TRD Aurion 2

[bornwild]

Okay guys, no insults to ones person and no bad behaviour. Thanks.

Anyhow, yesterday on my way to uni I spotted he $60k model...I think it was the 350SL or something...
http://i16.tinypic.com/6fr53dy.jpg
The funny thing that happened was this. The guy didn't know how to drive. He would slam the brakes so it seemed like he was going going and then stalled it.....:D

I like two things about it: the exhaust and the rims.....dislike pretty much everything else, especially the overall tortoise shape.

[xplosv57]

He stalled it......... but aren't they all auto??? LOL!!!

[Shaun]

How did he manage to STALL an AUTO ???? Or are you saying the brakes are quite good on the car?

[bornwild]

I said...it seemed like he stalled it. :rolleyes:

There was a crapload of traffic that day on Middleborough road in Box Hill(I think) so the max speed was 20kph and we would just take off and the guy would just randomly slam the brakes, about 20 times he did it. I was 'thinking WTF is wrong with this guy?':eek:

[Vectracious]

Was he a bald middle aged frustrated tosser thinking he was better than anyone else? :P

350SL - too much like a Mercedes Model Designation for my liking..

[bornwild]

He was bald and did look frustrated...though a bit younger :D hehehehehe

[jsantos]

probably only just got it and has really sensitive brakes, or at least much more sensitive brakes then his old car......? I do really like the way the exhaust pipes look though, I wouldn't buy one myself however i can see why one might. Good thinking with the camera.

[R3N]

same exhaust styling as the new LS

[Shaun]

probably only just got it and has really sensitive brakes, or at least much more sensitive brakes then his old car......? .

Exactly my thoughts.....

[Vectracious]

I do like the wheels (although could you imagine what a nightmare they would be to keep clean), but I reckon any view from the rear is not going to look as good as the view from front on because no matter how much they tried to hide it with exhaust and body kit, that huge ass is still there....

[Red AH SRI T]

Shouldn't that number plate be nAna?

[btm]

Shouldn't that number plate be nAna?

ha! indeed, good point :D

[Nawtee]

and then stalled it.....:D



We have an Astra Turbo Diesel that is Auto, and when we first got it, it stalled on it's own about 3 times. Took it in to Holden, they hooked up the Tech2 to find the fault and they said it had something to do with the computer chip. So they were meant to be ordering a new one, but instead we got the updated software put on and it hasn't done it since......Still don't understand why it stalled.....Neither does Holden. :clap:

[Shaun]

We have an Astra Turbo Diesel that is Auto, and when we first got it, it stalled on it's own about 3 times. Took it in to Holden, they hooked up the Tech2 to find the fault and they said it had something to do with the computer chip. So they were meant to be ordering a new one, but instead we got the updated software put on and it hasn't done it since......Still don't understand why it stalled.....Neither does Holden. :clap:
Off topic :
Thats because you have a software issue in the transmisson. As the Astra runs CANBUS electrics the Gearbox has a computer attached . Meaning the computer controls Shift points and send singals back and forward to other computers with in the car. More then likely you will find that Holden Have added new software as someone here has mentioned in the past that the Automatics were having this issue and they had new software fed in to the Transmission Module.

[Poogene2001]

Anyone else notice the Avalon in front of the Aurion?
More than just a few similarities to their rear ends...
I'm dissapointed they didnt have TRD when the Avalon was around, that would have been a BEAST! :p

[MatsHolden]

The exhaust and lower rear facia design is quite nice in isolation, but it doesn't blend with the rest of the vehicles form.

[jerrypufflewell]

I'm dissapointed they didnt have TRD when the Avalon was around, that would have been a BEAST! :p

TRD have been around for yonkers, started with the rally Celicas from memory...

[MatsHolden]

TRD have been around for yonkers, started with the rally Celicas from memory...

Not in the sense of being a performance road vehile arm of Toyota though... TRD was motorsport based and only recently the TRD brand has been brought accross as the title of the performance arm to make the link clear between their motorsport programs and road vehicles.

[jerrypufflewell]

Yeah that's true...

[Apex]

TRD have been around for yonkers, started with the rally Celicas from memory...

Your thinking TTE. :)

[CORZZA]

its quick!!and allows room for power upgrades too!

[btm]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=43213&s_rid=smh:ClassiePuff

Toyota Aurion TRD takes on HSV, FPV, Subaru and Mazda

This is a story Toyota would rather you didn't read. The company says its new high-powered large sedan is not a rival to the hotted-up versions of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore, even though it has marketed the regular Aurion as a worthy competitor to Australia's two biggest-selling sedans.

To us, the comparison is obvious: Ford and Holden have performance-car divisions that improve the power, styling and handling of their fleet sedans. And with its new TRD brand, Toyota appears to have copied the formula, by improving the power, style and handling of its Aurion.

However, Toyota says it is not targeting the Ford and Holden heartland but is positioning the TRD Aurion as a slightly larger rival to the respected mid-sized performance sedans from Mazda and Subaru and the like.

