Don’t wait with bated breath for the new Toyota FT-86, because Toyota’s latest sports car will only arrive in 2013, according to a report from Best Car Magazine. Co-developed with Subaru, the rear-driven coupe was originally scheduled for a launch in 2011. However, the latest report cites Japan’s current lacklustre economic climate as well as talks of a design overhaul …Read More

Euro NCAP, a safety performance assessment organisation responsible for testing cars on sale across Europe, has begun conducting tests on stability control systems to determine their effectiveness. While all of the initial batch of 40 cars tested passed the test, Euro NCAP highlighted that the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Subaru Impreza had room for improvement. Although the …Read More

With no Toyota sports car on the market for some time now, the automotive scene was of course fascinated when Toyota first unveiled the FT-86 sports car at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. While we wait patiently for the car’s arrival in 2012, Toyota has released a “family portrait” showing the new FT-86 alongside three of its spiritual predecessors, the most important of …Read More

Subaru has announced that the Impreza XV, a crossover based on the five-door Impreza hatchback, will be making its debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. It will feature a unique front grille, different wheel arches, special roof rails and a roof spoiler compared to a normal Impreza hatchback. Powering the crossover will be a 2.0-litre Horizontally-Opposed Boxer …Read More

The star of the Tokyo Auto Salon is Toyota’s FT-86 G Sports concept, a sports car closely related to the much-discussed Toyobaru—the relatively affordable two-plus-two sports coupe jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru. The FT-86 G Sports concept is powered by a turbocharged version of the Subaru-derived 2.0-litre Boxer engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, although …Read More

The idea of a “compact, affordable and fun” rear-wheel driven Kia sports car is on the table, one that rivals relatively inexpensive sports cars like Mazda MX-5 and upcoming models from Toyota and Subaru, according to Kia’s head designer Peter Schreyer in an interview with Autocar. Such a sports car could be based on Kia’s Kee concept which debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt …Read More

This mean-looking machine is the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Special Edition, which features wheels and upgraded suspension adopted from the JDM WRX STI spec C. The 18-inch alloy wheels are charcoal-coloured and 14-spoke, while the suspension consists of 16 percent stiffer front springs, 29 percent stiffer rear springs and a stiffer rear sub-frame bushings. …Read More

Ever since news of the joint Toyota-Subaru project on creating a relatively affordable sports car broke, it was assumed by most (okie, us) that both companies would produce mechanically similar cars. Toyota has given the public a glimpse with the Toyota FT-86, while Subaru has been tight-lipped on their plans. According to a report from Inside Line, however, the two cars …Read More

In a sure sign of our go-“green” times, Toyota Prius has won the prestigious Japan Car of the Year award, edging out fellow hybrid Honda Insight. Japan has always been on the forefront of producing environmentally-friendly cars, and the trend is clear from the list of winners: Honda Fit won in 2007, Toyota iQ won in 2008, both of which are compact, clean …Read More

There was no lack of anticipation and excitement when curtains were drawn to reveal the successor to the legendry AE86 at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show despite having seen the first press photos and even the virtual preview of the Toyota FT-86 Concept from the upcoming Gran Turismo 5. The Toyota FT-86 Concept has created quite a stir, especially amongst the Japanese car fans, …Read More

For the past decade or so, the Toyota brand is almost a synonym to reliability in the automotive world and that is the underlying reason why it is currently the largest car producer in the world. Unfortunately, superior dependability, efficiency and advanced technology do not equate to excitement, the ingredient that Akio Toyoda is seeking to add into the recipe for Toyota to …Read More

In what will be very disappointing to those who are awaiting a great Tokyo Motor Show next month, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has announced that most of the major automakers have decided to pass up this year’s show. According to JAMA chairman, Satoshi Aoki, only 122 exhibitors have committed to the exhibition, compared to 241 …Read More

The global economic crisis has claimed yet another victim in the motor sports arena: Toyota, the only Japanese team left in Formula One after Honda pulled out, decided not to host the Japanese Grand Prix at its Fuji Speedway circuit from next year, having hosted the F1 race for the first time in 30 years in 2007, followed by 2008. Hiroaki …Read More