Automotive World

We’ve already brought you the news on the BRZ, but for those of you interested, Subaru has unleashed a promotional video as well as a second round of pictures including the very first images of the coupe's interior that is identical to the 86 right up to the digital clock that brings back memories of the go-go 1980s. Oddly, Toyota and Subaru ditched the cassette player…

As a reminder, the BRZ runs on very low mounted 2.0-liter flat-four with direct-injection technology and an output of 200 ponies that are directed to the rear wheels through a choice of 6-speed transmissions (manual and automatic).

And one motorcycle stunt rider in Brazil found that out the hard way during a routine show at the Beto Carrero World, which is the largest multi-theme park in Latin America, and is located in the municipality of Penha in Brazil.

We're going to get a taste of what this means for Nissan with the presentation of the Juke Nismo concept at this week's 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

Even Alfa Romeo, which has cancelled its return to the U.S. more times than we care to remember, has plans to form a joint venture with local company Guangzhou Automobile.

Well, the list just got a little but bigger as on Monday Chery Automobile Co. and investment firm Israel Corp. announced a new joint venture that will lead to a new brand called Qoros.

But seriously now, tow trucks violating every single law in the traffic book just to be the first to reach a client at an accident scene is a something out of reason.

In the following video that was shot from a dashboard mounted camera placed in one of at least three tow trucks that were racing against each other on public roads in South Korea, we see the driver passing countless red lights and entering the opposite side of the road with no consideration whatsoever for the rest of the cars.

Another, less noble reason, could be that some of these gaffes make you feel better knowing that, even if you will never ever be able to afford such a ride, at least you won't make a fool out of yourself on film by trying to find the reverse gear, are unable to park or by being so careless or caught up with yourself that you didn't notice the Audi that was behind you…

And while the series will most likely be put to rest for at least for another decade or so, some fans continue to be inspired by the movie creating their own short films.

After last year's awesome fan-made clip from the then 21-year old Alexander Vladimirovich Semenov from Russia, we will soon have another new short film that is currently being prepared by 19-year old Robert Kouba from Switzerland.

For some reason Toyota has decided to name the car simply 86 in Japan and GT 86 in Europe, while the same or possibly slightly different variant with the Scion badge will be marketed as the FR-S in North America.

The key facts about the 86 include a front-mounted Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter boxer engine pushing 200-horses towards the rear axle through a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox (or a 6-speed automatic) and an available limited slip differential.

Toyota has not yet released full specifications, but a leaked brochure revealed that the JDM version tips the scales at 1,210kg (2,668 pounds) in basic trim and at 1,230kg (2,711 pounds) in the second trim level.

The video that follows after the break was shot in Taiwan and it shows a couple of dozen local drivers with their modded cars practicing their drifting skills on a relatively small parking lot marked with cones.

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

The first clip is from a quick spin around the Fuji Speedway racetrack, while the second video includes a more comprehensive test drive from a Japanese car magazine that provides us with a more in-depth look at the sights and sounds of the 86 as well as in a wider palette of colors.

Toyota is highly optimistic about the '86', which it describes as an "entirely driver-focused sports car, designed to recapture the fundamental joys of motoring".

The Japanese firm's recipe includes a 200HP naturally-aspirated engine mounted up front matched to a six-speed manual (or 6sp automatic) and a limited slip differential driving the rear wheels, and a near-perfect 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution.

And that's one lesson learned the hard way for Vacheh Margoussian, 21, and Artin Yazidjian, 22, both of which were employed as a valet and a tire technician respectively at the Pacific BMW dealership in Los Angeles when they allegedly took a brand-new 1 M Coupe for a joyride and uploaded a video on Youtube.

Now, both men have not only lost their jobs but are also facing misdemeanor charges filed by the LA County district attorney’s office.

So here's how it went down: at a stop light in The Woodlands, a latest generation silver-colored Corvette C6 and a previous-gen gray Corvette C5 are getting ready to play Dumb and Dumber the I'm faster than you game.

The two drivers rev their V8 powerplants and push the pedal to the metal as soon as the green light comes on. Under the dramatic sounds produced by a total of 16-cylinders and 32 teeth chewing bubble gum (that would be the person filming the Corvettes in the blue car…), the two men begin the race which lasts only about 9 seconds as the driver of the C5 loses control and smashed into the C6….

This is why McLaren Automotive didn’t only build its first supercar after the iconic F1 of the ‘90s, but also invested close to £50 million (€58.2 or US$77.3 million) in developing a brand-new, state-of-the-art factory – or rather, as the company names it, the McLaren Production Center (MPC).

The protagonists of the two clips you're about to watch right after the break are a Porsche Carrera GT and a lady who appears to be having a little fun during her joy ride in the V10-powered sports car from Stuttgart.

The rejuvenated wreath and crest brand stresses that all engineers working on the upcoming ATS were "handpicked based on their roles in developing other top Cadillacs" and "how well they can drive and evaluate cars on grueling test tracks".

In lieu of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we plan to take half the day off (okay, maybe a bit more) but we will resume our regular coverage of the daily automotive news and then some more on Friday, November 25.

We’ll send you off with the sounds of happiness: a compilation of new and old V12-powered Lamborghinis, which you can check out in the video after the break.

This video tells the bitter story of a Chevrolet Corvette owner that was doing just fine during an autocross event at a parking lot up until the moment he thought that he got the hang of it and pushed the car beyond his experience.

The result? A very nasty and ultimately, very expensive encounter with the curb…

During a recent rally in Poland, the driver of a Mitsubishi Colt hatchback was coming fast on a narrow road when some spectators loudly cheered for him the precise moment he passed by.

We don't know if the driver was distracted or not, but a split second later his ride came to an abrupt end when he whammed into a brick fence. Hop over the break to watch the video for yourself.

Now that VW has decided to enter the FIA World Rally Championship with the new Polo R WRC, it wants to make sure that it will be competitive from the first race. Consequently, it will enter the championship in 2013, having a full year to test its new car.