Subaru BRZ debuts

A few days ago Toyota unveiled the GT 86 and now Subaru has decided to do the same thing with its BRZ rear-wheel drive coupe that was developed alongside with Toyota. Under the hood of both cars is the same 4-cylinder 2.0-liter Boxer engine that fires 197 hp and a peak torque of 205 Nm. The BRZ will be available with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a paddle shift 6-speed automatic transmission. There are no official details regarding the performance figures of both cars but the 0-62 mph sprint time should be of around 7 seconds while the top speed will be of approximately 143 mph.

The proportions of the Subaru BRZ are identical to the Toyota GT 86, but the headlights, grille and the fog lights are proprietary to Subaru, just like the more prominent side gills, while at the back it doesn’t have a spoiler. From the press release Subaru published we found out that the car will come as standard with 17-inch alloys and the car will weigh only 1,220 kg thanks to the fact that the Japanese automaker has used a lot of high tensile strength steel.

Scheduled to reach the UK dealerships in summer 2012, the Subaru BRZ will have an estimated starting price of 30,000 pounds.

Ferrari 599XX gets Evoluzione package

One of the most exclusive cars ever made, the Ferrari 599FX, has recently received an Evoluzione package that increases the output of the engine by 30 hp for a grand total of 740 hp, while the maxim torque figure is also raised to 516 lb.-ft thanks to the installation of new, freer-flowing side-exhausts.

This Evoluzione package is available for those 29 clients that had 1.2 million pounds to buy the car and it brings “opening gap” aerodynamics on the rear wing. It has a pair of flaps that open & close in order to adjust the front-aft downforce which balances the handling during high speed cornering. These flaps are linked to the engine management system and they open and close according to the steering wheel angle, speed and front/side acceleration.

The downforce was improved considerably thanks to a revised front splitter and the installation of a new rear diffuser that has more surface area. The foot-plates and the fences have also been redesigned for this purpose. According to the Italian automaker, the 599XX fitted with the Evoluzione package gains 440kg of downforce at 124 mph while the flaps are shut and 300kg when they are open.

The price for this package is expected to be of somewhere around 185,000 Euros (about 158,000 pounds).

Tokyo Motor Show – 2012 Mitsubishi Mirage

This week during the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi unveiled the 2012 Mirage which has been developed in order to “satisfy the needs of people all over the world.” It comes with aerodynamic wheel covers, a slender grille and a roof-mounted spoiler.

Inside the cabin, the company’s designers have implemented a “simple & clean” philosophy which gives the cabin a roomy feeling. It has a bunch of metallic accents, a glossy black trim and a sporty instrument cluster.

The tiny car is motivated by a new 3-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine that benefits from the variable valve timing system and has the stop/start system. No word about the performance specifications of this power unit but Mitsubishi has stated that it is mated to a CVT gearbox and should return 70.6 mpg (30 km/liter, 84.7 mpg UK or 3.3 liters / 100 km).

The 2012 Mitsubishi Mirage will be launched in Thailand next March, before going on sale in the rest of the world.

Tokyo Motor Show – BMW ActiveHybrid 5

BMW 5-Series ActiveHybrid

Set to go on sale next February in UK for 46,860 pounds, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has been introduced this week at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. The car is based on the current 535i model and manages to be 16% more fuel efficient when compared to the regular version.

BMW 5-Series ActiveHybrid

The car is motivated by the 6-cylinder, twin turbocharged gasoline engine from the 535i and comes with a 55 hp electric motor. When combined, the power output is rated at 330 hp and 332 lb.-ft of torque. The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission which allows the car to do the 0-62 mph sprint in only 5.9 seconds, en route to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

BMW says that this model is able to return 44.1 mpg UK while its CO2 emissions stand at just 149 g/km. The vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack has been installed in the boot and allows the car to be driven on electric mode at speeds of up to 37 mph. This greener 5-Series can do 2.5 miles on electric mode when averaging 22 mph.

Some of its new features include the stop/start system, brake regeneration and hill-start assist. As standard, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels while the cabin is clad with a Fineline Anthracite wood interior trim and packs a built-in sat-nav system.

Scion FR-S goes official

Scion FR-S

After Toyota launched the GT 86 and Subaru the BRZ model, Scion has done that same thing with its FR-S model, which looks almost the same as the GT 86. Under its hood there’s the same mechanical hardware and layout, including here the 2.0-liter Subaru-sourced, horizontally-opposed engine and Toyota’s D-4S injection system that sports both direct and port injection.

Scion FR-S

This naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine unleashed 200 hp and 151 lb.-ft, and can be mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission that sends the power to the rear wheels. As standard, the car will ride on 17-inch alloys and it will have ventilated disc brakes on all four corners.