Toyota Taps Sustainable Design Firm Corgan for New North American Headquarters

It’s official. Dallas-based Corgan will be Toyota’s lead architect for its new North American headquarters campus in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“After a search that included some of the finest architectural firms in the world, we are thrilled to welcome Corgan as designers of our North American headquarters in Plano, Texas,” said Doug Beebe, corporate manager of Administrative Services at Toyota.  “Corgan is a world-class firm that has designed many beautiful corporate campuses and other projects, both here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and around the world.  We are looking forward to seeing the design elements of this campus that Corgan will deliver to provide a collaborative and innovative workspace.”

Corgan President and CEO Bob Morris said, “We are inspired by the challenge to create a facility that will bring Toyota team members and associates from across the U.S. together in one building for the first time. It will be an honor for us at Corgan to help welcome Toyota to north Texas by creating a home for them where they will immediately feel comfortable and empowered to do their best work.”

The firm is already designing the temporary office space Toyota will occupy in Plano until the permanent campus is built.

Corgan has delivered impressive results working on corporate headquarters for State Farm, Southwest Airlines, Bulova, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Fossil, among others. The international firm has also been recognized for its design leadership of major hospitals, airports, schools, performance venues and a wide range of other project types. In addition, ninety of its projects are LEED registered and 47 are LEED certified.

Toyota recently purchased the land for the new headquarters site and expects to begin occupying the campus in late 2016 or early 2017.  Last month, Toyota selected Dallas-based KDC Real Estate Development & Investments, one of America’s leading commercial real estate development and investment firms, as lead developer for the project.

Once completed, the headquarters will be home to about 4,000 Toyota employees.

Five Travel Tips to Make Your Next Vacation a Summer Breeze

1. Search for hotels and flights online in private browsing or incognito. Booking websites will sometimes raise the prices if you've visited the website before.

2. Roll your clothes instead of folding. This will save huge amounts of space. 

 

3. If you have your phone's USB cord but not the adapter, use the one of the USB slots on the back of almost all modern TVs. 

 

4.  Place a dryer sheet at the bottom of your suitcase to keep clothes smelling fresh!

 

5.  Use this neat little trick to remove unsightly tourists from your photos.

Let us know if you have any travel tips of your own!

Toyota Reveals Exterior of Fuel Cell Sedan

Toyota Motor Corporation has revealed the exterior design and Japan pricing of its hydrogen fuel cell sedan, first unveiled as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show last year.

The car will launch in Japan before April 2015, and preparations are underway for launches in the U.S. and European markets in the summer of 2015.

Four Signs That It's Time For A New Car

1.    You have perform a sacred ritual every time you try to start the car

 











2.   Your paint job looks like this.

 

      3.     Your bumper is comprised of more duct tape than actual plastic. (Unless you're going for the hillbilly chrome look.)

 











4.   Your exhaust emits enough smoke to rival a Bon Jovi concert. 

If your car is exhibiting any of these symptoms, it's time to check out our inventory.

En garde! April Fools Pranks for Car Lovers

Each year it seems that April 1st pranks just get more outrageous. Seriously, maybe you shouldn't even leave the house. And don't even think about getting on Facebook. 

Perhaps the best way to avoid falling victim to the shenanigans this year is to administer the deception. After all, they do say that the best defense is a good offense.

Here are a few ideas for pranks involving cars. 

*Disclaimer: People take their cars very seriously so choose your victim wisely.

1. Cellophane wrapping. This one needs no explanation.

2. Accessory Overload. If you have access to your victim's keys, this one can be really great! Turn on the radio, wipers, A/C, hazards, parking brake and whatever else you can think of so that the next time they get in the car, well...

3. Balancing Act. Using tape or a similar adhesive utility, secure an empty coffee cup or mug to the top of your car. Watch the bewildered stares as you maneuver around the city with seemingly super driving powers.

4. Hit and run. Leave a note that will make your victim think that somebody hit their car!

5. A smashing success. Obtain an old car window from a scrap yard. Smash it to pieces, roll your victim's car windows down and place the broken glass on their seat and on the ground. All that's left is to break the news.

Let us know if you have any auto related pranks of your own!

4Runner Q & A

Hop in the 4Runner with Rutledge Wood and stunt driver Andy Bell, as they answer some of your questions about the Toyota 4Runner's off-road capabilities. 

Toyota 4Runner Is Fun, Fun, Fun Because Daddy Took the Unibody Away

Body-on-frame construction makes 2014 4Runner the only “true SUV” in The Fast Lane Car’s Top 10 Most Fun to Drive Car Awards

 

Wind whips through your hair and sparkling ocean waters whiz by as you cruise up the coast – that’s how movies portray the fun driving experience. This year The Fast Lane Car rolls over that notion. The 2014 Toyota 4Runner, with its rugged good looks and adventurous off-roading capabilities, has been named to tflcar.com’s fifth annual Top 10 Most Fun to Drive Car Awards.

The editorial staff at tflcar.com reviews vehicles year-round, experiencing them in a variety of settings and climates. At the end of each year, 10 vehicles are awarded “most fun to drive.” These vehicles put smiles on faces and impart a Joie de Vivre. The 4Runner is one of these vehicles, noted for how it is, “pretty serious off-road, a lot of fun to drive” and “one of the last true SUVs.”

The 4Runner is the only body-on-frame sport utility vehicle (SUV) to make this year’s 10 list, which includes luxury brands, performance vehicles and consumer favorites. To qualify, vehicles had to be a 2014 model year and driven/tested by tflcar.com’s staff within the 2013 calendar year.

“These automobiles may or may not be the fastest, the most powerful, or the most expensive, but they are certainly the most interesting cars that we’ve driven in the past year, and that’s why we’re proud to announce they made our list,” said Roman Mica, tflcar.com publisher.