BMW 535i Gran Turismo

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is emblematic of everything that's both right and wrong with today's automotive industry.

In a desperate search for the next big thing, product planners continue to push, pull, and bend the metal shapes draped over four wheels. In some cases, it works to great effect (see the modern crossover or the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class). In others, you get cars like the 5 GT. That's not to say the 2010 BMW 535i GT we piloted for almost 24,000 miles is an inherently bad car. But in Munich's unceasing drive to develop yet another "segment buster," it instead created a vehicle that's been mostly a bust in the U.S. 

As the 5 GT is part crossover, part station wagon, part sedan, it's hard to figure out the BMW's mission. It's nowhere near as engaging to drive as the 5 Series sedan or wagon (the latter of which it nominally replaced in the U.S.). It doesn't offer the commanding view of the road or the interior space of the X5 or the bizarro world appeal of the X6.

Built on a variation of the 7 Series platform, it isn't even really a 5 Series in the strictest sense, and its awkward exterior proportions are a reflection of that.

Scion FR-S

It doesn't take long to realize the 2013 Scion FR-S is special -- just an aggressive 4-second wide-open throttle jab, a short three-two downshift, and a clockwise rotation of the FR-S' small 14.4-inch diameter helm.

It's at this point in my drive, as I'm heading into Sodegaura Forest Raceway's sharp, right-hand Turn 1, that the bright orange Traction Control icon begins to flash incessantly, as if sending S.O.S. signals. Gradually, the FR-S' tail swings into my leftmost periphery and its 215/45-17 Michelins chirp as they scramble for grip. I can hear and feel the VSC's frantic efforts to correct a car it thinks is flailing toward destruction. A quick shot of opposite lock on the front alloys keeps the silver coupe sliding gracefully around the predetermined apex.

Out of Turn 1 and on the gas down the first brief straight of the Japanese circuit, I recall the pre-drive pep talk. Thirteen more corners of varying radii and degrees of difficulty await me. A glance at the fuel gauge confirms there's a full tank of fun onboard. And I've got a ticket to ride all day long.

Unless you've been avoiding MotorTrend.com for the past few months, you've likely heard of the all-new sports coupe from Toyota and Subaru whose name varies depending on which country's roads its tires roll on. For North America, it's called the Scion FR-S, which is Toyota talk for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport. It's Scion's first model with performance atop its agenda and, as such, is meant to give Toyota's entry-level brand a handful of much needed legitimate athleticism and marketing spark.

There's a lot riding on the FR-S' sculpted steel shoulders. As chief engineer Tetsuya Tada pointed out 40 minutes prior to my spirited pit lane departure, the compact coupe continues a legacy that has included a long line of successful and iconic sports cars -- most notably, the Sports 800 "Yotahachi" (the world's first rear-drive car powered by a front-mounted boxer engine), 2000GT, Celica, Supra, LFA, MR2, and the legendary Corolla AE86, or as aficionados affectionately call it, "Hachi-Roku." The latter icon was specifically used by Toyota as inspiration for the FR-S' high-performance/high-value package, while the 2000GT volunteered its long nose and slim side-glass profile, and the small S800 its lightweight build philosophy.

Porsche Cayman R - Los Angeles Auto Show

While we were expecting the North American launches of the 911 Carrera GTS and the 911 Speedster at the Los Angeles Auto Show, we’re happy to report that Porsche also took the wraps off the hopped-up Cayman R, which is very much in the same vein as the Boxster Spyder but is intended to please hardtop purists.

Porsche’s mid-engine sports coupe, the Cayman, already comes as a spicier Cayman S. It has 320 bhp, 55 more than a standard Cayman, and it has 273 lb.-ft. of torque versus 221. The new 2012 Cayman R notches it up a bit higher with 330 bhp at 7400 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque at 4750 rpm. The boost in power comes from a revised tune of the direct-injected 3.4-liter flat-6 engine. Porsche claims the R hits 60 mph in 4.7 seconds when equipped with the standard 6-speed manual transmission and 4.4 sec with the 7-speed automated gearbox.

Even more noticeable than the power, though, is the weight-reduction program. Dropping an incredible 121 lb., the Cayman R comes in at a reported 2849 lb. Getting the car’s weight down that low means that compromises and sacrifices were made, and we’re not sure that every driver would be willing to make them.

Take, for example, the air conditioning and radio; they’re gone. Serious track-day fiends certainly will appreciate those efforts, which are complemented by aluminum door skins and carbon-fiber interior panels and seatbacks from the 911 GT3. The beautiful 19 in wheels may look familiar—they’re from the Boxster Spyder.

There are changes that add performance, too. The suspension is lowered by 20mm and the Cayman’s optional limited-slip differential, a must-have option in our opinion, is standard on the R, as are the front and rear spoilers from the Cayman Aerokit. Sport Chrono is optional, although we feel this should be standard.

