A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.
The Atkinson-cycle engine is a type of internal combustion engine invented by James Atkinson in 1882. The Atkinson cycle is designed to provide efficiency at the expense of power density.
The Lexus GS is an executive car sold by Lexus, the premium division of Toyota. The same car had been launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan. For non-Japanese markets, it was released as the Lexus GS in February 1993. It continued using the Toyota Aristo name for the Japanese market until January 2005.
Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), also known as Toyota Hybrid System II, is the brand name of Toyota Motor Corporation for the hybrid car drive train technology used in vehicles with the Toyota and Lexus marques. First introduced on the Prius, the technology is an option on several other Toyota and Lexus vehicles and has been adapted for the electric drive system of the hydrogen-powered Mirai, and for a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius. Previously, Toyota also licensed its HSD technology to Nissan for use in its Nissan Altima Hybrid. Its parts supplier Aisin Seiki Co. offers similar hybrid transmissions to other car companies.
The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is known for starting the wave of compact crossovers.
Toyota Motor Corporation's U family is a family of automatic front-wheel drive/rear-wheel drive/four-wheel drive transmissions found in later vehicle models.
In automotive design, an F4, or front-engine, four-wheel drive (4WD) layout places the internal combustion engine at the front of the vehicle and drives all four roadwheels. This layout is typically chosen for better control on many surfaces, and is an important part of rally racing, as well as off-road driving. In terms of racing purposes, whether it be on-road or off-road, can be described as follows,
A team that pursues the Weak LS4WD architecture will minimize the development cost of the front-wheel drive system at the expense of having a larger rear powertrain. The Weak architecture produces a vehicle with a large powersplit between the front and rear powertrains, while the Strong architecture recommends a vehicle with more similar power and torque requirements for the front and rear.
The AR engine family is an Inline-4 piston engine series by Toyota, first introduced in 2008 for the RAV4, and subsequently for the Highlander, Venza, Camry and Scion tC.
The Lexus HS is a dedicated hybrid vehicle introduced by Lexus as a new compact executive car sedan in 2009. Built on the Toyota New MC platform, it is classified as a compact under Japanese regulations concerning vehicle exterior dimensions and engine displacement. Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2009, the HS 250h went on sale in July 2009 in Japan, followed by the United States in August 2009 as a 2010 model. The HS 250h represented the first dedicated hybrid vehicle in the Lexus lineup, as well as the first offered with an inline-four gasoline engine. Bioplastic materials are used for the vehicle interior. With a total length of 4,700 mm (190 in), the Lexus HS is slightly larger than the Lexus IS, but still smaller than the mid-size Lexus ES.
Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) is an integrated vehicle handling and software control system developed by Toyota. It involves an omnibus computer linkage of traction control, electronic stability control, electronic steering, and other systems, with the intent of improving responsiveness to driver input, performance, and overall safety. The system was first introduced in the Japanese domestic market in July 2004, when Toyota debuted VDIM on the Toyota Crown Majesta. This was followed by the VDIM's export debut on the third generation Lexus GS, which was launched in 2005. VDIM integrates the company's Electronically Controlled Brake (ECB), Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) active safety systems with the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), Electric Power Steering (EPS) and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) systems which previously worked independently using proprietary software. This way all the systems function together rather than the ECU prioritizing which is the most important. VDIM was initially designed for rear-wheel drive cars.
The Lexus CT is a hybrid electric automobile sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, as a premium compact hatchback. The CT, consisting of a single model called the CT 200h, is a luxury hybrid based on the Toyota Prius drivetrain and Toyota MC platform chassis, and is the first luxury compact and hatchback hybrid. It is the first production model in Lexus's family to introduce the "Spindle Grille" design as seen in its fascia. It made its debut at the March 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, six months after the unveiling of the LF-Ch concept car; it is primarily targeted at the European market but is being sold worldwide and was introduced to North American markets at the April 2010 New York International Auto Show. Lexus has trademarked the names CT 200h, CT 300h, and CT 400h. The design by Takeshi Tanabe was approved in 2008 and patented on 11 September 2009.
The Lexus GS (S190) is the third generation of the Lexus GS line of executive cars. Sold by Lexus from 2005 to 2011, the line includes multiple V6, V8, and hybrid models. A concept model for the GS line, the LF-S, debuted in late 2003 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The third generation GS first appeared as a pre-production vehicle at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the production version being shown a year later at the 2005 show. The initial lineup featured V6 and V8 engines with rear-wheel drive, and for the first time on a Lexus sedan, the option of all-wheel drive with the V6-powered GS 300 and GS 350 models. The GS 450h performance hybrid joined the lineup in 2006.
The Lexus RX is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX.
The Lexus RC is a compact executive two-door coupé manufactured by Lexus, Toyota's luxury division. The RC which according to Lexus stands for "Radical Coupe" is a two-door coupé version of the Lexus IS (XE30). The RC is designated as the XC10 series. The RC borrowed styling from the LF-LC concept and was previewed by the LF-CC concept, being designed as a proposal by Pansoo Kwon from 2010 to early 2012 and approved by supervising designers Yasuo Kajino and Tatsuya Takei.
The Lexus NX is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Introduced in late 2014, it is positioned between the subcompact UX and the mid-size RX in Lexus’ crossover SUV lineup. The NX was well-received and was a sales success. It was the best-selling Lexus model in Europe, and the best-selling luxury car in Russia.
The Toyota New Global Architecture are modular automobile platforms that underpin various Toyota and Lexus models starting with the fourth-generation Prius in late 2015. TNGA platforms accommodate different vehicle sizes and also front-, rear- and all-wheel drive configurations.
The fourth-generation Toyota Prius is a compact car that was manufactured by Japanese automaker Toyota from 2015 to 2022. It was first shown during September 2015 in Las Vegas, and was released for retail customers in Japan on 9 December 2015. The launch in North American market occurred in January 2016, and February in Europe and the Middle East. Toyota expected to sell 12,000 fourth generation Prius cars a month in Japan, and to reach annual sales between 300,000 and 350,000 units.
The Dynamic Force engines are a family of internal combustion engines developed by Toyota under the brand's Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) strategy. The engines can be fueled by petrol (gasoline) or ethanol and can be combined with electric motors in a hybrid drivetrain. The engines were developed alongside the TNGA family of vehicle platforms, as part of a company-wide effort to simplify the vehicles being produced by Toyota.
