Tough (and scary) talk from Akio Toyoda
10-05-09, 10:43 AM
#46
Moderator
All I saying is that it is possible. A 100 billion dollar asset can vanish just like that, GM is living prove. So to say that the Toyota's president is creating too much of a sense of urgency is untrue. When you are playing with tens of billions of dollars a year, two or three big mistakes can sink the whole company.
10-05-09, 10:50 AM
#47
Lexus Test Driver
You are right, GM's decline is a long time coming and Toyota's problem is only in the last 2 years and is mostly due to the global economy. As some have already mention, Toyota need to take a step backwards and take a look at their situation as a whole. They need to go back to building high quality cars with reasonable price. As much as I like sport coupe or the Lexus F series, Toyota need to do what they do best first and not forget what make them the company they are today.
10-05-09, 11:02 AM
#48
Moderator
You are right, GM's decline is a long time coming and Toyota's problem is only in the last 2 years and is mostly due to the global economy. As some have already mention, Toyota need to take a step backwards and take a look at their situation as a whole. They need to go back to building high quality cars with reasonable price. As much as I like sport coupe or the Lexus F series, Toyota need to do what they do best first and not forget what make them the company they are today.
10-05-09, 01:13 PM
#50
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The big question is whether it'll wear a Scion badge or it'll revive the Toyota Celica nameplate.
We might learn more around 21 or 22 October at the Tokyo Auto Show Press Conferences.
10-05-09, 07:40 PM
#51
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10-05-09, 08:03 PM
#53
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Toyota is worth more than 8 or 9 auto companies COMBINED. They will be fine.
In Toyota's case the Lexus cash cow has hit them hard. Just in America, this is a brand that will go from selling 330k cars 2 years ago to barely 200k here today.
That is 130k EXPENSIVE PROFITABLE cars no longer being sold. Emerging markets ARE NOT picking up the slack.
No one is immune as luxury car sales have tanked and THE MORE EXPENSIVE the vehicle, the higher the profit margin. Toyota makes NOTHING on a Yaris. They make a killing on a LX 570.
The other factor is a rather simple one. The CONVERSION RATE. The Japanese companies are getting killed here.
10-05-09, 10:30 PM
#54
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I'm form the Collin Chapman school of thought, "Add lightness". Helps in every area; performance (handling, braking and acceleration) and more importantly FUEL ECONOMY.
and yes, anything's possible including an asteroid hitting the earth (it WILL happen one day), but it's highly unlikely at any given time.
toyota is still incredibly well positioned, and as has been said, has an EXCELLENT balance sheet. i think they lost, was it $5Bn last YEAR? so that would be a couple of decades of decline at that rate. is it possible? yes, in the near future? no way.
10-06-09, 04:42 AM
#56
Pole Position
10-06-09, 05:35 AM
#57
Lexus Test Driver
The worst thing any auto comapny can do is to sit back and hope that things will turn around. Fortunately, Toyota is not doing that, they have instill a sense urgency in their economy situation. The Toyota CEO doesnt think losing money is accepable and never even remotely sugguest that they can keep losing money for a while and still stay in business. Call it jumping the gun or what have you, but in the car business, small mistakes can steam roll into serious situation that can cost Billions.
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