Back in February I took a look at Toyota's new Optimal Drive engine. Toyota have released their new Corolla 1.3 Optimal Drive and it's time to see if this really is the fuel efficiency breakthrough we've been waiting for.

Before I leap right in and tell you what the outcome was, let's re-cap and take a look at what the Optimal Drive was supposed to deliver. The Optimal Drive promised almost 15-20% more fuel efficiency. It was also said that the engine would be more powerful (3-5%) than other engines of the same class. But what about the environment? Toyota claimed a drastic reduction in CO2 output, making this one of the worlds 'greener' engines.  read more »

Did 2008 fly by or what? It's hard to believe it's already 2009. We're pretty excited here at the Corolla Blog. We're expecting this year to be even better than the last. Once again we'll be covering all the latest Toyota innovations and developments as well as another exciting rally season to look forward to. Don't forget our competitions, with great Toyota gear up for grabs.

We're looking forward to watching our community grow and thrive. If you have any Corolla related stories or experiences, feel free to blog them right here. We're always keen to hear how your Corolla has changed the way you drive. If you haven't registered yet, go here.

With all that said, we hope you have a brilliant 2009, keep safe, and most importantly, have fun!

Although the Corolla is a good-looking car in itself, there are those among us that would desire a more sporty appearance. Body modifications have been around for ages, but I recently stumbled upon a site that had some excellent pictures of what can be done with the Corolla. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a local supplier of these kits, but there are quite a few available through the local classifieds.

Although the site is American a quick exchange rate calculation tells me that doing a body modification to your Toyota could be quite pricey, which begs the question: is it worth it? There are claims that the sleeker spoilers improve the cars aerodynamics, but I’m not sure if that’s necessarily true. What I will say is that car looks far more sporty and aggressive, so I suppose it really boils down to a matter of personal preference.

I am keen to read your opinions on Corolla modifications, drop a comment on this post and let me know if you want to read more about Corolla modifications (body and engine), or whether you feel it is a moot point.

I've always wanted to do an advanced driving course. The idea of having complete control over my vehicle (no matter what the situation) kind of intrigues me. I've always had a deep respect for people that have done these courses. I always feel safer in the car when the person behind the wheel has been trained to drive by professionals. My greatest disappointment has always been that most of these courses are run in German manufactured automobiles. Although the principles remain the same, I've always felt uncomfortable with the idea that the car you're learning these new skills in is not something that might be sitting in your garage at home.  read more »

I've always wanted to do an advanced driving course. The idea of having complete control over my vehicle (no matter what the situation) kind of intrigues me. I've always had a deep respect for people that have done these courses. I always feel safer in the car when the person behind the wheel has been trained to drive by professionals. My greatest disappointment has always been that most of these courses are run in German manufactured automobiles. Although the principles remain the same, I've always felt uncomfortable with the idea that the car you're learning these new skills in is not something that might be sitting in your garage at home.  read more »

Toyota have launched their new ValuePlan financing product. This plan is unique in comparison with most other finance offerings. The reason is simple : ValuePlan puts you behind the wheel of a new Toyota every three years! The benefits are numerous. The Toyota ValuePlan offers customers "a fixed monthly payment, requiring no deposit, with no balloon payment, with the choice of a three or four year term. This guarantees customers a new vehicle every three or four years", says Johan Brink, Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Financial Services South Africa.

"At the end of the agreement, subject to fair wear and tear, customers will return the vehicle to the original Toyota dealer without the inherent depreciation and residual value risk associated with standard instalment finance agreements. There are no hidden cost surprises at the end of the term and the customer has numerous options available to them at this time".  read more »