Ford Fiesta ST Beats Toyota GT86 on the Track in EVO Test

It’s not the first time the Toyota GT86 (Scion FR-S) is compared with a front-wheel drive hot-hatch and it’s not the first time it loses when it comes to speed. In this latest test from the UK's EVO magazine, the GT86 proves to be slower round the Bedford Circuit than the Fiesta ST by a significant 1.2 seconds.

I know everyone says how fun the tail-happy Toyota is to drive, but doesn’t speed matter at all for all the GT86’s fans? If I were to buy a €29,000 ($37,990) rear-wheel drive sports car, I wouldn’t like it to be slower than a less-powerful €20,000 ($26,200) front-wheel drive hot hatch. I would probably hate it, to be honest.

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Super-Lightweight Toyota 86 TRD Griffon Concept Flies to Goodwood Festival

Toyota's arsenal of cars at this year's edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed that takes place in Britain from July 11 to 14 will include the GT 86 TRD Griffon Project. If the name rings a bell it's because the Japanese carmaker had originally presented the concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January this year.

Toyota Racing Developments (TRD) developed the 86 Griffon as a track racer keeping the road-going model's 200-horsepower boxer engine intact, but upgrading the rest of the components and more importantly, shaving 500 pounds (226.7 kg) to bring the curb weight down to just 2,310 pounds (1,048 kg).

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"Mystery" Prototype Testing at Mulholland is the 2015 Subaru WRX - Plus Bonus Footage

One of the many regular car- and motorcycle-spotters at the infamous Mulholland Drive, just outside of Los Angeles, was on hand to film several passes of what he described as a "Mystery Car".

"Some Mulholland passes from an un-named car," wrote YouTube author 31200MulhollandHwy, adding that, "CHP [California Highway Patrol] closed the road intermittently - Japanese crew wouldn't give any info on car."

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Watch Comparo Between the Scion FRS, Mazda RX-8 and Honda S2000 - Which One Do You Like?

Our obsession with everything new and cutting-edge is a very damaging one, simply because it limits our horizon in so many ways. For instance, why would you buy a Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FRS when there are two perfectly good (older) sports cars that share all the right ingredients – front engine, rear wheel drive and excellent dynamics?

The two models I'm talking about are the smooth Mazda RX-8 (find out all you need to know about it here) and the screaming Honda S2000, which is my personal favorite, because I still think it looks good and sounds even better. All three cars were pitted against one another by Everyday Driver, and in the end a winner was chosen.

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Check Out the Latest Episode of Consumer Reports' Talking Cars Show

If you have a pertinent automotive-related question, you can now have it answered by the Consumer Reports staff, in their new podcast called Talking Cars. Now in its third installment, the series looks at some of the more important recent news from the industry, as well as doing what they do best, give advice to consumers on what cars to buy. Read more »

BMW M3 E30 vs. Scion FR-S vs. VW Golf GTI in MT's Latest Head2Head Video

Fans of affordable sports cars have a new dilemma now that the Toyota FT-86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BR-Z trio has brought rear-wheel-drive into the equation. What’s better: a front-wheel-drive hot hatch like the VW Golf GTI or a rear-wheel-drive coupe like the ones offered by the Japanese carmakers?

To find the answer(s) to this question, two editors from MotorTrend and European Car took the Scion FR-S and the sixth-generation VW Golf GTI for a spin around the track. They also brought along a third car to the playground, the 1989 BMW M3 from the E30 generation, to serve as a benchmark.

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Topless Toyota FT-86 Shown With it Roof Up Via Patent Papers

The Toyota GT-86 is quite successful in its styling, and while some may criticize bits of it at a time, the consensus seems to be that it looks good. This poses a challenge for the engineers behind the car, when turning the coupe into the FT-86, which is the soft-top convertible version.

Keep in mind that aside from the roof having to be strong, durable, not leak and not take up much space in the trunk, it must also not upset the car's lines when it's deployed.

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Scion Celebrates 10th Birthday with Limited Edition Versions of Entire Range

Founded in 2002 by Toyota's North American division to appeal to Generation Y (born from the mid-1970s to the early-2000s) and young (or young-at-heart) consumers in general, Scion has reached its 10th birthday since it launched its first cars into the market, the boxy looking xA hatchback and xB wagon, in 2003.

As would be the case with any other company selling products, Scion is celebrating its first decade in life with the launch of a limited edition series. In particular, the Japanese carmaker announced at the New York Auto Show that it will release a limited-production version of each vehicle in its lineup called the "Scion 10 Series".

