Subaru's relationship with Toyota?

Is there more to the Subaru relationship with Toyota other then a joint venture on one care? Please let me know.

Thanks

http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=4090

 

Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) have announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding stating they will start studying the synergic effects of business collaboration. In the collaboration, the two companies seek to mutually utilize their management resources in the fields of research & development and production, and to supplement each other's technological development. The two companies plan to set up a joint steering committee and to aim for reaching an agreement on concrete collaboration programs as soon as possible.

Toyota and FHI initiated business ties in 2003, when they announced that FHI would feature TMC's "G-BOOK" network information service as "Subaru G-BOOK" in Subaru-brand vehicles for the Japanese market. TMC and FHI have come to view that, while they respect each other's independency in management, each side could prosper further by strengthening their business relationship, as global competition intensifies.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/27/toyota-buys-another-chunk-of-fhi-subaru/

 

Toyota acutally bought out GMs 9 percent share in FHI, and have increased that 9 percent ownership to about 16%.

Whatisit & AlaskaJoel

 

Thanks for the information. Do you think Toyota will have a say in model development or more hands off approach?

Thanks again

considering the 2010 LGT.. I'd say they have too much influence.

 

whether they have a hand in this monstrosity or not.. their presence here is not wanted.

Toyota doesn't have any direct influence on Subaru's protects. They don't even have a member on FHI's board.

considering the 2010 LGT.. I'd say they have too much influence.

 

whether they have a hand in this monstrosity or not.. their presence here is not wanted.

 

why cus they are known worldwide to produce some of the most reliable cars ? i dont get it

srsly.. have you not seen the 2010lgt?

 

have you ever heard of the toyota camry?

 

they make some of the most boring generic family cars on the planet.

 

subarus are reliable as they are.. so toyotas presence is not needed.

Toyota doesn't have any direct influence on Subaru's protects. They don't even have a member on FHI's board.

 

You're right. By looking at the 2010 I guess they must have no direct influence.

 

Funny thing is, the Camry actually looks better. (that's not saying much)

You're right. By looking at the 2010 I guess they must have no direct influence.

 

Funny thing is, the Camry actually looks better. (that's not saying much)

 

I think the 2010 Camry SE looks much better than the 2010 Legacy. That is saying something!

Toyota's relationship is obvious in the new Subaru radio commerical I've been hearing. "If you're considering an Altima or Accord, consider the 2010 Subaru Legacy with all-wheel drive." Funny how Camary is left out of that ad considering those are the main 3 cars you'd look at in that class.

Toyota's relationship is obvious in the new Subaru radio commerical I've been hearing. "If you're considering an Altima or Accord, consider the 2010 Subaru Legacy with all-wheel drive." Funny how Camary is left out of that ad considering those are the main 3 cars you'd look at in that class.

 

+1:lol:

I saw that add the other day and thought that same thing - kind of funny. There are too many similarities to say toyota had nothing to do with the 2010 Legacy. 15-20 years ago i may have thought this was a good thing...back when toyota made cars that were actually super reliable and exciting to drive (mr2, supra)

When they should be saying:

 

If you're considering an A4 or a G37, consider the 2010 Legacy with standard, symetrical AWD, and a better value.

 

Of course, that would have to describe a different '10 Legacy, that would have been properly designed and executed. Subaru obviously isn't going for that with the one they have.

srsly.. have you not seen the 2010lgt?

 

have you ever heard of the toyota camry?

 

they make some of the most boring generic family cars on the planet.

 

subarus are reliable as they are.. so toyotas presence is not needed.

 

the problem with that tho is that subaru is trying to globalize their brand even more and trying to make it a standard family car...

 

while toyota does make boring cars...and not intended for enthusiasts like ourselves...you have to acknowledge that the camry still outsells the legacy 20:1...

yea.. well look at the kind of people taht drive those camrys.. we (as in the kind of people that like subarus) are 20:1 people. We're not the average hum drum soccer moms and dads that putt around in our transportation mobile.

 

I like it that way.. subaru should stay a niche brand and make quality products for the few, instead of letting insanity get in the way and making boring crap for the many.