Sales of performance sedans have almost doubled during the past 10 years and, with more imported competition, the market is no longer dominated by Ford and Holden. Having said that and despite the hype over petrol prices, Holden's fast-car division is likely to post an all time sales record this year while Ford's equivalent recorded its best result last year.

"We are not aiming for the tribalists who will buy only the traditional, locally produced performance sedans," says the sales and marketing director of Toyota Australia, David Buttner. "Tribalists will not contemplate another brand as they aspire to own the latest version of the car their fathers drove. We are targeting amore sophisticated market."

Rather than take Toyota's word for it, we thought we'd look at all the above cars to see where the TRD Aurion fits in the performance car landscape. But first, some background.

Toyota began working on this special vehicles project about five years ago. At that time, Toyota had tasted market leadership on six occasions - but it was two years since its last victory in the annual new-car sales race. It did some soul-searching to find out where its weaknesses were.

Research found that while the Toyota brand had a strong reputation for quality, reliability and affordability, its cars lacked styling flair, driving excitement, and the ability to turn heads. Toyota also knew it was facing a future without sports coupes such as the Supra and Celica or the mid-engined MR2 roadster.

And so it embarked on a plan to establish the acronym for Toyota Racing Development as a stand-alone brand. TRD is to Toyota what AMG is to Mercedes, STi is to Subaru, HSV is to Holden and FPV is to Ford. In the car world, these are well-known badges that spell performance.

With the TRD Aurion, Toyota said it wanted to create a vehicle that would "stand out from the crowd without looking like a hoon". Buttner says: "If you're looking for massive wings or huge plastic add-ons, then you're looking in the wrong place."

The company also expects one in six TRD Aurion drivers will be female. Typically, males account for 98 per cent of sales of the Ford and Holden performance sedans. "We think [the TRD Aurion] will appeal to the family man who has the taste for performance vehicles without being the total rev-head," Buttner says. Most TRD Aurion buyers are likely to live in the east coast capitals - half of them in Sydney.

The TRD Aurion is just the start of a new range of performance cars from Toyota. The second model - a supercharged HiLux four-wheel- drive ute - is due in December and a third (as yet unnamed)model is being developed.

For now the TRD Aurion is the vehicle that will help define the brand. Let's see how it compares.

How they compare
FPV Force 6



Price: $71,590

Read the full story...


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HSV Clubsport



Price: $62,890

Read the full story...


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Mazda6 MPS



Price: $54,645 (leather pack)

Read the full story...


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Subaru Liberty GT-B



Price: $65,990

Read the full story...


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TRD Aurion



Price: $56,990

Read the full story...


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Prices and details correct at publication.



Verdict

After years of being too conservative, it seems odd to be criticising Toyota for taking a risk. After all, the TRD Aurion is everything Toyota is not.

We like the TRD Aurion's styling, its seats, the power of the engine and the compromise between comfort and cornering ability but the steering and traction control need more work. As one colleague put it: what's the point of having a performance car if you can't use the performance?

The most telling point occurred to us after this test: Mazda and Subaru use all-wheeldrive systems to manage less power than the TRD Aurion. Case closed, Your Honour.

The contest between the Mazda and the Subaru is not an easy one. The performance of Each car is almost identical. I prefer the feel of theMazda6MPS on the road. It steers, stops and accelerates better in my opinion. The fact that it's cheaper only adds to its appeal. Some buyers may prefer amore luxurious cabin, an automatic transmission and the only car in this group with a five-star safety rating; in which case the Subaru will serve them well.

The contest between the Ford and Holden Is more straightforward. For all the Ford's attributes, it is quite bizarre that the fastest model in the Falcon range is not available with curtain airbags or stability control. That will, hopefully, be rectified with the update in April.

That leaves the HSV Clubsport. It's not perfect but it does what a performance car should do. There is still room for quality improvements but it delivers cracking performance and a comfortable ride in a competent package. Best of all it delights the senses and has street cred in spades. The TRD Aurion is a good first effort but, for now, the Holden and Ford performance-car heartland is safe. And Mazda and Subaru don't have much to worry about either. Yet.

[CORZZA]

the aurion is value for money!!!!

[bornwild]

and allows room for power upgrades too!

Toyota specifically said that they couldn't get more power out of the engine while maintaining it healthy. This is cause the engine wasn't designed for performance. And it's not value for money when the Clubsport is the same price...lawl:D

[Apex]

Im a die hard Toyota fan and even I am not nearly convinced that this is a good car. If it was AWD I think they would be onto a winner.

I have a feeling that to get anymore power out of the TRD Aurion it would need forged internals, larger injectors, upgraded fuel system and ECU.

I would be interested to see if the Aurion Supercharger would mount onto the Lexus IS350 engine, now that would be an awesome car!

[SIMid]

Saw this guy on the road 2 days ago. Drove like a maniac, weeving through traffic down Rosanna Rd.

[CORZZA]

you can upgrade the power on the aurion. but then yes the emissions will be exceeded