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Next-gen Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ could arrive by 2021

If these rumors are true, a small but dedicated core of fans could be in for a treat. According to Japan Times — and citing unspecified "sources" — Toyota and Subaru are developing a next-generation 86 and BRZ, with a possible launch around 2021. The new car(s) would reportedly have more power, improved handling and newer safety features. According to the report, the rear-drive sports coupes could do away with the current 2.0-liter engine in favor of one with a larger 2.4-liter displacement. The Japan Times sources say the next-gen 86 will also have a lower center of gravity, which will translate to an improvement on the car's already impressive cornering stability. Theoretically, the 2.4-liter in question could be the new FA24 mill used in the upcoming Subaru Ascent crossover that's turbocharged to produce 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet. That output would be a mammoth jump from the current Toyobaru pair, and it seems doubtful that's what possible second-generation cars would get. Nevertheless, it's at least consistent with recent comments from Toyota engineer Tetsuya Tada that indicated a more powerful, turbocharged 86/BRZ would not be possible unless there was a new, next-generation model. In an interview with Australia's CarAdvice, Tada said, "I do like turbos, however if we come up with a turbo version of the 86 and boost up the power that would result in the necessity of changing the basic configuration completely, to come up with a car that I would be satisfied with." "One characteristic of the 86 is that in terms of the front balance it's slightly front loaded so it makes the handling more fast and agile," he continued. "So if we were to come up with a turbo version, we would have to go change the weight balance between the front and the rear. That means we have to come up with a completely new platform, so it's not about just changing or slight modification in the engine parts." Note that "we have to come up with a completely new platform" does not equal "we are coming up with a completely new platform." He could be talking strictly hypothetically, it could be a wink-wink nudge-nudge implication that his team is already hard at work, or things could've just been a bit fudged in translation. In any event, as hopeful as we are about the possibility of a new generation of Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, we can't help but maintain a healthy dose of skepticism that the partnership will continue as the Japan Times report suggests.

Subaru WRX STI S209 is the most expensive production Subaru ever

We asked for it, and now we have it: The ultimate WRX STI. It’s called the STI S209, and we drove the extra-special Subaru just a few short weeks ago. Now we have a price, and itÂ’s officially the most expensive new Subaru ever. All 209 examples of the S209 will sell for $64,880. WeÂ’ll give you a second to process that, but a second most likely isnÂ’t long enough. Every one of the 209 cars will be headed to the U.S. starting in November this year — STIÂ’s shop is only able to produce 2-3 cars per day, so itÂ’ll be a slow trickle of cars being shipped over here. Previous to the S209, the Type RA was the top dog in the American WRX lineup. It cost $49,855, and offered a nice bump in performance over a regular STI. This S209 finally gives us the significant increase in power weÂ’ve been asking for all these years, but it also represents a massive effort at making the best-handling STI ever. Aftermarket modifications could get you partway there, but there will be no true equivalent to the S209 coming from somebodyÂ’s garage. We fully expect itÂ’ll be Subaru WRX STI enthusiasts who spring for the few available cars, as the $64,880 price will likely be a major roadblock for all but the true believers. At that price thereÂ’s a huge variety of other cars to choose from, many of them more desirable than an ultra-rare Subaru to some folks. Dealer markups could take this car to even greater heights, especially if a dealer finds some Subaru fanatics with money to burn. If the 341-horsepower S209 sounds like something you need to park in your garage, we suggest you get over to the nearest bank and Subaru dealer as soon as possible.

Strange iPhone discovered in guy's Subaru sparks internet mystery

Things can get pretty crazy on the internet, and even the smallest thing can catch people's attention and blow up in an instant. A lot of it is totally bogus or blatant attention seeking, but that's what makes the internet great. Well, that and cat videos. Recently, a story popped up on the internet that is both cool and real. It's the story of a mysterious iPhone, some pro-tier internet detective-ing, and the Takata airbag recall. The story started innocently enough. A guy named Alex Tom took his trusty '09 Subaru Forester into the shop to replace a faulty passenger side airbag under the Takata recall. When he picked the car up, there was a white iPhone 4s sitting on his dashboard. Thing is, the phone wasn't his. The phone was stone dead, but took a charge and booted right up. To complicate matters, it was locked and stuck in airplane mode. When he asked the shop about it, they said they found it behind the dash under the airbag. So now he had a mysterious phone that he couldn't get into to identify. So, like any modern tech-savvy individual, he turned to the internet for help. He posted a picture of the phone on Facebook along with a message asking for help tracking down its owner. What followed was a long, rambling, often hilarious collection of facetious advice, earnest help, photoshops, dumb memes, weird off-topic screeds, and everything else you might expect in a comments thread. Eventually, after getting a name from the phone and enlisting the help of an online dating site, the owner was found and the mystery solved! I'm not going to spoil the ending for you here, because you really need to read the whole saga for yourself. Lets just say that our man Alex had the answer with him all along, and the real treasure was the friends they made along the way. Related Video News Source: The Huffington Post Auto News Humor Subaru iphone Takata airbag recall mystery