Toyota Presents: The Tundra Endeavour - The Mission

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The Ultimate Fishing Vehicle

Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler Britt Myers knows a thing or two about bass fishing.  And as a well-known builder of custom Toyota Tundras for his fellow anglers, he had an idea or two for a singular Tundra with everything an Elite Series pro could imagine—plus a little more. The result is the "Ultimate Fishing Tundra," which makes its public debut at Toyota's display booth at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas on October 30.

Knowing that two heads, or in this case five, are usually better than one, Myers also solicited ideas from the Toyota Tundra Pro Angler team of Kevin VanDam, Terry "Big Show" Scroggins, Mike Iaconelli and Gerald "G-Man" Swindle, an accomplished group of anglers who also know a thing or two about fishing rigs.

Myers, who owns North Carolina-based CS Motorsports, then turned his team loose on a 2012 Tundra CrewMax. Toyota's brawniest full-size pickup has towing and payload capacities that make short work of hauling a pro bass fishing boat and gear, so Myers turned the lion's share of his attention on enhancing the bass fisherman's life.

Says Myers, "it will have a bed-area tackle storage system that looks like a Bass Pro Shop aisle. It'll have tackle, reels, rods and even a refrigerator."  For an extra-handy touch, Myers and his team are making all the gear in the bed easily accessible by utilizing an automatic, motorized delivery system.

Looking to enhance comfort and entertainment, the CS Motorsports crew replaced the rear bench with bucket seats and custom-built a fiberglass console that stretches from the dash to the rear cab wall and includes built-in video monitors and subwoofers.  Both front doors receive custom panels that will house extra speakers and video monitors to play fishing videos and display Navionics lake-mapping options.

Outside, the beefy Tundra gets a TRD Big Brake Kit and a 12-inch suspension lift—a little extra insurance against muddy bogs and steep lakeshore boat launches.  A custom roof rack with special LED lighting and fishing rod storage will also be installed, along with a specially-designed grille to set off the styling of this unique rig.

Leaving no lake un-fished, Myers' team couldn't resist adding a TRD supercharger and exhaust system.  The extra power and torque will be appreciated for the likely extra load from a successful day of fishing.

This unique Tundra will be on display at the 2012 SEMA Show alongside several other custom Toyota vehicles, including those from the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge.  The four Dream Build cars and trucks are being individually created by four of Toyota's top racing drivers:  Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer from NASCAR, plus Antron Brown and Alexis DeJoria from NHRA.

Voting for the winner of the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge will open on Oct. 20 and will continue through Oct. 29.  The final vehicle builds will be unveiled—and the winning driver and charity announced—during Toyota’s press conference at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30.

Courtesy of Toyota USA

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Toyota's Dream Build Challenge

Winning the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge  — a vehicle-modification build competition pitting four legendary racers and their dream cars against each other — will earn the champion more than bragging rights. Toyota will award a check for $50,000 to the winner’s designated charity. In addition, second, third and fourth place will receive $25k, $15k and $10k, respectively.

The four contenders, who are racing against the clock to complete their vehicle in just a few short weeks, are: NASCAR Chase for the Championship contender Clint Bowyer, who is building an ultra-high-tech Prius in hopes of benefitting the Emporia Community Foundation; NHRA Top Fuel points leader Antron Brown and his drag-race-inspired Sequoia, whose victory could assist Racers for Christ; NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch, who hopes his stylish road-race Camry will secure a donation to the Kyle Busch Foundation; and NHRA Nitro Funny Car phenom Alexis DeJoria, who is transforming a Tundra into an all-out desert racer on behalf of Safety Harbor Kids.

Fans will determine by online voting which of the four modified Toyota vehicles will win the challenge—along with $50,000 to the winning driver’s charity of choice. Here are their choices:

The mission of the Emporia Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in Emporia, Kan.,Clint Bowyer’s home town, and the surrounding communities. ECF is a collection of funds and resources donated by caring citizens, including Bowyer himself, who have chosen to make their community a better place to live and work, now and in the future.

