2010 Scion Xd Base Hatchback 5-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Toyota GT86 convertible could debut in March

The dates are lining up, now we wait to see how the badges align. Just before the Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ line-up was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, there was a report that Subaru was considering a convertible while Toyota wouldn't even comment on it. That got swapped around when earlier this year the chief engineer on Toyota's side said a convertible was coming, and then a Scion FR-S droptop was confirmed for early 2014.
Autocar now reports that the Toyota GT 86 convertible will make its first appearance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March. In a car whose specs like weight, packaging, horsepower and center of gravity were all tightly controlled to get the most from the least, the changes necessitated by chopping the roof could make this a very different car. It's said to employ a fabric roof to keep a "small" weight gain check, and the suspension will be softened to work more harmoniously with the decreased body stiffness. And somewhere in all that the back seat and trunk space will need to take a hit.
In other news, Autocar says the hi-po GT 86 with some kind of capacitor system instead of batteries is being worked on for 2015.

Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

The last new Scion is this tC Release Series 10.0

"We're not dead yet!" That's the message Scion will send next week at the New York Auto Show when it takes the stage with its very last brand-new car, the tC Release Series 10.0. For its final act, the tC gets an aero kit by JDM designer Ken Miura, consisting of a front lip spoiler, new rocker panels, a lower rear spoiler, and a little wing on the deck. Blacked-out Scion badges and gloss black alloy wheels contrast against this tC's unique Barcelona Red paint. It's not all for show, either. The Release Series 10.0 includes TRD lowering springs and TRD-tuned dual exhaust. Inside, black and red pours onto the new seat inserts, and there's similarly-toned contrast stitching on the shift boot, parking brake cover, and steering wheel. Only 1,200 examples will be built, available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The manual car will go for $23,985, and with the six-speed auto, add $1,150. It's all very fitting – Scion was introduced to the US at the New York show in 2002, and over the past 14 years, the tC was the brand's most popular car (and one of its longest-running). To commemorate the occasion, Scion will also show some of its most popular showcars, including the original 2002 BBx concept, 2009 iQ concept, and 2011 FR-S concept – the "Friggin' Really Sweet" car, if you recall. Scroll down for the official "Scion-ara" (yep) announcement. Related Video: Scion-ara Celebration at New York International Auto Show Includes JDM-inspired tC Coupe and Classic Concepts TORRANCE, Calif. (March 16, 2016) – Scion is not going away quietly. With a final Kei Miura-inspired tC Release Series 10.0, a display of some of its most impressive project cars, and cool swag, the Scion by Toyota booth is sure to be a flurry of activity at the New York International Auto Show, March 25 – April 3, 2016. It's only fitting that Scion closes its auto show history at New York since that's where it all began. Fourteen years ago Scion debuted its first concept vehicles and announced the new youth division for Toyota that would be a laboratory for experimentation and introduce new products and processes. That commitment to innovation carries through to the debut of Scion's final Release Series vehicle for the tC sports coupe, Scion's most popular car.