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Subaru ends orders for BRZ in Japan as production winds down

Production of the Subaru BRZ has ceased, marking the end of an eight-year run for the small enthusiast car. The final examples have rolled off of the assembly line ahead of what is expected to be a brief hiatus before the introduction of its successor.  The wind-down of the current BRZ and Toyota GT86 should come as no surprise; Subaru even announced a "Final Edition" BRZ for the German market earlier this year. British outlet Autocar reports that Subaru's production partner, Toyota, is still taking orders for its version of the jointly developed sports coupe, though an announcement regarding its wind-down is expected to be forthcoming.  The timing is especially tricky for potential buyers in Japan who may be looking to snag the rear-wheel-drive sports coupe, as they are limited to whatever remains in dealer inventories. According to Subaru's Japanese BRZ landing page, there may not be a ton of options for shoppers still in the market.  "We have finished accepting orders for build-to-order manufacturing of the models listed," the translated page says. "Due to stock availability at retailers, we may not be able to meet customer requests for body colors and options . Please contact your dealer for more information." We don't yet know for certain when Toyota and Subaru will announce their plans for the next-generation GT86 and BRZ, which were first introduced eight years ago. Rumors have suggested that they could be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder producing approximately 250 horsepower, which would be a healthy bump from the existing cars' 197-horsepower outputs.  The next-generation car is expected to ride on a new joint platform, and may ditch the current generation's boxer engine in favor of a more traditional inline layout. Despite hints that Toyota wants its next GT86 to "surpass" the Supra, it's unlikely that an affordable sports coupe will infringe too drastically on the more-expensive halo car's performance turf.  Related Video:    

Midsize Sedan Comparison | Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry vs. Mazda6

The rumors of the midsize sedan's death have been greatly exaggerated. The 2018 Honda Accord and 2018 Toyota Camry together moved more than 262,000 units through May of this year, which is still a ton of cars. Then again, both are down year-over-year despite being completely, and quite impressively, redesigned for 2018. So yes, the midsize sedan's grip on family transportation is weakening. Ford certainly thinks so, yet this change in consumer preferences comes at a time when the current crop of sedans is sensational. They're bigger and more powerful, yet also more efficient. Safety scores are impeccable. They even look better than ever. So before running out to score one of the bajillion little SUVs flooding the market, why not ponder this trio of midsize sedan all-stars that might actually work better? Over the course of three consecutive weeks we tested the 2018 Camry XSE V6, 2018 Accord Touring 2.0T and the perennial critical-darling 2018 Mazda6 Signature. The latter was thoroughly overhauled and, perhaps as such, bucked the segment trend by actually selling more in June this year. Each was a range-topping trim level with all the bells and whistles, plus the most powerful engine available. Really, you couldn't find cars closer in power, price and feature content. View 57 Photos Performance and fuel economy Toyota bucked the turbocharged trend by sticking with naturally aspirated engines for the 2018 Camry, and when it comes to its 3.5-liter V6, it's sure hard to argue with that decision. For starters, it produces 301 horsepower. Let that sink in for a moment. A 301-hp Toyota Camry. That crushes the others, while its 267 pound-feet of torque is only 6 less than the Accord. This is a strong, smooth engine that only gets better when you realize it matches the 26-mpg combined fuel economy of the others. Honda, meanwhile, followed the masses by switching to a turbocharged four-cylinder for the Accord's engine upgrade (and its base engine, for that matter). Though its 252 hp is considerably down on the Camry and its 271 lb-ft is only a smidgen more, the Accord's torque arrives earlier in the rev range without feeling overtly turbocharged. It also has 143 fewer pounds to contend with. When wrung out, this new 2.0-liter belts out a beautiful, typically Honda song made possible by the smart 10-speed automatic (the base 1.5-liter is paired to a CVT that results in more drone than mechanical music) that thankfully doesn't draw much attention to itself.

Toyota Camry could lose No. 1 sedan spot next year [w/video]

Eleven months after Toyota claimed the 2012 sales crown a couple of months early thanks to the Camry, the headlines this year have been quite a bit different to last. Even though the Camry remains the best selling car so far in 2013 and its volume has increased year-on-year, it has lost market share due to the 20-percent sales explosion in the midsize segment. That means people are buying more of the competitor offerings like the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion - the Altima, in fact, outsold the Camry by 100 units in March.
In July it was reported that Toyota was upping Camry incentives and fleet sales to keep its lead and that dealer inventory was climbing as, again, competitors got better at fighting the champion. In August Ford doubled down on production of the Fusion, adding a line in Flat Rock, MI to keep up with demand.
Bloomberg has a report looking at the numbers behind the Camry's dominance, as well as what appears to be a recorded group interview with Toyota USA CEO Jim Lentz, and wonders aloud whether the Camry will be able to hold its top spot in 2014. Barring catastrophe it has this year locked up, being more than 30,000 sales ahead of the next-best seller as of the end of August, but it has done so with higher incentives and lower transaction prices than its competitors. According to Strategic Vision the Camry's consideration rate among consumers has also declined by a percentage point, while the consideration rate for the Accord and Fusion has increased by one point and two points, respectively.