The foundation has contributed to projects and services focused on education, children, elder care, recreation and social care.

Racers for Christ — part of the Christian Motorsports
International, Inc., family of ministries and often called “Team RFC” — was established in 1971 as a fellowship for Christians in the sport of motor racing. Its members conduct non-denominational chapel services at more than 2,000 local and professional racing events nationwide every year. Recognizing that, for many people involved in motorsports, consistent participation in a local church body is difficult, Team RFC provides the same kind of pastoral support motorsports enthusiasts and professionals (like Antron Brown) would receive from a home church, including communion, weddings, baptisms, hospital visits, memorial services and more.

The mission of Kyle Busch’s eponymous Kyle Busch Foundation is to empower young men and women by fostering life experiences and helping them achieve their goals. Through special events, the foundation supports programs focused on teens and young adults, the terminally ill, safe driving and recreation. Charities that KBF supports include B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe), Young Life, Speedway Children’s Charities, Make a Wish, the NASCAR Foundation, Wave Warriors Surf Camp and more.

Safety Harbor Kids, the chosen charity of Alexis DeJoria, was formed in 2007 for the purpose of enriching the lives of orphans, foster children and homeless children through education. It currently serves more than 2,000 needy children in over 15 group homes and shelters in and around Los Angeles. Its goal is to build a College, Career and the Arts Education Center where at-risk children can acquire the resources they need to get ahead in life. At each special event held by Safety Harbor Kids, mentors assist children with personal growth, motivation, career development, music and art — and in so doing create a safety net to catch the children as they grow up and leave institutional life.

The $50,000 check that will go to one of these four worthwhile causes is representative of Toyota’s own commitment to charitable endeavors. Since 1991, Toyota (www.toyota.com/about/philanthropy) has contributed about half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the U.S. alone.

The company emphasizes environmental stewardship, education, safety and the needs of local communities.

In 2008, Toyota launched TogetherGreen, a $20 million, five-year alliance with Audubon to fund conservation efforts, train environmental leaders and offer volunteer opportunities to benefit the environment.

The Toyota U.S.A. Foundation’s $100 million endowment supports K-12 efforts in math, science and environmental studies.

Toyota Driving Expectations (TDE) is a free program for teen drivers and their parents whose goal is to proactively take America’s driving youth through a safe driving experience.

In addition, Toyota supports initiatives in other areas of need, such as food, housing and the arts, in a variety of diverse communities.

Voting for the winner of the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge will open on Oct. 20 and will continue through Oct. 29. Fans will be able to vote once per day on Facebook. The final vehicle builds will be unveiled—and the winning driver and charity announced — during Toyota’s press conference at the SEMA show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30. Clearly, there will be more than one deserving winner—which is exactly what Toyota wants.

Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom

The Tundra Endeavour!

On October 13, 2012, the Toyota Tundra will tow Space Shuttle Endeavour to its new home at the California Science Center.

Toyota is trying to raise $500,000 for the Endeavour's new home. How can you help? Send a tweet! For every Tweet sent - Toyota will donate $50 to the California Science Center.

So far Toyota has raised around $11,000! Send this tweet to help out!

"Toyota Tundra tows Space Shuttle Endeavour on 10/13. Tweet to raise $50 for @CAScienceCenter. #TundraEndeavour"

Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center Launches Seven New Projects

Washington, DC, September 13, 2012 – At a Safety Research Forum here yesterday, Toyota announced the expansion of its groundbreaking partner-based automotive safety initiative with the launch of seven new research programs in partnership with leading research institutions from across North America.

The seven new programs are being undertaken with four new partners; Stanford University, University of Toronto, University of California San Diego and Ohio State University.

