(Posted by: Vinod on Automoto.org)

To the great joy of the Supra fans, Toyota is all set for a comeback with a successor to MR2 and a reborn Supra, due within the next four years. The MR2 replacement, which is due for late 2013, will have a hybrid powertrain based on a 1.5-litre petrol engine, instead of V6 hybrid powertrain that was earlier meant for it.

The rear-wheel drive Supra successor, on the other, is scheduled for 2011 and is expected to be available in two versions: a traditional gas-powered model which is likely to be fitted with a 3.5-liter V6 and a sports version with GS450h’s 2GR-VSE 3.5-liter V6 mated to JDM Crown Hybrid’s electric drive system.

Whereas the 3.5-liter V6 only produces 268hp and 248lb-ft of torque, the Crown’s Hybrid system will enable Lexus’ V6 to churn out over 400hp. The Supra successor is expected to appear at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, but the production model isn’t expected to be unveiled until next year.

Japanese cars grew up fast in the 1960s. They were toddling by 1966; walking by 1970; and, by 1975, the Honda Accord was a runaway success. Some of those cars are now edging into the collector market. One rare toddler is an original 1966 Toyota Corona Deluxe four-door with less than 9000 miles. It stunned the crowd at the Silver Auction in Arizona in 2007 when it sold for $16,740. The same car sold for $38,160 at Me*****’s Indianapolis sale in May 2009, to collective gasps. The original price was $1760, or about $11,600 in today’s dollars.

Simple and durable, that ’66 car serves as a reminder that the race does not always go to the swift, or even to the handsome, but to those who can finish. Which raises the question: Which ’60s and ’70s Japanese cars are collectible? Ignoring for the moment the everybody-had-one Datsun 240Z and the nobody-could-afford-one Toyota 2000GT, here are three suggestions spanning a sizable price range.

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It’s a brilliant revival of the 1969 Mustang Mach 1, right down to the ducktail and the triple vertical taillights. Features include the bulletproof, 2.2-liter 20R motor; rear-wheel drive; a five-speed; lots of gauges; and effective air conditioning. Stylish and reliable, without being a razor-sharp performer, it’s an ideal first collector car.

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As street racers have learned, this angular roadster may look like its 1600-cc pushrod sibling, but with a 2.0-liter engine and a five-speed, it’s quicker than it appears. A factory race kit offered up to 150 horsepower and Jaguar E-type performance. The first-year, low-windshield model is preferred. Rust is a real threat, so shop in southern states. Timing-chain troubles can be catastrophic; check records.

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This eccentric sports coupe housed Mazda’s first production rotary engine. Its looks are an acquired taste, with early Lamborghini touches (before Lambos achieved total awesomeness). Spares are nonexistent, all Cosmos are right-hand drive, and beware of rotor-apex-seal issues on early cars. There’s a handful in the U.S.: Leno has one; Mazda North America has two.

Tokyo, Oct 29, 2009; TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announces that the Toyota Automobile Museum, a TMC-run cultural facility in Aichi Prefecture, will host a classic car festival at Meijijingu Gaien in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, on Saturday, November 28.

The festival, called "Toyota Automobile Museum Classic Car Festival in Jingu Gaien", will be the third hosted by the museum and is aimed at promoting and developing Japan's automobile culture and encouraging interaction among car fans. The main venue will be the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, with the event also including displays of car-related paraphernalia and a parade of approximately 100 classic cars from Japan, America and Europe through Tokyo's Ginza district.

To mark its 20th anniversary, the museum will display prized classic cars from its collection under the theme: "The 100-hundred-year History of Automobiles and Personal Mobility Beyond 100 Years". There will also be driving demonstrations, working-engine displays and 100-year-old classic cars driven side-by-side with the "i-REAL", one of TMC's proposals for near-future personal mobility.

Overview of Toyota Automobile Museum Classic Car Festival in Jingu Gaien

Date: November 28, 2009 Time: 10:00-16:00 (program subject to change depending on weather conditions) Location: - Display Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, Meijijingu Gaien (1-1 Kasumigaoka-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) - Parade Start and end at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, Meijijingu Gaien; route through Ginza district Vehicle displays: Approx. 90 from general participants; approx. 10 from Toyota Automobile Museum and related participants Admission: Free

Program

1. Classic Car Parade (10:50 - approx. 12:20) After an opening ceremony, the parade will begin and take an approximately 11 km route through Tokyo's Ginza district and return to the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.

2. Classic Car Exhibit

Special Exhibit: One-hundred-year History of Automobiles (10:00-16:00)-- Seven classic cars from the Toyota Automobile Museum and near-future vehicles such as the i-REAL will illustrate changes in personal mobility over the past 100 years. There will also be driving demonstrations and working-engine displays. Guided tours: 12:30-12:50, 13:30-13:50, 14:30-14:50 Driving demonstrations: 10:00-10:15, 13:00-13:25, 15:00-15:25 Display Vehicles

"De Dion-Bouton 1 3/4HP"-- (1899, France) "Sunbeam Grand Prix" (1922, U.K.) "Packard Twelve" (1939, U.S.A.)

Owner Classic Car Exhibition (10:00-16:00)-- Approximately 90 Japanese and imported cars owned by general participants will be on display, including former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida's Rolls Royce. The display will also include related items, such as owners' badges, photos and books. For visitors' benefit, individual owners may run the engine and allow pictures to be taken in their vehicle.

3. Mini Parades (13:00-13:15, 13:30-13:45, 14:00-14:15, 14:30-14:45) Parades of eight to nine owner classic cars around the Meijijingu Outer Precinct are planned.

4. Bonnet Bus Rides (13:00-14:00, 14:30-15:30) Visitors can ride in a classic bonnet bus through the Jingu Gaien grounds on a first-come-first-served basis.

5. Kids Land (10:00-15:45) Attractions include pedal go-karts and a commemorative photo area.

6. Classic Car Festival Rally (10:00-15:45) There will be a "stamp rally", in which visitors can collect rubber-stamp imprints and also cast a vote for the most popular classic car. (Votes must be submitted by 15:15.)

This article was from: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/10/29/482932.html