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Incrementally better than ever | 2017 Toyota 86 First Drive

We'd love to tell you that the incremental upgrades bestowed upon Toyota's rear-wheel-drive coupe as it made its transition from Scion FR-S to Toyota 86 have transformed it into a perfect sportscar. If only a few more horsepower, shorter rear-end gearing, and tiny aero updates were enough to quell all the complaints that enthusiasts have leveled at the machine since the platform first hit the road in 2012, this review would have been so much more satisfying to write. Sadly, that's not the case. Don't get us wrong. The 86 is still extremely fun to toss around a twisty road. The chassis is impressively balanced, the steering is direct, and the shifter is sweet. Sorry to impart upon you this well-worn trope, but the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow is, in this case, completely accurate. The 2017 Toyota 86 is nothing if not entertaining. But it's not completely new. It hasn't been transformed. It is, in the end, the same as it ever was. It will take about three minutes of your time to watch the videos below, in which we cover pretty much everything that's new for the 2017 Toyota 86. Toyota 86s equipped with manual transmissions get a five-pony boost to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Automatic models soldier forth with a carryover 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 200 hp and 151 lb-ft. Apparently, more than half of Scion FR-S buyers chose the automatic. That's unfortunate, as it drains a good deal of the fun out of the 86 experience. Choose the manual and you'll be rewarded with an easy clutch and a rewarding short-throw shifter. And, as we said, five more ponies, courtesy of intake and exhaust tweaks and the polishing of some internal engine components. The only upside to the automatic is improved fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. Manual 86s are EPA-rated at 21/28. Along with the small bump in power, the 2017 86 gets a 4.3:1 rear-end gear ratio in lieu of the old 4.1:1 unit. That ought to translate into a small improvement in acceleration that really only matters on paper. In the real world, on actual roads, the difference is negligible. To eke the most out of the 86, you have to constantly work the shifter and keep the engine north of 5,000 rpm. It's still not particularly quick, but it's definitely fun. There's plenty of noise inside the 86, from the wind, the road, and the engine.

Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.

Toyota, Daihatsu and Suzuki team up to unbox some fun-size electric kei vans

The G7 Summit is happening in Hiroshima, Japan, right now and some automakers have taken the opportunity to announce new projects. Toyota, their wholly owned subsidiary Daihatsu, and Suzuki (of which Toyota owns about 5%) made news with a trio of electric micro-vans built to kei car specifications. The battery-electric vans are part of an industry-wide push toward carbon neutrality. Kei-class vehicles, in addition to limited displacement gasoline engines, have strict dimensional restrictions that allow them to navigate the often narrow streets in dense urban areas. They're also privilege to certain tax breaks and parking benefits.  [gallery ids="2474953,2474954"] The engine size rules obviously don't apply to the electric vans, but they will still conform to the size boundaries. Kei vans are often used to solve the "last mile" problem in logistics since they're able to whiz around crowded streets inaccessible by larger commercial vehicles.  Daihatsu, which specializes in kei cars, will build the vans and name their variant the HiJet Cargo. The HiJet name has been a consistent one in the company's lineup since 1960, but these new versions will be front-wheel-drive in contrast to the rear-wheel-drive gasoline variants. Toyota's version will be called the Pixis Van, while Suzuki will be named the Every, a nameplate that's been around since 1982. Aside from the badges the vans appear identical. Range is said to be approximately 200km (124 miles) on a single charge.  The exhibition was held in conjunction with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, which former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda heads. Toyoda stepped down from the top position at the company his grandfather founded in April, but still takes a overseer role as Chairman. Toyoda was criticized for being slow to adopt EVs, and new CEO Koji Sato has emphasized the role of battery-electrics moving forward while still taking a multi-front approach to carbon neutrality with hydrogen and hybrids. These vans were likely in development before Toyoda's retirement, though.