TOKYO -- Wary eyes are on the 53-year-old incoming chief of Toyota Motor introduced on Thursday, as the longtime engineer must now navigate the company through a rough and rapid race against new opponents and manufacturing headwinds in the car industry.
Two weeks before the surprise announcement yesterday, Koji Sato had appeared at a motor show near Tokyo, chuckling and exchanging joking remarks on stage with current president and CEO Akio Toyoda, who introduced him as an owner and passionate lover of the AE86, a rare Toyota sports car from the 1980s that has attracted many fans.
