TRD001

You guys don't know loud until you hear my supra. Anyway, this won't work for too long. Anyone that has something against someone else will be calling the cops all the time to dob someone in. Also, thre's too mane loop holes, define 'hoon behaviour'. Am I a hoon because even if I'm sitting on 60 my car is louder than the soccer mum in her Honda Legend that just overtook me at around 85? Isn't she a hoon? She is speeding after all..

I suggest you call Toyota head office customer service and lodge a complain. The dealer is meant to try and fix the problem. I find it surprising that Toyota wouldn't fix anything like that. When the TRD Aurion dropped in price, owners of TRD Aurions before the pricde drop were given a 104cm LCD TV and some money back to make up for the price difference.

Lame? I don't think so, smart, maybe, funny yes, but not lame.

No, Toyota are not importing that car, nor will that car be the TRD Corolla. Actually, as far as I know there is no TRD Corolla on the drawing boards.

That's what I said earlier, that they are owned by the parent company, but they operate completely on their own. I know what Kaizen means, its continueous improvement, and I'm sure Lexus practise that also, but in terms of logistic, operations, cars, orders, deliveries etc etc etc...they do it their own way, they don't follow the same strategies as Toyota. And I did also mention that technology from Lexus is finding its way to Toyota, that's nothing new. HSV and FVP are a different story, they still have 'Holden' and 'Ford' as part of their brand, Lexus isn't connected to Toyota in anyway on that sense. Yes, but notice HSV and FPV have different stalls to Holden and Ford, respectively. Lexus may have its own specific parts and suppliers, but it doesnt change the fact that their money comes from Toyota - the parent company. I'm almost certain that both companies operate under the same philosophy - "Kaizen" (loosely translated to "the constant search for improvement") Note that Lexus is the premium brand - if you want the leading technology, you buy the lexus and pay the extra cash. Inevitably though, as time progresses, the technology once exclusive to lexus is then integrated into the lower rank toyotas - eg. hybrid engines. Likewise, solid platforms (such as the altezza) are integrated with premium technology to create a niche product (IS 200).

When I was in Europe I used to work for a car magazine (4TPOXOI - 4Wheels in Greece). It was exactly the same basically as Motor and Wheels magazines and concentrated in European cars mostly (European delivered). So I've driven all the cars manufacturers would send for reviews, testing, etc etc. When I came to Australia I worked as a Marketing manager for a rally school and drove Group N Rally cars for promotions. Now I work for a car manufacturer and drive all the cars they have available for the Australian market when ever I feel like it really. And no, I haven't driven a Yugo, but I hear their best feature is the rear heated window...so your hands are warm when you're pushing it in winter. They also say that you can double the value of your Yugo in Europe by simply filling it up with petrol before you sell it.

Do you mind if I ask which dealer it was? I'm interested, PM if don't want to post on a forum. Thanks U Kiddin?? U can be like..Our supplier for the TRD's Kit..LoL Just wonderin..Have u ever asked how much is ur Kit for all sides? Excluding the Wings on the back. I got a quote from Toyota around 1300 for all sides including the wings and they allowed me to get the kits even though I didnt even own a TRD..lol

Dont get me wrong, they are essentially the same in theory, but not even people within Toyota look at Lexus as the same as Toyota. Hence why they have their own displays at Motorshows.

It is a division of Toyota, and Toyota owned but not operated by Toyota in any way. Concepts are the same but they operate differently to Toyota. Different targets in terms of sales etc. For example, when Toyota counts how many cars they sell per month, they don't include any Lexus vehicles. When reporting is done for Toyota, even though Lexus and Toyota both use the same logistics systems, during reporting, all Lexus cars are deleted from the results of the report so the Lexus cars are not counted. Even the cars them selves are different quality to Toyota cars. Same owner, different brand, different everything besides where the head office is.

Although Lexus is essentially owned by Toyota, and even though they share some platforms, that's where the simularities end. Materials used in Lexus interiors are not the same as Toyota, to begin with. The leather, plastic, woodgrain, etc etc are all Lexus specific and are not shared by any cars in the Toyota range. Also, Lexus is way ahead in terms of technology, features and options available. Although, some features eventually find their way to Toyota vehicles a couple of years after Lexus has developed them. Some paint codes are the same as Toyota but not all, mainly the silver. The white is different from Lexus to Toyota white. The wheels used on all Lexus cars are also Lexus specific, meaning, you will not find the same wheels on a Toyota. Lexus is operated as a different department all together.. Although they are both operated from the same head office in Sydney (Caringbah) they don't share the same logistics or marketing and TMCA and Lexus do their best not to have the two brands associated with each other. Basically, Lexus is ran differently to Toyota, both are controled by the same board/CEo etc, but they operate as two seperate companies in a way. From the way the cars are built, ordered, and allocated to dealers.

Correct... from supra forums

Actually, Lexus / Toyota...no where near the same thing. I know I'm new to the forums, but trust me, Lexus and Toyota are not the same thing.

