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Here's the 2017 Toyota 86: Don't call it a Scion

After we heard the bells toll for Scion yesterday, we told you that the Scion FR-S will transform into a Toyota. That's right: just a rebadging. The practical question is, which badge? The philosophical question, which we can't answer yet, is where it'll sit in the pantheon of front-engined, rear-drive Toyota sports cars, of which the Supra was the last one to visit our shores, from 1992 until 1998 in its fourth generation. And as if summoned by this conversation, this camouflaged prototype appeared. Our best guess is that this is going to be the US-bound, Toyota-badged version of the Subaru BRZ and all the other 86-badged variants: the Toyota 86 (in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa), Toyota GT86 (in Europe and New Zealand again), and Toyota FT86 (in Nicaragua and Jamaica). For simplicity's sake, let's call it a Toyota 86. Peer into the 86's swirly camo, and it looks like the car is going in for a light refresh. The lower intake in the front fascia, if it's representative of a production part, adopts a different shape and is considerably wider and narrower than either the BRZ or FR-S units. It also appears that the turn signal and its surround are reshaped, different than any of the current variants. Changes out back appear mild. The area around the license plate seems to be smoother, and there is likely a predictable light restyle of the bumper skin and defuser under the camo. We don't expect a significant power increase, and certainly not a turbocharger (sorry!), but crossing fingers wouldn't do any harm. Related Video:

Union to launch Toyota organization drive in Canada

Toyota may be heading toward some labor issues in the Great White North, as employees at a pair of Canadian Toyota factories may be set for a certification vote. The Unifor union, which was the result of a merger last year between the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union, will be holding the vote.
Over 40 percent of the employees at the Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario factories have signed union cards, cresting the minimum percentage required to instigate a legal certification vote, according to Reuters. The Woodstock factory is responsible for RAV4 production, while Cambridge builds the Lexus RX350 and RX450h, as well as the Toyota Corolla. The two factories employ nearly 7,000 people.
It's unclear when the union will hold a certification vote at the two factories, but what is rather clear are the worker complaints. Employees are concerned about workers being hired on temporary contracts which lack the benefits of full employment, John Aman, head of organizing for Unifor, told Reuters.

Toyota, Mercedes, BMW top automakers included in List of Best Global Brands

Interbrand, a consultancy firm, has published its 13th annual list of the best global brands. Besides seeing some shakeups at the top - Apple and Google unseated Coca-Cola (a company that has dominated the survey since its birth), the 100-item list features 14 automakers, most of which enjoyed double-digit gains in brand value.
Toyota managed to retain its spot as the study's top automaker. It finished the survey in 10th position overall (the same as last year), despite a 17-percent improvement in its brand value, from $29.33 billion to $35.34 billion. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Honda all made the top 20, at 11th, 12th and 20th place, respectively. Hopping a ways down the list, we come across Volkswagen in 34th place, up from 39th in last year's study, with a brand value of $11.12 billion, a 20-percent improvement over 2012. Ford and Hyundai round out the automakers in the top 50, at 42 and 43.
Porsche made the largest year-over-year gain of any automaker, with its brand value increasing 26 percent to $6.47 billion. Chevrolet meanwhile, cracks the list for the very first time at 89th place. As Interbrand notes, Chevy's inclusion is notable because of the sheer number of vehicles it moves for General Motors and its recent push in developing markets. The final interesting note on this survey is the position of an automaker that takes its name and logo more seriously than perhaps any other - Ferrari. The Italian exotic manufacturer finished 98th out of 100, with just $4.01 billion in brand value, a six-percent improvement over 2012.