Toyota donates training gear to Laguna University

As part of its continuing efforts to improve the quality of automotive technology-enhanced engineering courses in the country, Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation (TMPF) has donated gasoline and diesel engine training simulators to the Laguna University.

In a statement, TMPF said "the engine training simulators will augment the facilities for the university’s mechanical engineering and automotive engineering students."

Last Thursday, Toyota Autoparts Philippines Inc. (TAP), the manufacturer of the country’s largest selling automobile brand, announced its P5.6-billion investment for the expansion of its production and exports of manual transmissions at the Toyota Special Economic Zone in Laguna.

The multi-billion peso Sta. Rosa facility will be Toyota’s fourth R-type transmission production plant in the world in addition to Japan, Thailand and India.

The construction of the transmission plant is expected to be completed by August 2008 and will increase local production capacity to 330,000 units from 150,000.

Toyota said the increasing global demand for its innovative multi-purpose vehicle paved the way to introduce R-type transmission production line. In 2006, it produced 180,000 G-type transmissions, of which 95 percent were exported to eight countries including Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Africa.

From the time TAP was established in 1990, it has produced 2.4 million G-type transmissions, 1.4 million constant velocity joints, and invested a total of P5.4 billion.

Meanwhile, parent firm Toyota Motor Corp. said this year’s motorsports activities will focus on competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1), NASCAR, Super GT and Formula Nippon, and on training upcoming and promising drivers.

In F1, for its sixth year of competition, Toyota will employ the new TF107 racecar, redesigned to improve aerodynamics and weight distribution. The team’s upper management structure is being enhanced, and, in recognition of the results achieved last year, the team will again use drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli.

In NASCAR, Toyota is competing for the first time this year in the competition’s pinnacle Nextel Cup Series and in the Busch Series, with the Toyota Camry.

In Japan, Toyota will aim for a second consecutive title in the Super GT, employing Lexus SC430s for all its GT500-class cars. Toyota will also continue supplying engines to Formula Nippon, a premier fornula racing series in Japan.