Auto News 5

Cooper Standard Automotive has acquired USi from Ikuyo of Japan, effective immediately. USi, based in Rockford, Tennessee, provides an exclusive hard coating process for use in automotive and industrial applications, including bright trim assemblies on vehicles produced by a number of global automakers, including Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan Motor and Toyota. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Deutsche Securities has slashed its forecast for Toyota Motor Corp's operating profit by 84% for the next business year, reflecting the impact of the earthquake and tsunami that has brought Japanese car production almost to a standstill.

Jury selection has begun in a case against Toyota Motor Corp. in which a Long Island, N.Y., man claims his 2005 Scion sped up uncontrollably and didn't stop until he hit a tree.

Toyota, PSA and BMW are the automakers closest to reaching their EU-mandated CO2 targets, according to data released today by market researchers JATO Dynamics.

Japanese carmakers, facing electricity shortages after the nation's record earthquake crippled power plants, may consider measures including rotating production to save energy, Toyota Motor Corp. said today.

Remember when Toyota built exciting cars? The Japanese automaker's latest concept, the FT 86, looks back to those days with rear-wheel drive, sleek coupe styling and a whole lot of detailed body sculpting.

Also in today's show: Lamborghini sells out the Aventador LP700-4 for more than a year, General Motors cars "held hostage," lawsuit claims, and the Toyota Prius wagon is delayed in Japan.

Japanese automakers limped toward recovery today, with Toyota announcing plans to resume limited production of hybrid vehicles and Nissan opening its assembly plants.

Japanese automakers limped toward recovery today, with Toyota announcing plans to resume limited production of hybrid vehicles and Nissan opening its assembly plants.

Honda, which had previously announced the suspension of production through Sunday 27 March, on Thursday (24 March) said it would now extend the production suspension of finished vehicles at its Sayama and Suzuka factories until at least Monday 4 April. Toyota plans to resume hybrid production on Monday but its US unit cautioned that "some production interruptions in North America are likely" though it was too early to predict location or duration. Nissan Americas said car supply and production were good for now and may send US-made V6 engines to Japan.

Honda, which had previously announced the suspension of production through Sunday 27 March, on Thursday (24 March) said it would now extend the production suspension of finished vehicles at its Sayama and Suzuka factories until at least Monday 4 April. Toyota plans to resume hybrid production on Monday but its US unit cautioned that "some production interruptions in North America are likely" though it was too early to predict location or duration.

Honda, which had previously announced the suspension of production through Sunday 27 March, on Thursday (24 March) said it would now extend the production suspension of finished vehicles at its Sayama and Suzuka factories until at least Monday 4 April. Toyota plans to resume hybrid production on Monday but its US unit cautioned that "some production interruptions in North America are likely" though it was too early to predict location or duration.

The supply-chain disruptions from the March 11 Japanese earthquake are likely to force Toyota to cut production at its North American plants, the company told workers and retailers on Wednesday.

Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile expects to increase production next year. TPCA's factory in the Czech Republic built 11 percent fewer cars last year than in 2009.

Toyota Motor Corp. has delayed the Japan launch of its new wagon-style Prius in the wake of the parts shortage triggered by this month's earthquake.

TPCA, the car-making joint venture between Toyota and PSA Peugeot Citroen in the Czech Republic, said 2010 profits were flat compared with 2009 despite a drop in both sales and output.

Toyota and Honda car production joint ventures in southern China have enough parts inventory to sustain normal production until the middle of next month, a senior Chinese executive has said.

Supply chain disruptions in Japan have forced at least one global automaker to delay the launch of two new models and are forcing other industries to shutter plants and rethink their logistical infrastructure, a media report on Wednesday said.

Supply chain disruptions in Japan have forced at least one global automaker to delay the launch of two new models and are forcing other industries to shutter plants and rethink their logistical infrastructure, a media report on Wednesday said.

Toyota has delayed the Japan launch of its new wagon-style Prius wagon in the wake of the parts shortage triggered by this month's earthquake. The company had planned to start selling the car here by the end of April.