New Toyota FT-86 Shots Bring Specifications into the Light

Adding to a long line of leaks these past few days, the specification sheet along with a few more brochure shots of the JDM 2012 Toyota FT-86 made their way onto Japanese forums revealing new details on the firm's rear-wheel drive coupe.

Cutting to the chase, the FT-86 measures 4,240mm (166.9-in.) long, 1,775mm wide (69.9-in.), and 1,285mm (50.6-in.) tall, while riding on a 2,570mm (101.2-in.) long wheelbase.

In its home market of Japan, the FT-86 is powered by a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four churning out 200-horses at 7,000 rpm and 205Nm (151.2 lb-ft) of peak torque at 6,600 rpm. It is very likely that the output numbers will remain the same for the global Toyota FT-86 and the North American Scion FR-S.

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Toyota Celebrates Production of 2 Million Yaris Hatchbacks at its Vallenciennes Plant

Toyota has had more than its fair share of problems in 2011, from the devastating March earthquake to the rising yen and the recent Thailand floods that have curtailed the brand's production.

However, despite all these setbacks, the troubled Japanese carmaker still has a couple of reasons to celebrate these days. The first of course is the eagerly awaited FT-86 RWD coupe.

The second reason is that last Friday, October 28, the two millionth Yaris rolled off the Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) plant in Valenciennes, France.

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2012 Toyota FT-86: New Photos Surface Online

When we brought you the first brochure images of the production version of the JDM Toyota FT-86 coupe on Thursday, we rightfully assumed that we should see more pictures of the rear-wheel drive model in the coming weeks before the official presentation at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show on November 30.

Better make that a little over 24 hours as we just discovered yet another collection of scanned images on a Japanese forum, providing us with an even better look at the exterior design of Toyota's mainstream sports car.

While the previous photos showed us a Modellista-prepped version, this time we have the standard FT-86 with or without some optional accessories such as the front panel air vent trims and rear diffuser accents.

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Toyota Reduces U.S. Production Due to Thailand Floods

It seems that nature's forces do not like Toyota. The March natural disaster in Japan affected Toyota the most and now, just as it is gearing up production to make up for the lost time, a massive flood in Thailand has plagued the automaker's three local factories forcing the company to change its plans once again.

Toyota issued the following statement: “Parts availability from Thailand is not predictable at this time and is changing with the continued severity of the flooding.”

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SEMA Preview: New Toyota Yaris Suits Up for Club Racing

The annual aftermarket extravaganza that is known as the SEMA Show will host the debut of Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer that will compete in the SCCA B-spec class race category next year with Action Sports Star and BMX legend Jamie Bestwick behind the wheel. Read more »

New Toyota FT-86 Revealed Through Leaked Japanese Brochure?

It's almost time for the official unveiling of the production version of the Toyota FT-86 rear-wheel drive coupe, which means you should probably brace yourself for a barrage of photos and details over the next few weeks.

The first wave comes through a set of leaked brochure scans that seem to be legit. The FT-86 depicted in these pictures is the Japanese domestic market Modellista version that has been accessorized by Toyota's in-house customization company.

Among other bespoke features that you won't see on the base model is the exterior aero package that comprises of a front spoiler, beefier side skirts and a two-piece rear apron, along with the model-specific alloy wheels.

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Rumors: Subaru’s BRZ Coupe to be More Powerful than Toyota FT-86?

Subaru’s upcoming entry in the coupe segment, the BRZ, and its Toyota twin, the FT-86, are two of the most eagerly anticipated cars of the year with their world premiere set for next month’s Tokyo Motor Show.

Up until now, Toyota has tantalized us with three versions of its RWD coupe, while Subaru has been more restrained, revealing only a transparent concept in Geneva and Frankfurt with very little details. The jointly developed sports car, in both guises, promises to be very capable and fun to drive.

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Toyota Launches New FT-86 App for Apple iPhone and iPod Users

It seems that there's an APP for just about everything these days – even for a car that hasn't been introduced in its final form yet. We're talking about the very, very long-awaited Toyota FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe.

We should see the FT-86 making its grand debut alongside its sister Subaru model, the BRZ, at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan this December, but until then, Toyota has introduced a new dedicated app for users of the Apple iPhone and iPod devices.

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Weak USD Makes Small Car Imports Expensive, American Buyers Turn to Domestic Brands

Is a weak dollar a good thing? If you’re asking the U.S. car industry, it most definitely is. Imported car prices have reached their highest point in the last 12 years, thus driving some of their prospective buyers away.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in August the average price of an imported car reached a record high of $31,536. That makes the price difference between a comparable domestic-made car $7,614, which is the largest since December 1999.

Add to that the severe supply issues faced by the Japanese manufacturers, who are only now starting to recover from the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, and it’s easy to see why more and more American car buyers are choosing domestic brands instead.

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Video: One Very Caring Motorcyclist

Here's some proof that you don't have to be an inconsiderate driver (you can replace the description with something more R-rated if you'd like…) to make headlines.

A UK motorcyclist's simple gesture of stopping between a Ford Ka and a Toyota Avensis estate to open the latter's closed passenger-side mirror while giving a thumbs up to the driver after his deed, has garnered more than 60,000 views on Youtube in less than 24 hours after it was uploaded.

