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Toyota creates GT86 concept inspired by Initial D

Everyone has a favorite movie or TV car of their youths. The love of these cars can ignite a lifelong passion for automobiles. Some lust for the sharp, stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future or the decked-out Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. For anime and manga fans, it's the panda-colored Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno from the Initial D manga and anime series. Toyota, recognizing the significance of the that car, meticulously reimagined it for a modern audience, basing it on the UK market GT86. The GT86, sold in the United States as the Scion FR-S and soon to be rebadged as the Toyota 86, is considered by some to be the spiritual successor to the rear-wheel-drive AE86 Corolla from the 1980s. Both are reasonably affordable, lightweight cars with a propensity for oversteer. The original AE86 from Initial D was a highly modified but realistic drift machine. The amazing feats of that tofu delivery car as it raced everything from Mazda RX-7s to a Honda S2000 turned the little Toyota into a cult icon. That AE86 itself was inspired by the personal vehicle of Japanese racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya served as both an inspiration and supervisor for Initial D. Many of the modifications on the Initial D car, like the TRD carbon-fiber hood and Fujitsubo exhaust, car were exactly the same as Tsuchiya's real-life vehicle. Toyota is no stranger to crafting modern incarnations of classic vehicles. Last year the company created a Back to the Future Tacoma. Toyota's Initial D concept car uses the same parts wherever possible. Like the original, it has a carbon-fiber hood, Fujitsubo exhaust, and black Watanabe F8 wheels. The suspension, lights, and body have all been modified. Even small details like the engine cover and door handles were modified to recall the fictional car. The end result is a fantastic creation that pays great homage to the original. Toyota went as far as hiring UK manga artist Sonia Leong to design a series of backdrops that place the car in the same action shots as the original series. While this one-off vehicle is just a concept, most of the parts are available to purchase for fans who may be inspired to create their own version. Toyota's concept will be on display at various motoring shows across the UK this summer. Related video: Featured Gallery Toyota Initial D GT86 TV/Movies Scion Toyota Coupe toyota gt86 toyota 86

Lexus LX to get diesel engine?

Australian consumers appear poised to get another diesel-burning luxury SUV in the near future, and word is it's coming from Lexus, of all automakers. Sean Hanley, chief executive of the company's branch in Oz, recently told Aussie website Drive that he's "pretty confident" that the new engine for the LX is getting the green light.
Like in the US, the LX in Australia is currently only offered with a 5.7-liter, gasoline-burning V8. However, sales of the big SUV are presently minuscule Down Under, with Drive reporting just 153 LX570s sold in all of Oz last year. Hanley is negotiating with Japan to get the new diesel in hopes of boosting flagging sales. If his efforts are successful, it would be the first diesel engine offered in a Lexus there. Hanley didn't specify exactly which mill the SUV would get. However, given the LX's close relationship with Toyota Land Cruiser, the diesel 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 already available in the Toyota in markets outside of North America seems like a natural choice.
Don't expect the variant to be hopping across the Pacific, though. Lexus spokesperson Allison Takahashi tells Autoblog she has heard "nothing" about an oil-burning LX coming to the US. That's not a huge surprise, though, because neither Toyota nor Lexus offer any diesels in their lineups today. Also, Lexus has only sold 1,981 LX570s through June, which only placed it ahead of the LFA supercar in the brand's sales. It's probably just not worth certifying the engine for such a low-volume model.

Scion rules out roadster, turbo versions of FR-S

Ever since Toyota and Subaru released the sports car alternatively known as the GT86, 86, BRZ and Scion FR-S a couple of years ago, rumors have circulated that even more exciting variants could be in store. But at least as far as Scion is concerned, those rumors are apparently nothing more than wishful thinking. Speaking with WardsAuto at the LA Auto Show last week, Scion chief Doug Murtha said that the prospect of an FR-S roadster has been taken off the table entirely. Apparently Scion lobbied parent company Toyota to produce just such a model, but after failing to find other markets interested enough in the model to put it into production, corporate HQ said no. "I think we were pretty aggressive on our (submitted plan), but we looked at what we would have conceivably lost on the product and said, 'We're not going to even push it further,'" Murtha said, going on to note, "Nobody was more disappointed than we were." Murtha further shot down the idea of a turbo version of the FR-S, dismissing it as a prospect the blogosphere (that's us) wanted to happen but "that's not something that's coming." Either variant might have helped Scion and Toyota boost sales of the model (which are predictably dropping after their first two years on the market), but the investment also might not have paid off their development, tooling and marketing costs. Of course, Murtha can only speak for Toyota, but we'd be surprised to see Subaru go it alone on either model, as costs would be that much more prohibitive without a partner. Bummer.