Images of Production Toyota FT-86 Leaked

November 18, 2011 at 11:07am by Jared Gall

Okay, we promise this is it. (There’s a good chance we break that promise.) Here, taken from an Italian website that apparently has good Japanese sources, are what appear to be two images of the Toyota FT-86’s actual, final, production sheetmetal—er, one image showing two views of the car. We will do our damnedest to make this the last time we report on the Toyota/Scion/Subaru rear-drive coupe until the official debut at the Tokyo auto show. That’s less than two weeks away; how many more opportunities could there really be?

After two years of concepts, design studies, chassis and drivetrain bucks, and spy shots, we can’t say there are any surprises in this photo. Squat bodywork, airy greenhouse, fairly simple design (we feared that last bit in particular after learning that Toyota penned the shape). It’s certainly less aggressive than the many concepts that preceded it, but it does seem to be doing a little flexing around the rear wheels, producing a bit of a bulge that flows into the trunklid. And really, as we learned on our recent drive of a camouflaged Subaru prototype, it drives well enough that it won’t matter what it looks like. Heck, the Mazda Miata looks like a sausage that someone stepped on, but that hasn’t stopped us from loving it.

You can check out the original post on the Italian website here, although we’ll tell you now there’s nothing more for you there unless you want to post comments in Italian. You’re welcome to do that here, too.

Tags: Scion, Subaru BRZ, Toyota FT-86 |

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2013 Infiniti JX35 Revealed in Production Trim, Will Start at $41,400

Do not adjust your eyeballs. You have already seen this vehicle. Infiniti unveiled a JX concept in Pebble Beach in August, and as we wrote then, this L.A. production version is pretty much the same—right down to the color. Infiniti has now, however, confirmed a few of our hunches and added a heaping helping of additional details, including pricing.

The sole model, the JX35, is powered by Nissan’s ubiquitous VQ35DE V-6, here making 265 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque and mated to a CVT. The unibody underpinnings are derived from the same D platform used for the Nissan Murano, and front-wheel drive is standard. All-wheel drive is optional. (More derivatives may be on the way; Infiniti has trademarked other alphanumerics for the crossover, including JX25h.) Fuel economy is estimated to be 17 mpg city and 23 highway with either driveline.

A knob on the center console offers the driver a choice of Sport, Standard, Eco, and Snow modes, which variously adjust throttle sensitivity and transmission behavior. The CVT will mimic a traditional automatic when in Sport mode—CVT Sport mode: a contradiction if ever there was one—although no details were given on how many “ratios” it will step through.

Inside and Out

We discussed the styling in our previous story, but here’s the takeaway: It’s handsome, if somewhat derivative. There is little innovating left to do in the two-box, three-row arena. The wrapper, however, hides an attractive and well-thought-out interior. The second row of seats has 5.5 inches of fore and aft travel, offers a 60/40-split, and reclines. If you have a kiddie seat attached to the 40-percent side, the seat will still sidle out of the way to offer ample access to the third row without removing the child seat. The way back is split 50/50 and reclines, too. There are enough cup holders for Mom and Dad’s six pack of Chardonnay and two sparkling Welch’s for the kids, plus six bottle holders.

The JX offers more shoulder room in all three rows than the Lincoln MKT or the Audi Q7, and also beats both in front head- and legroom. The JX has them both beat in total interior volume, too, despite being some 11 inches shorter overall than the MKT and having a wheelbase four inches less than the Q7’s. The second row is only slightly below the roomy MKT’s in terms of leg and noggin space, while the third row looks to be as tight as most, even if it has more headroom than those of the Lincoln or Audi. Cargo space behind the third row is 15.8 cubic feet; Infiniti didn’t release capacity numbers with any seats folded.

Leather upholstery is standard, as are heated power front seats, keyless entry and start, three-zone automatic climate control, XM radio, a USB input, a rearview camera, and a power rear hatch. Exterior kit includes 18-inch wheels as standard and two 20-inch designs as options, plus bi-xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Infiniti’s personal concierge service is included, too. There is, of course, an extensive list of available features, which you’ll read about in just a second.

Let’s Talk Money

The base front-drive JX will start at $41,400; it costs $1100 more to get a rear driveshaft. There are two standalone options—$1600 forged 20-inch wheels and $370 roof rails—and five available packages. The $4950 Premium package adds nav, the trick 360-degree Around View camera setup, a 13-speaker Bose stereo with subwoofer and Bluetooth audio streaming, dual front-seat memory, power-adjustable lumbar support for the driver, maple interior trim, a HomeLink-equipped auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a one-year subscription to Infiniti’s version of OnStar, called Infiniti Connection.

