I think it’s what people call irony: Just a week or so before Toyota became synonymous with unintended acceleration, it was focusing on the intended kind at the Tokyo Auto Salon. That’s where it gave five of its JDM models the “G Sports” treatment, introducing a new series of products that are “designed for customers who strongly desire to own a unique vehicle, offering them a personalized interior and exterior design along with sports-driving performance.”

And while three of those vehicles will remain solely aimed at the Japanese domestic market, two—the Toyota Prius and coming Toyota FT-86—should hit the U.S. later this year. These two are ideal choices for the U.S., with the new Prius bodykit alone sure to make people reassess their view of the popular Toyota hybrid. As for the FT-86, Toyota’s coming new rear-wheel-drive sports-car, gearheads have been salivating over its style and relatively-low MSRP ever since a concept version showed up at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The G Series version shown at theAuto Salon adds a turbocharger into the mix, which should add further excitement into the marketplace.

Volkswagen is using the same strategy with its R division, which will officially launch at Geneva in March and is expected to be a rival to other OEMs’s in-house performance divisions, like BMW’s M group or Mercedes-Benz’ AMG. In fact, VW already offers “R” versions of the VW Golf and Scirocco in Europe, where they both pack 260+ hp.

That Golf is expected to be the first R vehicle to reach U.S. dealerships, starting later this year, and R versions of the latest Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Eos and Volkswagen CC are under consideration as well.

I know Volkswagen is aiming to drastically boost U.S. sales in the coming years, and these R vehicles should certainly help get things off to a fast start.

***

Find more information on what other companies are doing to boost their US Sales.

The 2010 Toyota Prius is a technological marvel to some extent. With a base price of $23K, drivers can expect extreme miles per gallon and will also enjoy riding in a vehicle known for eco-friendliness. But while most accounts of the Toyota Prius seem to be positive overall, some admit that real-world driving puts it in a different light than many mainstream reviews.

For starters the design will either excite or sicken potential buyers. The space-aged styling does make the Prius very aerodynamic which is important for reducing fuel consumption, but the problem is that the design also places instruments out of reach for the driver. In addition, controls take a bit of getting used to as they’re not placed where drivers would expect to find them.

As with many Toyota vehicles these days, the base price appears to be highly competitive, but even when the most common options are added the price can climb quickly according to Bremerton car dealers. As such it’s easy for a Prius to reach well into the mid-$30K range with popular technology and safety options.

Another factor that some buyers may neglect is that the Prius is by no means a driver’s car. Sure high-MPG is an attractive selling point, but after driving the Prius every single day, drivers could become disappointed with lack of responsiveness and rather poor acceleration.

Although the 2010 Toyota Prius lacks some of the positive aspects of many gasoline-powered cars, the Toyota Prius remains the most popular hybrid vehicle on the road nonetheless. The simple reason is that regardless of the car’s shortcomings, the Prius is still priced reasonably and still provides class-leading mileage according to Interstate Toyota. If you can get past its small shortcomings, the Prius is still a great choice for those interested in the environment and in saving on fuel costs.

Despite any shortcoming, Wrentham MA Toyota dealers have a competitive product on their hands that remains the highest selling hybrid on the market. And, chances are, it will stay that way for a long time to come.

* * *

Get the latest on hybrid cars here at Car Biz Buzz.

General Motors lost its top spot as the as the highest selling automaker in the world when Toyota took the reigns as GM sales plummeted. Despite continued sales slumps and bankruptcy restructuring, GM narrowly missed overtaking Toyota in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, Volkswagen remains very close behind in the number three spot.

In the first six months of 2009, GM trailed Toyota sales by a mere 11,000 units, which has not surprised Dayton car dealers since the Detroit automaker has introduced several all-new models in recent months, including the popular all-new Chevy Camaro. Volkswagen has also done well, closing the gap with Toyota significantly to solidify its third place stance. Toyota was able to sell 463,805 more vehicles than Volkswagen.

Ford is the only other American automaker in the top ten lists, holding steady in the number five spot. Although Ford was able to avoid bankruptcy restructuring, Toyota Service Woodbridge observes that like Toyota, Ford still battles the effects of a sluggish economy, with new car demand stagnate worldwide.

In total, the top ten list for highest auto sales includes three manufacturers from Europe, five from Asian, and two from the U.S. With GM loosing the added sales of Saturn, Pontiac, Saab, and Hummer brands one dealer specializing in used cars in Philadelphia expects GM’s position on this list to change dramatically in the coming months. After holding on to the top spot for nearly 80 years, Toyota became the world’s largest automaker in 2008.

* * *

General Motors and Toyota doesn’t seem to be done battling each other for number one.

