Paris Preshow: Ferrari SA APERTA, aka the 599 Roadster

The long-anticipated roadster version of Ferrari's front-engined 599 is finally here but don't get too excited as all 80 examples have already been sold even before the car makes its formal world premiere at next week's Paris Motor Show. Named SA APERTA, the new member of the 599 family was designed in celebration of Pininfarina's 80th anniversary.

And if you're wondering about the name, the SA nomenclature pays homage to both Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina, while 'aperta' means 'open' in Italian.

Maranello's newest supercar loses the standard 599's tin top and gains a low-slung windscreen, two roll bars that mimic the outline of the seats and a pair of aerodynamic fins, while the car's stance is made more aggressive thanks to a lowered ride height.

Unlike the car's predecessor, the 575M Superamerica, which sported a rotating central-piece rooftop, the SA APERTA makes use of a simple light soft top. Ferrari says the top is "designed to be resorted to only if the weather gets particularly bad". That's Ferrari's way of saying we didn't bother to develop a normal ragtop.

As is the case with all coupe models converted to roadsters, the 599's chassis has been reworked and strengthened, with the company claiming it offers "a standard of stiffness comparable to that of a closed berlinetta" and that there's "a negligible weight difference."

Under the hood, the open-top 599 model gets the same 670-horsepower V12 as the recently revealed GTO model. Further details are to be released at next week's Paris show.

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Subaru Announces First All-New Boxer Engines in 21 Years

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), Subaru's parent company, has released details on its third-generation four-cylinder boxer engine that will be available in 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter displacements. This is the first overall renewal since the second generation was introduced in 1989. The horizontally opposed flat 4 has been a mainstay of Subaru's Impreza, Forrester and Legacy models for some time.

Subaru claims that fuel efficiency is up by 10%, thanks to a compacter combustion chamber and longer stroke, variable-valve timing (which Subaru calls Active Valve Control System) on both the intake and exhaust valves, lighter pistons and connection rods, a more efficient and compact oil pump and separate engine cooling circuitry for both the block and head.

Power for the 2.0 L engine remains the same at 109kw / 150HP, while torque is up 5 Nm to 196.

The new boxer engine has a slightly higher compression ratio of 10.5 (up from 10.2), a shorter bore (84 mm, down from 92) and longer stroke (90 mm, up from 75). Subaru has yet to release details about changes to the 2.5-liter unit.

The first Subaru to receive the third-generation boxer engine will be the Forester.

By Tristan Hankins

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Toyota FT-86 Concept, 2009

Toyota FT-86 Concept, 2009

The Toyota FT-86 Concept is 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm, giving it a compact feeling that is easy for the driver to handle while able to accommodate four occupants. In addition to being light and having a low center of gravity, the Toyota FT-86 Concept boasts the handling of a racing car as well as a 6-speed manual transmission and ADVICS brakes.

The stylish concept captures the heart with the "functional utility" of its highly-refined body. It is the creation of Toyota Europe Design Development known as ED2, which has established body lines that take into consideration a low center of gravity and aerodynamics. The interior is distinctive, featuring an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays, and a navigation system. In addition, a zipper that evokes an image of interior lapping with minimal covering of a highly-refined body presents a striking display.

The Toyota FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC's desire to once again create a Toyota sports car.

The Small FR Sports Concept Vehicle that Combines Environmental Performance and the Joy of Driving

TMC seeks to develop the ultimate earth-conscious environmentally-considerate vehicle with a focus on hybrid technologies without losing sight of the appeal of cars themselves or the joy of driving.

Over the past several years, the need has been rising for motor vehicles that take into consideration global warming and other environmental issues, while there has also been concern that there have been too few new sports cars that make the heart beat faster and that the time is right for a new generation of sports cars. In response to these needs, TMC has developed the Toyota FT-86 Concept, a sports car equipped with a 2,000cc, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that evokes the joy of driving a car and the pleasure of vehicle ownership.

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