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Fascinating if true: Toyota GR 86 could spawn Lexus variant

Neither the Toyota GR 86 or its Subaru BRZ platform twin are out yet, but there are already whispers of a third variant for the lightweight sports coupe. Japanese media are reporting that the GR 86 will spawn a Lexus variant, and that there's already a name for it, the Lexus UC. According to Japanese site Spyder7, the UC will stand for Urban Coupe, fitting in nicely with the Lexus UX nomenclature. It might measure slightly larger than the GR 86. The upcoming GR 86 has a length of 168 inches, but the report says the the Lexus UC could be almost a foot longer, with a total length of about 177 inches. That doesn't mean there will be any more interior room. The extra length will likely come from a heavily redesigned front and rear fascia, much more different than the GR 86 and BRZ are from each other. Lexus Enthusiast has a spy shot of the vehicle allegedly undergoing testing. The car in the photo wears a version of Lexus's trademark spindle grille. Meanwhile, Creative Trend reports that the UC's 2.4-liter boxer engine could be mated to a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Subaru does not currently have a PHEV system attached to that engine. The Crosstrek PHEV uses a 2.0-liter engine for its gasoline half, so if these rumors prove correct it would be a first for the 2.4-liter. The report also states that the interior might take on the new Lexus interface that debuted recently with the NX. That would differentiate the Lexus even more from the Toyobaru twins, which have almost identical cabins. While all of this still resides in the realm of rumor, Toyota did make one official announcement regarding the GR 86. It will make its driving debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the GR Supra made a similar appearance in 2018. We'll be looking for it when the event opens July 8. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

J.D. Power: Vehicle dependability at all-time high, Lexus and Porsche lead

Each year, J.D. Power and Associates surveys original owners of three-year-old vehicles to find out what kinds of problems they have had experienced over the last 12 months, and then it uses this data to create its annual Vehicle Dependability Study. This means that the models in the 2013 study are 2010 model year vehicles, and J.D. Power rates each make as well as the top individual models based on how many problems were experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100).
Debunking the idea that carryover models are more dependable than new or updated models, the 2013 study found that the average carryover model experienced 133 PP100, while all-new or redesigned vehicles for the 2010 model year had 116 PP100; vehicles that received minor changes fared the best with just 111 PP100. The overall average for all makes was 126 PP100, which is the lowest figure since the findings were first issued in 1989.

Toyota, Ford decide to end hybrid collaboration before it starts

Not all so-called Memorandum of Understanding pacts end in actual collaborations. For instance, after a two-year "feasibility study," Toyota and Ford have just announced that they will not be developing hybrid systems for use in light trucks and SUVs as previously planned, and the two automakers will instead continue to develop their own hybrid technology independently.
The would-be collaboration was first announced in August of 2011, and would have seen a rear-wheel-drive hybrid platform that would "improve the efficiency of trucks and SUVs while still allowing them to be driven in the way customers expect," according to our initial post on the topic.
Keep in mind that this announcement isn't to say we shouldn't expect hybrid pickups and SUVs from the two automakers, but that they probably aren't coming very soon - Ford says it will have a system "before the end of this decade" and we haven't heard much from Toyota on the hybrid truck front since the 2008 A-BAT Concept (pictured above) - and that they will not share any components between them (and they never have, for what it's worth).