Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas team members take their final exam Friday when the first 2007 Tundra rolls off the line. At 10 a.m. team members will take a break from truck building and gather round that first truck. But after about an hour, it's back to the line to build more.

"The ceremony marks the start of production and then production must go on," said Mike Goss, spokesman for Toyota Motors Engineering and Manufacturing of North America.

The celebration of the first vehicle off an assembly line is called line-off. For Toyota it's not as big a deal as it might be for some other manufacturers, said Jeffrey Liker, a professor at the University of Michigan and author of "The Toyota Way."

"It's like taking a test to a very good student," Liker said. "It's just one more thing that they're doing for the semester. For a bad student it's a really big deal because they haven't been working hard and they have to cram. Toyota has done so much work that by the time line-off happens, they figure it's going to go smoothly and just be another day at the plant."

That's not to say there won't be some pomp and circumstance. Gov. Rick Perry is expected to attend, along with local officials and Toyota executives from Japan.

They'll be here for the line-off of what company officials call the most important vehicle in Toyota history.

"One of the reasons we've declared this to be Toyota Month at the chamber is that the roll-out of this truck not only is the culmination of a billion-dollar-plus investment in this community and the creation of over 4,000 high-paying technology-based jobs, it also marks the creation of a significant manufacturing industry in San Antonio," said Joe Krier, president of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

"This is the largest financial package I think that's ever been put together for a manufacturer," said County Judge Nelson Wolff, who helped recruit Toyota to San Antonio. "It was a major, major effort that we knew would change the economic future of San Antonio."

Total local and state incentives exceed $130 million. But Toyota has also given back. It handed out $500,000 to local nonprofits on the day of its groundbreaking in 2003. It also vowed to make up for lost tax revenue for the local school district. And more could be on the way.

Toyota has made financial commitments to school districts, universities and environmental causes at other line-off events. But officials aren't saying if anything similar is planned for Friday.

"It's an opportunity for the plant to say thanks to the community with a donation," Toyota spokesman Goss said. "We also try to create an atmosphere where we're really thanking our team members for their efforts. Some of the folks we've hired there are really three-year veterans."

The first truck, however, won't go any further than Toyota's reception lobby — where it will sit "in perpetuity," Goss said

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Congrats TMMTX!

 

nice

 

nice

 

Woo, finally Toyota!!! ^ woo hoo I'm in ur sig!! ;)

 

the new tundra iz off de hizzazle...

 

Ok, I'm just about kicking myself for not pulling out my camera phone and taking a couple of shots at the 07 Tundra that I saw at my hotel Friday the 10th of November. I am such a .

I work at the Hilton in Ontario California, and at 8am I pulled into our parking lot, and there it was, passing me. A sand colored 07 Tundra, just like this one:



I thought to myself, hey, these arn't being sold yet, I'm suprised to see on driving around.

I'm sure most of you will think I'm full of $hit, but I'm serious. I'm just mad at myslef.

 

Maybe it was a Titan? lol jk I believe you. They are kinda ugly but probably kinda cool. lol

 

That longbed is ugly! sorry but it is definatley not for me. I do like the new 2007 always been a truck kind of guy. maybe thats why I like the pioneer xb so much

 

I find it hilarious that Toyota is going for Ford's jugular by building a plant in Texas--the heart of truck country. Hat's off to Toyota.

No offense to Ford lovers.

 

Yeah I have to say that is pretty ironic!

 

meh, i have no sympathy for american auto manufactures, the us market was theirs to lose. both my parents grew up with that loyalty to buying american cars and trucks, but with all the crap chevy and ford put them through, they filled the driveway and garage with imports and never regreted it.

 

also, have they released power numbers on those engines? i really want to know what that new 5.7 v8 is going to make! they should be well over 300 hp since they really want make it clear that this is a full-size pickup and not half way inbetween the compact and full size like they have in the past.

 

Congrats to Toyota. I'm sure Detroit is getting a bit nervous on this new truck.

 

I'd be worried if I were Dodge, Ford, or Nissan. GM has updated the Sierra pretty quickly in response to this threat.

It appears Toyota will eventually use the Duramax...

 

I'm sure Detroit is not happy about this at all. But the reality is, Toyota can't build the Tundra in the volume the Big 3 can....at least not yet. The Indiana plant splits production capacity between the Sienna, Sequoia and Tundra. So the bulk of the work falls on the one Texas plant.

Still though....if the public embraces this thing, the Big 3 will certainly "hear the footsteps" behind them.

 

Tundras we get here are made in Japan. Wonderin if the new ones willbe the same.

 

I believe you, I saw the IS 350/250 on the 15freeway on my way to vegas. It was stoped at Barstow in the Carls Jr parking lot, by the outlet stores. It was badgeless and all, but I knew what it was.

 

GM is updatin its line of diesel motors, the Duramax wont be making a re-appearence. GM has a new in-house diesel being developed. The Duramax, as everybody should know, was produced/designed by Isuzu.

 

??? The IS250/350 has been out for some time now.