Three More Bespoke Toyota 86 Concepts from Modellista, TRD and Tom’s

The Toyota 86, aka Scion FR-S in the U.S. and GT 86 outside Japan, is a hot item, especially in its home country. Gazoo Racing has very close ties with Toyota, so launching several concepts in cooperation with other tuners at the Tokyo Auto Salon was pretty much to be expected.

We’ll begin with the 86 Modellista, which is all about the looks. Gazoo Racing says that the theme was developing a “futuristic sophisticated” concept.
This translates to the 200PS flat-four being left untouched and modifications consisting of a new front bumper with illuminated accents, side skirts, a glossy black roof with a shark-fin antenna, a rear spoiler and 18-inch matt chrome “Wing Dancer II” wheels wrapped in 225/40 Toyo tires.
The cabin of the Modellista concept features a two-tone black and red leather upholstery and the instrument and interior panels being redone in red metal.
The TRD Griffon is made with track day use in mind. Although a bit more power and torque would have been handy, the 2.0-liter boxer engine hasn’t been modified; instead, all efforts in improving the 86 have been focused on weight reduction, chassis reinforcement and racing-spec accessories.
Keeping the original bodywork’s shape, the hood, roof, doors, trunk and rear wing have been replaced by carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts, the front and rear bumpers, wider front wings and rear diffuser are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) and all the glasshouse, except for the windscreen, are made of polycarbonate, all in the name of reducing weight.
The cabin is fitted with Toyota Racing Development-sourced bucket seat, shift knob, ignition button, oil temperature and pressure and water temperature gauges, as well as a Momo steering wheel and Takata seat belts.
Gazoo Racing may have left the flat-four well alone but it has upgraded most other components. The stock car’s Torsen limited-slip differential has been replaced by a TRD mechanical LSD, the front and rear suspension has been reinforced and featues KW shock absorbers and springs and the final gear ratio has been shortened to 4.8:1. There’s also a differential oil cooler and a TRD monobloc caliper kit with the original Brembo brake pads and RAYS 18-inch wheels with Yokohama Advan rubber.
Toyota may claim that the modern-day hachiroku is not about horsepower but pure driver fun, however, truth to be told, there’s no such thing as “enough” power.
The third concept is TOM’s N086V that pays homage to the racing outfit, which since 1974, has been racing Toyotas, often with considerable success (some of you may recall the TOM’s Castrol Supras…).
In contrast to the other two, the TOM’s concept replaces the stock 2.0-liter powerplant with a 2GR-FSE 3.5-liter V6 that’s been used, among others, by the Lexus IS and GS 350, tuned to deliver almost double the production car’s output, at 395hp (400PS) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque.
The front bumper has been replaced and there are black wheel arch extensions housing 18-inch TOM Igeta wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires.
There’s also a coil-over Advox suspension, a TOM’s reinforced clutch and high-performance brakes to deal with the seriously increased power, while the cabin is adorned by a handful of TOM’s carbon parts.
An image gallery and videos of the tuned 86s are available after the jump.

By Andrew Tsaousis

Toyota Mark X G Sports Carbon Roof Concept

A host of 86 (Scion FR-S) coupe models marks Toyota’s presence at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2013, but the Japanese carmaker also prepared several other models including a prototype of its recently updated Mark X G Sports sedan.

As the name implies, the Mark X G Sports Carbon Roof Concept trades the regular model’s steel roof for lightweight carbon fibre top, which Toyota says reduces body weight and increases driving performance.
Other than that, there are no changes to the Mark X G Sports that rides on the previous generation Lexus GS platform with power coming from a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated for 314hp (319PS) at 6,400rpm and 340Nm (251 lb-ft) at 7,800rpm, linked to a 6-speed automatic transferring power to the rear wheels.
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Toyota Prius Not a Car Thieves’ Favorite