General Motors has announced that it will be exiting its partnership with Toyota. After 25 years, GM will cut its stake in the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI), which was a joint manufacturing venture between GM and Toyota. The partnership produced vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe, as well as the Toyota Tacoma. The manufacturing facility is based in Fremont, CA and produces about 250,000 cars and 170,000 trucks per year.

Since GM has dissolved the Pontiac brand, the involvement in NUMMI was called into question as the Pontiac Vibe was the only GM vehicle currently coming out of the partnership. At first it appeared as though another GM brand would become a Toyota Matrix clone observed Newburgh Toyota, but with GM’s financial struggles it seems that simply walking away is the most feasible option at this time.

There’s been plenty of speculation about GM’s involvement in NUMMI following bankruptcy, but after trying to find solutions that made sense to all parties involved, NUMMI was labeled as part of the Old General Motors says Chicago Chevrolet dealers, and as such would be sold off through bankruptcy.

GM has expressed that the NUMMI partnership has been a positive relationship says one Poughkeepsie used cars dealer. While NUMMI will come to a close, GM is said to be open to future opportunities as well. As it stands, NUMMI employs about 4,500 workers and 890 salaried personnel.

* * *

Keep track of Toyota sales developments here.

Toyota and General Motors have had a strong partnership via NUMMI. This seemingly odd relationship was responsible for the Pontiac Vibe, which was build alongside the similar Toyota Matrix in a joint manufacturing venture based in California. With the Pontiac Vibe now discontinued, the question now is what will come of the NUMMI partnership.

Rumors have suggested that another model will soon be shared by the two automakers, perhaps also based on the Toyota Matrix suggests Oklahoma City Used Cars. However, details on these discussions remain unconfirmed. Another possibility for NUMMI is that GM will license Toyota’s hybrid technology for GM cars and trucks. This rumor has since been denied from GM executives in the paged of their online blog, the GM Fastlane Blog.

Although GM would no doubt benefit from Toyota’s stellar Synergy Drive Hybrid System, the automaker has pointed out that they are very busy developing their own internal hybrid technology. Chevrolet Financing Peoria say this proprietary technology will be available soon enough in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle. GM also has several other hybrid models under development, including a Buick hybrid crossover.

In discussing future hybrid technology plans, GM has singled out Buick as the main beneficiary of this new technology. A hybrid Enclave is currently in the works says Washington DC Buick, as well as a smaller hybrid crossover that will essentially fill the void in the GM lineup that will be left once the Vue Hybrid and the Saturn brand are sold.

* * *

Stay current with General Motors news here.

The automotive industry is said to be in the midst of an auto recession. With auto sales at a record low, automakers and dealers alike are feeling the effects of a sluggish economy as car buying is down across the board. Those particularly hard hit are the Big Three Detroit automakers who have scrambled to cut costs and introduce exciting new models.

New car buyers are staying clear from dealerships for a number of reasons. Among these reasons are falling resale values says Chicago Used Cars. For buyers planning on trading-in their current vehicles, they’re going to be getting less cash for them, which may make all the difference for some consumers. This is especially true for those who want to trade-in their full-size trucks and SUVs. Dealers are having a hard enough time selling their existing stock of new trucks and SUVs, and your used truck probably is likely to be a turn off for many dealers.

Leasing is also contributing to the auto recession. Automakers have reevaluated their leasing programs as many drivers have failed to make payments. Chrysler has made the boldest step, eliminating leasing entirely. Once vehicles have been returned to the dealer, Philadelphia Used Cars say they’ve lost a significant amount of value following the duration of the lease, hurting dealers further.

Car buyers have also changed their buying habits to keep with the changing economic constraints. Increasingly, buyers are considering smaller, more fuel efficient cars rather than the once popular trucks and SUVs. With concerns over gas prices and plummeting resale values, drivers are focused on compacts, which have helped make companies like Honda and dealers like Lexington Auto Dealers slightly better off as buyers are drawn to their selection of compact and fuel efficient models.

Some analysts have varying opinions about when the auto business will recover, but many expect it to be quite some time before it happens. Some don’t expect the recovery to begin until 2013. Meanwhile, it’s expected that GM may declare bankruptcy in the coming months. Even Ford, who has recently added a string of all-new models to their lineup, will also be bringing European models to US shores, which San Diego Ford dealers expect will help boost its presence within the compact car market. But Ford is not only in promising new models by 2010 – GM and Chrysler both have many vehicles in the works in hopes of encouraging a rebound in domestic sales.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated vehicles from Detroit will be the Chevrolet Volt. As a top priority for GM’s development teams, the Volt will be one of the first electric models available to the general public, and Hartford Buick expects will help boost GM’s reputation and brand when it comes to car buyers demanding efficiency and the greenest technology available. But with such significant time and financial commitment that big question is whether the Chevy Volt will pay off.

* * *

Read more auto industry news right here at Car Biz Buzz.