Auto News
AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
“The car just comes alive with a nice set of tires.” Those are the words of Toyota VP Bob Carter, which were ringing in my ear after a chat I had with him at the Detroit Auto Show in January.
Two-doors, too cool
Lets face it, two-doors cars are more fun and better looking than sedans. But you don’t have to break the bank to drive around in a stylish coupe.
We have a list of the top 10 most affordable two-doors, starting at just under $26,000. We had to draw the line and not include any hatchbacks, like the Scion tC or Fiat 500. Still, you’ll find plenty of big and small coupes in this list, each providing great looks or driving dynamics.
The 2013 World Car of the Year was just announced at the New York International Auto Show this morning. Rising up against some stiff competition, Volkswagen’s versatile Golf drove away with the prestigious award.
Scion FR-S owners in search of more power may have rejoiced when they heard TRD was planning a supercharger for the car, but they’re not going to be so excited once they find out what it costs.
Top 10 Affordable Rear-Wheel-Drive Cars
Lawmakers in Washington D.C. and California are armed with a legislative battleaxe and they’re bringing it to bear against the automotive industry. Fuel-economy regulations are hitting like a war hammer, disrupting the market and crushing carmakers. In a mad dash to meet upcoming CAFE standards manufacturers are dramatically shifting their product offerings. Downsized vehicles, hybrid drivetrains and diesel engines are some of the tools in their defensive arsenals.
SEE ALSO: Why Front-Wheel-Drive Cars Are More Efficient
One unfortunate victim of this efficiency stampede is rear-wheel drive. Slowly but surely over the last 30 years automakers have made the switch to front-drive, a layout that’s more economical in a number of ways. But not everyone is content driving a Nissan Sentra, or getting by in a minivan. For enthusiasts that care about performance rear-wheel drive is king, but it’s a monarch that’s under siege. Keeping the dream alive, here’s a list of the Top 10 (reasonably) affordable RWD cars on the market today. Act fast before they’re gone in a puff of tire smoke.
This week’s installment of TGIF[R-S] isn’t about me, or my car, but about how the 2013 AutoGuide.com Car of the Year came to be, thanks to a post I stumbled across on the Toyota UK blog.
10. Ford Focus ST
Interested in nabbing yourself a future collectible? Hagerty Insurance specializes in classic cars and is predicting the top 10 most collectible cars of 2013 that are under $100,000.
Listed based on the vehicle’s MSRP, the Ford Focus ST kicks off the list in the number-10 spot with a starting price of $23,700. Powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine with 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, the American automaker’s hot hatch is an undeniable bargain at under $25,000. Hagerty believes its performance and price will make it an attractive collectible in years to come.
SEE ALSO: 2013 Ford Focus ST Review – Video
The FR-S surprised me with its winter weather capability. When equipped with snow-tires, the little Scion sports car managed to keep me from getting stuck or stranded.
But there’s more to talk about with the car’s performance in the winter than just its tires. I can happily report that there haven’t been any significant concerns, but there are some things to get used to.
Fans have been calling for higher-performing versions of the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S since their inception. Today, Subaru announced that a Gazoo Racing RA performance package will be available for the car.
It’s hardly a surprise that the Toyota GT 86 and Subaru BRZ are the star of the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, with all the aftermarket companies embracing the enthusiast platform with new products.
In the warm weather there’s no doubt that the Scion FR-S is a great daily driver, but now in the colder winter, is that fact still true? Will the car be as fun in the snow? Or will it be too much fun; a dangerous handful with little-to-no control in slippery conditions? With the snow finally here, I got the chance to find out.
Subaru has announced its lineup for the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, where enthusiasts will undoubtedly be interested to see its BRZ Premium Sport Package Concept, Forester Sport Concept, and XV Sport Concept.
The 2013 AutoGuide.com Reader’s Choice Sports Car of the Year, as chosen by you, is the Subaru BRZ.
10. Jade Crew Subaru BRZ
In a sea of custom Scion FR-S’ and Subaru BRZs at the 2012 SEMA Show, it’s surprisingly hard to compile a list of the top 10 without some criteria. So to compile our list of favorites, we decided to look at all the 86s and judge based on cleanliness, originality, and functionality – and of course, how it looked on the show floor.
Kicking off our top 10 list is a Subaru BRZ we spotted outside the convention center which to us, defines what a custom daily-driver BRZ should be. Nothing over-the-top, nothing too flashy – just simple and clean, with functional modifications. The Chargespeed carbon fiber lip kit complements the stock bodylines of the BRZ perfectly, while the custom blue Volk Racing TE37SLs pay tribute to a classic wheel that has truly lasted the test of time.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, we have a lot to say on just how popular the new Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ is at the 2012 SEMA Show.
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly series: TGIF[R-S], where Features Editor Sami Haj-Assaad details the ownership experience of the Scion FR-S. If you haven’t seen the latest articles, be sure to check out the whole archive of them.
It’s hard to believe but the Scion FR-S was inspired by a Toyota Corolla. Crazy isn’t it? How does a 2,700 lb, 200-hp rear-wheel drive sports car share anything with a boring econobox?
The result of the collaboration between Subaru and Toyota has resulted in a fantastic sports car for the road, but how well is it doing in race car form? The Subaru BRZ GT300 has been racing all season in the Super GT series out in Japan, improving on each race and narrowly missing the podium in Round 7.