to think about other points that might get touched less frequently, such as the dust caps, the bonnet and then things like the head rests. He has a check sheet which he goes through on every vehicle to make sure he hasn’t missed any part of the vehicle before it leaves the press fleet garage. The seatbelt is a key area. Everyone has to wear one when they get into the car, and the number of times you adjust that seatbelt depends on the size of the person in the car, so there could be two to three touch points just on the seatbelt itself. Also, the belt sits across you, so if you were to cough or sneeze there’s a very good chance germs get on the seatbelt or the steering wheel. Keep your car germ free: which products to use Although Ben uses commercial products made specifically to clean cars without damaging leather or interior materials, bleach-free antibacterial wipes are the next best thing. Ben says: “They’re inexpensive and kill 99.9% of germs, so they’re as safe and inexpensive as you can get without going out and buying a really strong cleaner. With a pack of wipes, a pair of gloves and a dry microfibre cloth, you can give most of the touch points a clean. Don’t just give each area a quick wipe; make sure you wipe it at least twice in a forwards and backwards motion so you’ve cleaned it completely.’ Now wash your hands! “Every time I remove my gloves I always give my hands a good wash,” says Ben. “I wear gloves during my working day and advise people to wear gloves if they are in a vehicle such as a rental car or a taxi. You don’t know which areas of the car the previous occupants have touched and germs can stay on a spot for 72 hours. If kids are travel in your car then there’s every chance they’ve been wiping their hands on windows – we’ve all done it as children, drawing faces on the window!” 40 areas of the car to clean Toyota has put together the following list of 40 areas of the car that should be cleaned. For simplicity the seatbelts are counted as one item and if you carry others in your car, you might have to spend a little longer ensuring each of your passengers can enjoy a factory-fresh ride next time they get into your car. 1 Exterior door handles 2 Frame of door and roof 3 Interior door release 4 Window switches 5 Interior door handle 6 Door pocket 7 Seatbelts 8 Seatbelt clips 9 Seat adjust buttons 10 Steering wheel 11 Horn 12 Control stalks 13 Driver air vents 14 Dashboard 15 Power button 16 Gear shift 17 Multimedia screen 18 Central air vents 19 Heating controls 20 Glovebox 21 Log book 22 Central storage compartment 23 Cupholders 24 Rear-view mirror 25 Interior lights 26 Grab handle 27 Key 28 Head rests 29 Seat pockets 30 Rear central tab 31 Fuel cap 32 Wheel valves 33 Boot lid 34 Parcel shelf 35 Boot floor tab 36 Boot close button 37 Bonnet lid 38 Washer cap 39 Dipstick 40 Oil cap Original article source: Toyota Media https://media.toyota.co.uk/2020/03/toyota-tips-on-how-to-keep-your-car-germ-free/ (25/03/20)

