Currently reading: Quick News: BMW-Toyota sports car; new Lexus service; Jeep milestone; Toyota's brand value

Co-developed BMW-Toyota sports car; Lexus IS to get real-time traffic and navigation updates; One-millionth Jeep Wranger produced; Toyota reclaims most valuable brand position

The four-part joint venture between BMW and Toyota to produce a future midsize "sports vehicle" is reportedly ready to yield results. Internet rumours suggest a pair of new sports car concepts could be seen as early as the Tokyo motor show later this year. There are no clues yet as to what the concepts might be called.

Lexus has announced a real-time parking and traffic navigation service, developed in conjunction with travel intelligence network Inrix; the service will be launched as standard on the new Lexus IS. The company points to data from IBM showing that 30 per cent of ubran traffic congestion is caused by drivers looking for a parking space. The real-time traffic data will also allow IS drivers to bypass jams. 

The one-millionth Jeep Wrangler has rolled off the production line at the Chrysler Group's Toledo factory. The plant, which began producing Jeeps in 2006, will begin production of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee later this year. The millionth Wrangler was a black 2013 Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition, bound for a customer in Florida.

A survey carried out by WPP, a marketing communications company, has named Toyota as the most valuable automotive brand. The 'BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013' report said that Toyota's brand value increased by 12 per cent to £16.2 billion, one of the biggest improvements in the sector. Its sales also rose in 2012 by 22.6 per cent, contributing towards the brand's valuation in the report.

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The Lexus IS is a sleek junior exec that makes for an interesting alternative but lacks a decent diesel option

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tuga 22 May 2013

BMW-Toyota

 

Autocar wrote:

Toyota is keen to launch a successor to the Celica

Wouldn't that be the GT86? It looks pretty mid sized to me as well...