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Oh, Kei Go: Toyota set to enter JDM minicar market?

Toyota is looking to get bigger... by going smaller. The Japanese automaker is looking to enter the kei car market, a popular segment in its homeland. Kei cars are small vehicles with restrictions on length (11.15 feet), width (4.86 feet), engine size (660 cubic centimeters) and power output (63 horsepower). Currently, Toyota is the only Japanese automaker not producing vehicles for this segment, but that is set to change, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Thanks to its relationship with Daihatsu, Toyota can jump right into the kei car game. Daihatsu is one of the largest producer of kei vehicles and it is currently owned by Toyota.
Although kei cars are restricted in terms of size and power, they are not restricted by technology. Automakers utilize different drive configurations, powertrains and amenities to keep their cars fresh. Daihatsu and Toyota plan to work together to produce Toyota-branded kei cars. The two companies will utilize Toyota's knowledge of electric and hybrid systems to produce efficient little vehicles for the Japanese market.

KBB 2013 Brand Image Awards has some obvious and oddball winners

The sixth edition of the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards have crowned a wide range of winners - in a couple of cases the recipient of the laurels might say more about KBB users than they do about the actual winner. Compiled from the responses of more than 12,000 shoppers on KBB.com over the past year, there are 13 categories broken into non-luxury, luxury and truck segments "representing the combined wisdom of the American car-buying public."
The award categories have been revamped this year, with some dropping off, some new ones appearing and at least one other given a new term. What isn't surprising is that Honda won Most Trusted Brand for the second year running, Best Value Brand for the third year in a row and took Best Overall Brand, which wasn't on last year's list of awards.
On our own shores, in the non-luxury categories Chrysler got Most Refined Brand and Buick took Best Value Luxury Brand. Neither one of those marques won anything in last year's Brand Image Awards, while Cadillac, which won Best Interior Design Brand and Best Comfort Brand last year - those awards disappeared this year - went home without a single accolade.

2017 Scion FR-S getting slight power bump?

A common refrain when discussing the Scion FR-S and its sibling the Subaru BRZ is that they are capable vehicles but are in need of more power. The latest rumors suggest that some more muscle might finally be on the way for the coupe's refresh. Don't expect something like the STI Performance Concept with a 300-horsepower, turbocharged flat-four, though – the gains in the real world are likely to be significantly more modest. According to Toyota insiders speaking with Motoring in Australia, the local Toyota GT86 (our FR-S) is due for a styling and powertrain refresh for the next model year. The 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine isn't expected to get a drastic power increase, but it's not being completely neglected. A new intake manifold and friction reductions reportedly allow for five percent more grunt. If accurate, and if the changes also come here, that would take output of the US version to 210 hp and 159 pound-feet of torque. The adjustments could improve fuel economy by seven percent, as well. Handling is already a forte for the FR-S and BRZ, and things could get even better with this refresh. Motoring claims that dampers from Sachs might become standard equipment, along with a reinforced subframe. The close relationship with the BRZ reportedly rules out any dramatic changes to the styling for this update. However, the coupe is still likely to wear a new hood with vents in it, reshaped headlights, and a revised fascia with a larger lower grille. At the rear, expect a rear diffuser and exhaust pipes at the corners. While minor compared to all of these rumored updates, Scion recently gave the FR-S a few tweaks in the US for the 2016 model year (pictured above). In addition to some new colors and interior trim, it now comes standard with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and rearview camera.