You can watch it for yourself right after the break.

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New Toyota Prius C: Leaked Brochure Reveals Standalone Small Hybrid Hatch

We got our first taste of the next member to join Toyota's growing family of Prius models with the Prius C concept study that made its debut alongside the Prius V minivan at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year.

But today, thanks to a tip from a Carscoop reader in Japan who goes by the nickname "i-Ryuji", we can show you the actual production version of the Prius C through a plethora of scanned images from a leaked brochure.

With a big stretch of imagination, you might see the resemblance between the concept study and the production variant of the Prius C that evolves the design language of the regular Prius liftback.

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Toyota's Airs New "It's Ready. Are You?" Campaign for the 2012 Camry

After a first round of internet spots that coincided with the unveiling of the new 2012 Camry sedan, Toyota is ready for the official launch of its marketing campaign named "It's Ready. Are You?", which was created by the firm's advertising agency of choice, Saatchi & Saatchi LA.

Toyota's new campaign focuses on the performance, safety, fuel economy and technological aspects of the seventh generation of the Camry, highlighting key product features and packaging such as the Entune infotainment system.

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Toyota FT-86 Completes Nürburgring Endurance Race without a Hitch

Endurance races are quite a spectacle if you are a motorsports fan. Even more so if they take place at the Mecca of tracks, the (in)famous Nürburgring circuit.

It’s the only place where you can see an Opel Manta or a Mercedes-Benz 190E finishing ahead of a Porsche 911 or a Lexus LFA. That’s because a lot of things can happen in endurance races and to cross the finish line of the Nordschleife is in itself, quite an achievement.

As we reported, Toyota decided to pull an LFA-like stunt and enter its new rear-wheel drive FT-86 coupe before launching the production version, in this past Saturday's race at the track Jackie Stewart christened “the Green Hell”.

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Our Spies get Up, Close and Personal with the Toyota FT-86 by Gazoo Racing

We are still a couple of months away from the world premiere of the series production Toyota FT-86 at the Tokyo Motor Show in December, but on Saturday, October 15, the rear-wheel drive coupe will make its racing debut at the VLN endurance racing championship on the Nürburgring track.

The race-prepped FT-86 has been developed by Toyota's motorsports partner Gazoo Racing and it is based on the actual production model that goes on sale next year.

After the first crop of pictures that we showed you on Thursday, our crafty spies were able to get very close to the racecar during testing at the pits and on the track, and even shot some photos if the FT-86's interior.

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Toyota Returns to Le Mans with Hybrid LMP1 Racer

Seems like the Nürburgring record for an electric vehicle set last August was just the beginning of Toyota’s electric charge into the world of motorsports.

The company's racing division, Toyota Motorsport, announced today that it will enter the 2012 World Endurance Championship which, for the first time, is organized both by FIA and ACO, the club that runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and the Intercontinental Le Mans Series.

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Toyota to Face Three Sudden-Acceleration Related Trials in 2013

Toyota's sudden-acceleration woes are far from over as the company will have to face three trials in federal court in Santa Ana, California.

The first case is the one concerning the death of two people in Utah, which was dismissed 10 days ago due to a lack of jurisdiction. US District Judge James V. Selna reinstated the lawsuit today after the victims’ families re-filled their claims against Toyota. The trial is set for February 19, 2013.

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SCOOP: Toyota FT-86 by Gazoo Racing Snagged Testing, will Debut this Saturday on the 'Ring!

In a move that sounds very similar to what Lexus did with the LF-A some two years ago, Toyota and its motorsports partner Gazoo Racing are preparing a specially modified version of the upcoming FT-86 rear-wheel drive coupe that will make its racing debut before the official presentation of the production model at the Tokyo Motor Show in early December.

Our man with the long lens not only caught the FT-86 by Gazoo Racing, but he also told us that it will break cover this Saturday, October 15, at the VLN endurance racing championship at the Nürburgring.

We checked the entries and can confirm that the FT-86 has been officially listed with Masahiko Kagayama and Minoru Takaki taking the driver's seat.

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Japanese Carmakers' Production Back on Track, But it May not be Enough

For the first time after the March 11 earthquake and Tsunami, Japanese automakers have returned to their normal production levels. In fact, they are superseding last year’s numbers in an effort to make up for the lost time.

Toyota and Nissan, Japan’s two biggest car manufacturers are leading the pack, reporting increased production for the first time since March, with Mazda, Suzuki, Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi following their lead.

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Caught on Film: Alert Toyota Driver Saves Careless Motorcyclist's Life

Due to the fact that motorcyclists are far less protected in the event of an accident, they usually pay more attention to the road than car drivers.

But not this time as the man seen in the video footage below riding the scooter carelessly took the corner a little too wide and too fast. As a result, he drifted to the other side of the road and eventually lost traction and fell down.

Luckily for the biker, the driver of the oncoming vehicle (which appears to be an older-generation Toyota Corolla sedan), was fully alert and managed to avoid hitting him the last moment.

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Toyota Warns Suppliers to Lower their Prices, or Else…

The strong yen is harming the profitability of Japanese carmakers. After Honda, which plans to halve its domestic production over the next decade, Toyota, Japan’s number one automaker, told its parts suppliers to severely reduce their prices or risk being replaced by overseas manufacturers. Read more »