Visually, there’s a large black Porsche graphic just above the rocker panels and black surrounds on the headlights and windows. What’s more, the side mirrors and vents in front of the rear wheels are blacked-out.

Altogether, we like what we see—a lightweight pure sports car that’s a modern-day hardtop interpretation of the 550 from the 1950s and the 904 from the 1960s. The 2012 Porsche Cayman R will be available in February for a starting price of $66,300.

Lexus GS - First Drive

Armed with better looks and a sportier demeanor, the new GS takes direct aim at BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

In the last decade, Lexus has mainly been relying on its SUVs to post big sales numbers; however, with the national focus shifting toward being “greener” and improving fuel economy, Toyota’s luxury division is now channeling its efforts back to passenger cars. In fact, the company is planning a new brand strategy, injecting the same basic design theme into every one of its vehicles.

This plan starts with the all-new GS. Beginning with this popular mid-size luxury sedan, all Lexus vehicles will feature the “spindle” grille, shaped like a stretched-out hourglass. Whether this treatment will work with vehicles like the LS, IS or LX remains to be seen, but with the GS, the result is a classy-yet-aggressive face that’ll prompt a second look.

The base GS, the GS350, will come powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 with VVT-I (Toyota’s valve timing technology) that produces 306 bhp at 6400 rpm and 276 lb.-ft. of torque at 4800. It comes mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode, and although the hardware is basically carryover from the current model, new features have been added to make the driving experience sportier. Some of the features from the Lexus IS F have been adopted, including faster shifts, earlier torque converter lockup and downshift throttle blips. Also, it can be switched among four driving modes by a control on the center console: ECO, for better fuel economy (in this mode the instrument panel turns blue); SPORT S mode for better acceleration (here the instrument panel turns red), SPORT S+ mode (available with F SPORT and Luxury packages) that not only changes the shift points, but also automatically engages the sport setting of the adaptive variable suspension, steering system; and VDIM (Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management). An all-wheel-drive version will also be offered. 

If this is not enough, there will also be the GS F Sport, which adds retuned suspension with firmer springs, an adaptive variable damping system, thicker anti-roll bars, a variable gear ratio steering system, bushing changes, and larger front brakes with high friction brake pads. Lexus estimates that this car will run from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. 

The model that most impressed me was the GS450h. Equipped with a hybrid system that mates an Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V-6 with an electric motor, the GS450h produces a combined 338 hp. While boasting a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.6 seconds (according to Lexus), the GS450h gets an amazing 29/34 mpg, and 31 mpg combined. This is about 7 percent better than the current GS450h.

The new GS will be available in February 2013, and although prices have yet to be announced, you can expect a slightly higher MSRP than the current model, but one that’s still in the same ballpark.

Mercedes SLC the R190 baby SLS

The gestation process was slow and tricky, but we can now announce that Mercedes has at last signed off the SLC - a baby SLS supercar the AMG boys had up their sleeves for over two years. The new Merc SLC is now due in 2015 when the SLS comes in for its final pit stop. The new, slightly smaller supercar will be available in coupe and roadster guise, and it is front-engined after an earlier brief dalliance with a mid-engined set-up.

This is one area where we were wrong. The SLC will not accommodate the expected new AMG-tuned twin-turbo V6, as CAR reported earlier, but the faithful V8 which is mated to the familiar dual-clutch transmission. 

It's still early days for this programme, but the Affalterbach grapevine suggests that instead of the big-bore 5.4- or 6.3-litre V8 units, project R190 (the official codename) will in fact feature a brand-new downsized 4.0-litre V8. 

How come? Because after BMW and VW/Audi, MB is also about to switch to a new engine generation with a standardised 500cc-per-cylinder displacement. As a result, there will soon only be 2.0-litre fours, 3.0-litre sixes and 4.0-litre V8s. Heaven knows how they will be badged, though, Merc labels having long since lost much bearing on the actual capacity under bonnet.

The V12 and the old-school three-cylinder will eventually be phased out, and the all-new three for Smart and the A-class will be supplied by Renault-Nissan. 

What is the new Mercedes SLC (2015) made out of?

Since R190 does after a brief overlap effectively replace the SLS, we can expect a similar aluminium-intensive engineering layout, a lighter kerb weight, even better handling qualities and exceptional performance. 

The SLC puts an end to the dream of a mid-engined Mercedes sports car, but at the same time it fuels speculation about a complete range of emphatically dynamic two-seaters. 

Merc's supercar plan

On one side of the SLC, we may thus eventually find a lightweight V6-engined spin-off of the next SLK. On the other side, we may find a carbonfibre supercar which could take the friendly rivalry with McLaren to the next stage. 

Unfortunately none of these emotional newcomers can answer such truly urgent questions facing parent firm Daimler. Such as the future of Smart, how to plug the gap between Smart and the A-/B-class, and which alternatives to BMW i and Audi E-tron Mercedes should offer.