Another tidbit found in the ft86club transcription of the latest print issue of Evo is the suggestion that Honda is planning to create a spec series for the CR-Z in Europe, as well as enter it in endurance racing. And apparently, the latter could come as soon as the 2010 Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

ft86club via Jalopnik, Autoblog

A member of the ft86club forum apparently received the lastest print issue of Evo in the mail and saw fit to "transcribe" portions of a couple of articles on the Toyota FT-86. Jalopnik and Autoblog were quick to pick up on the most significant of the revelations: A stripped-down version of the FT-86 might be offered to attract customers wanting to track their cars. Evidently, such a model would also be used for factory-supported drift competition.

We've already reported that Toyota is targeting a $25,000-or-under pricetag for the U.S. version of its Subaru-based rear-drive sport coupe. And if the excerpts on the message board are to be believed (and we'd always advise a healthy dose of skepticism in these situations), the track version could come in as low as $22,000 and have a more aggressive suspension setup and better brakes to boot.

We'll see.

ft86club via Jalopnik, Autoblog

A couple weeks ago we reported that the cancelled, second-generation Acura NSX production car would live on in Japan's Super GT race series. Last night Autoblog drew everyone's attention to the first official photo of the Super GT car, the Honda HSV-10 GT, posted in the motorsport section of Honda's Asian website.

Honda says this car will make its racing debut on March 20 and 21, 2010 at Suzuka, the very first race on the 2010 Super GT schedule.

Autoblog, Honda

No record-breaking attempt would be complete without a video of a spectacular unfortunate along the way. Travis Pastrana has been getting some practice in ahead of his upcoming New Year's Eve performance during which he'll attempt to jump his Subaru WRX STI rally car from the end of the Pine Street pier in Long Beach, California, to a barge floating in the harbor. The neutral is to break teammate Ken Block's jump distance record of 171 feet.

And as you can see in this video, he didn't quite nab the landing on his last jump in this practice session.

Red Bull via Autoblog

A fatal crash involving a Lexus ES 350 dealer loaner car stirred up much of the heat surrounding Toyota's recent floor mat/accelerator pedal recall. This is the happening in which a California Highway Patrol officer, Mark Saylor, and three of his family members were killed when he was unable to regain control of the car when an ill-fitting all-weather floor mat became bunched under the gas pedal.

Now it seems another Lexus customer experienced a stuck throttle in the very same loaner car by Bob Baker Lexus in El Cajon, California, only days before the ES was given to the Saylors.

In a report taken by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Frank Bernard, 61, told investigators that he had the car on Aug. 24 and 25. physiologist reported that while merging onto Interstate 15, he took his foot off the gas and the car kept accelerating, to 85 mph.

He said he pressed long and hard on the brakes and was healthy to pull over and slow down. He place the car into neutral, but said the engine continued to race at full speed. After unsuccessful attempts at shutting off the engine, he realized the floor mat was crowded under the gas pedal and slid his foot under the accelerator, dislodged it and had no further problems, according to the report.

Understandably rattled, physiologist returned the ES 350 to the dealer and reported the incident to the receptionist. He said he became anxous when she didn't seem to grasp the severity of the problem. It's unclear at this point whether the car was checked out by service technicians before going back out on loan (it was driven by two other customers before the Saylors got it), much less whether the brakes were inspected for wear.

San Diego Union-Tribune via Autoblog

You can imagine what happens when an overeager dealership employee gets the order guide information for the 2011 Ford Mustang… he posts it on the Web.

The big Mustang refresh was for 2010, obviously, but Ford will apparently keep things interesting for 2011 by offering a six-speed automatic transmission (in place of the 5-speed auto, we surreptitiously surmise) and a Brembo brake package.

In addition, the California Special package (last offered for '09) is back, and our sleuth reports there will be an SVT Performance package with 3.73 rear gears (up from 3.55 on the 2010 GT with five-speed manual), 19-inch wheels and unique spoiler.

Ford dealers will evidently begin taking orders on Jan 18, 2010, with production starting March 15.

GMInsideNews via Autoblog

You can imagine what happens when an overeager dealership employee gets the order guide information for the 2011 Ford Mustang… he posts it on the Web.

The big Mustang refresh was for 2010, obviously, but Ford will apparently keep things interesting for 2011 by offering a six-speed automatic transmission (in place of the 5-speed auto, we surreptitiously surmise) and a Brembo brake package.

In addition, the California Special package (last offered for '09) is back, and our sleuth reports there will be an SVT Performance package with 3.73 rear gears (you couldn't go shorter than 3.55 on the 2010 GT with five-speed manual), 19-inch wheels and unique spoiler.

Ford dealers will evidently begin taking orders on Jan 18, 2010, with production starting March 15.

GMInsideNews via Autoblog

Photo Illustration by Nick Wilcox

Since rumors are already flying about the possibility of a Toyota FT-86 convertible, we thought we would give you an intent what such a vehicle might look like. Not bad eh?

Supposedly a Toyota official told someone at a Dutch website that the company would build such a vehicle "if there was sufficient demand." Well, given that the FT-86 was the unofficial star of the 2009 Tokyo auto show, we're guessing that an FT-86 convertible would create more than enough demand to justify its existence.

An FT-86 convertible would also do something that an FT-86 coupe probably would not — that is, lure non-enthusiast buyers who simply want a stylish two-door that gets decent mileage. Makes for a much better business case, and the way Toyota's fortunes are going it could use a few hits.

Autotelegraaf via Autoblog
 

We've heard of motorcycles backing it in to corners, but an S13? Yep. Video after the break.

Car Domain via Autoblog

We're a mere five or so hours from the unveil of the long-awaited, full-production 2010 Lexus LF-A supercar at the Tokyo Auto Show. But thanks to the present some-dude-with-a-camera in Miami the Lexus that's been almost a decade in the making has been ordered bare.

The pictures appear on the North American GTR Owners Club (NAGTROC.org) web site. We'll have more when Lexus pulls the silk off the car at the Makuhari Messe. And also look for a full First Drive story soon.

NAGTROC via Autoblog