Once you’ve dropped that five grand, you unlock the right to purchase the $1700 Theater package and the $2200 Driver Assistance package. The former adds two seven-inch monitors, two sets of wireless headphones, a remote control, additional A/V jacks, and a 120-volt power outlet. The latter brings a bunch of nanny tech you don’t want and we won’t mention—except maybe blind-spot monitoring—plus a heated steering wheel and remote start. So if you have poor hand circulation or you simply like getting in a toasty car on winter mornings, you’re in for a whole hell of a lot of irritating beeps. The $3100 Tech package includes the Driver Assistance stuff and adds three more electronic nets. So you don’t want this bundle either. (In the interest of thoroughness, here’s the one piece of technology debuting on the JX: Backup Collision Intervention. It detects vehicles that might cross your path while you reverse, which isn’t new, but adds the ability to automatically apply the brakes and stop your vehicle if you haven’t taken appropriate action.)

If you’re smart and avoid the annoying technology, you can order the Deluxe Touring package. (But only if you first order the Theater pack, Mr. Moneybags.) It runs $2550 and includes a 15-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system with subwoofer, unique 20-inch wheels, a glass roof over the second and third rows, an upgraded HVAC system with air filtration, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, and rain-sensing wipers. Fully loaded, the JX will command just a hair shy of $59K.

The JX occupies a family friendly slot in Infiniti’s lineup left unfilled by the rest of the company’s SUVs and crossovers, which are too small, too sporty, or too thirsty for most buyers in the segment. The Tennessee-built JX arrives in dealers in the spring, at which point we presume it will be available in colors other than mossy green.

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2013 Honda Fit EV: Production Model Debuts in L.A.

Introduced at the Los Angeles auto show, the Honda Fit EV joins the Scion iQ, Fiat 500, and Chevy Spark in the tiny-cars-that-have-been-converted-to-run-on-batteries brigade. But the Fit EV's rollout, set to begin next summer, will be small and contained: Honda expects to produce and distribute only about 1100 of the cars over the next three years, first in California and Oregon, and then in six to-be-announced East Coast markets.

The production model shown at the Los Angeles auto show is, as expected, very similar to the concept that debuted one year ago at the same show. Contrary to our predictions, the glowing charge port remains, as do EV-specific decals, although the latter's size and garishness have been reduced. The aerodynamic rear spoiler and unique rocker panels remain as well, while the front fascia has been modified slightly to incorporate a chrome smiley face and less-obvious cooling apertures. The car will be offered only in the color seen here: Reflection Blue Pearl.

I Can See Clarity Now

The Fit EV is powered by a 123-hp electric motor that's based on the one in Honda's FCX Clarity fuel-cell electric sedan, and is fed juice by a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery. Honda claims the onboard 6.6-kW, 32-amp charger can top off the pack in less than three hours on 240-volt power. That's slightly better than the claimed time for Ford's Focus Electric, which should need a little longer to charge its slightly higher-capacity battery. (Both should beat the Nissan Leaf's charge times.) Honda projects a 123-mile city range and a combined-driving total of 76 miles on a full charge.

Like Honda's hybrids, the Fit EV will have three driving modes-Normal, Sport, and Econ-that govern the behavior of the accelerator pedal and other systems. A full telematics suite (not unlike the one Nissan packages with the Leaf) will allow monitoring of the vehicle's state of charge, charge scheduling, and climate-control pre-conditioning via smartphone or computer. Honda also will include a remote control that can display charge and climate-control status, initiate and terminate charging, and switch on the A/C. It only works within a 100-foot range of the vehicle, though, so its usefulness will mostly be limited to saving the driver trips out to the garage when the car is parked at home.

While most changes to the interior are minimal-bio-fabrics used on the seats, colored gauge illumination to match the driving mode-stuffing the batteries under the floor necessitated a couple of big changes. The Fit's trick flat-folding rear seat is gone; now the back cushion folds, but the bottom is fixed. And the floor is two to three inches higher in the EV than in conventional Fits, which raises the H-point—how high off the ground the driver's hips are—and reduces headroom. Luckily, the Fit is well-endowed in that measure.

Leash for Lease

The decrease in headroom might keep some tree-like EV aficionados from getting comfortable inside, but Honda shouldn't have too much trouble finding 1100 right-size persons to take the Fit EV up on its offer of electric mobility. The company plans to lease the vehicle in limited markets at a cost of $399 a month for 36 months. Curiously, Honda also quotes an MSRP of $36,625 (before destination), even though it only plans to lease its new electric car.

As several other automakers have done or are planning to do, Honda will use the EV program to study how consumers use electric cars. Honda calls the slightly less practical, slightly less roomy Fit a commuter electric vehicle; our experience with the similarly sized Nissan Leaf confirmed around-town use as the EV's strong suit, and we expect the same to be true of Honda's competitor.

