Toyota and NASCAR?

Question

Are people really ticked off about this? Toyota is such a superior auto manufacturer and leader in technology compared to the "Big 3" that I believe they are going to really compete very strongly in NASCAR. This is a good thing though, right? It will force everyone to stay on their toes and develop new technologies. Toyota is the leading auto manufacturer in the world, these guys better pay attention.

Maybe they should be in it for production techniques. Then they might not post $12.7 BILLION dollar losses.

Genius...leader in technology doesn't necessarily equate to a technological breakthrough. It means they use the technological resources at hand to make the most efficient and best performing vehicle they can. If I remember correctly, Toyota spends roughly double on R&D what GM spends...even though they make something like 8 times fewer vehicles. GM just throws something together and sells it to Enterprise.

Answer 1

LEADER IN TECHNOLOGY?? NAME 1 thing that toyota has done that is a technological breakthrough.(the sound of crickets,faint,in the distance). HELLO?? WE'RE WAITING....

Answer 2

I've never been a Toyota fan but I'm not exactly ticked about Toyota being in my favorite motorsport really. Nothing I can do about it. It's a changing world. Plus the fact they had to build a 358 C.I. small block V8 AND said V8 shares a few things with other V8's such as Chevy's bellhousing bolt pattern. (you can bolt a Chevy transmission to the Nascar Toyota V8.)

As a professional auto tech. of 19 years I can say they all make good cars and they all make junk.
Yea, I'll say Toyota's are very good car's. The fast, top of the line Lexus are pretty damn neat.

However, speaking from my lifelong 'gearhead, drag racing, car showing' side, I'd NEVER own a Toyota for this reason....
As a car nut driving through a Toyota dealership, I see NOTHING on the lot but alot of boring, small, uninspiring, throw away econoboxes and a bunch of butt-ugly trucks.
Just the way it's always been and without a Supra to boot!
I'm not trying to be close minded all of a sudden, just honest.
I've never liked that small economy car feel either.

I'll also say my friends '87 S-10 truck has 300,000 miles on it with a virtually untouched 2.8 V6 and only 2 clutches so mileage doesn't really impress me it's how/where you drive it and maintain it.

Don't forget The new Silverado is 'Motor Trends truck of the year'. Toyota is WAAY behind the big 3 in the pickup market sales wise.

The biggest technology they'll all share will be Ethanol! I predict it'll be in Nascar within 5 years easy.

Answer 3

Toyota has as much place in NASCAR as any US make.
Foreign made? over 90% of the Toyotas sold in this country are built in this country.
Superior automobile? You betcha. I drove a new Fusion & a Malibu before I bought my Camry last year. Camry won, hands down. (Hyundai Sonata was a not-so-close second).The Ford & Chevy felt totally inferior. Last time I drove brand-new cars that felt so cheap, I worked for AMC. (At least Chrysler has the best styled cars in the US. Hey, wait! Isn't Chrysler owned by the Germans now?)
Toyota has surpassed Ford in worldwide sales, & is on pace to outsell GM within the next two years. The US auto industry needs to wake up & stop kowtowing to the UAW, the world's most overpaid workers. Stop trying to fill every possible niche in the market. Simplify the product line & concentrate on quality. Until they learn that, Toyota will keep kicking their butts.
Toyota deserves everything they get. Including being in NASCAR.

Answer 4

In my opinion, Toyota isn't in NASCAR because of technology - they are in it for marketing purposes. Since the race cars are so far removed from anything stock and templates and rules limit the technological advances used in NASCAR cars, there isn't a lot of technological gain to be had by Toyota by racing in NASCAR.

But, you're right - Toyota's approach is good. When the success does come, it won't necessarily force everybody to develop new technology (the rules won't allow much) - instead, it will force them to develop new ways of sharing technology and resources.

The Craftsman Truck Series exemplifies this - they basically worked with all of the Toyota truck teams and made one mega-team that shares resources and information. When you start sharing windtunnel information and things like that, it actually increases the efficiency of all of the organizations and saves them money, which they can spend on personnel. That's the beauty of it all - it's simply being more efficient. They got their first driver's and manufacturer's championship in their 3rd year.

It is interesting how worked up people are about this. I don't understand the xenophobia or whatever it is. I personally feel it is completely illogical. If people would quit spending so much time hating others and instead learn from them, we'd all be better off.

Answer 5

Nascar is not about technologies, they use engines not run in production cars in frames and shells not used on production cars. Automobile manufacturers are in nascar for brand recognition not furthering their production techniques.

to your other points.
1.The reason they don't go into nascar to refine techniques is because they are using equipment that we do not use on the road in factory machines. there are few v8 rwd cars on the road and none would be in the price range of consumers if made to the specifications that nascar requires.

2. Toyota will need to spend more on r/d because they are starting it up. the start up of a business is the most costly, you need to buy/create everything new. Ford and Chevy are mostly just refining what they all ready have. i havent seen any groundbreaking advancement from toyota that would make a push for overhaul of the big 3.

Answer 6

People are upset because they dont like new forms of competition. They want to be considered the best racing series in the world, but they want the competition closed to anything not American. Sometime this year people are going to realize that it could be a lot worse, and they will come to accept Toyota in Nascar, they will still complain and everything but at some point in time people will realize that Toyota isnt bad for the sport.

Answer 7

The cars aren't really Toyota, Chevy, Ford or Dodge. They pay money to the teams so that their names can be used. The companies don't really have much say in how the car looks, or what's under the hood. Teams build their own engines for the cars, and sometimes, for other teams. You can't just put new technologies in cars. NASCAR mandates that the cars themselves need to be somewhat similar, so if Toyota comes up with something new and better, it still has to pass through the suits before it can be used. NASCAR uses a strict rule book, so things just can't be added to cars. Everything is measured, weighed, poked and prodded to make sure it meets requirements. It's not easy to add something to the car without the officials knowing about it.

Answer 8

The american cars will always win. Toyota needs to learn that it can't take everything in America. And about the big three improving their production techniques, HENRY FORD INVENTED THE ASSEMBLY LINE in case you missed it which made it alot cheaper to make the vehicles the only reason that the big 3 are reporting billion dollar losses is because Asian car companies are taking advantage of our free market.

Answer 9

I think Nascar did a big mistake letting Toyota come into the races. The cars just totally suck. Look at Michael Waltrip. The past two races he has failed to qualify. The other Toyotas are the ones that are wrecking in the race. NASCAR should get rid of them all together.

Answer 10

Ok...leading manufacturer? Lets see..they tried this same stunt in F-1 in 2002. They came in with big money..tried to buy out all the top pit crews and drivers and they still haven't had a good finish yet. The only championship that this "Leading Manufacturer" as you so call it has is one in the Craftsman Truck series and since Toyota joined it...its fan base gets less and less every year. Oh..and by the way..this "Leading Manufacturer" had to cheat..yes cheat..in the Daytona 500 just to make the race.

Answer 11

America is all about bringing the most money to the table and trying to smash the competition.. What's different about Toyotas approach?! I personally was grunting and complaining after first hearing that TOYOTA was coming into the Busch and Cup series.. But after a few discussions w/ people about the situation, I stopped being a jackass and started looking into what Yota was doing, and planned on doing.. and I tell you it looks good. They are not coming in and ruining the sport. They are making a challenge for themselves, and eventually other teams. More power to the Yotas! And like i said before, THAT'S AMERICA BABY!!!!