Motorpinion

As we know from my previous post, Car Manufacturers in Love, Subaru and Toyota have a stake in each other.  They have shared some tech and R&D in the past but not until 2011 have they ever conspired to design a car from the ground up. The names of these cars are still up in the air,  for our purposes we will settle on Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT-86 (Probably going to be a Scion to us in the States).

It is an odd move for Subaru to go with a RWD car in the States as they have built a company on their bulletproof Symmetrical AWD system. According to them, everyone knows they can make a great AWD car, now they want to throw their hat into the RWD ring. I guess I can’t argue. Toyota, on the other hand, is not so stuck on AWD but they are conversely dedicated to FWD in both their Toyota and Scion brands. What it comes down to for both Subaru and Toyota is this car will be a small step in opposite directions from their roots but a big step closer to each other.

With the demise of the Mazda RX-8, I have two concerns. Is there a market for both a nearly identical Subaru and Toyota? Is there a market for even one of them? Time will tell, but I sure do think that the 2 new cars look like a softened Mazda RX-8. Good move or not…voice your opinion in the Comment section below.

Subaru BRZ

Toyota GT-86

What more can be said than what has already been. We have not seen the fully unveiled 370Z except in the official Nissan released pictures. We will see the true production sports car, rumored to be around 350 hp, in November ’08 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. I will defer to my elder, MotorAuthority.com, who has acquired the scoop about the gossip of the upcoming 370Z. Check it out here!  Also, Electronic Arts will be releasing their new Need for Speed generation, Undercover, with the 370z as the expected star. You will be able to buy the game on November 18th. Check out the video below!

I will be honest with you; Ford has never been my favorite brand. I do place Ford on the top of my favorite list for domestic car makers and I believe they will stay at the top of that list. The past month has been different in Ford’s garage with shouts of Initial Quality being equal with Toyota and Honda for the first quarter of 2008. This may be blown out of proportion by Ford but can you blame them? At this point in the market, I would grasp onto any favorable news and scream it from the hilltops! With all domestic car makers loosing big time and crying relentlessly about it, the time has finally come that quality has gone up as production quotas drop.

The initial quality survey was conducted by an independent research firm. Bad news was that they were hired by Ford to conduct the survey. The real test is not initial quality but long term quality and the history of the vehicles over the preceding years. Lets think this through, what can the first three months of a cars life tell you? It’s hardly enough to even require an oil change.

Ford has improved in one area that is noticeable to all, design. Save the likes of the Focus, the sharper design of the fleet does impress me for a domestic line. When Ford publicized its new designs on the Mustang in 2005 and Edge in 2006, it began the turn around for Fords image. Now there are a few Fords I wouldn’t mind rollin’ in. 

I sincerely hope that Ford has improved their quality and that it lasts longer than the first three months of a cars life. If they can keep costs down and deliver a good vehicle, they could have a winning combination. I am rooting for U.S. cars and someday hope they will be another option for my garage.

If you are on a budget because you have already spent all your dough on your dream car, you can save a few bucks with this new security system.  I personally recommend this system for all cars 1996 and newer as the system fully integrates with the On-Board Diagnostics II computer system. The OBD II system has been included on all U.S. vehicles 1996 and after.  Thanks to Ric H. for submitting this picture to us.