EL-HASAN Discusses Sociopaths...

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... in this week's edition of Business Casual

Toyota: NOT Working With Daimler

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Toyota has a lot of great technologies and manufacturing techniques that other carmakers could use.


Toyota denies in talks to cooperate with Daimler

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp denied on Thursday a report that it was considering building derivatives of Mercedes-Benz's A-Class and B-Class cars on its own platform to better utilise its European plants in the long term.

"We are denying this completely," Toyota spokesman Yuta Kaga said in Tokyo. "There is no truth to anything written in the article."

Citing sources at Toyota, German magazine auto motor und sport reported on Wednesday that the company was thinking about the generation of Mercedes compacts due to follow the upcoming version, which is scheduled to be introduced in 2011.

Read more on Toyota's denial.

What Are the Top 20 Searched Vehicles?

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Kelley Blue Book released the top 20 most-researched new vehicles for the first half of 2009:

1. Honda Accord
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Camry
4. Honda CR-V
5. Toyota Corolla
6. Toyota Highlander
7. Nissan Altima
8. Toyota RAV4
9. Toyota Prius
10. Ford Mustang
11. Honda Pilot
12. MAZDA3
13. Honda Odyssey
14. Ford Fusion
15. Ford Escape
16. Chevrolet Camaro
17. Volkswagen Jetta
18. Toyota Sienna
19. Chevrolet Malibu
20. Lexus RX350

Honda Insight a Disappointment?

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This can't be good for sales for a car that was supposed to help put Honda in contention for top hybrid maker with Toyota.


Ouch! Consumer Reports says Honda Insight not as fit as Honda's Fit

It ain't easy being green. Just ask Honda.

Consumer Reports gives a stinging review to Honda's Insight gas-electric hybrid in its August edition out Tuesday. "The Insight is the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time," said David Champion, senior director of its auto test center. "The Insight is a noisy, stiff-riding car with clumsy handling that is nothing like the Fit on which it is based."

CR gave Insight a ranking of 21 out of 22 small wagons and hatchbacks it has tested. It scored 54 road test points vs. 86 for the top-ranked Mazda5 Touring. And Pontiac's Vibe, which GM is killing with the rest of the brand, scored 69 points.

Read more on the Insight review.

SpaceX Gets New Funding

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This came in via Spotbeam California, an e-publication of the California Space Authority. SpaceX founder Elon Musk is an industry rock star.


SpaceX Gets New Financing

(Original Source: PE Hub) Rocket aficionado Steve Jurvetson and his DFJ partners have agreed to lead a major investment in space transportation provider SpaceX. The round could be worth upwards of $60 million, and would include existing SpaceX backer Founders Fund. Jurvetson declined to discuss the specifics of SpaceX's financing. Regulatory filings show the company had raised $15 million toward a proposed $60 million round as recently as March. Jurvetson says that the round has either closed already or will close within the next 14 days. The Hawthorne.-based company has raised $112 million in funding since 2002, according to regulatory filings. Most of that financing has come directly from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who holds the title of CEO, CTO and founder of the company. (6/25)

Mind-powered Wheelchair

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Will this technology ever be applied to cars? That would be amazing and scary.


Toyota develops wheelchair that can be steered using brain waves

(Daily Mail) Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has developed a way to steer wheelchairs using brain waves alone.

The company says that the new technology enables users to move the chair without needing to move a muscle.

Toyota, which announced the development today, said that it is among the fastest systems in the world for analysing brain signals.

Read more on the magical wheelchair.

Toyota Increases Focus on N. America

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North America -- and specifically the U.S. -- is the world's biggest market. So Toyota's move makes sense.

Toyota turns focus on North America

(Detroit News) Toyota Motor Corp., which faces huge challenges in North America, once its most lucrative market, has put two company veterans with years of U.S. experience in charge of the region.

The Japanese automaker also has created a management unit focusing solely on North America as part of a series of organizational changes, including the appointment of new President Akio Toyoda, announced this week.

Read more on Toyota.

EL-HASAN: Too Big To Fail in the South Bay

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This week's Business Casual column explores the idea of being too big to fail.

Is any institution too big to fail?

About Biz Waves

Biz Waves is a one-stop Web hub for business news and content from the South Bay region of Los Angeles County and beyond.

The primary contributor is:

Muhammed El-Hasan, a business reporter at the Daily Breeze since 2000, covers aerospace and everything else about business in the South Bay. Muhammed previously reported at the San Bernardino Sun and the community news division of The Orange County Register. He also worked as a researcher in the Jerusalem bureau of the Los Angeles Times in 1996-97. But his career highlight as a young man was driving a forklift at a Gardena company near Hawthorne, where he grew up.

You can email Muhammed at muhammad.el-hasan@dailybreeze.com

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