The new projects build on the CSRC’s efforts to help reduce the risk of driver distraction and help better protect vulnerable traffic populations, including children, teens, seniors and pedestrians. The seven new initiatives represent a broad expansion of Toyota’s research into the interaction between drivers, vehicles and the traffic environment, as well as a new, more comprehensive effort to understand teen driver behavior.

“We are excited to welcome our new research partners, whose important work may ultimately benefit other automakers and safety professionals,” said Chuck Gulash, CSRC Director. “Through our unique ‘open source’ research model and our commitment to sharing Toyota talent, technology and data with a broad range of institutions and agencies, we hope to drive new innovations and understanding that will benefit not just Toyota drivers but everyone on the road.”

The seven new projects bring the CSRC’s total research portfolio of joint research programs to twenty-six. Consistent with the Center’s overall research focus, the new projects examine the interaction of vehicle technology with drivers, study the ability of technologies to support driver awareness and behavior, and track the causes of brain injuries in teens.

With today’s announcement, the CSRC is now partnered in auto-safety research with sixteen research institutions and agencies across North America. The Center’s existing partners are; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), George Washington University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, Transportation Active Safety Institute, University of Iowa, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, Wake Forest University, and Wayne State University.

The CSRC’s 2012 Safety Research Forum in Washington, DC provides policymakers, regulators, scientists, and others the opportunity to learn about and gain “hands-on” experience with the center’s ongoing research projects. The Forum was the CSRC’s second major technology demonstration for the public, having previously taken place at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor in September 2011.

BACKGROUND ON THE NEW CSRC RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CHOP Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies (CChIPS), NHTSA and SAFER

• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents

A season-long study of a youth ice hockey team to better understand the mechanisms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in adolescents, the most common injury to children in vehicular accidents.  Researchers will quantify the head impacts sustained during hockey to occurrences of mental deficiencies, and with access to Toyota’s Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS), conduct a state-of-the-art analysis of head acceleration data to determine correlations between impacts and injury outcomes.

Stanford University

• Driver Vehicle Interface for Partially Intelligent Vehicles

A three-year project to develop a set of psychological principles that will guide the design of a driver vehicle interface that provides effective, real-time support for drivers of a partially intelligent vehicle (PIV). This research will culminate with the development of a driver vehicle interface for a fully operable automated vehicle to verify its effectiveness.

University of California San Diego

• Automated Tools for Naturalistic Driving Study Data Analysis for Driving Assessment

Research focused on developing systematic and automated tools for monitoring and analyzing driver behavior in full context, including the vehicle and environment, to better understand dangerous situations and to inform the design of effective counter-measures.  

University of Iowa Aging Mind and Brain Initiative

• Measuring Use and Impact of In-Vehicle Technologies on Senior Driver Safety

A three-year study to determine how some senior drivers may have declining abilities relative to driving, potentially increasing driving risk, and how they may use in-vehicle technologies.  It will help guide the development of new technologies, especially advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), to help make them more appropriate and helpful for senior drivers.  

University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)

• CSRC Teen Driver Survey

A survey of 5,600 teens and adults to examine their distracting behaviors while driving, identify social norms for both teens and parents and develop effective recommendations to help change dangerous behaviors. This research will be presented to the scientific community and used to develop outreach programs.

University of Toronto

• Designing Feedback to Help Induce Safer Driving Behaviors

A three-year study to determine what types of feedback (individually and combined) are most effective in helping inhibit risky behaviors, when feedback can become a potential distraction, what types of individuals are more susceptible to feedback, how drivers adapt to feedback over time, and whether the safety benefits of feedback persist even when it is no longer available.

Virginia Tech, UMTRI, and Ohio State University

• Development of Standard LDW & LDP Test Method

A project to develop a detailed test procedure for Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) systems. This procedure will be used to evaluate the performance of two test vehicles, a Toyota and another make, equipped with the LDW and LDP systems.

