SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 19, 2025 – Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda—known affectionately as “Aki-chan”—just did something you don’t see every day: he walked into a high school classroom in Japan and taught a special lesson about cars, life, and what he hopes the next generation carries forward.

A New Kind of School Day in Ehime

The setting wasn’t a lecture hall or a boardroom. It was FC Imabari High School Satoyama in Ehime Prefecture, a private school that opened in April 2024 and is intentionally built around the idea that learning shouldn’t stay trapped inside a classroom.

One of the school’s defining features is a curriculum that blends studies with real-world projects, including corporate activities and engagement with the local community. In other words: students don’t just learn about life—they practice it, in public.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 19, 2025 – Toyota has launched the all-new, 6th generation RAV4 in Japan as a new-generation SUV built around the idea that “Life is an Adventure,” with a clear message: one model should fit many kinds of lives. Developed around “Diversification, Electrification, and Intelligence,” the new RAV4 keeps the nameplate’s solid, powerful look while leaning harder into choice, electrified performance, and software-driven comfort.

Three Personalities, One RAV4

If you’ve ever loved the RAV4 concept but wished it came with a clearer “this is me” vibe, Toyota is answering with three distinct styles. The lineup includes the sophisticatedly styled Z, the Adventure model designed to handle off-road driving, and the GR SPORT (scheduled for release within fiscal 2025, ending March 2026), which is focused on driving performance.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 19, 2025 – If you’ve been following Toyota’s “developing ever-better cars” era and waiting to see its newest flagships up close, January is about to get very tempting. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) says it will exhibit at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, Japan, from January 9 to 11, bringing the GR GT and GR GT3 for their first general-public reveal after their December 5 world premiere.

A Public Debut for Two New Flagships

Toyota is positioning the GR GT and GR GT3 as the stars of its booth, and the timing is part of the excitement: these models are moving from “world premiere” energy to real-life, in-person viewing. For anyone who likes to judge a car by stance, proportions, and details you simply can’t feel through a screen, a show like Tokyo Auto Salon is where the obsession usually begins.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 19, 2025 – Toyota didn’t present its new sports models like a typical “bigger, faster, louder” launch. Instead, the world premiere on December 5 at the Woven City Inventor Garage in Susono, Shizuoka, leaned into something more human: the craft of making cars, the pressure of being judged, and the stubborn decision to keep improving even when it would be easier to play it safe.

A Japanese Ritual That Explains the Mindset

The story begins with Shikinen Sengu at Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture, where a shrine is rebuilt every 20 years and sacred objects are moved from old to new. The shrine’s own explanation reads like a mission statement for any craft worth protecting: “The history of Japan and the spirit of our ancestors must never be cast aside. We must continue to safeguard those things that need to be preserved for the future. Doing so is more difficult than embracing change, and more important.”

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – Some business books are all frameworks and buzzwords. This one is built from days, moments, and the kind of real-world tension that comes with working directly beside a high-profile leader. My Boss Akio Toyoda: An Author's True Story of 5,012 Days was published in September, and its author—Toyota Fellow Hideki Fujii—describes it as both a business book filled with Mr. Toyoda’s words and actions, and a human story about what it feels like to be “the subordinate” who has to deliver those words to the world.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – If you go to a motor show for the feeling as much as the facts—beautiful shapes, bold details, and that little rush you get when a car just “clicks”—Alfa Romeo is setting up Brussels as a strong start to 2026. From January 9–18, 2026, the brand will appear at the 102nd Brussels Motor Show with a “spectacular” stand in Hall 5, designed to tell the story of Alfa Romeo’s evolution through Italian design, technology, and driving dynamics.

Why this is a fun show moment for everyday visitors
Brussels has become one of those rare European events that still feels like a true “public” car show—big crowds, lots to see, and a wide mix of brands. Alfa Romeo points out that the Belgian show exceeded 300,000 visitors last year, underlining how much people still love seeing cars in person before they ever think about a test drive.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – A new hotel name is popping up in Bodenmais—but the people behind it are anything but new. Starting December 26, 2025, the former Hotel Rothbacher Hof will reopen as the Arber Hotel am Rothbach, led by Martina Müller, previously the owner of the well-known hotel “Zum Arber”, which closed temporarily in early November. What makes this opening unusual (and honestly kind of reassuring for guests) is that the entire team is moving with her to the new location—together.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – If you love car shows for the ideas—the wild concepts, the clever everyday upgrades, and the occasional “I didn’t expect to fall for that” design—Citroën is setting up Brussels as a big refresh moment. When the Brussels Motor Show opens to the public on January 9, 2026, the brand says visitors will find a colorful, modern, welcoming stand that reflects a clear theme: mobility should feel accessible, comfortable, and genuinely useful—without the unnecessary stuff.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – Not every sustainability story starts with a brand-new vehicle. Sometimes it starts with what’s already on the road—and a fuel swap that can make everyday driving feel a little less heavy on the climate. That’s the idea behind the HVO Aurora Trial, a European tour featuring a Citroën Berlingo running on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), a renewable diesel made from waste cooking oil and animal fats.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 18, 2025 – If you’ve ever walked a boat show and thought, “It looks amazing… but how does it feel at sea?”, Naples is about to offer a very different kind of answer. The Napoli Boat Show (NBS) will debut March 18–22, 2026 at Marina di Stabia in Castellammare di Stabia (NA)—with a format built around one simple idea: boats shouldn’t just be displayed, they should be ready to sail.