Japanese car website lovecars.jp got their hands on the new Toyota GT 86 and took it out for some laps at the Fuji Speedway. We’re sorry for the terrible techno beats an the copious amounts of sub-titles but this is the first official look of the New 2012 Toyota GT-86, so beggars can’t be choosy. It’s nice to see the car out driving on the track as next week when the car will be officially unveiled at the end of this week at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.
The power will come from a newly developed 197bhp 2-litre Boxer gas engine and is delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed transmission and a limited slip differential. The cars weight was a major development objective and the car tips the scale at 1180 kg, despite the fact the Toyota packs a two-plus-two seating configuration.
Being a bit of a tech geek myself I have watched my fair share of lame unboxing video’s. You know the ones where we get to see the newest electronic piece of equipment get laid out on a table while the packaging material gets dissected by some uber nerd who just stood in line for days. They usually include a brief overview of the manual or DVD case, and they always include a debriefing on the types of cabling that were included in the box.
I have to hand it to Toyota’s marketing department as this hit this one right on the head. My favourite part is when they got through the owner’s manual and in classic unboxing form do nothing but state the obvious. Our unboxing expert then takes us for his first tour of the car and highlights the windows that go up and down as well as the horn that honks. I laughed so hard as this as it is more generic info that no one really cares about. Like when they show you how fast that new computer can boot up or that a new phone can actually make phone calls.
Well done Toyota you get my vote this month so far for the best creative car add. Now if only you would hurry up produce the Toyota FT-86 Concept car or reveal some real details about the new Supra that you are apparently developing.
I am sure by now we have all seen the Scion FRS Concept car that was released this year at the New York Auto show. Well in an effort to not be forgotten Scion has posted a couple of PR videos on their YouTube channel. We’ve grabbed them so that you won’t have to wonder to far from Car Rolodex to check them out.
Unfortunately there is no mention of any new information regarding to the car as in both videos they stick to the information released to the Press during the New York Auto show. They also make no mention of which of the concepts design cues will make it into the final product
In the first video we get a design walk through tour of the creation of the concept car from Formula Drift driver Ken Gushi. Ken is currently a drift driver for the Scion Racing team which currently races a 2009 tC in the Formula Drift Series. While you’re watching the video check out all of cutting edge tech at the fiveaxes shop.
In the second video we sit down with Scion’s VP Jack Hollis. Jack introduces the car and then we get to see a little of the cars build up. We then once again honor the AE-86 Carolla because its spirit was the inspiration for the FRS as well as being its performance bench mark. I know it sounds crazy to have a Carolla be your performance bench mark however the AE-86 is a legend in the Drifting world and has been credited with being the Grand Daddy of drifting cars. Jack Hollis ends the video by saying with an exclamation point that the car is coming and we will all be able to test drive one soon. Let hope so Jack as this may be a Scion that I would actually be excited to drive.
Today we take a quick look at the fictional side of the 2011 New York International Auto Show. There were a couple of note worthy concept cars that seem to be very important to their respected parent companies.
The most important would have to be the Scion FR-S Concept. If you think that you have seen this concept before you would be correct as it was just 4 weeks ago that I blogged about this car however it was wearing a different badge at the time. Last month at the Geneva Auto show we were introduced to the then Toyota FT-86 Concept and I had many questions about what this car was going to be. (Click here to read that Blog) I guess you can now add these ones to that original list. Why the trickery Toyota? Why not tell us up front that this was always going to be a Scion? Is it only going to be a Scion in North America and a Toyota in other markets where the Scion brand doesn’t exist?
Should we be holding Toyota accountable and question why the smoke and mirrors with this car? Could you imagine if GM pulled something like this, offering up a Chevy concept car and then 5 weeks later re-reveal it as a Buick or Cadillac. I think if they did the streets of Detroit would run red from all of the cutthroat comments.
So why is this car so important to Toyota? The Scion brand has been floundering as of late and there is hope that the FR-S concept will breathe some much needed sporty appeal into the brand with hopes of reconnecting with the youth market. I just hope that Toyota has figured out that if they don’t price this boy racer right they will miss the youth market and it will land solely into the mid-life crisis range and that’s not cool. Oh and Toyota an over protecting / controlling parent isn’t cool either, so leave Scion alone and let it develop its own passionate customer base.
