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Toyota has just released a teaser image of what it says is an all-new, designed-in-America sedan that will debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next week. It isn’t immediately clear if the vehicle will be a concept or production car, but Toyota has issued no showcar qualifiers, suggesting it’s something that will be in dealers soon. Described as having “an elegant yet athletic look,” the teased rear end most likely belongs to the next-generation Avalon full-size sedan.

While we can’t be sure until the wraps are removed in New York, the Avalon is our best guess based on descriptions of the redesigned Avalon from Toyota dealers who were shown it last year in June. The dealers drew comparisons between the redesigned Avalon and upscale cars like the Audi A7 and Jaguar XJ, suggesting it will transition from a traditional sedan to a four-door coupe shape. The teaser image provided today by Toyota supports this, showing a severely sloped C-pillar and little-to-no rear deck. And while the cut lines for the trunk aren’t visible in this rendering, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a hatch.

Toyota’s new sedan, whatever it is, will makes its worldwide debut on April 5 at the New York Auto Show. We’ll be there covering it live, so keep your computer tuned to Autoblog for more.

Continue reading Toyota teases all-new Avalon ahead of New York debut

Toyota teases all-new Avalon ahead of New York debut

Why don’t they make four-door convertibles anymore? Because the roof mechanism would just be too darn big, that’s why. But there’s at least one company out to change that. And, of course, they’re Dutch.

That outfit is Savage Rivale, the braintrust behind the Roadyacht GTS. Rather than a wafting parade car like the Chrysler Phaetons of yore, the Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS is more like a four-door Lamborghini Gallardo. With a retracting hard top.

The vehicle is still in the development phase, with the (fixed-roof) race version set to debut next month at the Top Marques show in Monaco. But in the meantime, the Dutch firm has released an animated clip of the Retractable Telescopic Multi Panel (RTMP) roof mechanism it has developed for the Roadyacht with Inalfa Roof Systems.

The mechanism is based around a retractable arm that deploys with the glass panels and then forms the backbone for the structure once in place, with locking mechanisms in the C pillars. It’s about as thorough a rethink of the folding roof as the one former Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti created for the Ferrari 575 Superamerica (and later adapted for the Renault Wind and Ferrari 458 Spider), but it’s a little hard to imagine, so we’ll let the video clip after the jump speak for itself.

Continue reading Savage Rivale shows crazy multi-panel retractable roof for Roadyacht GTS

Savage Rivale shows crazy multi-panel retractable roof for Roadyacht GTS

Plugging A Hole With A Seven-Passenger Synthetic Cork

Consumers looking for a sports coupe, sports sedan, sporty five-passenger crossover, luxury five-passenger crossover, trailer-capable SUV, sporty convertible or hybrid luxury sedan have been able to drive out of Infiniti showrooms very satisfied. The automaker offers a well-curated family of vehicles for each of these genres, without question.

However, affluent families seeking an import luxury seven-passenger crossover – without a traditional truck lineage – have been forced to shop elsewhere. Many of Infiniti’s missed opportunities end up holding keys to an Acura MDX, Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90. Aiming to close a gaping leak in its product range, Infiniti officially introduced the world to its all-new JX crossover at the Los Angeles Auto Show just a few months ago.

The new arrival has been engineered to “excel in the areas that luxury crossover buyers desire most – interior flexibility and roominess, safety, and advanced hospitality features,” says Infiniti. But to us, some of those qualities seem to stray from the company’s ‘Inspired Performance’ tagline. Intrigued by the new arrival, we climbed aboard an airliner and flew to Charleston, South Carolina, for an introduction and test drive of the JX crossover.

Continue reading 2013 Infiniti JX [w/video]

2013 Infiniti JX [w/video]

For some, the horsepower wars being waged by auto manufacturers over the past few years are getting a bit out of hand. A 550-hp factory Camaro? A 650-hp factory Mustang? Ridiculous. But if you count massive amounts of gas-guzzling horsepower and torque a crime (we don’t), then the worst of all offenders is perhaps Shelby. Last year at the New York Auto Show, the company unveiled its most powerful creation to date: the 2012 GT500 Super Snake, with up to 800 horsepower. And while 800 hp is just bonkers, Shelby’s next trick is even more insane.

