Toyota's GT 86. Image: Toyota of Europe

The official unveiling of Toyota’s much anticipated FT-86 sports coupe happens later this week at the Tokyo Motor Show, but that hasn’t stopped the Japanese automaker from leaking footage of the GT 86 (the car’s actual name, in Europe at least) in advance. We’re not sure if it will land on these shores under a Toyota badge or a Scion badge (since Scion did show a version as the FR-S), but we are sure of this: Toyota pretty much violated the gentleman’s agreement with Subaru to reveal the respective cars at the same time.

Toyota's GT 86. Image: Toyota of Europe

The Toyota GT 86 will use a Subaru-supplied, 2.0-liter boxer-four engine, good for 197 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque. Both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic gearbox will be offered, and the car will come to market with a 53-percent front, 47-percent rear weight distribution for balanced handling.

Toyota's GT 86. Image: Toyota of Europe

It’s too early to talk about specific performance numbers, since we don’t even know what the car will weigh in U.S. trim. Sill, I’d expect a 0 – 60 time of under seven seconds with a top speed of 140 or so, unless Toyota cheaps out and equips the GT 86 with H rated tires. If that’s the case, expect the top speed to be electronically limited to 135 mph.

Toyota's GT 86. Image: Toyota of Europe

Toyota's GT 86. Image: Toyota of Europe

Barring any further delays, I’d expect the car to go on sales in the U.S. in the first half of next year. Now that Toyota has (finally) shown us what the car looks like, expect further details on the FT-86 (or GT-86, or Scion FR-S) in the coming months.

Source: Autoblog

We’re still two weeks away from the official U.S. debut of the Fiat 500 Abarth, but Fiat is dropping plenty of images and videos of the car prior to its Los Angeles Auto Show reveal. We like the first video below and fully embrace it’s concept of “go faster than yesterday,” but the second video leaves us shaking out heads at Fiat’s U.S. marketing.

Small cars typically don’t draw in adult male buyers in this country, and calling a diminutive, 135-horsepower hot-hatch a “rebel,” an “outcast” and a “bad boy” isn’t going to change that fact. We’d rather the marketing department skip the hype and focus on what the Fiat 500 Abarth is quite likely to be: the best handling and most entertaining front-wheel-drive car on the market today.

The Mazda Takeri concept. Image: Mazda

It’s no secret that the current Mazda6 is overdue for a replacement, and sales of Mazda’s midsize offering have been unimpressive in recent years. That’s a shame, because the Mazda6 was class-leading when the previous generation debuted in 2002. Over the years, Mazda has seemingly lost focus with the Mazda6, to the point where it’s no longer competitive with offerings from Ford, Toyota or even Hyundai.

Enter the Mazda Takeri, a concept that will be shown at this year’s Tokyo Auto Show. While the Takeri is just a concept, there’s reason to believe that the styling of the next Mazda6 will borrow heavily from the lines of the concept sedan. We say that’s a good thing, since the current 6’s styling blends too well into the background. Mazda needs a standout midsize sedan to draw the faithful back to the brand.

A word of caution, however: Mazda seems to be focused more on fuel economy than on performance these days, so don’t expect a high-output engine in the next gen 6. We will get a diesel variant, likely a turbodiesel, and it’s possible that the production Mazda6 will even use the Takeri’s regenerative braking system to reduce electrical load and boost fuel economy.

Expect the Takeri to make its North American debut at January’s Detroit Auto Show.

Source: Autoweek

Image: Profiles In History

If you’re a fan of the Back to the Future movies and have a sizable bank account, here’s an opportunity you won’t want to pass up. Profiles In History has one of three surviving DeLoreans built for the Back to the Future movies, and it will hit the block at one of the company’s auctions later this year.

Up for grabs is a car actually used in the filming of the third BTTF movie, complete with white wall tires, chrome hubcaps and assorted, tacked on bits from the 1950s (it IS a time machine, after all). Sadly, it’s not a functional time machine, so you can’t go back to 1984 and buy up all the available shares in Microsoft and Apple.

While seven DeLoreans were built for the three BTTF movies, only three are known to survive today. That’s the nice way of saying that this guaranteed-authentic example won’t be inexpensive to buy, but you probably won’t lose money on it either.

