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Toyota updates 86 in Japan with this weird special edition

In their constant drive for perfection, Japanese automakers Toyota and Subaru have both announced some minor updates for their jointly produced sports car specifically for their domestic market. Both the Toyota 86 (known in these parts as the Scion FR-S) and the Subaru BRZ are getting a revised version of the electric power steering system they were designed with in the first place as well as a reworked suspension. The more intriguing news, though, is the strange restyling Toyota is offering on the 86 Style Cb edition. Ditching the aggressively angular front end of the existing model, this special edition gets rounded headlamps and an extended nose to give it a much less severe face. The Toyota 86 Style Cb is also being offered with an optional two-tone paint scheme and gets unique LED turning indicator strips, a special badge on the bulbous snout and revised interior trim. We'll chalk it up to a matter of personal taste, but as far as JDM specials go, this special edition isn't one over which we'll be terribly disappointed if it never makes it to US showrooms. We'll be sure to keep you posted if and when any of the mechanical updates make the trip across the Pacific, though. Related Video:

Subaru will cap sales, introduce US-only SUV and PHEV

With Subaru's meteoric growth over the past few years, it seems like the company would double down on the success and expand. However, the Japanese brand has announced that it will take the opposite approach. Rather than continually increasing global deliveries, the automaker will instead cap annual volume to between 1.03 million and 1.1 million units, according to Automotive News. While the strategy will keep Subaru's niche status, the brand's lineup certainly won't stagnate. After abundant rumors, a US-only, seven-seat crossover will eventually be assembled in Indiana, and Impreza production will reportedly move there in 2016. In addition, the company will launch a plug-in hybrid around 2018, but it'll only be sold where necessary to meet zero-emissions requirements. While the Japanese brand is widely known for crossovers and wagons, Subaru isn't forgetting its performance fans, either. Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga confirmed yet again that a second-gen BRZ is under development. "We have already agreed with Toyota we will do a full model change. We have not decided when it will be introduced," he said to Automotive News. Subaru has been considering whether to grow for years, but the planning eventually favored maximizing the current factories. For example, Subaru decided not to build a plant in China but has chosen to boost capacity at the line in Lafayette, IN. Yoshinaga sees the strategy as a way to maintain the brand's soul. "Many companies try to be bigger or sell more vehicles. If Subaru does the same thing, we will lose our characteristics," he said to Automotive News. Related Video:

Subaru Legacy pitted against Roadkill project cars

There's an evergreen debate among auto enthusiasts about whether they would prefer to have the latest and greatest car of today or a certified classic from yesteryear. What if you had to further define that, though, and the choice was between a brand new 2015 Subaru Legacy or a turbocharged Datsun 240Z with a hatch that wouldn't close? Roadkill aimed to find out that and more in one of its best videos to date.
According to the hosts, Subaru came to them, handed over some money and challenged Roadkill's project cars against its latest Legacy. The result is every bit as good (or better) than any automotive-themed show you could find on television.
Things start simple with a figure-eight race in a rodeo arena with the Subaru taking on Roadkill's 1968 Ford Ranchero, originally built for ice racing. From there the Legacy races a 1968 Dodge Charger with no windows around and off-road rally stage. Finally, the Subie goes head-to-head against the Rotsun, the aforementioned turbocharged 240Z, through an abandoned neighborhood. Plus, there's a bonus drag race challenging them all.