Today, Shelby American has revealed the 2012 Shelby 1000. The name of, course, is taken from the car’s horsepower figure, which is around 950 in street trim and around 1,100 in the S/C track version. To harness the extra power, Shelby has installed a beefier suspension, larger brakes, a single-piece driveshaft and a nine-inch rear end, but we’re guessing it will still be quite a handful on the street.

Only a limited number of 2012 Shelby 1000 models will be produced, with the post-title package (not including the base GT500 donor car) starting at $149,995. That means the total cost will ring in at right around $200,000. Shelby says that it will start taking orders once the car is officially unveiled at the New York Auto Show next week. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Continue reading Shelby previews 1000-HP Super-Stang ahead of New York debut

Shelby previews 1000-HP Super-Stang ahead of New York debut

Jeep has released details on six new concepts the company crafted for this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, including the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept. And while that vehicle boasts a slew of off-road goodies, including tow hooks, aggressive Goodyear Wrangler rubber and a rear light bar, we’re more interested in the wicked Mighty FC Concept pictured above.

Engineers built the Mighty FC as a tribute to the Jeep Forward Control that was offered between 1956 and 1965. Using a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon as a platform, the company stretched the wheelbase, stuck the cab ahead of the front axle and threw in a custom drop-side cargo box. Underneath, the Mighty FC uses a set of Mopar eight-lug portal axles, which offer a surprising amount of ground clearance without having to resort to a lift. If you like what you see, the axles are available for a combined price of $23,500. The truck rolls on 40-inch tires, and a King coil-over suspension handles the bumps and bruises of the trail.

Of course, the Jeep J-12 Concept (above, left) is equally delicious in its own right. An extended version of the JK-8 pickup, the concept began life as a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited, though the frame has been stretched a total of 18 inches. With a full six-foot bed, custom hood and unique fenders, the concept is straight awesome. Build it, Jeep.

The automaker also showed off an accessorized version of the standard Wrangler as well as a Wrangler Traildozer concept (above, right). The latter of the two was built by partnering with the off-road gurus at American Expedition Vehicles. With a 470-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 and a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox, the machine has the go-bits to tackle any trail. Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials at the front and rear are also part of the package.

Likewise, the Wrangler Apache concept (above, left) gets its power from the same fire-breathing Hemi, though that vehicle uses a Mopar conversion kit for the swap. With a beefy lift and 5.13 axles, the Apache should have no problem taking on the rocks of Moab.

Unfortunately, Chrysler has yet to release a full batch of official images for each vehicle, so went to their headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, and shot them ourselves. Look below for the lot of them, as well as Chrysler’s official press release.

Continue reading Jeep drops details on six Easter Jeep Safari Concepts

Jeep drops details on six Easter Jeep Safari Concepts

Under its current management, Lotus has proven nothing if not ambitious. Lotus can’t achieve its goals without help from the outside, however, and thus has has teamed up with established racing teams to field cars under the Lotus name in countless motorsport series, hunted for new capital from external investors and collaborated with Mansory to customize its vehicles. It’s that last joint venture that the British automaker is now preparing to expand.

The collaboration goes back a little over a year when Lotus brought Mansory in to tart up the Evora with some extra carbon fiber bits that debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. That led to the production Evora GTE (pictured above) and subsequent special editions based thereon, but now Lotus and Mansory are preparing to roll out an entire customization range not only for the Evora, but also the Elise and Exige models.

The catalog, according to Lotus, will include custom “bodywork, trim and special finishes”, although not much more information was released at this point. The collaborative effort, however, is gearing up to unveil a new variant at the Paris Motor Show come September, so follow the jump for the full press blast and watch this space for more.

Continue reading Lotus ramps up partnership with Mansory

Lotus ramps up partnership with Mansory

General Motors struck back at the mighty Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with the similarly brawny Camaro ZL1, and now it looks like GM has taken aim at the Mustang Boss 302 as well.