Whoever buys the car, which was previously on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, will also help support the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is the world’s largest private funding source for research into Parkinson’s disease.

First Vehicle Finalists Revealed

Upcoming Invitational offers action-packed race entertainment with some of the highest performing and most diverse vehicles in the performance automotive aftermarket industry.

September 16, 2011 (MILWAUKEE) – OPTIMA® Batteries, the global leader in high-performance automotive and marine batteries, gears up for the fourth annual OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational, presented by K&N Filters and Wilwood Disc Brakes, by revealing the current list of drivers and vehicles that have qualified for and have been selected to compete in the event.

The current qualifying drivers range from newcomer enthusiasts to seasoned industry veterans, all of which will not disappoint spectators and fans that gather for the highly-anticipated competition. The vehicle selections represent a variety of industry-leading muscle cars, pro-touring cars, hot rods and street trucks, from both import and domestic manufacturers. Initial qualifiers were recruited through a series of events of similar format that tested drivers’ skills and vehicle performance power.

*Video from the 2010 event…

The following participants have earned a spot to compete in this year’s OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational:

• Vinnie Allegretta, ‘69 Chevy Camaro
• Erik Cederberg, ‘10 Chevy Camaro
• Carmine Dell Aquila,’10 Nissan GTR
• Hartmut Feyhl, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Widebody
• Brian Finch, ‘72 Chevy Camaro
• Phil Gerber, ‘66 Chevy II
• Wanda Goldberg, ‘70 Pontiac Trans Am
• Matt Harber, Cadillac CTS-V
• JF Launier, ‘57 Chevy
• Dan Livezey, ‘69 Chevy Corvette
• Mike Musto, ‘69 Dodge Daytona

• Brian Moat, ‘70 Pontiac Firebird
• Dan Oliver, ‘10 Ford Mustang
• Zeke Peterson, Volkswagen Bug
• Danny Popp, ’06 Chevy Corvette
• Mary Pozzi, ‘72 Chevy Camaro
• Mark Stielow, ‘69 Chevy Camaro
• Brad Twiss, Toyota Supra 600HP
• Kyle Tucker, ‘70 Chevy Camaro
• Stacy Tucker, ’69 Chevy Camaro
• Bret Voelkel, ‘67 Chevy Camaro

World-Class Talent

“We couldn’t ask for a more exciting initial list of vehicles for the 2011 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. The qualifying events brought in an unprecedented turnout and resulted in a wide range of vehicles that represent all segments of the performance automotive aftermarket industry,” says Cam Douglass, director of product development and marketing for OPTIMA Batteries. “The event has grown incredibly since its inception a few years ago and we are fortunate to have such amazing support from sponsors, fans, media partners and participants.”

Besides racing in the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational, participants also get an automatic invitation to feature their car at the 2011 SEMA Show, compete in the event, gain awareness through hundreds of print and online articles, and will be featured in the broadcast special filmed around the event.

Full List of Finalists

The final, pre-SEMA round of finalists will be announced during the first week of October. After that point, there will still be one additional opportunity to qualify for the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. At SEMA, a committee made up of OPTIMA and industry representatives will walk the show floor in Las Vegas, looking for the best of the best across all vehicle segments. This final search will be promoted during the show and the final vehicle invitations will be awarded during SEMA.

Sponsors of the 2011 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational include the presenting sponsors, K&N Filters and Wilwood Disc Brakes, and the race event sponsors, including BFGoodrich, Ridetech, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Raybestos and Detroit Speed and Engineering. Additionally, The Roadster Shop is an associate sponsor for the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational.

New in 2011

This year, fans will be able to view the action from the front row for the first time ever. A limited number of spectator tickets will be available for purchase. Spectators and fans can purchase tickets by visiting OptimaInvitational.com through November 4, 2011, or until sold out.

Also new this year is the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational T-shirt Design Contest. The contest, which started on September 7, 2011, will last two weeks, running through September 21, 2011. The designer of the winning T-shirt concept, which will be determined by the OPTIMA Facebook community, will have the opportunity to win a trip to the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. The winner’s design will also be considered for use as this year’s official T-shirt. Participants must be 21 years of age or older to enter. Contest rules and information on how to submit T-shirt designs and how to vote for favorites can be found at http://www.facebook.com/optimabatteries. Fans are encouraged to begin work on their designs now, as the first five entries will receive a free OPTIMA-branded hat.

