Toyota of Butte
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Toyota Tundra WILL pull a Space Shuttle
Toyota Tundra to Tow Space Shuttle Endeavour on Last Leg of Journey to the California Science Center
Tundra Entrusted With Historic Transportation of Endeavour Through California Science Center Partnership to Promote Education and Space Awareness
TORRANCE, Calif. (September 12, 2012) – Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) announced today that the Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck is slated to tow the space shuttle Endeavour during its final journey to the California Science Center on October 13, 2012, where it will go on permanent display. The Endeavour will travel a total of 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on city streets to the Science Center, with the Tundra towing the last quarter mile.
Tested extensively prior to the announcement, the 2012 Tundra is slated to safely tow the 300,000 pound historic artifact down Bill Robertson Lane in Exposition Park, near downtown Los Angeles, on the final leg of its journey. Endeavour will be towed using a stock 2012 Tundra CrewMax 1/2–ton pickup, identical to models currently found in Toyota dealerships, with no additional modifications made to increase towing capacity or generate more power. The Tundra CrewMax is equipped with Toyota's powerful 5.7L V8 engine, producing a maximum tow capacity of 10,000 pounds. TMS has done extensive testing and worked with The Sarens Group, a heavy lifting and engineered transport company, to develop a dolly specifically for hauling the Endeavour.
"There is no larger or more recognizable icon of the U.S. space program's success than the shuttle, and to have it towed by the Toyota Tundra is not only an incredible example of the capabilities of the truck, but an honor to be part of history," said Ed Laukes, TMS vice president of marketing communications. "The entire journey is something the world will be watching, and gives us a chance to prove that the 'overbuilt' Tundra is built to do any job – even tow the space shuttle."
Participation in the transportation of the shuttle is part of an ongoing partnership between TMS and the Science Center in an effort to provide support and awareness of the space program and continuing education of the public through exhibits and programs. Toyota currently has a Tundra truck on display in a Science Center exhibit demonstrating the physics of leverage. The tow Tundra will replace the existing Tundra and will be on display after the Endeavour exhibit opens on October 30, 2012.
At the end of the Endeavour's 12 mile journey from LAX to the Science Center, a "finish-line" celebration at Exposition Park is planned for the evening of October 13, as the shuttle arrives at the Science Center, allowing the public to witness the finale of this historic voyage.
The tow program was developed in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi LA (SSLA), the agency of record for TMS, and the Science Center, and serves as a unique way to demonstrate Tundra's capabilities and towing capacity. In collaboration with SSLA and Science Center, TMS has developed a host of online resources and activities that provide behind-the-scenes videos, photos, activities for children and information about the Tundra Endeavour project and can be found at www.toyota.com/TundraEndeavour beginning September 17th. Visitors can share content, sign up for email alerts and participate in re-Tweeting information that will help contribute money to the California Science Center for further development of exhibits and displays.
Friday, September 7, 2012
J.D Power Calls Tundra One Dependable Truck 7 Years in a Row
J.D. Power and Associates has named the Toyota Tundra a 2012 Most Dependable Vehicle according to its latest rankings. This makes the Tundra a 7-year recipient of this impressive award.
The Tundra had all 5 stars in all categories except for Feature and Accessory Dependability where it slightly missed the mark with 4 stars. No other truck came close to competing with the Tundra’s dominance. In fact its closest competition was the GMC Sierra HD which had 5 stars in two categories and one 4 star plus one 3 star ranking. The worst competitor based on overall star rankings was a toss-up between the Ram 1500 LD and the Ram 2500/35000 HD.
For years, J.D Power’s list has been seen a top resource for new car buyers looking for a new vehicle. Recently other rankings have looked at the findings including the recent Forbes Magazine Tough Truck list.
The 2012 study saw historically high levels of vehicle dependability according to J.D. Powers and Associates with total vehicle dependability improving by 13 percent over the 2011 survey.
On a larger scale, the Toyota brand scored really well being named one of the five highest-ranking brands. The Lexus brand in particular (owned by Toyota) had the highest ranking over all other brands in 2012.
