A Tremor comes to the 2023 Ford Maverick

Toyota corporation is made up of two divisions for the most part, Toyota, their mainstream brand and Lexus their luxury arm. While very late to the EV party, Toyota Motor Corporation has had the deep funding pockets to catch up. Did they succeed? Toyota has started with a Blitzkrieg in Europe first for 2025 before they will be rolled out to the rest of the world. Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota had their World Premiere of the New "RZ" EV with an amazing strike at Tesla in offering Toyota Quality and build. RZ points of interest: Continuously pursuing the 'The Natural' driving concept to further refine the Lexus Driving Signature Optimizing the battery EV system to achieve a 20% increase in driving range and shorter charging times Expanding the lineup with the high-output motor-equipped RZ 550e F SPORT Accelerating the 'Dialogue between Driver and Vehicle' with the adoption of a Steer-by-Wire System for a new driving experience Introducing Interactive Manual Drive, a feature enabling manual-like control of drive force for an engaging driving experience Lexus has stated that electrified vehicles make up 52% of their global sales and as such they will continue a full on press of BEV, HEV, and PHEV options as Toyota drives towards carbon-neutral society. The 2025 RZ is a fully redesigned BEV system, that delivers increased horsepower, extended driving range and reduced charging time. The 2025 RZ is also the introduction of the steer by wire system tied to a refined DIRECT4 all-wheel-drive system that Lexus believes delivers class leading experience. RZ will continue with their feature packed RZ 350e, 500e EV and add a RZ550e performance F Sport model. The all new RZ lineup will have exclusive color options, exclusive aerodynamic wheels that enhance performance along with luxury interior exclusive choices. Main Features of the New RZ Fully redesigned the BEV System, thoroughly pursuing fundamental performance. Improved dynamic performance through higher output, while offering more options tailored to customer needs. Extended driving range, prioritizing practical usability for customers. Shortened charging time through an optimized charging system. Deepening the Lexus Driving Signature and delivering a new driving experience. Enhanced dynamic performance through refinements to the dedicated BEV platform and vehicle fundamentals. Incorporating Lexus' first-ever Steer-by-Wire System. Enhanced DIRECT4 all-wheel-drive system to deliver a driving response that faithfully reflects the driver's intent. New Interactive Manual Drive, providing a more engaging and enjoyable driving experience. Exceptional quietness unique to Lexus BEVs, achieved through source-level noise and vibration suppression F SPORT exclusive design for a more engaging driving experience. Aerodynamics focused F SPORT exclusive exterior design. A clean, open cabin space designed to meet customer preferences. F SPORT-specific interior, featuring a exclusive steering wheel and sporty design elements. The entry level RZ350e is a FWD EV that will weight from 4,398 lbs to 4,520 lbs depending on option packages. Wheel size - 18/20 inch options Cruising Range - 357 miles estimate Electrical consumption is estimated at 144 Wh/km Performance 223 HP / 198 lb-ft of torque limited to 221 HP total output. 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds The  mid level RZ500e AWD will weight from 4,630 lbs to 4,751 lbs depending on option packages. Wheel size - 18/20 inch options Cruising Range - 310 miles estimate Electrical consumption is estimated at 166 Wh/km Performance is front and rear motor 223 HP each for a total of 446 HP / 396 lb-ft of torque. Limited to 375 HP total output. 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds The top level RZ550e F Sport AWD will weight from 4,707 lbs to 4,806 lbs depending on option packages. Wheel size - 20 inch only Cruising Range - 279 miles estimate Electrical consumption is estimated at 184 Wh/km Performance is front and rear motor 223 HP each for a total of 446 HP / 396 lb-ft of torque. Limited to 402 HP total output. 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The RZ comes with a 77kWh battery pack based on Rapid charging port of CCS/NACS depending on market. The battery pack is a liquid cooled / heated battery pack to optimize range and charging speed. Charging speed at home will be handled by a 22kW controller for optimized charging. With a steer by wire system, Toyota has optimized the steering wheel to allow minimal input to maximize the driving enjoyment. This is just one of many improvements Lexus has incorporated into their autos for comfort in Daily driving. Space is the final frontier and yet in this case it is giving plenty of room forward and back for the occupants to spread out and enjoy the drive. Better yet is the availability of various two-tone interior choices. The 350e version will come with a standard steering wheel thus allowing those that might not be ready for a steer by wire with yoke steering wheel to still get an  RZ Images Now that we have covered the Lexus RZ, let's take a look at what Toyota has revealed for the global market.  Again, Europe will be the starting point with the all-new Toyota C-HR+ and bZ4X. Toyota C-HR+ The C-HR+ will come with the following specifications: Performance choices FWD 164 hp or 221 and AWD 337 HP Range based on the above HP - 282 miles FWD, 372 Miles, and AWD 326 miles. 0 to 60 mph is 8.6 seconds for entry level, 7.4 seconds for mid-level and 5.2 seconds for AWD. Base entry has a 57-kWh battery pack, top level FWD and AWD will have a 77-kwh battery pack.   Toyota bZ4X The bZ4X will come with the following specifications: FWD 164 hp or 221 and AWD 337 HP Range based on the above HP - 276 miles FWD, 356 Miles, and AWD 323 miles. 0 to 60 mph is 8.6 seconds for entry level, 7.4 seconds for mid-level and 5.1 seconds for AWD. Base entry has a 57-kWh battery pack, top level FWD and AWD will have a 73-kwh battery pack. The interior is something of a branding badge job that will be interesting to see if customers like it or not  Toyota C-HR+ Interior Toyota bZ4X interior Toyota will be releasing more details about all their EVs as they get closer to the launch date for the European market. Toyota Images So the question based on what you see here, did Toyota do enough to succeed against the Chinese, Europeans and Americans? View full article

It's funny that all these vehicles look like 5-door hatchbacks to me. I'd have to look it up, but that Q8 does not sound attractive.  One of the ugliest 2-volume set of wheels has to be the Nissan Armada.  That thing is a fright.

Yeah, I guess if the hood is the smaller of the sizes and you add in the space behind the seats, you'll have 5' worth of space there. 

@ccap41 Thank you for bringing up a good point, I to wonder what the length of the Mini hood is. Went here as it has all the dimensions, but sadly no hood length.  MINI Cooper Dimensions (2002 - 2025): Your Go-To Guide I cannot seem to find exact dimensions, but on the various replacement mini auto parts sites, they say depending on model, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet is the hood. Then if this is pushed to the front the way it looks, it very well could have a 5ft bed as their website states. I would have to think this is the small space behind the back seats and the hood space.

OUCH Food prices suck Here’s the inflation breakdown for February 2025 — in one chart