DannyLlama
Elite Member
What if Toyota produced a TRD 4R with Super charger out of the factory, TRD wheels and an upgraded suspension. Would anyone here buy it? :hiding:
Jeep went diesel, Toyota next?!
- Thread starter DannyLlama
- Start date
The braking on my Prius is very linear. I can't tell feel the jump from regen braking to friction brakes. Also, low speeds are all electric until a certain throttle [high] throttle input. I would think an electric motor would be far more linearly responsive than an engine working through a gearbox and a torque converter.
bernardmwrangle
Member
I wish Toyota would put fewer bells and whistles on the TE. Luxury is what tanked the SUV market if you ask me, turning true utility vehicles into soccer mom wagons. I am basically looking for an updated 68 International Scout that I can take to Baja reliably and in some comfort. For the ultimate in backwards discomfort to price ratio check out the Icon FJs and Ford Broncos, I think they run $125K or something and you have to supply the vehicle! FJ | Models | ICON
Icon makes seriously cool stuff. Way more than I can afford, unfortunately.
bernardmwrangle
Member
Agreed, way out of my league, but super cool.
Curt Sauve
New member
You can build a decent rock/trail buggie for around 10K. I know a guy that has a trail ready/turn key CJ5 for sale for 7K. Spend another 3K on an Alumite car trailer, tow it with your T4R and you got yourself a rig.
Jay Leno did a segment about the Icon Bronco:
Jay Leno's Garage - 1971 ICON Bronco Restomod | Ford
The Bronco is certainly cool, but I'd rather have one of these:
Jay Leno's Garage - ICON FJ-44 | Custom Built
Do want.
1engineer
Moderator
Icon is a different sandbox. They are like us only with lots of money. Icon is amazing equipment that I would have in a heartbeat. Your friends CJ? Not so much. Difference between a Rolex and a Timex. They both tell time and end with X but the quality is a tad different.
BlackWorksInc
New member
Speaking of Bronco, check out Erza Dyer's DIESEL Ford Bronco he made!
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1302_stroke_of_madness/
I'll be honest the Broncos have always had a sort of "those are cool" spot in my mind, but after reading his Frankenstein creation I was like, "MUST HAVE!"
Could you imagine the fun you could have in a MANUAL Ford Bronco with a 7.3L Powerstroke?!
BlackWorksInc
New member
I'll admit that I haven't heard too many bad things about the newer Mercedes yet about common major issues. (on your wife's C240, keep an eye on the master switch, we've been seeing a lot of the driver's side and passenger side switches breaking off... not sure why, its rather odd really...)
But out of the 3 Germans I mentioned BMW is by far the least reliable out of them, I've had an '08 338i (the turbo one) less than 30k, blown turbo, and host of electrical problems and such.
The things I hear for most of the Mercedes and VW's are a lot of Direct Injection engine issues (mostly carbon build-up, fouling), some camshaft issues on VW's part (they admitted to making their cams way too soft in many of their vehicles, literally round the high pressure fuel pump lobe), and some electrical/programming gremlins. While the BMWs? Well... last I heard one of my fellow mechanic's brother in law had a fancy '12 5 series for 10 months, 8 of which it was in the dealer because he kept getting locked IN his BMW and had to crawl out the window when the vehicle decided to have its moment of electronic insanity and not allow him to unlock the electronically controlled doors.
BTW they bought that BMW back, like the others I've heard about when I didn't believe the guy and look it up. :rofl:Point being, Germans are good engineers, but they're engineers... and most engineers I have met are cool people, but they love to over engineer things! Hence why all these fancy electronics and ridiculously over engineered things (is it so hard to just use a linkage to unlock and open a door mechanically rather than have a door module/motor/latch unit that is really in control?) when they probably don't need to be.
rebelbowtie
New member
Toyota does have a great v8 engine but nothing can really beat the track record and simplicity of a single cam push rod v8 like the Gen 1-IV SBC's.
Also as a new Jeep owner I can tell you that the Jeep forums are riddled with more threads about every imaginable part breaking down. Moreso than any GM, Toyota, Audi, Dodge forum I have ever been a member of...luckily my Jeep is a stripped down XJ with crank windows and vinyl floors lol.
Watch the FJ video on Jay Leno's garage that I linked above. The owner of Icon wanted to use the Toyota 5.7 but Toyota's manufacturing fullfillment system just isn't set up to provide crate motors. In contrast, GM is set up to build and sell crate motors. So the reason it doesn't have a 5.7 is because Toyota isn't set up to sell him engines.
As far as the motor itself, Corvette motors are pretty awesome. Lots of power, huge, flat low rpm torque curve. And they are very, very space efficient. There is a lot to not like about the Corvette - craptastic interior, seats, etc. - but the engine isn't one of them.
Toyota & Cummins ?
Maybe someone can add to this but the service mgr of my local Toyota dealer said that Toyota is in talks w/Cummins about an engine for the US market. Why Toyota can't use the engines they currently use in other countries didn't come up but my guess would be import restrictions due to emissions.
Maybe someone can add to this but the service mgr of my local Toyota dealer said that Toyota is in talks w/Cummins about an engine for the US market. Why Toyota can't use the engines they currently use in other countries didn't come up but my guess would be import restrictions due to emissions.
If Toyota is talking to Cummins, I suspect it would only be about a diesel for the Tundra, and that would likely be too large for the 4Runner.
Yes, the US emissions standards are stricter than EU standards, so EU diesels can't be brought to the US without modifications. In addition, it is my understanding that US diesel fuel quality is not as high as that in Europe, so that causes additional issues.
rebelbowtie
New member
Listen to a DI Audi or BMW next time you see one. The fuel injectors click louder than the exhaust.
Darn.. I was still hoping for the CAT diesel tundra.
Curt Sauve
New member
I guess I'm a Timex guy.
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