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TF-Works Rolls Out New Scion FR-S Coupe Project

The aftermarket industry is having a blast with the RWD coupe duo from Toyota and Subaru, which is something we expected after the two Japanese carmakers softened up the appearance of their respective production models compared to the impressive looking concepts. Read more »

Marangoni Introduces Toyota GT86-R Eco Explorer That Can Run On…Ammonia

Italian tire manufacturer Marangoni chose the 83rd edition of the Geneva Motor Show to show off their own special version of Toyota's nimble sports coupe. Called the GT86-R Eco Explorer, it features a number of modifications and, of course, a set of high-performance Marangoni M-Power EvoRed tires. Read more »

Toyota Gauges Reaction for a Convertible Version of GT 86 / FR-S with Geneva Study

Toyota is asking visitors as well as online viewers of the Geneva Motor Show if it should green light the production of a convertible version of its GT 86 sports coupe, otherwise known as the 86 or in North America, as the Scion FR-S, with the release of the FT-86 Concept. Read more »

Watch the Toyota FT-86 Open on the Move, Plus Official Details and 30 Photos

Following last night's premature reveal, Toyota has officially presented its new GT86 / Scion FR-S-based FT-86 Open concept, just days before we get to see in the flesh at the 83rd edition of the Geneva Motor Show.

Besides a more comprehensive and higher-resolution image gallery, Toyota also published the first video of the car on the move and initial specifications.

It only takes a quick look at the pictures to see that the FT-86 Open is more of a pre-production model than a concept, something that even Toyota admits, adding that it created the car "to test the water for the possible introduction of a convertible version".

Aimed at the likes of the successful Mazda MX-5, the FT-86 Open replaces the GT86's (FR-S) fixed hard-top with a multi-layered fabric roof with a glass rear screen. Unlike the Mazda, however, the Toyota model has the same 2+2 seating format as the coupe, which can be a bonus feature for many buyers.

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We Ask Toyota and Subaru about James May's Claim that Toyota Gets 90% of GT 86/FR-S/BRZ Production

After testing the Toyota GT 86 and declaring it an absolute blast and very easy to drift even when reading a book (!), then handing it over to The Stig for the customary lap, Jeremy Clarkson sat down with the other two Top Gear hosts and discussed the news.

This is usually the less exciting part of BBC’s show. A CarScoop reader, who goes by the nickname “Uglydawg69”, though, tipped us off that in that episode during the three lads’ bantering, James May said Toyota and Subaru have agreed that the former will sell 90 out of every 100 coupes the latter manufactures at its Ota plant located 50 miles northwest of Tokyo.

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Jeremy Clarkson Approves of Toyota’s GT 86 in Third Episode of Top Gear’s 19th Season

He is probably the most famous car TV show host, a fame he has earned mostly due to his sometimes brilliant, other times controversial or plainly insulting remarks.

Either way, Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson doesn’t really mind and continues doing what he knows best. He is a hard man to please, too; just ask the automakers that have been on the receiving end of his comments about their cars.

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BRZ/86/FR-S Coupes Miss on New Forester’s 250HP Turbo'd Boxer Because it Won’t Fit!

Ever since the production version of the FT-Concept(s) came out in the form of the Toyota 86/GT 86, Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S trio of practically identical rear-wheel drive coupes, everyone has been asking whether a more powerful version, most likely with forced induction, was on the cards.

It made sense as Subaru, which has actually designed the all-new 2.0-liter normally aspirated flat-four with Toyota adding its unique fuel injection system, has a long history of using turbocharged boxer engines in its models.

The company’s engine design department project team manager, Nobuo Kyotoku, was asked the exact same question by WardsAuto, which named the 2.0L FA (the motor’s designation) one of its 10 best engines of the year. The answer was “yes” and “no”…

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Toyota's 400hp GT86 GT4 Racer Ready to hit the Track

This tasty looking Toyota GT86 (Scion FR-S in N.A.) is the first GT4 racing version of the Japanese brand's sports coupe and it will make its first appearance on the track at the European GT4 championship in May.

The white and blue-liveried  racecar was created by Buckingham-based motorsport outfit GPRM, with Nicholson McLaren developing its 2.0-liter direct injection and turbocharged four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engine.

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Toyota Teases New FT-86 (Scion FR-S) Open Concept Ahead of Geneva Salon World Premiere

Ever since the launch of the Toyota 86 and GT 86, and its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins, there have been many rumors swirling around about a convertible version(s) of the successful coupe series.

As it turns out, Toyota is indeed considering such a model and will actually display a concept version at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

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DAMD's Lexus LFT-86 is a Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S in Disguise [w/Video]

Even if you wanted to, you can't ignore all the customized and conceptual Toyota 86 sport coupes that are on display at this week's Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan.

We don't know whether Toyota should worry, but a great number of tuners focused their efforts on altering the appearance of the rear-wheel drive coupe that's marketed as the Toyota GT 86 outside of Japan and the Scion FR-S in North America.

While the students at NATS gave the 86 an Audi R8-esque look and Toyota's own Original Accessory sub-brand a classic feel, the always-imaginative crew from Japan's DAMD decided to turn their 86 into a mini-me Lexus LFA calling it the LFT-86.

The cosmetic transformation begins with a new front end that keeps the 86's headlamps but adds a newly styled bumper that mimics the LFA with triangular-shaped side vents, and continues with the side skirts.

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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.

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That's NATS! Japanese Students Turn Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S into an Audi R8 Lookalike

Ah, the creative minds from Japan's Nihon Automobile College (NATS) are back again to surprise us in more ways than one with their work at this week's 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon.

The creators of unusual concepts such as the kei-car version of the Honda NSX back in 2007, took the most popular car of this year's show, the Toyota 86, and turned it into something that resembles an Audi R8, which they then called the R86.

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