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Toyota GT86 gets TRD treatment in UK

As dearly as we love the Toyota GT86 / Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ franchise, we readily admit we wouldn't look sideways at a model with a bit more firepower. And while that's not quite on the table yet, Toyota has been busy amping up the visual firepower of its rear-drive coupe with a whole host of TRD parts. To this point, that's been a largely à la carte affair, but the automaker's UK outpost has just announced a special-edition model that allows our British friends to pick up the whole shooting match all in one go.
The Toyota GT86 TRD will only be available in black and white, and just 250 examples are to be built. As you can see from the excellent gallery above, the catalog of look-faster bits include a more aggressive front air dam, side skirts, rear bumper fascia, spoiler and unique 18-inch forged alloys. Additional flourishes include a TRD shift lever and branded radiator cap. The sole concession to actual performance? A "fast-response quad exhaust" that might only improve things audibly - 0-62 mph is apparently unchanged at 7.7 seconds, and the top end is still 140 mph for the manual transmission model. (The auto gets by with 8.4 seconds and 130 mph).
Pricing? Glad you asked. £31,495 for GT 86 TRD manual, £32,995 for the automatic - that's nearly $50,000 US for the tripedalist and just over for the automatic. (Those are heady prices, but bear in mind that UK MSRPs and taxes are generally significantly higher than their US counterparts). If the standard GT86 is more your speed, it still rings up at a more affordable £24,995 - roughly $39,500 - leaving plenty of budget for actual performance parts. No word yet on North American availability of a special TRD model, but we've got a call in...

Aston CEO claims Cygnet cancelled because Toyota is dropping iQ in 2014

While slow sales and a $50,000 price tag may have been contributing factors to the Aston Martin Cygnet being cancelled last month, Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez is pointing the finger at Toyota for the demise of this luxurious little city car. In a discussion with Autocar, Bez is quoted as saying that the ultimate reason the Cygnet was cut is because Toyota plans on dropping the iQ (on which the Cygnet is based) in 2014 - a claim denied by the Japanese automaker.
Interestingly, the article also cites another publication reporting that a Toyota importer in the Netherlands heard the same news as Bez, and it has already stopped importing the cars. If the European Toyota iQ is cancelled, that would likely spell the end of the slow-selling Scion iQ in the US, which has sold just 3,365 units through September (a drop of 51 percent year over year).
Regardless of why production of the Cygnet ended, Bez also says that a lack of support from Toyota on the project prevented it from being offered in the US or receiving a supercharged engine, which are two factors that likely would have made the car appealing to more buyers.

Scion iM Concept bows, production version confirmed for US

Scion has officially pulled the covers off its iM Concept, which is, in reality, a slightly modified version of the Toyota Auris that is already sold outside the United States. It's also a model that is going into production for North America, says Scion, minus, we'd guess, a good bit of the overly aggressive ground effects bits, slammed suspension and oversize wheels. A production iM has been confirmed for the upcoming New York Auto Show, where Scion is also promising a second new production debut, as well. After a substantial lull in its new product cadence (barring the FR-S), it looks like Scion is once again intent on cementing its position as the entry point into the Toyota brand, promising three new models in the next three years. Scion tells us that iM's name is derived from the first letters of the words 'individuality' and 'modern.' More important details like price, powertrain and on-sale date should come later in 2015, but Scion has at least say it "anticipates that a price under $20,000 could make this car enticing to youthful customers," all of which makes it sound like the second coming of the Toyota Matrix to us. Feel free to read more in the press release below and gaze upon the concept in all its Incrediblue glory above. From Concept to Commitment - Scion Announces New Product Plans Production Version of iM Concept to Hit Showrooms Next Year TORRANCE, Calif., (Nov. 19, 2014) – Start planning that next adventure; a new ride is on its way. After revealing the iM Concept car today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Scion announced that a production version of the versatile five-door compact hatchback will be coming to dealerships in 2015. Fans will get a first look at the road-ready, sporty ride – and another new Scion model – at the New York International Auto Show in April. "The two models we're debuting in New York next spring are just the beginning for Scion," said Scion Vice President Doug Murtha. "We plan to bring three new products in three years to our showrooms, offering a variety of exciting options for current and new Scion customers." As a test laboratory for Toyota, Scion attracts those with an independent spirit and desire to stand apart from the crowd. But many of today's consumers between 18-34 years old also value a degree of practicality to support their self-reliance and more mobile lifestyles. Faced with greater independence and less disposable income, they value fun and sensibility in a vehicle choice.