2011 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational Details

The Invitational will take place at Spring Mountain Motor Ranch, a state-of-the-art racing facility in Pahrump, Nev. during the first week of November. The Invitational brings in some of the top automotive talent, highly modified vehicles, credible racing veterans and fresh talent with undiscovered street machines.

The main race activity of the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational takes place on Saturday, November 5 and will offer something for every race fan with the BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge, Ridetech Autocross Challenge, Wilwood Disc Brakes Speed Stop Challenge, and the Raybestos Performance and Design Challenge. The Detroit Speed and Engineering Road Rally will occur the day before, following the close of the SEMA Show.

For the current list of the OPTIMA Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational participants, the official rules, and more information on the event, visit http://www.optimainvitational.com/.

About OPTIMA® Batteries

OPTIMA YellowTop®, RedTop® and BlueTop® batteries are available through leading battery distributors throughout the globe. Consumers should look for the unique colored top and six-pack design for which OPTIMA is known throughout the world. For the nearest retailer, consumers can also call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) or visit www.optimabatteries.com.

OPTIMA batteries are manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI – News) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Formula One stars generally drive fast sedans in their downtime, or so conventional wisdom says. Sebastian Vettel, the boy wonder of F1, bucks that trend by driving an Infiniti FX50 crossover. We can’t tell you why Vettel opted for the FX50 over, say, an AMG Mercedes or a BMW M5. Even if you tie it to Vettel’s contract and the Red Bull team’s Infiniti sponsorship, an M56 sedan seems like a more logical choice for the reigning world champion.

Regardless of our opinion, Infiniti has consulted with Sebastian Vettel to design a limited-run FX50 Sebastian Vettel edition. Coming soon to an Infiniti dealer near you, the crossover will sport unique paint and wheels, aerodynamic enhancements, a lowered ride height, a custom interior and an oddly out-of-place rear wing. We could do without the “Fast and Furious” wing, but the FX50 Sebastian Vettel Edition’s top speed of 186 miles per hour (in concept form, at least) will ensure that your kids are never late for soccer practice again.

Source: You Tube

Ford's Fiesta ST concept. Image: Ford Motor Company

You can’t buy Ken Block’s 600-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta WRC car. Technically, you could probably buy on just like it if you had the $500,000 price of admission, but it wouldn’t be street legal and it wouldn’t exactly be pleasant as a daily driver. Now Ford is offering up the next best thing, but the jury is still out on whether or not we’ll get it in the United States.

Image: Ford Motor Company

Called the Fiesta ST, the diminutive hot hatch is the latest concept from Ford. Powered by a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine good for 176 horsepower, the sportiest Fiesta model can run from 0 to 60 in under seven seconds, on the way to a top speed of around 135 miles per hour. Thanks to its small size and light weight, the car should return impressive fuel economy, though Ford isn’t releasing any estimates on that.

Image: Ford Motor Company

As you’d expect from a car with sporting intentions, Ford has lowered the ride height and widened the car’s track for a better stance. It’s got firmer dampers and 17-inch wheels, too, although those tires look a little bit on the narrow side for any kind of serious driving.

Image: Ford Motor Company

If you like it, let Ford know. The car has been given the green light for production, but the decision to bring it into the U.S. has not yet been made. If Ford gets enough “yes, please” responses from interested buyers, expect the Fiesta ST to top out the Fiesta price range, probably starting just north of $20k.

Source: Ford

By 2036, I think that most transportation will involve horses and ox carts, but Mercedes-Benz has a more pleasant and upbeat view of the future. Debuting at this week’s Frankfurt Auto Show is Mercedes’ F 125 Concept, which shows the possible future of motorized transportation, as interpreted by Mercedes Benz.

Power comes from four electric motors, fed by both lithium sulphur batteries and by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. The onboard storage tanks hold enough hydrogen to give the car a (theoretical) range of around 620 miles, while emitting zero pollution in the process.

