Autoblog

AutoCar procured a sketch of the oft-rumored and all-but-confirmed lightweight coupe that's being jointly developed between Subaru and Toyota, and their sources confirm that the final design will be signed off in July. According to the Brit pub, both automakers will have their own version of the rear-wheel-drive, two-door, powered by Subaru's own 175 hp, 2.0-liter boxer engine. A 2.5-liter, turbocharged version is also being considered, which might send power to all four wheels in a nod to the historic Celica GT4. Sales are expected to begin in Japan, the UK and North America in 2010. Here's hoping they can keep it under the $20k mark when it hits U.S.shores.

[Source: Autocar]

We've managed to get some sense of a normal schedule back for the podcasts, and here's number 74. Within, we discuss Ford Sync's newly announced price tag, whether it's worth it and what type of "Easter egg" features may be lurking. In other news, JD Power recently announced that Buick had tied Lexus for the top spot in the 2007 dependability ratings. It looks like a 3 year old Buick is a better investment than ever - also filling out the top 5 were Cadillac and Mercury.

Setting aside our pride over the domestic US manufacturers seeing actual results, we turn our attention to a beleaguered Brit - Jaguar. The XF was snagged without camo, and the rear view the shots afforded was encouraging, and answered some questions. It also raised a few more, and our most nagging question is what's underneath. Moving on, and staying foreign, we touch on VW's tasteful product placement in the Bourne Ultimatum, and the rumors surrounding a Toyota/Fuji lash-up for a revival of an AE-86 style car. Coming home again, if in brand alone, we wrap up with the Chevy Aveo 5 and its extra-full plate of hideous. The 'cast will only take up 40 minutes of your time, so come back next week for seconds!

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Back in our misspent Dime daze days, we made the annual trek to Mt. Shasta to bathe in the glory of all things Datsun, but we were primarily there to compare notes and swap parts with other 510 fanatics. The date was easy to remember: May 10th. Little did we know that another group of enthusiasts had their own thing going over 5,000 miles away on another notable calendar day – August 6th.

"8-6" day, as it's come to be known, is an excuse for anyone with a Hachi to head down to the Nikko Circuit to spend a day ripping rubber around the track in celebration of their favorite commuter-cum-racer. AEU86 forum member, Miguel, was on hand for the festivities and snapped a ton of great shots, including the turbo'd Tec Arts AE86 and a number of very clean, and very fast, Hachis. Follow the 'Read' link below to check it out.

[Source: AEU86]

A report in Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper states that Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent) are mulling over the possibility of jointly developing what many have been referring to as the successor to the classic AE86. The entry-level sports car would be branded as a Toyota but would feature a FHI-sourced boxer engine of 2.0 liters or less underhood. As far as pricing, the goal would be to keep the car at ¥2,000,000 or lower. Asahi says that the car would target a 2010 release (not 2008, as previously reported by Japan's Best Car magazine) and that talks between the two entities won't commence in earnest until this Fall.

The Asahi report comes in the wake of the aforementioned Best Car magazine story, which also said Fuji Heavy would factor into the equation, but that a price of ¥1,500,000 was the target. While the two outlets differ on some of the specifics, the basic stories match up, and you know the saying: "Where there's smoke..."

In other news, Asahi reports that Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu will begin supplying its Coo compact wagon (a.k.a. Toyota bB) to Fuji Heavy, and that a Subaru-branded version should go on sale in Japan next summer.

[Source: Asahi Shimbun via Motor Authority]

Click the image above for more images from Best Car.

Within days of announcing Toyota's formation of a "Committee to create interesting cars," this summer's Best Car Plus magazine reveals that the long-rumoured new AE86 type car has indeed been spawned by the group and should be in showrooms in the winter of 2008.

The new article goes into some detail of the new car's spec. Under 4m long and 1.7m wide, it's pretty low at 1.35m tall, and engineers have been directed to keep weight below 1,000kgs. Power will come from a 1.5L 2NZ-FE good for 120 horsepower. What has been unknown until this time is where Toyota would source a cheap RWD drivetrain, but Best Car has learned that it will come from new partner Fuji Heavy Industries - better known to you and me as Subaru.

