Toyota Auris ad shows -- what, a topless bikini model?!?

By Jerry Hirsch

Aug. 23, 2012 12 AM PT

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In the U.S., &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”ORCRP015439”&amp;gt;Toyota Motor Corp.&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; is best known for conservatively styled, reliable, but often boring cars. It’s considered the Maytag of the auto business. &amp;nbsp;Toyota’s advertising pretty much follows the same theme.&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Overseas, the automaker appears to have shattered the mold in a commercial for the Auris, a Corolla not sold in the U.S.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The commercial opens with a model -- nude save for an open jacket and a skimpy bikini bottom -- strutting toward the new car.&amp;nbsp; Meticulously coifed long blond hair streams behind as the curvy model strips off the jacket and faces the camera.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Surprise.&amp;nbsp; This car babe is actually a man, flat bare chest and all. A caption over the picture says in Japanese: Let’s turn our back on common sense.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The model in this Japanese commercial could double for Scarlett Johansson or one of the Hanson Brothers, depending on your perspective. He is Stav Strashko, a 20-year-old androgynous Ukrainian-born model who was raised in Israel.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Toyota campaign seems to be the biggest brand he has ever worked for and is getting a huge online buzz. &amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;ALSO:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://lat.ms/O1Qjw8”&amp;gt;Collector car auctions set record&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://lat.ms/SrBrpd”&amp;gt;Baroness defies Nazis to save Mercedes&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://lat.ms/TPWVOY”&amp;gt;Bieber, DiCaprio Fisker Karmas are recalled&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Follow me on Twitter (&amp;lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/LATimesJerry”&amp;gt;@LATimesJerry&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;), &amp;lt;a href=”https://www.facebook.com/jerry.hirsch.52”&amp;gt;Facebook&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and &amp;lt;a href=”https://plus.google.com/u/0/117467160499700156300/?rel=author”&amp;gt;Google+&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Toyota Auris ad shows -- what, a topless bikini model?!?

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