William Maley

Beginning next month, Toyota will slow down one of its three assembly lines at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant. Aside from building the Avalon and Lexus ES, Georgetown is home to the Camry - the best-selling car in the U.S. for the past 16 years. “The auto industry is cyclical, and our normal process is to proactively plan months in advance for volume adjustments,” said Rick Hesterberg, a Toyota spokesman to Bloomberg. Hesterberg declined to comment on how much production would be reduced by the slowdown. He did say that none of the 8,000 permanent workers or 1,500 temps will be laid off during this slowdown. Demand for the Camry has been slipping for the past few years as buyers are opting for SUVs and trucks. So far in 2018, Camry sales have 6.1 percent when compared to the same time last year. Source: Bloomberg View full article

You could say he is "Ghosn with the wind". I'll show myself out.

Carlos Ghosn, the person credited with saving Nissan from total collapse and bringing it together with Renault and Mitsubishi finds himself in very hot water. Today, Ghosn was detained by Japanese authorities in Tokyo over the suspected breach of Japanese financial laws. During a press conference this morning, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa explained that Ghosn under-reported his income and used corporate assets for personal use. Another executive, Greg Kelly (Nissan's director of human resources) is also involved. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation," Nissan said in a statement today. "Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kelly's deep involvement has also been confirmed." Saikawa said that the two would be removed from their posts during a board meeting on Thursday. While many consider Ghosn to be a hero, he is also quite controversial. A lot of this comes down to his compensation. Ghosn got paychecks from his numerous roles as "chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, CEO of Renault, and chairman of both Nissan and Mitsubishi." According to Bloomberg, Ghosn took home about $17 million from the three companies. Ghosn's arrest also calls into question to the future of the alliance between Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg, Nissan Regarding serious misconduct by Nissan Chairman and one representative director YOKOHAMA, Japan – Based on a whistleblower report, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan) has been conducting an internal investigation over the past several months regarding misconduct involving the company's Representative Director and Chairman Carlos Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly. The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation. Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kelly's deep involvement has also been confirmed. Nissan has been providing information to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office and has been fully cooperating with their investigation. We will continue to do so. As the misconduct uncovered through our internal investigation constitutes clear violations of the duty of care as directors, Nissan's Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa will propose to the Nissan Board of Directors to promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as Chairman and Representative Director. Saikawa will also propose the removal of Greg Kelly from his position as Representative Director. Nissan deeply apologizes for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders. We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures. View full article