According to posts on the Camaro5.com forums, a dealer reference guide has revealed buyers will be able to opt for a new performance track package for the 2013 Camaro. The 1LE pack includes a number of aerodynamic tweaks, including an aggressive front splitter and unique rear spoiler, both painted in smoke gray. Red Brembo brake calipers, a hood wrapped in matte black vinyl and 20-inch wheels shod in Goodyear Eagle Supercar tires are all part of the party. Those big rollers are actually borrowed from the ZL1.

Larger sway bars front and rear as well as stronger axle half shafts help the vehicle withstand track abuse. A Tremec six-speed manual gearbox with a higher 3.91 final drive and a liquid cooling system is also standard. Finally, the report says the Camaro 1LE will feature an optional dual-mode exhaust similar to what’s found on the Chevrolet Corvette.

Will the hardware be enough to help the Camaro fend off the road-race ready Boss 302? Given the sublime driving experience the tweaked Mustang offers its buyers and the heady 444 horsepower on hand, it seems unlikely. That doesn’t mean we’d be averse to putting the two head to head on a track, however.

UPDATE: General Motors has now released official information on the 1LE. The model will land at under $40,000 and and be able to pull up to 1g on the skid pad. According to Al Oppenheiser, Camaro Chief Engineer, the vehicle was able to best the three-minute lap time at Virginia International Raceway, and GM is currently seeking approval from SCCA to allow the package to be used in the Touring Class competition.

In addition to borrowing the dual-mode exhaust from the ZL1, the 1LE will also feature the same variable-effort power steering. Other changes include a strut tower brace, ZL1 wheel bearings, toe links and shock mounts as well as a ZL1 high-capacity fuel pump and pickups for consistent fuel delivery during hard cornering. Even if the 1LE can’t keep pace with the Boss 302, it should make for an impressive on-track machine. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Chevy Camaro to get Boss 302-rivaling 1LE trim for 2013 [UPDATE]

Chevy Camaro to get Boss 302-rivaling 1LE trim for 2013 [UPDATE]

The resurrected Opel/Vauxhall Junior is expected to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this year with a three-cylinder engine tucked in its engine bay. That motor will be a joint product of General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC and the heart of Opel and Vauxhall’s gas-powered, small-capacity engine family.

Both three- and four-cylinder engines are on the way ranging from 1.0 to 1.4 liters. The Junior is predicted to get a three-cylinder, but Opel hasn’t confirmed that or even if the Junior will be the first car to get one of the co-developed motors. Automotive News reports that the engines have “direct injection and turbocharging capability,” but with double-digit gains in fuel economy and torque out of the box, those features might not appear immediately.

Above that, there will be 1.6-liter diesel and gas engines to replace current units, perhaps like the 1.4-liter in the Opel Insignia. GM says those engines will come to the U.S. “within two years.”

The three-door Junior will be smaller than the Opel Agila (pictured), a challenge to the Mini Cooper and Audi A1. An electric version is a possibility for 2015.

Opel to debut engines developed with SAIC at the Paris Motor Show

BMW has announced it is recalling a whopping 1.3 million 5 Series and 6 Series vehicles from the 2003 to 2010 model years. Of those, Reuters notes that some 368,000 examples were sold in the U.S. – most of them sedans like the one above.

It doesn’t sound like too difficult of a problem to fix, but the automaker says the cars’ battery cable covers could be incorrectly mounted. BMW says no accidents or injuries have occurred because of the issue, but there is the potential that affected models may fail to start, or worse, catch fire.

Owners will be receiving a letter soon and will be asked to visit a BMW dealer for about a 30-minute repair session.

A company spokesman tells The Wall Street Journal that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been notified. Just 9 months ago, BMW was penalized $3 million for failing to report safety defects to NHTSA quickly enough. It looks like they may have learned their lesson. Read the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading BMW recalling 1.3 million 5 and 6 Series models worldwide

BMW recalling 1.3 million 5 and 6 Series models worldwide

If you were in Houston back in January for the car show there, you may have seen a murdered-out Grand Cherokee there which Jeep dubbed a “production-intent concept.” The most iconic of Chrysler brands then rolled into Geneva with a similar GC with more of a Storm Trooper look, joined by a blacked-out Compass. These, too, were called “production-intent concepts” – a name that wasn’t all that dynamic. So Jeep opened a contest called “Name My Ride,” and the handle chosen was “Altitude.” Now Jeep is putting the Altitude into its product catalog for the Grand Cherokee, Compass and the Patriot, too.

