Anyone looking for the three "highs" should look no further than the revamped 2012 Toyota Yaris. Not quite sure what we're talking about? High-performance, high-quality and high-mileage of course. Admittedly, all three of these can be found in most new Toyota models. But for now, we'd like to zero in on the Yaris.

Automotive meccas, like the North American International Auto Show that recently, offer automakers a chance to show off their finest new models and concepts. However, they also provide the opportunity to display new brand attitudes as well. This year, in Detroit, Toyota took full advantage of both.

Toyota recently announced that they'd be bringing six new hybrid models to the market in the 2012 model year. This doesn't include the new Toyota Prius v, upcoming Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, or even the recently-announced Toyota Prius C. Rather, Toyota has said that their goal is to further expand its hybrid offerings.

More specifically, the Japanese automaker is claiming that two of these six new models will be released under the luxury Lexus brand, while the remaining four will see a Toyota badge. Furthermore, the company also states that only three of the new hybrids will be…

Until recently, Toyota was known for racing the Corolla Axio GT300 in Japan's Super GT Series. This year, however, some new regulations and limitations to the performance of a vehicle within the GT300 segment is forcing many automakers to rethink what vehicle they put on the track. Rather than simply walk away from the series all together, Toyota is taking the opportunity to focus on a new area of performance of their own.

The segment of performance that Lawrence Toyota is referring to is hybrids. Drivers have never quite associated the Toyota Prius with break-neck speeds and hairpin turns…

Toyota may be a Japanese automaker, but that doesn't mean all of their vehicles are made in Japan. Actually, they have a rather large manufacturing presence in North America, and it's growing with the official opening of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, which just began producing the Toyota Corolla. The new plant represents a continued investment from Toyota in the U.S. economy, which is a bold and smart move, especially when so many companies continue to send jobs overseas.

"Mississippi has provided us with a great workforce who welcomes challenges and are eager to learn," explains Masafumi Hamaguchi…

You've probably heard the saying, "If it isn't broken, why fix it?" Isuzu must have this saying in mind, as they continue to take their successful platforms and products and refresh them to meet current drivers' wants and needs.  One might even argue that this is the key to their success. The most recent examples of this trend are the 2012 D-MAX and the 2012 Crosswind, launched in early November 2011 at the Auto Focus Motor Show in Asia.

The re-launch of the 2012 Isuzu Crosswind comes on the heels of the vehicle being named "Best AUV" in…

Surfers are a different breed than most commuters. They require a wide range of utilities at their disposal, and no one knows this better than the people at Toyota, who recently teamed with Oakley and several other aftermarket parts suppliers to create a surfing-inspired variant of the 2012 Toyota Tacoma.

Officially dubbed the Oakley Surf Tacoma, the vehicle debuted on November 1^st at the 2011 SEMA Show. Australian surfing pro, Tom Whitaker was on hand to discuss how the surfer's dream ride caters to the needs of wave riders around the world.

First there's the issue of…

Japanese automaker, Toyota wowed the world with the introduction of the Toyota Prius. Now, they're planning to revolutionize the hybrid world, once again, as they evolve the Prius from a single model to a whole family of vehicles. Previously, we'd had seen the introduction of the larger 2012 Toyota Prius v and more efficient 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid to the Prius lineup, and now the introduction of the 2013 Toyota Prius C caps everything off quite nicely.

How do we know so much about a model that's so far off? A brochure featuring the final production…

"Even though Toyota faced both an internal crisis and an external crisis, the company forged ahead by focusing on safety and quality, modifying its leadership structure and capitalizing on its world-renown green efforts," a report from Interbrand stated after Toyota was awarded "Best Global Brands" for 2011.¹

With vehicles like Toyota Highlander and hybrid Toyota Prius it's no wonder the company is still No. 1.

The Best Global Brands 2011 is an annual?

Toyota will introduce Toyota Tacoma T/X Baja Edition at Lawrence Toyota, 2871 US-1, Lawrenceville, NJ, in 2012.

"It's the type of truck that will shine in a Texas ranch environment, or on a Midwest hunting trip, off the highway in a California desert, or anywhere, east or west, where the roads are rugged," said Toyota division boss Bob Carter at its unveiling at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.¹

Tacoma Baja rides two inches higher than a stock model, and on large coil springs and racing shocks in the front and rear suspension. It also includes…