GR Supra lines up for British GT Championship A new Toyota GR Supra GT4 will line up in the 2020 British GT Championship, entered by Speedworks Motorsport. The Cheshire-based team, which also campaigns the Toyota Corolla in the British Touring Car Championship, is among the first customers for the 430bhp race car, prepared by Toyota Motorsport GMBh (TMG). It will be driven in the upcoming GT series by Sam Smelt and James Kell. The GR Supra GT4 is based on the road-going GR Supra, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s first global model, released in 2019. The three-litre in-line six-cylinder engine with single twin-scroll turbocharger has been tuned for higher power and is matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Performance elements include an Akrapovič exhaust system and body parts fabricated from a natural fibre composite, which help keep the car’s weight down to 1,350kg. The braking system is uprated with dedicated Brembo racing callipers – six-pot at the front and four-pot at the rear – and the OZ five-hole 11×18-inch wheels are shod with 305/660 Pirelli tyres. By offering the GR Supra GT4 for sale to customer teams, Toyota Gazoo Racing demonstrates its commitment to helping others become involved in and enjoy motorsport. Anyone interest in finding out more about availability and pricing can contact TMG at tmgcs@toyota-motorsport.com. Double podium finish at the Circuit of the Americas Toyota Gazoo Racing earned a double podium result in the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans race at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas on Sunday, the fifth round of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship. The No8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley put in a flawless performance to take second place, but saw their lead at the top of the drivers’ world championship reduced. Third place was taken by the No7 Toyota of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López – a sound result given the crew were running with the maximum success handicap. The full race story can be found here. Next stop in the WEC calendar is also in the USA, the 1,000 Miles of Sebring on 18-20 March. Introducing Kalle Rovanperä – the history man Kalle Rovanperä made history on Rally Sweden as the youngest driver to ever stand on a World Rally Championship podium. At just 19 years old, the Finnish rising star was giving a clear signal of his potential, right from the start of his first WRC season with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. He certainly has the right pedigree to succeed as the son of former WRC hero Harri Rovanperä. With competition in his blood, he had mastered the art of drifting a car on ice by the age of eight and he was competing in rallies before he reached teenage. Even before he had a road licence, he was competing in events in Latvia, passing the wheel to his co-driver for the public road stretches between stages. At 15 he won the Latvian R2 class, then claimed the national open championship two years running. His WRC2 debut came on Rally Wales GB in 2017 and took his maiden victory in Australia later the same year. Kalle’s Swedish success included a storming performance on the final stage, where he was 3.7 seconds faster than any other driver. This prompted praise from team boss Tommi Mäkinen, who said: “It’s incredible what Kalle did, it was his first time on that stage in these cars. Everybody else had done it many times before, but he was just flying away from the rest.” With British driver Elfyn Evans taking the rally victory and reigning WRC champion Sebastien Ogier coming home in fourth, Tommi reckons Toyota has a “dream team” for this year’s competition. Kalle is co-driven by fellow Finn Jonne Halttunen. Their next outing will be the high-altitude test of Rally Mexico on 12-15 March. Barrichello back – in a Toyota Rubens Barrichello, the world’s most experienced Formula 1 driver with 326 race starts to his credit, will be back on track this year in a Toyota. The popular Brazilian has been signed by Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina for its squad competing in the national Super TC2000 touring car series. The 47-year-old will be driving a Corolla alongside Matías Rossi Julián Santero and Mariano Altuna. First race date is on 1 March at the San Juan circuit. GR in Japan The Gazoo Racing stamp of sporting quality is relatively new to Europe, with models such as the Yaris GRMN, GR Supra and upcoming GR Yaris the pathfinders for Toyota’s competition-inspired road-going models, and GR Sport versions of Corolla and Yaris raising the sports style factor. Cross the globe to Japan and the GR name is well-established across a wide spectrum of model types, from the diminutive Copen roadster to the vast Voxy people carrier. This Japanese-language web page gives you a taste of what is on offer. The Toyota Gazoo Racing story Toyota has been involved in international motorsport for more than 60 years but the relationship between its competition activity and its business of building cars for the road has never been closer. That’s thanks to the fundamental link that Toyota Gazoo Racing – the umbrella organisation for its worldwide sporting activities – provides between the pit lane and production line. The experience gained from racing and rallying feeds directly into Toyota’s development of ever-better cars. And the skills of Toyota people are honed by letting them work shoulder to shoulder with the race teams at events such as the annual Nürburgring 24 Hours. Above all that, Toyota Gazoo Racing is about generating a love of cars and the joy of driving, building excitement and interest through engagement with fans and enthusiasts and encouraging motorsport at grass roots level. You can read more about the Toyota Gazoo Racing philosophy here.

If it is not a Toyota Genuine Part, it could be from anywhere! Always insist on Toyota Genuine Parts. Find out more at https://www.toyota.com.au/owners/parts.

If it is not a Toyota Genuine Part, it could be from anywhere! Always insist on Toyota Genuine Parts. Find out more at https://www.toyota.com.au/owners/parts.

If it is not a Toyota Genuine Part, it could be from anywhere! Always insist on Toyota Genuine Parts. Find out more at https://www.toyota.com.au/owners/parts.

Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has called Toyota’s hotly anticipated new GR Yaris “the perfect combination of sport and good performance” after putting the World Rally Championship inspired car through its paces at Estoril race circuit in Portugal The event gave the FIA World Endurance Champion and double Toyota Gazoo Racing Le Mans winner his first impression of the GR Yaris at a specially organised media event. Despite the tricky conditions, Alonso was clearly enjoying driving the turbocharged four-wheel drive GR Yaris. “This car has the perfect combination of sport and good performance. A very sporty car you can drive every day exceeding your expectations in every gear change, in every braking point in every corner, you know it’s a little bit better than you expect.” Alonso, who also completed the gruelling Dakar Rally for Toyota Gazoo Racing last month added, “Not only the power and the stability, but for me also the brakes, it was a really nice surprise, it is only the first few laps but it is exciting!” The Toyota GR Yaris will be the second Gazoo Racing model available in the UK market joining the GR Supra which was launched last year. The GR Yaris will be available to buy in the UK market later in the year and more information regarding specification and pricing will be released in due course.

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Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team opened their 2020 account with a double podium result in Monte Carlo. Their all-new driver line-up was immediately on the pace on the opening round of the new season, finishing the event on Sunday with a brace of podium places Six-time world championship winner, Sébastien Ogier and Welshman Elfyn Evans finished second and third respectively after strong performances on their debuts with the Toyota Yaris WRC, even though they ultimately missed out on victory in a three-way final-day fight. Rookie driver Kalle Rovanperä rounded out a positive weekend for the team with a fine fifth place on his first appearance at rallying’s highest level. Although disappointed not to claim his seventh successive Monte Carlo victory, Ogier was positive about his first event in the Yaris WRC: “I had hoped to deliver even more and bring the team a win straight away. But it’s always such a huge challenge to adapt to a new environment, especially on such a challenging rally, so I think we can be happy. I tried to stay in my comfort zone the whole weekend, not overdo it. We missed it by just a little bit, but 22 points is very good for the championship,” he said. Demonstrating immediate front-running pace in their new cars, Ogier and Evans traded the lead with each other from Friday morning through to Saturday afternoon. Evans led with a 4.9-second advantage over his team-mate going into the final day’s four stages. Their third-placed rival was only 1.5s further back, however, and posted a succession of stage wins to ultimately deny the Toyota duo. Ogier edged Evans for second overall on the rally-ending Power Stage, where he missed out on the fastest time by just 0.012 seconds. His second place together with co-driver Julien Ingrassia marked a strong beginning to his bid for a seventh world title this season. Evans – co-driven by Scott Martin – achieved his best Monte-Carlo finish yet. Rovanperä, who at 19-years-old is the youngest full-time factory driver yet to compete in the WRC, moved up to fifth place with co-driver Jonne Halttunen on the final day to round out an impressively mistake-free and mature performance in demanding conditions. Takamoto Katsuta made it four Toyota Yaris WRC in the top seven with his best finish to-date at the start of an eight-round campaign with the Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge Program, navigated by Dan Barritt. In spite of missing out on the win, Team Principal Tommi Makinen was pleased with the performance: “We are competing at the highest level and it is so, so tight. The overall result is still incredible for our first rally with our new drivers: Not just to have Sébastien and Elfyn both on the podium, but also for Kalle to finish fifth in his first rally at the top level. It is very promising for the future.” Next date on the calendar is Rally Sweden, the championship’s only full winter event, contested on snow and ice since the WRC’s first season in 1973. The Yaris WRC posted its maiden victory on the event in 2017 and won again in 2019. Monte Carlo Rally, final classification 1 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) 3h10m57.6s 2 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (Toyota Yaris WRC) +12.6s 3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota Yaris WRC) +14.3s 4 Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Ford Fiesta WRC) +3m09.0s 5 Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC) +4m17.2s 6 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +5m04.7s 7 Takamoto Katsuta/Daniel Barritt (Toyota Yaris WRC) +11m27.9s 8 Teemu Suninen/ Jarmo Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta WRC)) +13m30.4s 9 Eric Camilli/François-Xavier Buresi (Citroën C3 R5) +13m42.2s 10 Mads Østberg/Torstein Eriksen (Citroën C3 R5) +14m21.8s

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