Courtesy of Toyota Pressroom

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Toyota Sponsors New San Antonio Scorpions Stadium

San Antonio, TX (Aug. 28, 2012) - Toyota today announced its presenting sponsorship of Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first theme park specifically designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for the enjoyment of everyone, as well as the new San Antonio Scorpions soccer and special-events stadium.  

As presenting sponsor of unique and colorful Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Toyota will provide major financial support for the 25-acre theme park, which is completely wheelchair-accessible. It features more than 25 elements and attractions including rides, playgrounds and gardens, and in its brief history, it already has attracted guests from all 50 states and more than 30 other countries.

Presenting sponsorship of Scorpions stadium will include naming the facility as Toyota Field. As a member of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which is one step removed from Major League Soccer, the Scorpions are the only team in professional sports to be organized for the expressed purpose of supporting a non-profit such as Morgan’s Wonderland that seeks to help those with special needs.

“Toyota is pleased to support Morgan’s Wonderland and the San Antonio Scorpions,” said Jack Hollis, Vice President of Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, Inc.  “We are honored to be able to support the mission of Morgan’s Wonderland. In less than three short years, the park has made a difference in the lives of thousands of people with special needs and their families. And now the Scorpions bring both the excitement of pro soccer and a revenue stream for the park; this is a win-win situation for everybody. Toyota, our regional distributor Gulf States Toyota, and the San Antonio-area Toyota dealers are proud partners in sponsoring Morgan’s Wonderland and the Scorpions.”

At the announcement, the new “Morgan’s Wonderland presented by Toyota” signage was unveiled by 18-year-old Morgan Hartman, namesake of the park. This signage will be featured throughout the park and in promotional materials. Three Toyota mobility vehicles will also be displayed at Morgan’s Wonderland.  

Toyota Field signage on the 8,000-seat stadium under construction on Thousand Oaks Drive near Morgan’s Wonderland was also unveiled during the announcement. Toyota support for the Scorpions will be visible in multiple communications initiatives for the team.  Capable of expansion in stages to 18,000 seats, the new stadium home of the Scorpions will be completed in time for the 2013 NASL soccer season and also will host community events and concerts.  

“As the regional player here in Texas for Toyota, Gulf States Toyota and our six San Antonio dealers will take the lead in the Scorpions-Toyota Field portion of the sponsorship,” said J.C. Fassino, Vice President of Community Relations for The Friedkin Group, parent company of Gulf States Toyota. “We are pleased to be able to support the Scorpions, their games and their mission of funding for Morgan’s Wonderland. It is a unique sports partnership.”

San Antonio philanthropist Gordon Hartman and his wife, Maggie, led the effort to create Morgan’s Wonderland so people of all ages with and without disabilities could come together in a safe, colorful, barrier-free park for fun and understanding. 

Morgan’s Wonderland opened in spring 2010 along with the South Texas Area Regional (STAR) Soccer Complex, which like the Scorpions, conveys net profits from the operation of 13 first-class, FIFA-sized playing fields to the theme park. Because anyone with a physical or cognitive special need is admitted free to Morgan’s Wonderland, Hartman sought other revenue streams to help the park meet its financial obligations as well as to expand programs and services for the special-needs community. In April 2012, the San Antonio Scorpions FC began play as the newest team in the NASL and started generating net profits for Morgan’s Wonderland. 

“We are deeply grateful to Toyota for the support pledged to Morgan’s Wonderland and the Scorpions,” said Hartman, CEO of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation. “Toyota is a world-class company with a passion for excellence that extends to helping causes that truly make a difference in people’s lives. We’re just beginning to scratch the surface in helping those with special needs, but Toyota’s involvement, commitment and generosity will definitely help accelerate our efforts.”

Scorpions President Michael Hitchcock said Toyota Field will be “a first-class playing facility where exciting professional soccer will ultimately produce victories for individuals with physical and cognitive challenges. We’re proud to have Toyota’s name on the stadium because it will remind us to continually strive for outstanding performance. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Toyota.”

Courtesy of Toyota