How is a Lexus going to be the flagship of Toyota? That doesn't make sense. Its a Lexus. The new 'so called supra' will go into production from what I've been told. They just haven't decided whether they'll call it a supra or not yet.

TRD AURION SECURES HISTORIC CLASS VICTORY Team TRD rally driver Neal Bates has scored an historic class victory in the 2008 Targa Tasmania tarmac rally, claiming the first major win for the TRD Aurion. Three-time Australian rally champion Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor won a see-sawing battle over the V8-powered Monaro of Paul Freestone to claim victory in their class of the Modern Competition category. The 1995 Targa-winning duo was victorious by just three seconds, winning an enduring event-long battle with Freestone on the final two stages of the event. Bates was pleased to secure his fourth class victory in Targa and to give the supercharged, 3.5-litre V6-powered TRD Aurion a win against stiff competition. He and Taylor finished 21st outright and secured their second victory in as many weeks following their win in the opening round of the 2008 Australian Rally Championship in Western Australia. "I am absolutely over the moon to score a class victory for the TRD Aurion in its very first event," Bates said. "We had a really tough battle with Paul Freestone during the last couple of days and it is very satisfying to come out on top. "Targa is such a special event. Tasmanians' really get behind it and the turnout in Hobart for today's last stage was amazing. "Targa has allowed the TRD Aurion to show its performance credentials and I am sure this class win will be the first of many victories for the car." Team-mate Simon Evans was joined by Today show sports reporter Cameron Williams who acted as co-driver for the reigning Australian rally champion. The duo held the lead in their class until an engine failure caused their retirement just four stages from the end of the rally. Up until that point, Evans' showroom-spec TRD Aurion had been leading its class and was running third in the Showroom 2WD category. "Everything was going really well until we unfortunately had a problem with the engine on the Mount Arrowsmith stage," Evans said. "Although we had a problem with the engine, the engineers at TRD will review it and I am sure they will be able to take a lot from it and use the information to help future development. "For a showroom-standard car the TRD Aurion performed exceptionally well throughout Targa and surprised many people with its pace. Targa is a unique event and it was great to see the Tasmanian people turn out in such strong numbers." Williams was impressed with Evans' ability and the TRD Aurion's performance. "Today was such a fantastic experience," Williams said. "Although the result was not what we wanted, I got the chance to experience rallying at its best with the best so I certainly have a renewed appreciation for Simon's ability. "I am astounded by the speed Simon got from a standard road car - the TRD Aurion was such a great car. Motorsport has its highs and lows and today I experienced both."

TRD AURION WINS ON WORLD COMPETITION DEBUT Toyota's two-time Australian rally champion Simon Evans has secured the TRD Aurion's maiden victory in the car's world competition debut, taking class victory in the George Town Prologue on the opening day of the Targa Tasmania tarmac rally. Evans and his co-driver wife Sue won their class in the Showroom 2WD category of the tarmac classic, driving a clean lap of the 4.8 kilometre-long stage run in and around the northern Tasmanian seaside town. "To win our class on the TRD Aurion's very first outing is a great achievement," Evans said. "I kept repeating the tarmac racing principles in my head - brake early and keep it clean, and it clearly paid off. "For what is basically a standard road-going TRD Aurion it performed well. The car has a really good chassis, it turns well and the brakes are great. But it has a lot more potential on the open roads so we'll see how we go for the rest of the week." Toyota Racing Development (TRD) team-mates Neal Bates and Coral Taylor also enjoyed a solid start to their Targa campaign, finishing second in their class of the Modern Competition category. The George Town Prologue determines the starting order for Leg 1 of the event on Wednesday. Former Targa winner Bates was pleased with the TRD Aurion's competitive debut and to be less than three seconds from class leader Paul Freestone. The 1995 Targa winner has enjoyed many successes on tarmac and although his race-spec TRD Aurion handled George Town's tight, twisty roads well, Bates feels the car will be more at home on the fast flowing roads the event will cover in the coming days. "We did a lot better than I expected on the Prologue stage," Bates said. "I am really happy with how the car performed, it was clean and neat. "I expect the car to perform a lot better once the roads open up in the coming days and the TRD Aurion can stretch its legs. We can't read too much into such a short section of road but we are well-placed heading into tomorrow's first real hit out." Evans, driving a standard TRD Aurion, was overjoyed to secure the supercharged car's first win in its very first competitive outing - and cannot wait to test the car on the fast, flowing roads the event will cover over the next five days. Although the reigning Australian rally champion was joined for the Prologue by his regular co-driver and wife, Sue, from Wednesday he will pair up with a number of celebrity co-drivers for the remainder of the event. Wednesday's Leg 1 will see Greg Rust, host of Network 10's RPM motorsport program fill the co-driver seat for the day's nine stages that run between Launceston and Devonport. "Sue and I have worked a lot with Greg (Rust) developing pace notes so we should have respectable pace," Evans said.