To keep weight down, the body is made from fiber-reinforced plastics, while the rest of the chassis is made from carbon fiber, aluminum and high-strength steel. As you’d expect of a car from the future, it can either be driven by a human operator or piloted (without error, of course) by onboard computers in a semi-autonomous mode. Forget buttons, switches and knobs, since the future is controlled by hand gestures.

In keeping with tradition, Mercedes has graced the F 125 with gullwing doors, a nod to both the SLS AMG and to the storied 300 SL Gullwing. The doors on the F 125 aren’t exactly stylish, though, since they may be the largest doors I’ve ever seen on a concept or production vehicle. I wouldn’t be overly concerned just yet, since Mercedes Benz still has 25 years to work out the styling bugs. And build the hydrogen infrastructure.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Jaguar's C-X16 Concept. Image: Jaguar

I’ll come clean up front: I’m not a hybrid guy. If you’re a long-term reader, you already know this, but if you’re new to RideLust it might be the first time you’ve heard this. I’ve driven plenty of hybrids, but all of them to date have been built with an eye to fuel economy, not performance. In fact, hybrids add weight and complexity, two thing that tend to have a negative impact on acceleration, braking and even long-term reliability.

Image: Jaguar

Enter the Jaguar C-X16 Concept, which is set to make its official debut in Frankfurt next week. The exterior styling is jaw-dropping, and the car seems to blend elements of the Jaguar E-Type into its futuristic skin. Even the interior looks properly sporting, something that we haven’t seen from many Jaguars in recent years.

Image: Jaguar

Get to the powertrain, and things start to get particularly interesting. First up is a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, good for 375 horsepower and mated to a eight speed automatic gearbox. Also mated to the gearbox is an electric motor good for an additional 94 horsepower, which gives the C-X16 some truly impressive acceleration. Zero to one hundred kph (62 mph) comes up in just 4.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Better yet, the car’s battery pack is mounted behind the seats, giving it an ideal 50/50 weight distribution.

Image: Jaguar

The batteries are charged through a brake energy regeneration system, and the electric motor can be used to provide supplemental torque for sudden acceleration. Think “KERS” on a Formula 1 car, and you get the picture. If you want to focus on the environmentally friendly side of the C-X16, the car can be driven up to 50 miles per hour, for limited distances, on battery power alone.

Will Jaguar build the C-X16? It’s hard to say, since there’s a fair amount of “unobtainium” in the concept. Still, Jaguar has been looking to produce a smaller, less expensive sports coupe, and the styling of the C-X16 fits well with the rest of the family lineup. This is just a guess, but I suspect you’ll see the car hit production within the next three years. The final version may not be a hybrid, but I certainly hope it’s as sexy as the car in these images.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

The final Mitsubishi Eclipse. Image: Mecum Auctions

The Mitsubishi Eclipse has been around for 22 years and four generations, and in the early part of its life, the car defined “affordable performance.” The first and second generation cars could be had with either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, and the AWD cars (and their badge engineered cousins, the Eagle Talons) dominated both club and pro racing for years.

Sadly, when the third generation and fourth generation cars came out (in 2000 and 2006, respectively), it was clear that Elvis had left the building. In fact, the 2000 and later cars are probably best equated to the fat Elvis, who spent his final years in a pill and food induced haze, before dying ingloriously on the toilet. Like Elvis, the Eclipse once had so much promise, but also like Elvis the end came too soon.

We won’t mourn the passing of the Eclipse, since it died for us long ago. Still, we remember the car for what it once was (and in the hands of the die-hard faithful, what it still is). If the Mitsubishi Eclipse is your thing, you’ll want to pay close attention: Mecum is auctioning off the last Eclipse ever built to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross and help the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami. The no-reserve auction will take place on Saturday, September 17th, during Mecum’s St. Charles, IL event.

The car is one-of-a-kind, featuring both the 265-horsepower V-6 and the commemorative SE package. It’s finished in Kalapana Black, with 18-inch Dark Argent wheels, a sunroof, leather seats, a 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system, Bluetooth phone integration, a rearview camera and HID lighting. It’s also the last Eclipse to ever roll off the assembly line, so the value will only go up (in theory at least).

Interested? Hit the Mecum Auction site for details on how to become a registered bidder.

Source: Mecum Auctions