If you happen to own a Toyota Prius, you’ll be glad to learn that your car is not very popular with car thieves. On the contrary; compared to other models of the same age, Prius is less likely to be stolen.
At least that’s what the National Insurance Crime Bureau data reveals: as of the end of June, only one in 606 examples of the 2008-2010 MY Prius cars had been stolen compared to one in 78 of all other vehicles of the exact same model years.
California is the “capital” of stolen Prius cars with 1,062 thefts; Florida, New York, Washington and Texas followed with 127, 111, 92 and 89 cars respectively. NCIB data show that, despite the Prius not being completely immune to theft, it has a 96.7 percent recovery rate.
John Abounader, executive director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, explains that one of the reasons it gets overlooked is the simple fact that it’s a hybrid.
“It’s a one-model car; the parts on it won’t fit anything else but a Prius”, he told Autonews. “If you use a Camry, for instance, the engine might fit in another car. On a Prius, the engine is so different because it’s a hybrid.”
Despite having sold over 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S., it was introduced in 2000 and that makes it a relatively young model for which there’s not such a big market for parts. In contrast, Honda’s 1994 Accord was the most stolen car last year followed by the 1998 Civic.
“It could be that auto thieves are going to steal something for which there is generally a market or need for parts”, NICB spokesman Frank Scafidi told the news site. He added that parts for Hondas or Nissans are more valuable “because people that own those things (sic) tend to keep them a long time.”

By Andrew Tsaousis

2013 Toyota RAV4

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 comes in Base, Limited and Sport trims, which can be equipped with either a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine and can be configured as front-wheel or all-wheel drive, offering a total of 12 trim choices. The 4-cylinder trims have a 2.5-liter DOHC powertrain that attains 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, while the V6 trims have a 3.5-liter DOHC powerplant that reaches 269 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. Each runs on regular gas, is equipped with a 4- or 5-speed automatic transmission and is expected to attain 23 mpg city/31 highway.

Although the 2013 Toyota RAV4 is not expected to look radically different inside or out from preceding model years, there are rumors that it will get bolder exterior lines that will bring it closer in looks to the carmaker’s own FJ Cruiser.
More important, an electric RAV4, dubbed the RAV4 EV, is expected to debut by year’s end. This will the first electric version of the RAV4 since 2003, but Toyota is hoping for a better result with the new version. The RAV4 EV is expected to be powered by batteries from Tesla Motors and to run at least 100 miles on a single charge.
What It Is: The next generation of Toyota’s RAV4 crossover. We’ve already spotted camouflaged prototypes during testing; this rendering incorporates many of the key changes expected for Toyota’s ubiquitous small SUV, including a more carlike look with smoother styling.
Why It Matters: The RAV4 still is a hot item in Toyota showrooms, despite the current model being long in the tooth. It’s also growing out of step with the crossover mainstream (it still offers an old-school-SUV-style tailgate-mounted spare tire, for example), so this latest iteration needs to fall in line with the rest of the segment. That means a less-truckish appearance, as well as improved fuel economy.
Platform: The next RAV4 should sit on a variation of the current model’s platform. But it will look like a new animal, thanks mostly to a smoother snout, a more steeply raked windshield, and the absence of an exterior-mounted spare tire. Our artist’s rendering applies Toyota’s latest design language to the shape of the prototype RAV4s we’ve seen. Basically, imagine a current-gen RAV4 mixed with the latest Camry sedan, and you’ve pretty much got it. Although this rendering speculates styling that’s something of a departure from that of the contemporary RAV4, it’s not too far off from what the European RAV4 has looked like for some time now.
Powertrain: Buyers should again be able to spec their RAV4s with either front- or all-wheel drive, as is customary throughout the small-crossover arena. We expect the outgoing RAV4’s four- and six-cylinder engines to largely carry over to this new one; however, Toyota likely will upgrade to six-speed automatic transmissions for both engines. (Currently, the four-cylinder RAV4 gets an ancient four-speed auto and the brawny V-6 model gets a five-cog slushbox.)
Competition: Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5.
Estimated Arrival Time and Price: If this new RAV4 is to make the 2013-model-year cutoff, it’ll probably appear late this summer or in the fall; otherwise, it could debut sometime early next year as a 2014. Pricing shouldn’t budge much from the current RAV4’s base of $23,460.
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Toyota GT-86 Convertible to Premiere at Geneva?

Continued rumors of a GT86 Convertible may be confirmed or denied this coming March whenToyota is rumored to debut the drop-top sports car at the Geneva Motor Show.

