Driving Sports

Driving Sports Time Attack Draws Hot Machinery

The first ever Driving Sports Time Attack got underway today at Portland International Raceway as part of the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland.

22 cars are entered, ranging from a 1971 Datson 510 with a full Toyota Supra drivetrain to a selection of pumped Subarus, a nice assortment of RX-7s and winding out with a right hand drive JDM-spec Nissan R35 GT-R.

On Friday, competitors had an open 45-minute practice session to get the feel of the new surface and corners at PIR, and they made good use of their time.

One select photo appears at right, but a full gallery of pictures is available here.

The action continues tomorrow evening with 4 rounds of Time Attack competition - timed to 1/1000th of a second. May the hottest shoe win!

Results: http://blog.drivingsports.com/blog/timeattack.html

Western Automotive Journalists Gather For "Media Days" At Laguna Seca

The Western Automotive Journalists organization gathered this week in beautiful Monterey, Calif. to test drive the 2008 sports and luxury car field from virtually every automaker doing business in North America. Journalists from up and down the west coast arrived to test the full fleet of 2008 cars on the winding mountain roads of Carmel Valley and at speed on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Yes, that's the new Nissan GT-R parked next to the NISMO Edition 350Z in the photo to the right. Yes, they're as good as you think they are.

Events such as this serve a number of purposes, including a rare chance for side-by-side tests of comparable cars from different automakers, and also to allow a relaxed atmosphere to talk shop with the manufacturer representatives. But I wouldn't lie to you and tell you it was anything like working - this event is big-time fun.

Subaru and Toyota RWD Coupe Rumors Confirmed

Rumors of a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota to produce a hot RWD sport coupe have been confirmed. The world's largest automaker will increase its investment in Subaru from about 8% to about 16% and in return, Subaru will provide a 1.8 or 2.0-liter boxer engine in both normally-aspirated and turbocharged variants to the new dual-badged sports car.

So far, only concept drawings have been leaked from the two automakers, but the word on the grapevine is that the new car will retail for about $16,000 (USD) and be available only in a RWD configuration.

But if Toyota and Subaru join forces to bring out a hot  RWD sport compact well under $20K, it's a fair bet that they'll have the market leader in the segment right out of the gate. Stay tuned for more information as it happens.   

Toyota Hydrogen-Powered Vehicle Takes on Alaska

Toyota revealed a significant achievement in its ongoing hydrogen-hybrid fuel cell development program at a press conference recently. A 2,300 mile trek in a Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) from Fairbanks, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia along the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) highway confirmed substantial progress in reliability and durability, cold-weather operation and extended range capability of Toyota's hybrid fuel cell system.

"When our Torrance-based product planners and engineers heard about Toyota Motor Corporation's (TMC) plan to run a distance of 348 miles from Osaka, Japan to Tokyo on a single tank of hydrogen, they thought it was a great idea…that probably didn't go far enough in showing how far this new system had advanced," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.

Scion Hako - A Face Only A Mother Could Love

Scion unveiled its Hako Coupe Concept vehicle at a press conference today at the New York International Auto Show. Honestly, our first impression is that these guys have seen way too many '32 Ford sedan hot rods. But it's of a piece with the Ford Flex, so this must be the going thing at the New York Auto Show this year.

Scion's Hako Coupe was developed by Tokyo Design Division, which studied global, youth-inspired trends. Japanese and American youth cultures often influence each other and are interpreted with a unique twist. The Hako Coupe Concept was inspired by the iconic xB and the emergence of American vintage style among young Tokyo trendsetters.