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2013 Infiniti IPL G Convertible Shown in Production Trim at L.A. Show

The Infiniti Performance Line was launched late last year with but a single model, a sharpened and slightly more powerful version of the G37 coupe called the IPL G coupe. In August, Infiniti showed us what an IPL G convertible would look like and announced—to no one’s surprise—that the convertible also would make it to dealers. Now Infiniti has debuted the production IPL G for extroverts at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show.

Subtle Refinements, Inside and Out

Like the IPL G coupe, the 2013 IPL G convertible adds a pinch of this and a dash of that to deliver what Infiniti calls “total vehicle performance” when compared with the standard G37 convertible. (This implies, of course, that the regular G models deliver incomplete vehicle performance.) As with its fixed-roof counterpart, the IPL G convertible gets a new nose, rocker-panel extensions, obscenely fat exhaust tips, and gorgeous, lacy 19-inch wheels. It is available in only two hues: Malbec Black (a deep wine color) and Moonlight White.

The interior is likewise limited to two colors—Stone and Monaco Red—and features red-stitched leather upholstery, “Silk Obi” aluminum trim, aluminum-capped pedals, and IPL-embroidered seatbacks and front floor mats.

Mechanical Enhancements Shared with the IPL G Coupe

IPL’s efforts to recalibrate the G’s VQ-series 3.7-liter V-6 and fitment of a true dual exhaust system yield the same boost in output as found with the IPL G coupe, adding 18 hp and 6 lb-ft of torque. In the convertible, this brings total output to 343 hp (at a lofty 7400 rpm) and 273 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, the coupe’s six-speed manual and its short-throw shifter are not available in the convertible; the only transmission offered is Infiniti’s seven-speed automatic, which comes with magnesium shift paddles affixed to the steering column.

The IPL G convertible rides on a retuned suspension featuring unique shocks and front and rear springs that are stiffer by 14 and 4 percent, respectively. Spring rates increase by 6 percent in front and a considerable 125 percent in back. The brakes aren’t particularly dainty: 14-inch front rotors are clamped by four-piston calipers, while the rear rotors measure 13.8 inches and are grabbed by two-piston calipers. Infiniti also claims to have sportified the steering as well.

To what extent the sum of the IPL’s enhancements will serve to sharpen the heavy hardtop convertible’s overall performance remains to be seen. (The standard G37 convertible is more than 450 pounds heavier than the G37 coupe, and the G37 droptop placed third out of four in a 2010 comparo.) However, based on what we have experienced with the IPL coupe—which is no M3-killer but satisfies nonetheless—we expect the changes to help considerably. As for future IPL offerings? Infiniti has intimated that that IPL M and IPL FX models eventually will be added, but a timetable has not been provided.

If the IPL G coupe’s pricing strategy is anything to go by, expect the IPL treatment to add about $500 to the sticker of the current G37S convertible. That would put it around $57K, give or take a few Franklins. That’s a lot of coin for a G-based car, but at least everything comes standard, which means that, other than interior and exterior color choices, the only decision the IPL G convertible customer has to make is when to put the top down.

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Toyota Reveals Production Prius C; Will Bring It, FT-86, and Three Concepts to Tokyo Auto Show

Tokyo is as close as Toyota gets to having an auto show on its home turf. And like the Detroit Three do at the Motor City’s annual blowout, the Japanese company is set to debut a large batch of concept and production cars at this year’s Tokyo show. The production-ready versions of the rear-drive FT-86 sports car and the Prius C (called Aqua in Japan) will be on hand, as will three green concept cars with names made up of alphabet-soup acronyms: Fun-Vii (Fun Vehicle interactive internet), FCV-R (Fuel Cell Vehicle – Reality & Revolution), and FT-EV III (Future Toyota – Electric Vehicle III).

2012 Prius C

Thanks to a leaked Japanese-market brochure, we already know most of the upcoming Prius C’s specifics, but Toyota released a few official photos along with some new information on the eve of the car’s Tokyo debut. The company claims that the C will return more than 50 mpg in city driving, greater than any non-plug-in hybrid. The larger Prius is rated at 51 mpg in city driving, so we assume the C will beat that figure. Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and nine airbags will be standard on the U.S. model; Toyota’s new Entune infotainment system will be optional. The C is set to go on sale in Japan in late December 2011 before hitting other markets. Interestingly, those other markets won’t include Europe—we imagine the Continent’s cool attitude towards hybrids played a factor in Toyota’s decision.

2012 FT-86

Toyota didn’t give away any new information or release any photos of the upcoming FT-86 sports car (the FT-86 II concept is pictured above) that will be revealed in Tokyo. The FT-86 was co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, and Subie’s version, the BRZ, also will debut at the Tokyo show. We already know most of the FT-86’s mechanical details and we’ve seen what it will look like via a leaked brochure, but we expect to finally get the official run-down after its Tokyo premiere.

