The monthly VFacts vehicle sales report for July has revealed a slow-down in purchases compared to June’s brisk pace, but totals for the year so far are still ahead of 2007’s record-setting sales run. A slight downturn in vehicle sales was seen across all segments, including passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles in July, reflecting a slowing economy as fuel prices and interest rates combine to pinch the average buyer’s budget.

Timo Glock has virtually assured himself of retaining his Toyota drive in 2009 following a first podium finish in Hungary on Sunday.

The German impressed team bosses with his speed at the Hungaroring all weekend and is now expected to retain his partnership with senior driver Jarno Trulli for another season.

“We intend to keep both of our drivers,” said Toyota team chief John Howett. “I’m just happy that Timo had a really strong race here.

While the Segway Personal Transporter (PT) hasn’t exactly blossomed with regard to finding global traction as an alternative to traditional two-wheeled modes of transport, Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp. has opted to push the technology with its new Winglet.

Unveiled by Toyota this past Friday during a media conference in Tokyo, the Winglet emerges as similar to the Segway PT insofar as it’s a motorised stand-up-and-ride vehicle, but differs dramatically in that it is notably smaller than the American-built contraption.

Toyota’s new plan to build the Prius hybrid sedan in eastern Mississippi has Alabama’s economic developers hoping for a larger slice of the pie when it comes to supplier business tied to the fuel-sipping vehicle.

Communities along the future Interstate 22 in western Alabama already have been prepping industrial sites in an effort to lure suppliers for the assembly plant the Japanese automaker is building near Tupelo.

My beautiful fully loaded leather, Bose Stero system, sun roof equipped big V8 4 wheel drive Chevy Tahoe has been sucking up gas like water rushing over a damn. My brother, who has a Suburban, a big truck, a Trailblazer and four Harleys, just bought a used Toyota Prius to drive all over the state for his legal practice. He drove from Redding to Los Angeles and averaged 46.7 miles per gallon. I have been spending almost $800 miles per month to drive between my offices in Auburn and Roseville. So my brother helped me find a used Prius on Craigslist. It was in Arizona and owned by a young woman who gets a new one every two years.

2008 Toyota Prius

A motorist turns off the engine to coast the final block home.

Another spends $5,000 to convert his car to run on used vegetable oil.

And 10 percent have packed their bags and moved closer to work to save on gas, according to a recent study.

Can roller skates be far behind? No need with the hybrid Toyota Prius going strong. The car that got the conservation ball rolling, sold a meager 15,000 units in the 2001 model year.

New Delhi, Aug. 1 Toyota Motor Corporation’s compact car for India may be a high speed one but not low cost.

With the definition of a compact car in terms of price ranging from $3,000 for companies such as Tata Motors and Bajaj-Renault and around $9,000 for Honda, the world’s largest auto maker is still working on the pricing details.

Toyota July US auto sales fall 18.7 pct adjusted

DETROIT, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research)(TM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday that U.S. auto sales fell an adjusted 18.7 percent in July, driven by steep declines in large vehicles.

Toyota said sales dropped to 197,424 vehicles in July from 224,058 vehicles a year earlier. July had two extra selling days in 2008 compared with the prior year.

The Subaru Forester a pioneer in the compact SUV marketplace - one of the first crossovers in existence, before crossover terminology was being applied. Initially, it was boxy in its form, but was great fun to drive and genuinely off-road capable. The Forester has evolved over its life span, ever improving and becoming more refined. If there were limitations before, they fell into the size category, which ultimately affected overall functionality.

Subaru has been very busy. First, it introduced the new Impreza, which divided opinion with its switch to a curvy hatchback body in place of the previous rather staid saloon shape. Then there was the introduction of the company’s own diesel engine; as the first boxer diesel fitted to a passenger car, it impressed just about everyone who tried it.