Upgraded Subaru Brz Prototype Spotted Testing At Fuji Speedway

Upgraded Subaru BRZ prototype spotted testing at Fuji Speedway

The 2022 Subaru BRZ may have just been officially revealed last month, but an upgraded version has already been spotted testing in Japan at Fuji Speedway. Though camouflaged, the car seen is unmistakably the second-generation of Subaru's lightweight, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe. And, it's wearing some aero bits not seen on the stock version.

こうGTマシンになるとフロントは現行とだいぶ似た感じになるんだなあ。でもノーズはやたら低い!
市販車の写真ももっとください!!笑

Omaze Is Giving Away A Gymkhana-inspired Wrx Sti Customized By Hoonigan

Omaze is giving away a Gymkhana-inspired WRX STI customized by Hoonigan

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. 

Enter to win this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and December 31, 2020, and receive 150 bonus entries with Autoblog's exclusive code AUTOBLOG150. Simply add the discount at checkout.

Nissan Is Making It Easier To Buy A Car From Home With Nissan@home

Nissan is making it easier to buy a car from home with Nissan@Home

Nissan is trying to make it easier to buy your next car from the couch with a new program it's calling "Nissan@Home." The program ran as a trial at seven dealerships over the summer, but Nissan says it's expanding throughout the rest of the country over the next few months.

At its core, the program creates a Nissan@Home hub on Nissan's website where customers can go through a number of steps you might go through at the dealership. You can build your ideal car, find similar inventory, estimate your payments, look through a digital brochure, attain an internet quote and book a test drive from the hub. It's a fairly comprehensive one-stop-shop, and it looks like you can book a test drive for anything, even a GT-R.

Toyota Unveils 2021 Gr Supra Sport Top, Trd-sport Trailer Concepts

Toyota unveils 2021 GR Supra Sport Top, TRD-Sport Trailer concepts

Earlier in 2020, Toyota tantalized us with images and videos of a Supra equipped with a removable roof panel. It finally unveiled the model, which it originally planned to introduce at SEMA 2020. For enthusiasts who would rather go off the pavement, it also revealed an overlanding trailer that started life as a Tacoma cargo box.

Toyota explained building the Supra Sport Top was more challenging than simply chopping off the roof. After removing the sheetmetal, its engineers reinforced large sections of the car's structure to preserve its rigidity. They filled the gap above the front passengers with a pair of composite panels that can be stored in the trunk when the sun is out. Don't call it a T-top, though; there's no T-shaped bar running down the middle of the roof.

Innovative Carbon Fiber Wheelchair Wins $1 Million Prize From Toyota

Innovative carbon fiber wheelchair wins $1 million prize from Toyota

Toyota Mobility announced a prize money winner in its international mobility competition that challenged people around the world to come up with solutions to improve the lives of folks with lower limb paralysis. Finalists from Japan, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. were considered, but Phoenix Instinct from the U.K. ended up walking away with the $1 million prize money.

The winning product? An ultra-light carbon fiber wheelchair with some innovative features. It's called the Phoenix Instinct, and it aims to advance the generally stagnant wheelchair technology industry to make it easier and safer to use. The wheelchair uses a leveling system to automatically adjust its center of gravity and make it more stable/easier to maneuver. A power assist feature is implemented on the front wheels in an effort to reduce vibrations through the body. Finally, it uses an intelligent power braking system that can automatically detect when you're going downhill, then adjust the wheelchair's speed and manage its descent. 

Toyota Ready To Unveil Solid-state Battery Ev In 2021

Toyota ready to unveil solid-state battery EV in 2021

In the race to produce the first electric car with a solid-state battery, Toyota is in the lead. The Japanese giant plans to debut its first working prototype in 2021, with a production car going on sale sometime in the early 2020s according to a new report in the Nikkei.

The technology would usher in a new era of EVs, as solid-state batteries are more compact, charge faster, safer and possess more energy density than the traditional lithium-ion batteries that are in current widespread use. They use a solid electrolyte rather than a liquid or gel polymer electrolytes found in in Li-ion units. That means they require less physical space to produce the same amount of energy, and are less prone to fire when damaged.

This Awesome 1986 Nissan 300zx Turbo Is Up For Auction Right Now

This awesome 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo is up for auction right now

The Nissan Z has an illustrious history, and while the first-gen 240Z has long been recognized as a milestone sports car, and the 1990s version for its technological prowess and timeless design, the 300ZX of the 1980s is less celebrated. But we're digging this 1986 example, up for auction right now on Cars&Bids, which in addition to being super sharp, has all kinds of '80s mojo working.

The third-generation 300ZX made its debut in 1983, with all-new flat-plane styling and a wedge profile. It traded the previous inline-six for V6 power, with naturally aspirated and turbocharged offerings. Again, the Z was offered in two body styles: two-seater or 2+2. This 300ZX is the ideal combination of the two-seat body, turbocharged engine, and five-speed manual gearbox. It also has T-tops, an '80s must, and we're digging the pop-up headlights and turbine-style alloy wheels.

Giant Traffic Jam Strands Hundreds After Snow Storm In Japan

Giant traffic jam strands hundreds after snow storm in Japan

Heavy snowfall in northwest Japan stranded more than 2,000 vehicles on highways Thursday. Although that number had fallen to at least 670 by Friday afternoon (Japan time), the company that manages the highways said that it likely would take until Saturday morning for about 700 rescuers to free the remaining cars. Snow had accumulated to several feet deep in places, including at a toll complex. 

Japan's Self-Defense Force has sent troops to deliver food, gasoline and blankets to stranded drivers as well as to help clear snows. According to video by NBC News, some drivers abandoned their vehicles on the road.

Nissan Sentra Has A Single-marque Race Series In Canada

Nissan Sentra has a single-marque race series in Canada

Canada has many charming aspects: legal weed, the metric system, a functioning government. It also has its curiosities: Tim Horton's, curling, and (since 2015) a race series that exclusively uses the subcompact Nissan Micra. But with the Micra having departed Nissan's Canadian lineup after 2019, it was time for a new race car. Enter the Nissan Sentra, star of the newly renamed Nissan Sentra Cup.

Although the current Nissan Sentra is vastly improved compared to its predecessor, one wouldn't call it sporty. Unlike Sentras past, there's no NISMO or SE-R model. But the same could be said of the Micra, and Nissan didn't hesitate to build a race series around that car. Plus, the Sentra Cup race cars are modified compared to the street version.

2021 Acura Tlx Achieves Iihs Top Safety Pick Plus Score

2021 Acura TLX achieves IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus score

The Acura TLX is all-new for 2021. It's built on a new architecture that we're told is the brand's most rigid other than the NSX. In our first-drive review, we called it "a true enthusiast's sedan." Now, we know that another benefit of the car's redo is improved crash performance, as the new TLX has earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The 2021 TLX bettered its predecessor in the challenging driver's-side small-overlap front crash test, achieving a Good score versus the previous model's Acceptable rating. The 2021 TLX also garnered a Good score for the passenger-side small-overlap front crash test (the previous version was not tested) and for the agency's other crash tests as well: moderate-overlap front, side-impact, roof crush and head restraints and seats.