Fun-Vii Concept

To be honest, we’re not completely sure what the Fun-Vii concept is all about, or even what the acronym in its name means. According to Toyota, the “Fun Vehicle interactive internet” is the company’s “vision of a future where people, cars, and society are linked.” Sure. And no, we don’t know what is going on in the photo above. Guess we’ll have to wait until its reveal to see what this one’s all about.

FT-EV III Concept

As the FT-EV III’s name—“Future Toyota – Electric Vehicle III”—suggests, it is the third in a line of electric concept vehicles Toyota has developed to showcase a future short-range production EV. If you’re thinking it looks a lot like a Toyota/Scion iQ, that’s because it is an iQ, but electric. The original FT-EV was unabashedly an electric iQ, while the FT-EV II that followed a few months later was much more unique and was less iQ-like. (It wore bespoke styling and was significantly smaller than the iQ). Toyota says the FT-EV III’s lithium-ion battery is good for a 65-mile range on the optimistic Japanese JC08 testing cycle and that its EV technology will migrate to a production vehicle due sometime in 2012. We know that Scion will sell an electric iQ to fleets in 2012, so this could be a preview of that car.

FCV-R Concept

Like Honda, which has delivered a few copies of its FCX Clarity to real customers, Toyota is serious about fuel-cell vehicles. More than just a Prius with a Fu Manchu mustache, the FCV-R concept is another step toward the goal of putting such a car on the road by 2015. The fuel-cell stack, with a high-pressure hydrogen tank, has been improved to provide a cruising distance of about 435 miles.

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GM Pulls Plug on 9-4X Crossover Production as Saab Moves Toward Chinese Ownership

Saab’s second SUV, the 9-4X, has turned out to be even more of a collector’s item than the company’s first.

With Chinese firms Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile most likely taking total control of Saab, General Motors has announced that it will no longer sell the 9-4X crossover to the new entity—at least, until a new agreement can be reached.

General Motors designed the 9-4X when it still owned Saab, and builds the crossover alongside the closely related Cadillac SRX at a factory in Mexico. The current deal saw Saab then buying the finished 9-4Xs from GM. Through the end of October, Saab had sold just 194 9-4Xs in the U.S.

“Although General Motors is open to the continued supply of powertrains and other components to Saab under appropriate terms and conditions,” the company said in a statement released today, “GM will not agree to the continuation of the existing technology licenses or the continued supply of 9-4X vehicles to Saab following the proposed change in ownership as it would not be in the best interests of GM shareholders.”

In part, the decision is moot: Saab has no cash with which to pay for the 9-4X cars it buys from GM in fully assembled form. But the deeper issue here is that GM is still one of the largest automotive companies in China, and needs to be sure it won’t be giving away a complete product to a competitor there. GM also has concerns, we suspect, about making one of its modern platforms and engines available to a company from which it has no guarantees of secrecy.

A spokesperson at GM didn’t close off the possibility of the company selling the 9-4X to Saab’s future owners, but said a new deal would have to be worked out.

What this means for car fans, however, is entirely different. If it’s killed, the 9-4X won’t have survived for an entire model year, making it yet another extremely rare model in a bizarre history that includes the Saablazer (the Chevy Trailblazer-cum-9-7X) and the Saabaru (the Subaru Impreza-cum-9-2X).

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Subaru Reveals More About Production BRZ Sports Car With Teaser Pic and PDF

Leaked brochures of the Toyota version be damned, Subaru continues to prepare us for the Tokyo auto show reveal of its rear-drive sports car with information hors d’oeuvres.

On the latest silver tray, Subaru serves up a glimpse at the car’s front end—you can see that the grille is different than the one on the Toyota FT-86/Scion FR-S—plus some additional specifications. As we learned during our drive of a BRZ prototype, the boxer engine architecture is Subaru’s, but Toyota has contributed its dual port/direct-injection heads. (Engineering geeks take note: Subaru’s working on its own direct-injection tech, as previewed in the Advanced Tourer Concept, and it’s not licensed from ToMoCo.)

A PDF also rocketed in from the Pleiades (you can check it out here) and reported the BRZ’s length, width, and height. The big deal here is less that the car is 166.9 inches long, 69.9 inches wide, and 51.2 inches high, but that the numbers corroborate those in a spec sheet allegedly leaked from Japan. That sheet also reports weight estimates of 2668 to 2712 pounds, numbers given further credibility by the dimensional accuracy. Overall, the BRZ and its Toyota sib will be longer and wider than the Mazda MX-5, though a bit taller and between that car and the RX-8 in weight.

Online leaks, teasers, a decoy set for the L.A. auto show—it sounds like J.J. Abrams is writing the launch plan for the BRZ and Toyota FT-86. At least it will all be over a month from now, when the pair of heavily hyped cars are properly and fully presented to the public in Tokyo.

Tags: 2011 L.A. auto show, 2011 Tokyo auto show, Scion FR-S, Subaru, Subaru BRZ, Toyota FT-86 |

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