Let’s start with the Toyota FT-86 concept, arguably the star of the show. When I first saw photos of the FT, I thought it looked to be about the size of a Hyundai Genesis Coupe. But in person, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was much smaller, more the measure of a Honda S2000. In fact, compared to the Genesis Coupe, the FT is about 18 inches shorter in length, four inches narrower in width, and six inches stubbier in height. In other words, it is an especially compact and sleek machine.And it should be an absolute hoot to scoot, certainly given its relatively long 101.2-inch wheelbase and -- here’s the kicker -- rear-drive layout. The last time we put the words Toyota, sporty, front engine, and rear drive in the same sentence was over a decade ago, when the 1998 Supra was on its farewell tour.
With around 170 horsepower on tap from a 2.0-liter direct-injected Subaru flat-4 -- the FT is the first byproduct to come from the Subaru-Toyota collaboration that will later spawn a sporty all-wheel-drive two-door from Fuji Heavy Industries -- the FT-86 should feel and handle as if it were a Miata coupe. Toyota has already said that, assuming the FT production car makes it to the U.S., it will be a drifter’s dream, a fix for those addicted to oversteering shenanigans. Sounds like good medicine to me. Next up, the FT-86’s super-studly big brother, the Lexus LFA. While part of me wants to rib Lexus for taking, um, forever to build its first supercar (the LF-A concept debuted way back at the Detroit auto show in January, 2005), the other part is just glad it’s finally here. After all, it is quite significant that Japan has another offering to complement the Nissan GT-R, making it two exotics from Nippon that can legitimately compete with the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche. And what has five years of waiting gotten us? Well, it appears that Lexus has really sweated the details, not only testing the LFA extensively at the Nürburgring, but also fitting it with downright high-end goods. I’m talking about a very light and very rigid body constructed of 65 percent Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and 35 percent aluminum (at 3300 pounds, the LFA weighs nearly 700 pounds less than a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano). A 552-horse 9000-rpm V-10 that utilizes titanium valves and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, a magnesium cylinder head cover, dry-sump lubrication, ten independently controlled throttle bodies, and an engine block cast at the same foundry that makes Toyota’s F1 mills. A six-speed auto-clutch manual that offers four driving modes (auto, sport, normal, and wet) and seven shift speeds, ranging from an around-town 1.0 second to a racetrack-blitzing 0.2 second. Huge Carbon Ceramic Material (CCM) cross-drilled and vented disc brakes that are 11 pounds lighter than comparable iron discs, and are capable of halting the LFA from a 202-mph top speed. I could keep going, but you get the picture. (For more detail, check out St. Antoine’s First Drive.) Naysayers will surely point out that for well less than a third of the LFA’s estimated $400,000 price tag, the Corvette ZR1 will match if not beat the Lexus’s track stats. True. But the same can be said when comparing the ZR1 to the 599 or Aston DBS. The difference is the Chevy’s cost-cutting measures -- a Cobalt steering wheel, anyone? -- are evident in light of the exotics' posh details. The LFA, for example, sports a racy, flat-bottom helm featuring a carbon fiber rim that is weighted at the bottom to help neutralize the moment of inertia when returning to on-center. And you can bet a wheel like that will never find its way into an ES 350.
Last but certainly not least, the Honda CR-Z Concept. In typical Honda fashion, the term Concept is used loosely, as the show car is on the eve of rolling down the assembly line. In fact, the production CR-Z will be shown in January at the Detroit show and will go on sale later in 2010. As the heir apparent to the beloved CRX, the 2011 CR-Z will stay true to its lineage, offering seating for two (the concept actually has a small back seat) and a fun-to-drive factor that should near ten. Power will come from a 1.5-liter four and an IMA electric motor -- expect total output to be between 130-150 horsepower -- paired to a six-speed manual transmission. A CVT will likely be offered, too, at least in the CR-Z’s lifecycle, but the manual is a sign that Honda is attempting to lure enthusiasts, not just environmentalists. It’s hard to imagine curb weight exceeding 2600 pounds, which means the CR-Z should be satisfyingly quick -- 0 to 60 in under 8.0 seconds (that’s brisk for a four-cylinder hybrid) is entirely plausible.
Still, I can’t help but wholeheartedly agree with Detroit editor Lassa, who suggested Honda should also offer a high-performance CR-Z -- dub it the CR-Z Si or CR-Z Type R -- that ditches the 1.5-liter/IMA combo in favor of the Civic Si’s 2.0-liter 197-horse engine. Suddenly we’re talking about a sub-6.0-second time, which would make the CR-Z quicker than many a V-6 sports coupe. Build it, Honda, and they will come. At least Lassa and I will be waiting in line.
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