Toyota has been doing their best to make the Camry and Avalon a bit more exciting to help shed their plain image. Their latest attempt involves Toyota Racing Development (TRD) to work their magic on these two sedans. The end result is the Camry and Avalon TRD which will be showing up at the LA Auto Show in a couple of weeks. The changes begin under the skin as TRD fits new shock absorbers and springs that drops both models by 0.6-inches; thicker underbody braces, and larger brakes. Camry TRD models get thicker sway bars to improve overall handling, The Avalon TRD does without the sway bars as Toyota believes buyers of this model still want a little bit of comfort. Power comes from the 3.5L V6 found in the regular Camry and Avalon with 301 horsepower. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic. TRD fits their catback exhaust system that allows for more of a growl. Both models wear a body kit that includes a front splitter, side skirts, a rear diffuser, and a decklid spoiler. Red accents on various trim pieces and 19-inch wheels finished in black complete the look. Toyota says both TRD models will be available next fall. Gallery: 2020 Toyota Avalon and Camry TRD Source: Toyota Toyota Racing Development Turns Up Heat for Camry and Avalon Toyota’s First-Ever Camry TRD and Avalon TRD Track-Tuned Chassis Upgrades Aggressive Cat-Back Dual Exhaust Exclusive Matte-Black 19-Inch Alloy Wheels Calty-Designed Aero kit Unique TRD Interior Trim Limited Availability PLANO, Texas (Nov. 14, 2018) – Toyota is once again bringing its racing pedigree to the road as it unveils the Camry TRD and Avalon TRD, two sedans with an appetite for curves and a distinct exhaust note bristling with attitude. With aero-enhanced styling by Calty, Toyota’s U.S. design studio, and chassis performance fortified by Toyota Racing Development (TRD), these revved-up Camry and Avalon models are the track-tuned sedans that enthusiasts have been asking for. Many Toyota enthusiasts already know the equity behind the TRD badge seen on the brand’s hardcore, off-road-ready pickups and SUVs. Conquering the Baja, however, is just one of many feats won by TRD vehicles across the motorsports spectrum. Now, TRD brings its track tuning to sedans that blend greater agility, precision and body control with attention-grabbing design and everyday drivability. When Toyota introduced the new-generation 2018 Camry, sales of the sporty SE and XSE versions spiked. A year later, Toyota introduced the all-new 2019 Avalon, which came in an available XSE grade for the first time ever. These sedans are stylish and fun to drive. And Toyota is pushing the limit even further with Camry TRD and Avalon TRD, both with greater track-inspired handling performance and styling. These models include all standard content from the Camry SE grade and Avalon XSE grade, combined with exclusive TRD chassis enhancements and tuning. Camry TRD and Avalon TRD will both be model year 2020 vehicles and available in fall 2019. Roaring to Go The new Camry TRD and Avalon TRD embody TRD’s holistic approach to vehicle enhancement. Notably, both are powered by Toyota’s renowned 301 horsepower DOHC 3.5-liter V6 and 8AT with sport mode and paddle shifters. The V6 breathes easier with a specially-tuned cat-back dual exhaust, giving both models a throatier idle and acceleration sound. “Track-tuned” means exactly that. TRD engineers developed the dynamic characteristics through extensive testing at Toyota Arizona Proving Ground, TMC Higashi-Fuij Proving Ground (Japan), and MotorSport Ranch (Texas). Thicker underbody braces increase torsional rigidity and unique coil springs lower both vehicles by 0.6 inches for a reduced center of gravity. Specially tuned shock absorbers and 19 x 8.5 inch matte black alloy wheels complete a suspension package that improves body control, handling agility, and steering precision. The front brakes are larger with 12.9-inch diameter rotors and dual-piston calipers compared to 12.0-inch rotors and single piston calipers found on XSE grades. Brake performance was also tuned to provide more direct feedback, matching the sporty dynamics of the vehicle. Calty gave both models striking aero elements, taking advantage of the edgier designs of the new-generation Camry and Avalon and aggressive stance of the TRD-modified chassis. The aerodynamic body kit, which includes the front splitter, side aero skirts, trunk lid spoiler, and rear diffuser, blends a bold styling element and improves high speed vehicle stability to aid in driver confidence. Add that with the red pinstriping, red painted brake calipers, and red TRD badging and both sedans have a road-hungry look. These TRD sedans will continue to deliver all the quality, dependability, and reliability that is synonymous with Toyota. Both models will come standard with Toyota Safety Sense-P, a suite of advanced driver-assist technologies, among these Pre-Collision Braking. Camry TRD Toyota’s commitment to enthusiast drivers is apparent in the level of detail that TRD and Calty poured into these models. On Camry TRD, the matte-black 19 x 8.5-inch alloy wheels are a half-inch wider, yet 3.1 pounds lighter (each) than the 19 x 8.0-inch alloy wheels on the XSE grade. Paired with standard Bridgestone Potenza 235/40R19 summer tires, this combination reduces unsprung mass, increases lateral grip, and quickens turn-in response. Camry’s chassis is further enhanced with stiffer coil springs and front/rear sway bars for increased roll stiffness of 44% in the front and 67% in the rear. To compliment spring changes, a unique set of TRD shock absorbers were developed to control vehicle vertical and roll movement while maintaining on-road TRD ride quality. In addition to the TRD aero body features, Camry TRD wears a unique gloss black front grille with sport mesh insert and black exterior badging. Available colors include the appropriately dramatic Supersonic Red, Windchill Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic -- all three of which are two-toned -- and Midnight Black Metallic. Polished stainless steel TRD exhaust tips on the catback exhaust complete the exterior makeover. Inside, the Camry TRD driver will be seeing red – in the trim, that is. The cabin is decked out with Black Sport SofTex®-trimmed front seats with fabric inserts, red accents and red-stitched TRD embroidered headrests. The leather-wrapped steering wheel also has red stitching, and even the seatbelts are red. A shift knob with an embossed TRD logo, along with unique TRD floor and trunk mats, and a TRD MID visual start up complete the cabin upgrades. Avalon TRD TRD’s modifications work the same magic on the Avalon as they do on the Camry. Avalon TRD gets Black Sport SofTex-trimmed heated front seats with Ultra-suede inserts and red accents. It also gets red-stitched TRD embroidered headrests, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with red stitching, red seatbelts, a shift knob with an embossed TRD logo, and unique TRD floor and trunk mats. The matte-black 19 x 8.5-inch alloy wheels reduce 18 pounds of unsprung mass compared to the 19-inch wheels on the 2019 Avalon XSE. As on Camry TRD, the unbridled tone of the 301-hp V6 bellows through stainless steel TRD exhaust tips. The red pinstriping on the aero body elements, and the red seatbelts and accents complete Avalon TRD’s styling. Avalon TRD will be available in Supersonic Red, Windchill Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic and Midnight Black Metallic. View full article