The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

and were free of mental stress, and were generally happy that
they were "able to do what they liked."
The management had guaranteed two things to the
new G21 project team. First, they did not have to worry
about the model competing against Toyota's existing cars.
Second, they would be allowed to develop all new parts if
necessary.
The first guarantee implied that the team was allowed
to develop any-size car they wanted and use any component
available in Toyota. In other words, it granted the team the
freedom of design. However, the second guarantee implied
that the team had to explain in detail why the existing
part or component could not be used if the team decided
to develop a new one.
Although the new G21 started by organizing the
blueprint drawn by Kubochi's first G21, problems began to
emerge and difficult decisions had to be reached. For
example, they were unable to come up with clear
justifications for the dimensions of certain parts, or
whether or not a new transmission was needed.
The team could not even decide whether the engine
placement should be FF, FR or mid-body. When it came to
deciding which engine or transmission to use, every engineer
supported the one he was working on. It was the same with
suspensions. Those problems persisted for some time.
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