Like the concepts, the production Altitude special editions are characterized by their blacked-out approach. For the Grand Cherokee, that means a black grille surround, black headlamp trim, black liftgate light bar, blacked-out 20-inch alloys and a black interior, complemented by “platinum chrome” on the lower fascia and the mesh grille. For the Compass, the Altitude edition blacks out the grille, headlamp bezels, roof rails, step pad and 18-inch alloys (as well as the interior), whole the Patriot Altitude gets black 17-inch alloys and cabin but trades in most of the rest for chrome and polished steel.

If this all strikes you as just too dark, each model is available in other colors for the bodywork, in which case the black trim provides the contrast. They all come packed with optional extras as well, with prices starting at $20,240 for the Patriot Altitude edition, $22,190 for the Compass Altitude and $35,595 for the Grand Cherokee Altitude. Like what you see? Check ‘em out in the high-res image gallery and the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading Jeep blacks out with crowdsourced Altitude edition Grand Cherokee, Compass and Patriot

Jeep blacks out with crowdsourced Altitude edition Grand Cherokee, Compass and Patriot

Ferrari is an automaker the operates in two spheres: racing and road cars. The company builds the latter to fund the former, but while the two have long operated as fairly separate units, there is plenty of room for overlap. Like its Corse Clienti department.

Established to facilitate privateer racing teams running Ferrari GT cars in various series, the Corse Clienti division also runs the firm’s elite XX development program that allows some of its best customers the opportunity to act as “client test drivers.” In other words, people pay big money – and by big, we mean millions – to test out new equipment developed by Maranello’s skunkworks before it’s implemented on future road cars.

The program started with the Enzo-based FXX back in 2005, which was succeeded by the 599XX in 2009. But like the FXX led to the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione, so has the 599XX. More an upgrade package than a new car, the $250,000 evolution kit includes a bigger front splitter, giant rear wing with moving foils, a 30-horsepower upgrade to 740 and another two years of factory-supported track days.

The most recent was held at Japan’s Suzuka circuit, where the 599XX Evoluzione hit the track for the first time since delivery to its eager new owners. It was also the first time the upgraded track car was run in public, following its debut at the Bologna Motor Show back in December. Of course, now that the 599 range is being phased out, we can’t help but wonder what Ferrari will base its next developmental track car on: the new F12 Berlinetta? The 458 Italia? The upcoming Enzo successor? It’s early to tell, but you can check out the 599XX doing its thing in the video clip and press release after the jump, along with the fresh crop of high-resolution images we’ve added to the gallery.

Continue reading Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Autocar reports Lexus may be mulling a production version of the company’s LF-LC Concept. After receiving a near universally positive reception following its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show this year, Karl Schlicht, head of Lexus product planning, reportedly gave the vehicle a 50-50 shot at hitting dealers sometime in the future. Those aren’t great odds, but it is a change of tone from when the vehicle first hit the stage. Back in January, Toyota made it very clear the LF-LC was strictly a concept. As you may recall, the vehicle is a 2+2 coupe with a hybrid drivetrain and a low-slung presence.

According to Schlicht, the vehicle would have never even been considered for production if it had merely been submitted as a design proposal. With a physical concept backed by chorus of positive reviews, the company’s decision makers have evidently been prompted to give the LF-LC a second look.

Schlicht himself is set to become the head of product planning for Toyota and Lexus starting on April 1.

Lexus LF-LC super coupe concept pondered for production

Any device or system that draws a driver’s attention away from the road is inherently distracting, but some navigation systems are better than others. Now, AT&T Labs is said to be hard at work developing a steering wheel with haptic feedback that may allow more drivers to keep their eyes off of the center console screen. According to MIT’s Technology Review, the system uses 20 small actuators to to create a pattern of vibrations in the wheel. When the wheel buzzes clockwise, the driver is meant to turn to the right, while counterclockwise vibrations suggest turning left. The company’s research indicates that when the system is used with standard audio and visual cues, inattentiveness in younger drivers drops by around 3.1 percent.

