Sony has released the first trailer for their upcoming Gran Turismo 6 game, which will be released for the Playstation3 later this year. They haven’t released a ton of details, but we hope that this iteration goes back to the core of what made Gran Turismo such a great game in the first place.  Gran Turismo 5 fell far short by trying to be too many things to too many people.  Less gimmicks, more racing.  More details to come.

Driving a different car every week tends to have a disorienting effect – the way stalks function, pedals are spaced, accessories are controlled and even how the fundamentals like steering, throttle and brake respond to your commands all vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle. Having never driven a BRZ/FR-S before, I expect to need my usual two-minute acclimation period before being able to use it with any skill. And yet, my first mile in the BRZ feels like the last mile of a long road trip – as if you’ve spent hours upon hours sitting in the same environment operating the same controls, and by now you know exactly how everything you touch will react to your input. Now this is more like it.

We’re off to a good start, me and the BRZ. The last time I felt this instant connection to the road in a sports car was the Porsche Cayman, and I was so struck by it that I set about finding a clean used example that very same day. I still own one. So, review done then, right? Not so fast – I’ve got to live with this thing for a week to see if it lives up to the hype I’ve been fed. Byron spent time with an FR-S a little while back and was left a bit flat. It could easily happen to me – sometimes new cars are designed to deliver that initial rush of appeal, only to let the feeling wane mile by mile with minor annoyances or overly compromised engineering solutions.

Everyone’s been acquainted with the BRZ/FR-S in the motoring press ad nauseam by now, so I’ll spare our astute readers the extended back story – suffice it to say, Toyota and Subaru came together to partner on a sports car in the vein of the revered AE86 Corolla of the mid-80s, and the BRZ/FR-S lovechild is the result. What little criticism there is of the finished product has mostly centered on the horsepower and torque, or lack thereof, produced by the 2.0-liter direct-injected flat four. In my time with the BRZ, I found the powertrain to be completely sufficient and mostly in tune with the character of the car. What little criticism I can lay at the BRZ’s feet is around the nature in which its power is delivered.

I kept drawing parallels to the original Integra Type R while behind the BRZ’s wheel – its curb weight and power figures overlay quite nicely with the BRZ’s, and while the BRZ plays right-wheel drive to the Integra’s wrong, the ITR was correctly regarded as one of the finest handling cars of its day, regardless of the end at which its driven wheels were placed. It will certainly go down in history as one of the best, if not the best handling FWD car ever produced. While the Type R doesn’t have a horsepower advantage over the BRZ, the manner and tone in which it delivers those ponies is vastly different. Thanks to its vaunted VTEC variable valve timing and lift system, the marked changeover in character and power at the 5500 rpm activation point produces a visceral rush to its 8400 rpm redline. The alacrity with which the Type R covers those last 4000 rpm in its powerband has drawn comparisons to high-strung sportbikes, and having driven the Type R myself on numerous occasions, I’m inclined to agree.

The BRZ produces no such thrill with its powerband. The problem isn’t so much a lack of motivation on the part of the engine – although everyone I know who’s driven one of the Subaru/Scion twins agrees that an extra 30 horsepower or so would go a long way toward helping better exploit the excellent chassis – but rather a lack of motivation on the part of the driver to explore the upper reaches of the rev range. There’s no tantalizing VTEC-like crossover point, or if there is (the BRZ possesses a similar valve timing control system) it’s well-masked. There’s an initial boot up the rump as you cross 3500 rpm or so, and despite the “no tork” memes, for someone like myself who was raised on Hondas there’s more than adequate around-town torque to shift in the bottom third of the rev-range. But after that, the boxer engine takes on a monotone quality, returning a flat engine note that persists until you bang into the rev limiter with abandon simply because you can’t aurally discern that it is approaching. It drew comparisons in my mind to the Renesis rotary of the RX-8, in the way the engine seamlessly strides toward its redline with no harshness, but also no incentive for the driver to do so.

So if the engine doesn’t exactly disappoint, neither does it thrill – but that’s OK, because the chassis has more than enough polish to shine up the BRZ package as a whole. My initial attention is paid to the steering, which is direct and natural enough to draw comparisons with my own Cayman’s. It’s heavier than the Cayman’s, understandable since there’s an engine up front where the Cayman has just empty storage space, and nor does its electric unit provide the talkative feedback of the Cayman’s hydraulic rack. But the feeling of being directly connected to the front wheels is there just as it is in the Cayman, as is the intuitive sense of knowing exactly what the chassis intends to do next as you take a set and power through a corner. The BRZ gives you what seem like minutes to make small corrections or attitude adjustments to the Cayman’s seconds, but the feedback and exploitability stand in sharp contrast to the Genesis R-Spec driven last week, which simply grips and goes, sorting out which inputs it decides the driver is fit to make. When the BRZ’s rear end does start to break away, it does so in what seems like slow motion, and if you’re so inclined you can gather it up quite easily.

The transmission and shifter deserve similar praise. Tightly spaced gearing helps keep the 2.0-liter on the boil most of the time, contributing to the feeling that the power is a pretty close match for the chassis, on its hard 17” Michelin Primacy HPs at least. Stickier tires would no doubt contribute to the belief that the BRZ is underpowered. The shifter is beautifully weighted and glides through its range of motion with ease, and the clutch, while light, is similarly easy to operate. As I said initially, the BRZ is one of those cars that just “fits”. The interior is snug but cozy, the seats a perfect match for my somewhat generously proportioned 6’4”, 220-pound frame. Someone of slighter stature might not find them as form-fitting as I did, but the seats never grew tiresome, even after a several-hour stint in the car. The same cannot be said of the back seats, which would be uncomfortable for a goldfish for anything more than a jaunt around the block.

