Govt. Panel To Urge Less Contact During Holidays

Govt. panel to urge less contact during holidays

The Japanese government's coronavirus advisory panel plans to urge more restraint during the year-end and New Year holidays in areas where infections are surging.

The panel members plan to have a meeting on Friday during which they will make proposals. They will call on people in areas where infections have reached Stage 3, the second-worst level on a 4-tier scale, to move their parties online and to reconsider visiting their hometowns.

Sony Might End Up Producing Less Ps5 Consoles Than Expected

Sony Might End Up Producing Less PS5 Consoles Than Expected

A report from a couple of months ago suggested that to meet the demand of gamers stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sony could actually boost its PS5 production. However, that may no longer be the case, at least that’s according to a report from Bloomberg which suggests that Sony might actually end up producing less than expected.

The report claims that Sony might end up producing about 4 million less units than previously expected. The company had reportedly initially aimed to produce as many as 15 million units for the fiscal year, but now with the cuts, they are only expected to produce as many as 11 million units.

2021 Toyota Gr Supra Pricing Is Here, Four-cylinder Is $8,000 Less

2021 Toyota GR Supra pricing is here, four-cylinder is $8,000 less

We've driven the updated 2021 Toyota Supras already, and now we know the prices for the more powerful inline-six and the new four-cylinder. The inline-six price increases by a smidge, up to $51,945, including the $955 destination charge. That's a $1,000 increase to the base model, but the Supra 3.0 Premium only increases by $500, up to $54,490. Toyota gave the 3.0 more power this year, re-tuned the suspension and added bracing, so you are getting a bit more for your dollar in 2021.

If you want the Supra 2.0, it'll be $43,945. That makes the price spread between the base 3.0 and 2.0 exactly $8,000. That's about what we predicted. We were hoping for a base price closer to the $40,000 mark, but the Supra 2.0 is still a superb sports car for $43,945. If you want the Safety and Technology package available for the 2.0, it'll be an extra $3,485. It includes a ton of equipment: adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, parking sensors, the JBL audio system, Apple CarPlay and Supra Connected Services. The same package, minus some equipment, costs $3,155 on the base 3.0, while it comes as standard equipment on the 3.0 Premium. If you've already chosen the 3.0 Premium, a Driver Assist Package for $1,195 is also available.

Less People Around Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station

Less people around Tokyo's Ikebukuro station

Saturday morning around Tokyo's Ikebukuro station was quieter than usual as people appeared to be following a request to stay home. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government continues to urge against nonessential weekend outings as a way of containing the coronavirus.

Department stores stand shuttered behind posters advising of temporary closures. The district's major electronics stores have also shortened their opening hours.

Expert: 80% Less Contact Can Stop Explosive Spread

Expert: 80% less contact can stop explosive spread

A group of experts says Tokyo could prevent an explosive spread of the new coronavirus by reducing person-to-person contact by 80 percent. The group advises authorities to immediately take appropriate measures.

The projection was conducted by a group that includes Professor Nishiura Hiroshi of Hokkaido University, a member of a government taskforce on cluster infections.

Less People Around Tokyo's Shibuya Station

Less people around Tokyo's Shibuya station

A request by Tokyo's governor that people stay home this weekend amid the coronavirus outbreak had shown some results on Saturday morning. Observers reported seeing fewer people than usual around the major rail hub of Shibuya.

A few people were sitting on the benches near the Hachiko dog statue, a popular meeting spot.

Toyota Gr Yaris All-wheel-drive Hot Hatch Price Less Than Gti In U.k.

Toyota GR Yaris all-wheel-drive hot hatch price less than GTI in U.K.

The Toyota GR Yaris is incredibly awesome. It's a specially designed version of the global Yaris with all-wheel drive, a whopping 257 horsepower from just a 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, and it will be the basis for the upcoming rally car. While exciting, it also left us wondering how expensive it might be, since so much of it isn't shared with other models. Now we have pricing, and it starts at at 29,995 pounds in the U.K., and 33,200 Euros in Germany. Adding front and rear limited-slip differentials bumps the U.K. price to 33,495 pounds (German option pricing wasn't announced). Regardless, at current exchange rates that comes to about $37,000 to $38,000 for the base model and $43,355 for the high-performance variant.

Now that does sound pricey for such a tiny car, even with its wicked powertrain, but direct currency conversions don't tell the whole story. When compared to U.K. and European prices of other hot hatchbacks, it's actually a bit of a bargain. In fact, in the U.K. the 2020 VW GTI, only available with a dual-clutch transmission and performance package for this last year of the current model, starts at around 33,000 pounds. The Honda Civic Type R starts about 32,000 pounds. Only the Hyundai i30 N, comparable to our Veloster N, is priced under 26,000 pounds, but to get the high-output one with limited-slip differential you'll need about 29,000 pounds. In Germany, the gulf is even larger between the Yaris and the Civic Type R and i30 N, which start at 38,000 Euros and 35,000 Euros respectively.

2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition: More Speed, Less Weight

2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition: more speed, less weight

The Type R is the ultimate Civic from a performance standpoint, and now Honda has created an ultimate version of the ultimate Civic: the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition. It's an uninspired name for an eye-popping limited-edition car, only 600 of which will come to America.

The immediately obvious change to the car is the Phoenix Yellow paint scheme that's exclusive to the Limited Edition. It's matched with a black roof, mirror caps and hood scoop, plus some dark chrome badging. Also noticeable are a set of forged 20-inch BBS wheels, the brand having been selected since it has produced wheels for the NSX and S2000.

2020 Toyota Supra Four-cylinder Has Less Power, Less Weight

2020 Toyota Supra four-cylinder has less power, less weight

We've known for a while now that the 2020 Toyota Supra would get some four-cylinder variants around the world, but now we finally have official specifications. As expected, it has a 2.0-liter inline-four with a twin-scroll turbocharger coupled solely to an 8-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. In total it makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. These specs are identical to the BMW Z4 sDrive30i that the Supra is based on, which is interesting considering that the six-cylinder is rated slightly lower than the equivalent Z4. Toyota says this version of the Supra will hit 62 mph in 5.2 seconds. For reference, that's just over a second slower than the six-cylinder version. So if it's measurably slower with less power, is there any appeal to the Supra four-cylinder? Well it will certainly be cheaper to buy than the six-cylinder version, though exact pricing isn't available yet, and based on Z4 fuel economy numbers, it should be slightly more fuel efficient. But from a performance standpoint, the four-cylinder has a significant weight advantage. Toyota says it weighs about 220 pounds less than the six-cylinder car. Toyota boasts about a 50/50 weight distribution, as well, but the six-cylinder has that same distribution. The four-cylinder Supra will go on sale in Europe in March 2020, with other markets likely at about the same time. It comes standard with 18-inch wheels, black Alcantara-trimmed seats and an 8.8-inch infotainment system. There will also be a special Fuji Speedway edition, pictured above, offered only in white with red mirrors, 19-inch wheels carbon fiber trim, and red and black Alcantara-trimmed seats. Only 200 examples of it will be sold in Europe. We reached out to Toyota to find out if there are any plans for offering the car in the U.S., and Toyota wouldn't comment. There is a possibility it will happen, though, as the powertrain is already certified for the U.S., and of course the body and chassis is, too. It will likely simply come down to whether Toyota sees demand for a less powerful, lighter weight and lower cost Supra.