Researchers defined “inattentiveness” as time spent looking away from the road in driving simulations. The haptics had no impact on older drivers, but a separate study by Carnegie Mellon indicated drivers over the age of 65 could see their inattentiveness drop by around four percent.

Even with the promising results, it will likely be years before a similar system could be adopted by automakers, if it ever reaches the market at all.

AT&T Labs, Carnegie Mellon investigating steering wheels with haptic feedback for navigation

Svelte as it still looks, the DB9 is getting a little long in the proverbial tooth – Aston Martin first launched the 2+2 way back in 2004. As such, it’s high time the British purveyor of luxury GTs gear up to roll out a new model, and this is the best look we’ve had at it yet.

Spied virtually undisguised while undergoing winter testing in the snow, the new DB9 (or whatever AML opts to call it) carries all the trademark elements of a contemporary Aston Martin design. The grille appears to be a little smaller and the rear fenders pack a more pronounced curve. Expect the new V12 GT to arrive sometime next year, but you can check it out now in the high-res gallery of spy shots above.

Aston Martin DB9 successor caught romping in the snow

Back in the summer of 2010, Eric Clapton stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, with one request: could they build him a 458 Italia with a V12? Nearly two years later, this is what resulted.

Reportedly called the SP12 EPC (bearing the initials of the famous rock guitarist), the one-off product of the Ferrari Special Projects division first surfaced with a few photos the other day, but now we’ve got video footage of the car moving under its own power away from a London dealership – presumably en route for delivery at the multiple Grammy Award winner’s home.

With styling cues borrowed from the 512 BB – an early mid-engined Ferrari that was never officially homologated for sale in the United States – the SP12 EPC is said to be based on the 458 Italia. Which isn’t a bad place to start. The big question on everyone’s mind, however, is what resides under the hood? Did Ferrari manage to shoehorn in the twelve-pot as hoped, or did it stick with the 4.5-liter V8 in the donor car? Hard to say, but sources point towards the latter.

Follow the jump to watch the blurry, shaky footage and listen to the custom creation rumbling, and share your thoughts – eight cylinders or twelve – in the Comments section below.

Continue reading Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

Formula One may, to outsiders, seem like a monolith, but it is in fact a gathering of rather disparate parties. There’s the FIA which governs the series from a sporting standpoint, there’s the collective of teams competing in the series, and Formula One Management, the company that holds the sport’s commercial rights under the direction of one Bernie Ecclestone. The only way they all get along is through the terms of the Concorde Agreement – the contract that divides up the spoils, namely television revenues and prize cash, between the parties. And that contract is coming up for renewal.

Ecclestone is eager to please the teams and get them to sign what will become the seventh Concorde Agreement when the current one expires at the end of the year. And to get there, rather than negotiate with all the teams equally, Bernie has been offering big incentives to certain teams. Those include in particular Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull – the teams which have, in the past dozen years or more, accounted for the lion’s share of the titles (both drivers and constructors). F1 would suffer a tremendous blow if any of these teams were to leave, so Ecclestone has reportedly offered them such incentives as cash bonuses, shares in Formula One Management and seats on its board, and performance incentives that would in theory be open to any team that achieves them but would in practice favor those three top team.

One team being left out of those incentives is Mercedes, one of the largest automakers participating in the sport – running its own team and supplying engines to two more (including McLaren), not to mention the safety and medical cars used at each grand prix. According to The Telegraph, Mercedes is now threatening to take legal action under European competition laws (regulations that are formulated to prevent the abuse of a dominant position) if it gets left out of the incentives being offered to other top teams. Ecclestone may be forced to cave to Mercedes’ demands, lest he find himself back in court while losing a top team and engine supplier from his roster.

Mercedes ponders exiting F1 racing over commercial deal

The BMW 3 Series and racing go together like slicks and dry asphalt, so it’s no surprise that the world now has its first competition-prepped version of the new F30. According to BMWBlog, BMW South Africa has partnered up with ADF Motorsport to create the 335i racer you see above. The sedan is set to debut at the Wesbank Super Series at Killarney in Cape Town on March 31. All told, the vehicle took less than two months to build with a price tag of $260,000.