What is confirmed, however, is a higher performance version of the car, which may use a KERS-style hybrid system to boost power, rather than a more conventional turbocharger or supercharger.
Meaning, will Toyota forgo the tiny rear seats altogether or manage to find a way to keep them without sacrificing too much rear cargo space. Nothing is expected to change under the hood with the 2.0-liter boxer four remaining. A more powerful GT 86/Scion FR-S is due to arrive shortly after along with the Subaru BRZ STI. Speaking of which, it’s still unknown whether a BRZ convertible will be made, but our guess is likely not. Autocar reports that weight gain for the convertible will be minimal and that the car’s suspension could be adjusted due to lower stiffness. The US should see its version of the car, the Scion FR-S convertible, go on sale sometime in 2014.

New Cadillac ATS 3.6 vs. BMW 335i and Mercedes C350 in MT’s 6-Cylinder Rematch

Like the VW Golf, the BMW 3-Series has been dominant for so long, shrugging off one newcomer after another, that it practically defined the premium compact sports sedan segment.
This, of course, makes it not only harder for BMW engineers to come up with something better every time there’s a replacement due, but it also makes it the car all rivaling manufacturers have set as their benchmark.
Cadillac has made quite a fuss about its new ATS being a bona-fide, Nürburgring-bred sports saloon that can take on the best – i.e. the brand new, F30 3-Series.
Motor Trend has already compared the two cars in their turbocharged, four-cylinder versions. It was a very close call, but in the end, the BMW won yet again.
This time, MT’s Jonny Lieberman chose to compare the six-cylinder versions of the two cars, the Cadillac ATS 3.6 and the BMW 335i, throwing in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, in C350 Sport guise, for good measure.
All three cars are fitted with automatic transmissions and according to Lieberman, that’s going to be the most popular choice with the bigger engines. BMW has an eight-speed box while the Benz and the Caddy make do with one and two less gears respectively.
On paper, the ATS is the most powerful, packing 321hp against the Bimmer’s 300hp and the Merc’s 302hp. It’s also the most affordable, with an as-tested price tag of US$49,185, which may be almost identical to the C350’s US$49,245 but is nearly six grand cheaper than the US$55,870 BMW asks for this particular 335i.
Lieberman has set two criteria for declaring a winner. The first is the interior ambience and the usability of each car’s infotainment system and the second its driving dynamics.
You can watch the video that follows right after the jump to find out which is the best 50K sports sedan and you’re certainly welcome to voice your thoughts afterwards…
By Andrew Tsaousis

Mercedes-Benz Confirms UK Pricing for New GL-Class 7-Seater SUV

The new generation of Mercedes-Benz’s seven-seat GL-Class will go on sale in Britain in January 2013, with the German automaker offering two models, the diesel-powered GL 350 BlueTEC AMG Sport and, for the first time, the high-performance GL 63 AMG.
Beginning with the base model, the GL 350 BlueTEC AMG Sport is priced from £59,465 OTR. It is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine rated at 255bhp (258PS) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque, and accelerates to 62 mph (100km/h) in 7.9 seconds before topping out at 137 mph (220km/h).
Compared to its predecessor, it offers a 15 per cent increase in combined fuel efficiency to 35.3 mpg UK, and a 14 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions to 209 g/km.
It also gets more standard equipment over the previous model with features such as Intelligent Light System with bi-xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights; an AMG body kit together with 21-inch AMG alloy wheels; privacy glass; an electric glass sunroof; AirMATIC air suspension; Parktronic with Active Park Assist; and COMAND Online with media interface and DAB digital radio tuner.
Naturally, there’s an array of optional features, including a Parking Package with a 360-degree camera (£675); panoramic sliding sunroof with interior sun blind (£920) and an On- & Off-Road Package, which offers six programs to adapt the vehicle configuration to the road surface (£1,985).
For the first time, Mercedes will offer the GL 63 AMG model in the UK with pricing set at £91,680 OTR. The high-performance SUV gets a 5.4-liter bi-turbocharged V8 good for 550bhp (557PS) and 760Nm (560 lb-ft).
In this configuration, the GL returns a 0-62 mph (100km/h) time of 4.9 seconds and reaches a limited top speed of 155 mph (250km/h). The AMG variant has a combined fuel consumption of 23.0 mpg UK with CO2 emissions of 288 g/km.
Additional features over the standard GL include a full body kit, bespoke 21-inch wheels, Active Curve System with AirMATIC, an AMG leather interior with sports seats, front and second row heated seats; Memory Package and multi-contour front seats with massage function, and “luxury” automatic climate control.
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