 

its like a really good musician going pop with voice synth and digitized voice correction because it sells more copies... but abandons the people that liked them to begin with.

Have you seen the 2010 Outback? It's a Toyota Venza.

A Toyota venza hopped up on growth hormone.

Toyota says it's no longer profitable in North America

Here's the article from The Detroit News:

 

Toyota says it's no longer profitable in North America

by David Shepardson

 

Toyota's top executive in the United States said Monday the company was reviewing its entire operation here, including whether to close a factory in California and when to open a factory in Mississippi.

 

In an hour-long interview with reporters at Toyota's Washington office, Yoshimi Inaba said Toyota is not profitable in North America despite cost cutting in the organization, but he said he hopes the company could be profitable in its next fiscal year in North America. Inaba, who is president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor America and chairman and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, is taking up his responsibilities at a crucial time for the Japanese automaker.

 

Toyota's sales have fallen 38 percent in the first six months of the year -- to 770,000 cars and trucks from nearly 1.25 million vehicles in the first six months of 2008. U.S. industry auto sales fell 35 percent in the first half of the year.

 

Among the issues the company is considering in its re-evaluation process is whether to keep open the 25-year-old New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. assembly plant in Fremont, Calif. The plant, which employs 4,700 people, is a joint venture formed with General Motors, but the Detroit automaker recently withdrew from the pact during its stay in bankruptcy court.

 

"That put us in a very difficult position," Inaba said. "We are carefully evaluating all the options."

 

He didn't commit to a timetable for a decision on Nummi, but said a decision would be made "quite soon." He said Toyota hadn't received an incentive package from California yet.

 

The hourly workers at Nummi are represented by the United Auto Workers, and the contract expires next month. Inaba said the UAW contract "is one consideration, but not the single deciding factor."

 

Inaba noted that California is Toyota's single biggest market in the United States, and closing the factory would negatively impact its image there.

 

The company also is contemplating what to do with its Mississippi plant. Toyota has completed the structure, but not moved equipment into it or given a date it might open because of the sharp decline in auto sales. It was scheduled to open next year. Toyota has said it may build the Prius in Mississippi, but Inaba said those plans are unclear.

 

Asked whether Toyota could shelve its Mississippi plant permanently, Inaba said, "I hope not," and added, "I'm not that pessimistic" about its future.

 

"Toyota is certainly at a crossroads with respect to capacity," said Michael Robinet, vice president of global forecast at CSM Worldwide. "Virtually every manufacturer is stepping back and looking at their capacity."

 

Inaba refused to rule out layoffs or plant closures at its other North American plants.

 

Inaba said the company had made mistakes in making too many decisions in Japan, urging more "decentralization" of decision-making.

 

Because of Toyota's success for the last eight years, there was an attitude among some executives that, "OK, now we have been so successful, we understand the market, so can make a decision there rather than here," Inaba said.

 

Inaba said the company is listening to the market, and customers "had been a little bit lost."

 

When asked whether Toyota had become complacent, he said, "Complacent or arrogant -- a lot of people use that -- I don't know," he said, adding that the company had tried to guard against those qualities.

 

Inaba acknowledged that Toyota vehicles had often lacked "passion" and that the company's vehicles must be "more exciting, more nimble."

 

"Toyota is a good car but not exciting. Those are the comments we usually (or) always get," Inaba said.

 

Inaba said he supported the decision of the U.S. government to rescue General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC with $65 billion in loans. "Stepping into Chrysler and GM was a necessary step for the government, for the country," Inaba said.

 

But he said he hoped the U.S. government would have a "free-market level ground in mind in deciding what to do next."

 

He also said GM and Chrysler were right to shrink their dealer networks. Toyota, he said, has no plans to expand its dealer network in the U.S.

screw toyota.

screw toyota.

Toyota is giving us direct fuel injection...which I want soooo bad.

touche.. ok I'll give you that.

 

screw them otherwise.

Camry and legacy are made in the same factory in lafeyette indiana.

So the lack of passion is being transferred to SOA, and now Toyota will be making cars that we want to drive