The N55 turbo straight six is bereft of power-adding tweaks due to series regulations thta include a restrictor plate on the turbo and limited boost. ADF and friends have worked over the turbo, exhaust, and ECU, however, so the powertrain is still good for over 400 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque – a tidy increase over the 300/300 ratings of the standard production cars.

In addition, the car’s curb weight has been trimmed down to 2,998 pounds. Much of that savings was realized using carbon fiber components from the M Performance catalog. The team also borrowed a set of 14.5-inch front brake discs and 18 inch wheels from the minds at M. ADF Motorsport says this is the first example of a production-based direct-injected racecar.

BMW South Africa shows off first F30-based 3 Series racer

The Spring Festival, held annually in Southern California, has become a sort of mecca for late model Mopar owners, bringing together hundreds of owners of Chrysler’s LX platform cars – Challenger, Charger, Magnum and 300. The event was initially started by a small group of passionate forum members, but it has recently grown enough to garner official support from Chrysler. This year, the Pentastar had a special treat planned for its passionate followers, the debut of the company’s new Challenger Rallye Redline.

Based on the Challenger SXT Plus, the Rallye Redline features the same 3.6-liter V6 with 305 horsepower and 268 lb-ft torque as the standard model, but it gets a host of visual, interior and handling upgrades. For starters, the exterior gets a triple red stripe and new 20-inch wheels with subtle red stripes around the rims. Inside, the theme continues with available Radar Red leather seats.

Don’t think that Chrysler has ignored the Rallye Redline’s performance, though. A Super Sport Group handling package has been added that includes firmer front and rear shocks, larger front and rear sway bars, slightly wider tires and 25-percent quicker steering. Stopping power is also improved with larger brakes included in the package.

Pricing for the 2012 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline is listed at $28,745 (excluding $925 destination) with availability beginning next month. Click past the break to read the full details in the press release from Chrysler.

Continue reading Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

CBS’ 60 Minutes sat down with Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne last night to discuss the automaker’s resurrection and the touch-and-go period in 2009 when the Fiat executive began talks with the federal government over a controlled Chrysler bankruptcy. Marchionne said that when he arrived at Chrysler, the company’s employees were all afraid the company wouldn’t survive. Now, he says, that fear is gone. The segment explains how Marchionne saw early on how well Chrysler strengths, specifically in minivans and light trucks, could dovetail with Fiat experience in small-car technology. The executive calls Chrysler the “other half” of the Fiat coin from a product perspective.

The segment also spends some time looking at the upcoming Dodge Dart, with Marchionne saying the car is “mechanically outstanding.” The executive played a strong hand in improving both Fiat and Chrysler quality, at least according to Consumer Reports. The besweatered Marchionne also spends a bit of time talking about American workers and the labyrinth of bureaucracy within Chrysler when he arrived. Hit the jump to watch – it’s well worth the 13 minutes of your day.

Continue reading Watch Sergio Marchionne on last night’s 60 Minutes

Watch Sergio Marchionne on last night’s 60 Minutes

Subaru Gives Us Their Sports Car On Real Roads. Does It Deliver?

Last December, our wandering man of intrigue Jonathan Ramsey drove a Subaru BRZ prototype at Japan’s Tochigi circuit under somewhat controlled conditions and was nonetheless very impressed. Then, in that same month, SoCal lad Michael Harley – he who knows a thing or two about hot-footing it on closed circuits – took the practically identical Scion FR-S for many unfettered laps on the island’s short and sweet Sodegaura Forest Raceway. He, too, was left extremely enthused by the experience.

My turn now. We needed a real road test of the Subaru BRZ just to see if this car really does merit the “zenith” part of its name represented by its final letter. Can the stellar handling and light weight we’ve already raved about translate into something you could happily drive every day?

The roads on which Subaru sent me with their new star pupil could not be more appropriate: the ominous Route Napoleon in southern France. This is perfect, because the number of new car drives following the Geneva Motor Show has been mind numbing, and I frankly needed a spectacular car-and-road pairing to recharge my enthusiasm. I can think of no better combo for this than a promising sports car and this insanely technical French two-lane. I am here to find out if, in the real sporting car world, 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque are enough to keep the fire burning in me.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]

2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]