And the best news of all? The committee's final directive is to keep the new car's sticker price below 1.5million Yen. That's about $12,300 USD in today's money.

[Source: Best Car]

Back in March, Winding Road floated the idea that Toyota may be in the process of developing a rear-wheel drive vehicle in the same vein as the Corolla AE86 of the 80s. At the time, it was easy to pass it off as pure speculation. Now, the GTChannel says that its sources in the Land of the Rising Sun have also confirmed that a 2+2, front-engine, RWD vehicle is in the works and that if and when it comes to market its sticker will be "well under [$] 20k" – maybe even $16,000.

Considering that the Scion brand has quickly emerged as a cost-conscious means of stylish transport, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that such a vehicle would slot in nicely within the youth-oriented marque, even if its price would make it a direct competitor to the tC. The only rub is finding a suitable platform to build the new vehicle atop, and the only RWD vehicle that could fit the bill would be the Lexus IS. Granted, the $30,000+ sports sedan's underpinnings might be a bit of a stretch (or shortening, in this case) to make a budget performance car, but the ability to cut costs via platform sharing isn't out of the question. Maybe some of the old IS's architecture could even be used.

In the meantime, we're hoping to see spy shots of a tC-bodied mule making the rounds around the 'Ring, rear-wheels a blazing and powersliding into the Carousel.

[Source: GTChannel]

Our pals at Winding Road just passed along a note that Toyota might be considering re-releasing the driftastic Corolla Sport. The endearingly tossable rear-wheel-drive AE86 platform was known by many names around the world: Corolla Levin, Sprinter Trueno, Corolla GT and of course the Corolla Sport in the States. Particularly in GT-S trim, it was one of the few sporty models to make its way into Toyota dealerships, alongside the Celica and Supra, and eventually the MR2, which essentially replaced it. But it was fun and cheap, and that set it apart. Available from 1983-1987, it was one of the last affordable rear-drive cars that could take a pounding, making it a favorite of budget street racers and the emerging drift scene in the '80s and '90s.

It looks like the suits at Toyota are close to greenlighting a new version. Apparently the idea has been floated several times over the years with mixed reaction, but it seems to be gaining some momentum lately. There is reportedly some disagreement within the corporate ranks over whether or not it would actually sell, but a few officials appear to be backing it strongly. Must be some Initial D fans up in there. A modernized Hachi-Roku would have to find a suitable rwd platform, but would be a blast to see in the lineup again. Of course, we've had access to AE86 in games like Need For Speed for years now, but getting our hands on the real deal would be sweet. We'll keep our fingers crossed on this one.

[Source: Winding Road]

Oh my dear Lord. How could we have not discovered this AE86 sooner? It's a wonder, considering all the things that scream out for our attention. Those delectable Pans, the purposeful stance, oh, and that glitterified hood. How could we have overlooked such a wonderful beast for so long?

Chohdog has spent the time, effort and coin to make this particular 86 the race/drift car that his readers can learn from. As an editor for Drift and RWD Sport Magazine (which we want a copy of, so where can we find it?), Chohdog has stripped everything unnecessary from this Corolla, leaving only a race bucket and a few choice interior components to show the kids how its done.

Under the hood, he's got a 4AGE block, complete with AE92 high compression pistons, head and intake manifold with Crower Stage 2 camshafts working the valves with the help of Battle Version cam gears. An HKS Super Magnificent Mega Special air filter sends sacrificial oxygen into the engine, that's soon dispatched through a TRD, 4-1 header and out an HKS catback exhaust.

On the suspension side of the equation, he's opted for KYB 4-way adjustable shocks with TRD 6 kg/mm springs in front, paired with 4.3 kg/mm twizzlers and Tokico five-way adjustable shocks in the rear.

There's more to the mods, but we'd be giving you no incentive to click through for more spizzarklerific pics and the full list of mods, posted after the jump.

On a housekeeping note, we've said before that if you don't provide details about your ride, it won't get picked. This particularly pained us last night, when we were about to choose two delectable little morsels, only to find that the extensive modifications weren't listed. Look, we're all car geeks here and there are few things we enjoy more than listing off all the little DIY items that make it onto our pride and joy. It's imbued into every molecule of our being. Give us the details so we can share your passion with the rest of our readers. M'kay?