4th generation coming 2015!

Not easy to achieve that...at 40% thermal efficiency it would mean BSFC 205g/kwh

 

Satire:
I cannot help but wonder, how does Toyota maintain such absolute control of information, and tight security about the G4? It does not seem possible that even the smallest, most minute leak could possibly be so thoroughly contained, and not escape to so many that desire "the smallest, most minute leak." Maybe, because Snowden does not read or speak Japanese? Needless to say, I am impressed, which leads me to wonder if perhaps our government should entrust our national security secrets to Toyota. If that is too severe to contemplate, may at the very least, just transcribe our secrets into Japanese.

But, come to think of it, acronyms work pretty well too. How many know what BSFC stands for?

 

^^^
Yeah, Toyota kept the Gen 3 details very well under wraps. I think there were a few leaked pictures before the intro that Danny took down. That was all I recall.

Prius Team did post a few teaser shots for us to guess about.

About 50 of us were invited to the intro in January 09 in Detroit (Danny + moderators of the time + a whole bunch of others) and at least I (and probably most of us) had no clue/hint about what features and changes we'd see. I never guessed the car would go beltless, the engine would change or that they'd add/make available sunroof, DRCC, LKA, LDW, IPA, remote AC, LED headlights, headlight washers, exhaust gas heat recovery, etc. ditch the bladder and thermos, and so on.

 

Oh very cool! I assume you had to pay your own way though?

 

It's possible for there to be significant leaks, and in most companies this size there usually are. But separating the signal from the noise is a challenge, so hard to guess what is legit and what is not. Also fair to say a good number of educated guesses will be correct.

 

Statistically some of the guesses will probably be correct. ie If enough people guess a number between 1 and 10 there are bound to be a few right. The problem is...our society always makes these people out to be super intelligent or informed.

 

A variation of the old "Perfect Prediction Scam".

 

Yup, these guys need a solid string of reproducibly accurate predictions, not just one or two lucky guesses.

 

One of the teaser showed some intake port to the engine. We thought it was turbo. It turned out to be EGR that also recovers heat.

Nope, it was all on Toyota. There was one lucky, funny, crazy guy invited all the way from Australia.

 

Wow! What are the odds of some of us getting to go again?

 

Pretty good, if I at all remember the fraction of that group that bought the car sight unseen while they were in Detroit.

The game is that Toyota gives travel perks, a purchase discount, and early delivery in return for marketing hype and pre-sales from regular folk. The marketing term escapes me for the moment, but it is a play for influential consumers. Personally, I think it corrupts those people but ymmv.

 

I would so love to go. Heaven knows I'm already a huge cheerleader for the Prius...would be even more so after an event like this.

 

If I wanted a cockpit, I'd buy an airplane, but I don't, I want a car that is functional without a lot of unnecessary plastic in my way with no storage. That space in front of the center console is an awesome spot for my purse and if it falls into the passenger floor, I can still reach it at a stop sign. I will be holding onto my 2005 2nd gen Prius with 181,100+ miles and counting in hopes that Toyota redesigns out the flying console.

 

Toyota can keep dancing around the mainstream .... open space in front of center console (2nd gen), floating bridge console (3rd gen) .... meanwhile no other top selling car is copying. But, I guess people just don't want Prius to be a top selling car, just the top selling hybrid. Oh well.

 

The above pics were copied from the UK Autotrader website. Not sure whether they have been posted here before, if so apologies. If not, not sure also if they add further to the stuff already posted here.

Does anyone have any clearer pics of the upcoming Gen IV?

 

I read that Ford's sales are up 7% in November. Has anyone seen how the Prius did?

I predict the 2014 model year will be slow for Prius. We shall see.

 

9,801 regular
2,227 v
3,001 c
1,100 PHV

 

I went to the Prius Priority show/dinner in NYC. It was great fun! I remember I won a "Prius Genius" T shirt playing one of the game shows LOL.

 

How did they pick people from here?