Let’s turn our attention to another concept car that was debuted at the 2011 NY Auto Show, the Mercedes A-Class Concept. Its arrival in New York was even less of a surprise then the rebadged FT-86 or FR-S, as Mercedes released press images in the beginning of April as well as an announcement of its existence and presence at the show. If you are interested in referring back to Car Rolodex’s original post you can Click Here.
So why is this car so important to Mercedes? Currently the smallest Merc that you can buy in the States would be the C-Class and in Canada it would be the B-Class. With the introduction of this Car into the North American Market Mercedes’ closest competition will be Mini and will really effectively be creating a new segment. As this will be the very first Sub-Compact or A-segment Luxury car to be confirmed to be sold in North America. There has also been rumblings that BMW is seriously considering bringing its new i series here and Audi has hinted that the A1 may also be sold here. But as of right now only Mercedes has said that there is now a market in North America for such a car and they are looking to fill the void with the newest A-Class.
Then there was the introduction of the Lexus LF-Gh Concept. What can you say just look at it, um ya it took my breath away as well. What is going on with that front end? I was worried that Audi may turn around and sue Lexus for trying to steal a design cue they introduced 4 years ago but then Audi would have to admit that this ugliness was shaped fashioned from their Trapezoidal front Grill. No one in their right mind would want to take on that responsibility myself included so I’ll leave the styling comments at that. I can add the fact that this is what Lexus has envisioned its new GS sedan will resemble and I do like the shaved door handles and 6 insect like head lights.
Why is this concept car important? It is because Lexus has said that this is the new design concept for the entire brand. Yikes! Lexus please learn something from Japanese rival Acura who adopted their horrible shield like front and rear for their entire line-up. How did that work out for pour old Acura? Lexus stop the insanity now and start the redesign before you find your selves 4 years down the path to unattractiveness and diminished sales figures.
This leaves us with the easiest concept to explain, the Nissan Leaf NISMO RC. They have used the Leaf name plate as this concept is 100% electric just like the current Leaf model that recent took home the prize of World car of the year 2011. However that is where the comparisons stop to the current production Leaf as the concept doesn’t share any other parts or attitude. The rest of the car is more like the Nismo GT-R, with its carbon fiber chassis and adjustable rear racing wing.
This car is important because this is the first time a manufacture has put the ideas of electric cars and racing together. The intention of the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC was to break down the walls of conventionally thinking in the car racing world. Personally I’m not sure the average NASCAR Fan will have the patients to sit through 7 hour pit stop while the batteries get charged. Although I can see the creation of a new potential drinking game, how many beers can you drink on a single charge? Or can you sleep one off and get your second wind while the car is in the pits. Only time will tell but I’ll drink a Bud Light to salute Nissan for trying something different.
The Toyota FT-86 Concept has left me with many more questions than answers. Questions that I don’t think Toyota wants us to ask. We should be curious about the Performance numbers, the fuel mileage, and can anyone with legs fit in the back seat?
Instead I am wondering if Toyota can still remember how to build a sports car? The last model year for the now legendary Supra was back in 2002, and the Celica took its last breath early in 2006. Then there was the newest hyper car the Lexus LFA. That car only took 9 years to bring to production a fact that is reflected in the astronomical price tag. That leaves us with Scion, but ops this post is about sports cars. Which leads into another question; has anyone in the Toyota engineering department ever been caught day dreaming on the job about cruising up the Sea to Sky Highway in a tC? Somehow I doubt it.
I question their decision to go with a non-traditional boxer 4 cylinder engine? When traditional inline 4 cylinder engines are one of the pillars that Toyota built their company on? Bullet proof 4 cylinders? So why then go over to the boxer dark side instead of investing in direct injection technology? I can only guess that engine development was a homework task for project partner Subaru, which is strange because you would have thought that Subaru would have wanted to have put their name on the sign-up sheet beside drive train. My experience has shown me that they are a company known for three things: 1) Being a serious manufacture competing for the world rally championship year after year 2) Symmetrical all wheel drive 3) The love of watching over weight men wash cars. The third item must be a Japanese thing?
In reality there is really only one question that I truly need answered. When the Toyota FT-86 Concept goes into production will it be a hardcore sports car like the Supra or a 2 door wash out like the Celica?
