The Toyota GT 86, or Scion FR-S as it will be called in North America, isn’t available yet, but it’s already generating tuner buzz.

We were satisfied with the stock 200-horsepower boxer engine during our review in December, but that’s not quite enough power for some of the folks in the hachi-roku forums. Tetsuya Tada, the car’s chief engineer is encouraging the conversation.

“Some Americans already put a 5.0-liter engine in a Mazda roadster. There are fanclubs who want to do the same with our car. There is no rule to limit that. As manufacturers, we can’t do that. We have to give guarantees. We need to build cars that last. Tuners can try. We welcome that,” Tada said.

The 5.0-liter Mazda mod he’s talking about is, of course, the Monster Miata which gets a Mustang V8 shoehorned surprisingly well in place of it’s stock four banger.

While we don’t see the need to tinker with Toyota’s formula, it’s easy to understand the urge.

“As it is, only highly skilled drivers can make full use of the stock engine. Some people may like to have a higher speed in the straightaway, but there are lots of other cars they can choose,” Tada said,

He even teased the idea of putting a more potent engine into future models, though we aren’t holding our breath.

“For our current engine, we cooperated with Subaru. Maybe we [will] cooperate with Porsche or someone else next time. You can partner with anybody in the world these days.”

GALLERY: 2013 Scion FR-S

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

Subaru announced the continuation of their contingency program, the Subaru Rally Sport Program, for the 2012 Rally America National Championship. The Subaru Rally Sport Program, which is managed by Subaru of America with Vermont SportsCar as a partner, will continue to be North America’s most lucrative contingency program for rally racing.

Over $20,000 will be available at each Rally America National Championship event for Subaru drivers to earn. The program will continue to focus its support in the Super Production class (SP) where the top eligible Subaru SP driver can earn $7,000 each round, and second through 10th place will also receive generous (at least $500) payouts.

The SP class was originally created in 2009 by Rally America to offer a compromise between the top-tier Open class and the more restrictive Production GT (PGT) class. It’s a rally-racing class that is cost-effective for the racers in WRX or WRX STI models.

“Subaru as a brand, and our WRX and WRX STI models in particular, are widely recognized as having rally-DNA and being associated with performance and rallying in general,” said James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “By announcing a continuation in the [Subaru] Rally Support Program, Subaru reaffirms our commitment to privateer entrants campaigning our products in Rally America events and to the growth of rally in the United States.”

Subaru of America will also offer a $200 “start fund” to any eligible Subaru entered in a Rally America Regional rally that runs concurrent to a national event weekend.

Subaru has announced that Andrew Aquilante and Bret Spaude will return as factory team drivers for their entry in the Grand Sport (GS) class of the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The first round of the series will take place at Daytona International Speedway on January 27th, 2012.

Subaru will be fielding a race-prepped 2012 four-door WRX STI, developed specifically to compete with all the other 400-hp vehicles in the class. Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) has been working on a technical progression for the number-35 STI during the off-season and appears to be optimistic heading into round one of the championship.

SRRT Principal Joe Aquilante noted, “We’ve enjoyed a very productive off-season, and our team is looking forward to getting back to the business of racing our Subaru WRX STI.  Our drivers have been focusing on honing their physical fitness while our technical staff has been diligently progressing our car development plan.  To say that we’re excited for Daytona is an understatement.”

Round one of the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge starts January 27th at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.

Subaru recently launched the limited edition WRX STI S206 Challenge Package model in Japan, a higher performance version of the already impressive STI. It’s existence, however, is directly related to this car, the S206 racer.

On display for the first time (as far as we know) since winning the SP3T class at last year’s Nurburgring 24 Hour race both the street and race cars share some attractive performance goodies. Along with an up-rated version of the factory 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer engine with 316 hp (not to mention a long list of suspension modifications and a retuned ECU on the street car), both vehicles get a carbon fiber roof and a massive carbon rear spoiler.

See all the pics of the racer below and check out AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon coverage here.

GALLERY: Subaru STI S206 Nurburgring Racer

First unveiled at the LA Auto Show late last year the Subaru BRZ STI Concept is no longer just a hint at things to come. Just a month ago at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese automaker officially drew back the covers on the production BRZ (while Toyota did the same with its GT 86).

An already impressive machine (read our review of its sibling, the Scion FR-S here), the BRZ makes 200-hp, has an amazing weight balance and a low center of gravity. The STI concept takes the car’s performance a step further with custom aerodynamics, larger 18-inch wheels, a light weight carbon fiber hood, custom exhaust and a carbon fiber roof – further lowering the car’s center of gravity.

GALLERY: Subaru BRZ STI Concept

Discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

Living up to its name, Subaru tuning company and race team Prova has unveiled its “Black Edition” BRZ sports car at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The wild tuner-car-meets-race-car gets matte black ground effects with orange pinstriping, matched out back by a significantly-sized matte-painted spoiler.

Also of note are huge 19-inch Enkei wheels with sticky Michelin tires, which house enormous 6-piston front brake calipers. Other add-ons include twin hood vents to keep the car’s namesake cool, while custom fender gilles add some added Subaru flare.

One final feature worth pointing out is the dual center-exit exhaust – a look that’s sure to catch on.

GALLERY: Subaru BRZ Black Edition

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon Coverage here and discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

The past 20 years were pretty stable in the automotive industry. Mostly predictable releases with a steady rate for manufacturers to introduce new models that seemed like a consistant recipe for success.