The J.D. Power award for the Tundra is part of a growing trend where the truck is starting to make inroads into public opinion of the best pickup. Besides the J.D. Power award, the Tundra recently earned a top safety award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and was named a 2011 IntelliChoice Best Overall Value.
While annual full-size pickup sales numbers show the Ford F-150 as the top truck (albeit with fleet sales included), the Tundra’s long list of accomplishments means it is a growing competitor in this segment.
Related Posts:
The Tundra had all 5 stars in all categories except for Feature and Accessory Dependability where it slightly missed the mark with 4 stars. No other truck came close to competing with the Tundra’s dominance. In fact its closest competition was the GMC Sierra HD which had 5 stars in two categories and one 4 star plus one 3 star ranking. The worst competitor based on overall star rankings was a toss-up between the Ram 1500 LD and the Ram 2500/35000 HD.
For years, J.D Power’s list has been seen a top resource for new car buyers looking for a new vehicle. Recently other rankings have looked at the findings including the recent Forbes Magazine Tough Truck list.
The 2012 study saw historically high levels of vehicle dependability according to J.D. Powers and Associates with total vehicle dependability improving by 13 percent over the 2011 survey.
On a larger scale, the Toyota brand scored really well being named one of the five highest-ranking brands. The Lexus brand in particular (owned by Toyota) had the highest ranking over all other brands in 2012.
The J.D. Power award for the Tundra is part of a growing trend where the truck is starting to make inroads into public opinion of the best pickup. Besides the J.D. Power award, the Tundra recently earned a top safety award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and was named a 2011 IntelliChoice Best Overall Value.
While annual full-size pickup sales numbers show the Ford F-150 as the top truck (albeit with fleet sales included), the Tundra’s long list of accomplishments means it is a growing competitor in this segment.
Related Posts:
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Toyota is Highest-Ranked Non-Premium Brand in the 2012 Vehicle Dependability Study
With eight different models leading their segments, the Toyota Motor Company—including Lexus and Scion—led all automakers with the most category wins in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The study relied on responses from 31,000 owners to gauge the long-term dependability of vehicles originally purchased during the 2009 model year.
“We are extremely pleased that not only did we win awards in eight of the 14 model segments, but that in two segments we finished one-two and made the podium in 12 segments overall”, said Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
- Sub Compact Car—Toyota Yaris, which also won its segment in the 2009 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS)
- Compact Car—Toyota Prius, besting its rivals for the fifth year in a row
- Compact Sporty Car—Scion tC, another 2009 IQS champ
- Entry Premium Car—Lexus ES 350, continuing its own multiyear streak of victories
- Compact MPV—Scion xB, helping Scion reach fifth place in the overall VDS standings, the brand’s best performance ever
- Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV—Lexus RX 350, a multiyear winner that helped its brand lead the industry in this year’s study
- Large Pickup—Toyota Tundra, following up on its 2009 IQS award and extending its own win streak in the VDS
- Midsize Van—Toyota Sienna, yet one more Toyota product that captured its segment crown in the 2009 IQS
In addition, six vehicles from the automaker finished in the top three of their categories, including the Scion xD (Sub Compact Car), Toyota Corolla (Compact Car), Toyota Camry (Midsize Car), Toyota Avalon (Large Car), Toyota RAV4 (Compact Crossover/SUV), and Toyota Highlander (Midsize Crossover/SUV). The Lexus LS460 (Large Premium Car) also was rated as the most dependable vehicle in the entire study, although there weren’t enough other qualified contenders for J.D. Power to include the segment in the 2012 VDS results.
Finally, the Toyota division was the No. 1 ranked non-premium brand in the study and in third place overall.“We are extremely pleased that not only did we win awards in eight of the 14 model segments, but that in two segments we finished one-two and made the podium in 12 segments overall”, said Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Our thanks and hearts go out
To all the men and women who gave their life in New York ten years ago. Our country will be forever in your debt. Thank you
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