Then, suddenly with the start of the current model year, things changed. In fact, it looks like this is just the start of a serious upswing in new releases. According to a story published on CNN Money, the auto industry replaced 16 percent of its fleet annually between 1991 and 2011.

That figure jumped to 23 percent with the 2012 model year, which started in October. Apparently keeping this fresh is the snake oil for successful car companies, because next year that number will grow to 32 percent, effectively doubling the rate new models hit the market. Given this manufacturer mayhem, we decided to round up the new cars you should expect to see soon.

Honda is an interesting case as they’ve recognized that their luxury brand, Acura, is simply being outdone by the competition at every turn. They decided to completely redesign their line to quell complaints that their cars are little more than rebadged Hondas. The first to look for: their new ILX compact sedan. As for Honda, they are already planning to release a new generation Civic after the media chastised them for an uninspired release.

Next up, Nissan. While they don’t hold a big market share in the U.S., Carlos Ghosn, their CEO is making plans to expand the 8.2 percent they have now to ten by 2015. In order to do that, they are revamping half of their entire line. Nissan is targeting the burgeoning EV market with their Leaf, which first became available last year. Look for updated Altimas, Sentras and Pathfinders in the near future.

Toyota suffered after the tsunami, but is coming back with a fury. The automaker is releasing a brand-new sports car, the FR-S, developed in partnership with Subaru and set to sell with a Scion badge. The RAV-4 and Lexus ES sedan will also get updates.

Chrysler will move toward smaller cars, something the brand has historically struggled with. The shrinkage can be attributed to Fiat, their new owners, and how their new 40 mpg Dodge Dart borrows heavily from the Italian engineers.

Ford and GM are trying to hang on to their chunky market shares, 17 and 19.7 percent respectively. Both companies are following the industry strategy: refreshing their popular sellers and releasing redesigned cars in their luxury brands. Look for a re-engineered Lincoln MKZ from Ford and Cadillac‘s new compact ATS and larger XTS sedans from GM.

Finally, there are some changes in the pipeline for German luxury cars. Audi just confirmed that their compact Q3 SUV will be sold in the U.S., along with the re-release of the compact A2 sedan. Mercedes-Benz is opting to offer their smaller B-Series and A-Series cars to remain competitive in the Yankee market.

[Source: CNN Money]

Some cars handle better than others in snow and as high-performance beasts go, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII is certainly among the best.

The Evo, as it is commonly called by enthusiasts, is a lot like the Subaru WRX STi. They’re both beefed up rally versions of their manufacturer’s humdrum sedans. Stiff suspension, power-a-plenty and a rigorous all-wheel drive systems make these the go-to for off road racers.

That really doesn’t mean anything, though, if you’re caught in a snowy pile up on the highway like the driver in the video below was. Thankfully for him and his car, he understood that driving on an embankment and dinging up his ride was better than stomping on the brakes and sliding out of control. According to the West Virginia Metro News, about 30 vehicles were involved in the crash.

Unfortunately for so many others around him, winter defensive driving is an easily forgotten skill that can save you money and your life. Just remember that front- rear- or all-wheel drive cars cant do diddly without a driver’s due diligence. Stay calm, dress warm and keep a kit in your car in case you get stuck.

That said, there’s a reason our review of the 2011 Evo MR features us hooning around in the snow: it’s damn fun. You don’t buy this car for comfort, you buy it because road gripping, lane churning performance and precision are an enthusiast’s bread and butter.

You can watch the video below, and as always— drive safe. Warning: there is a lot of swearing in the video.

Continue Reading…

Subaru will use next week’s Detroit Auto Show to stage the first North American showing of its new BRZ sports car.

Co-developed with Toyota, the BRZ is an unconventional Subaru as it is rear-wheel drive and not all-wheel drive. It does, however, feature a 4-cylinder boxer powerplant, which allows the car to have an ultra-low center of gravity and an excellent weight balance. With a low curb weight of just 2,700 lbs, the BRZ makes 200-hp and 151 lb-ft of torque.

Mechanically similar to the Toyota GT 86 (to be sold in North America as the Scion FR-S), we’ve already had a chance to drive that car and you can see our review here.

Pricing for the BRZ has yet to be announced but Subaru has said the car will be available at dealerships starting in late spring.

GALLERY: Subaru BRZ

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 North American International Auto Show Preview here.

And discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

2012 is starting to look like the year of the new hachi roku as both Toyota and Subaru ready for an onslaught of marketing events for their joint sports car. For the upcoming Tokyo Auto Solon, held from Juanuary 13 to 15th, two special Subaru BRZ’s will be on display.

First the BRZ Concept STI will feature suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes tower bar, front and rear spoilers, sport muffler, 18-inch rims, as well as prototype carbon-fiber components including carbon front hood and a carbon roof.

Next, Subaru has collaborated with aftermarket tuner Prova for a BRZ Black Edition. Despite carrying over a name meant for elite AMG cars, Prova and the fellow tuning community will no doubt continue to create exciting new products for the new sports car.

As for factory Subaru, a new Impreza G4 STI will join the exhibition floor with all manners of performance upgrades. A GT300 BRZ and the outgoing GT300 Legacy will join the floor as well. What’s more, Subaru has announced its motorsport resurgence with the entry of an Impreza STI in the Nurburgring 24 as well as the return to rally competition with its participation in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com