Material and build quality befits its Subaru-Toyota hybrid roots, which is to say solid, if not earth-shattering. The feature content doesn’t bring much more to the table than a middle of the range B-segment car these days, aside from the standard-fit touchscreen navigation unit, which is so obstructive in its functionality that a simple stereo-CD unit would have been far preferable in my eyes. The menus and commands require deliberate punches from your digits, and tend to frustrate and distract your eyes from the road. The effect looks low-tech and aftermarket, at a time when aftermarket solutions are actually better than the OEMs much of the time. If it were my money, the BRZ’s navigation would find a home on eBay before my temporary tags had even expired, replaced with either the FR-S’ Pioneer headunit or something from the aftermarket.

Navigation system aside, in my eyes the Toyobaru is a slam dunk. I found the BRZ to be the perfect antidote to the industry’s current obsession with making each successive generation of sports and supercars more powerful, grippier, and further isolated from the driver. The BRZ’s and its Scion twin’s success, I hope, will be a shot in the arm to other carmakers which proves that while flashy specs and performance figures may sell magazines, an involving and driver-focused sports car will move metal on the lot time and time again.

2013 Subaru BRZ Premium

Base price: $26,265

Price as tested: $26,265

Options on test car: None

Powertrain: 2.0-liter horizontally opposed 4-cyl., 6-speed manual transmission: 200 horsepower/151 lb-ft torque

Subaru provided the vehicle for testing purposes and one tank of gas. Photos by the author.

I will be at Summit Point Motorsports Park this Saturday, May 18th to put Scion’s FR-S through its paces on the highly technical Shenandoah Circuit thanks to our friends at TrackDaze. Former SSLer, current TTACer and TrackDaze instructor Jack Baruth will also be there (and looking to set a lap record for Panther-platform Lincolns, I expect). Come see what HPDE is all about.

It’s now longer ago than I care to admit, but during the formative years of my driving career owning a powerful, rear wheel drive sports coupe seemed as unobtainable a dream as an acne-free face and a date to the prom. The biggest barriers to entry were my parents who, since they were mostly footing the bill for my insurance at the time, decided which cars made the “obtainable” list in the first place. Dreams of FD RX-7s, Supra Turbos or even lowly 240SXs were quickly dashed thanks to the sky-high premiums for my teenage male self. Even 6-cylinder Camaros or Mustangs, which I viewed as half-hearted substitutes at the time, were verboten. As a result, my path toward front-wheel drive was predestined, and a decade of Honda and Diamond Star sport compact ownership ensued. I loved those cars, but there was always a part of me that craved rear-wheel drive fun, especially when my friends began hopping on the drifting bandwagon that was all the rage in the early to mid-2000s.

Even if I had been able to sample the wares, there was a relative dearth of competent new sport compacts with driven rear wheels back then – especially for a young buyer. The S2000 had recently been introduced to great fanfare, but even for a new college grad it seemed priced to the moon. The V8-powered examples of the Mustang and Camaro were decent, but also lacked any semblance of playful handling – without a load of modifications thrown at them, at least – and the V6 versions back then weren’t very good at all. The Japanese sports car onslaught of the 1980s and 90s had mostly dried up by now, the Miata being the sole carrier of the torch for those seeking inexpensive Asian front-engine, RWD thrills. The revamped Z-car had yet to appear.

Fast forward to present day and 16-year-old me would be over the moon at all the options on the table for first- or second-time enthusiast buyers. In addition to the resurgent wave of talented FWD hot hatches, all manner of rear-wheel drive fun can be had for under $35 grand these days. That’s more than the average new car transaction price but still mostly within reach for a young buyer just starting to rise through the ranks of their career, still free of the added expense of a heavy duty mortgage and kids. The domestic players now produce thoroughly enjoyable and talented V6 sports coupes, the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger all slicing the buyer pie into thin, uniquely distinct slices. The V8-powered versions of each bring levels of firepower unfathomable to mainstream buyers 15 years ago. And for nimbler, lighter options, the 370Z, MX-5, Genesis Coupe and FR-S/BRZ twins all offer rear-wheel drive and defeatable stability control. Just the kind of fun my parents were trying to keep from me all those years ago.

I recently sampled the last two options on that list – the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Subaru BRZ – back-to-back, and came away suitably impressed with what are effectively about the cheapest entry points into the RWD sports arena. The Genesis Coupe model we tested was the 2.0T R-Spec version, featuring as standard a 274-horsepower, 2-liter turbocharged and intercooled four cylinder, a 6-speed manual transmission, Brembo brakes and an honest-to-god limited slip diff.

From the moment I set off in the Genesis, it was already doing its best impression of the rear-wheel drive import cars of my youth – specifically the S13- and S14-generation Nissan 240SX, which when powered by the highly pressurized four-cylinder SR20DET engine bear a striking resemblance in character to the turbo Genesis coupe of today. The low cowl, quick turn-in and light, though not very feelsome steering brought me right back to driving friends’ modified S-chassis. As did the powertrain, which when pushed produces a wave of turbocharged torque but also exhibits more lag than many buyers will be accustomed to, especially if they’re stepping out of something like a GTI or Focus ST. I really didn’t mind it, and the lag is never obtrusive enough to interfere with passing or acceleration exercises. The shifter and clutch are both light in their actions, and resolve the pre-facelift Genesis’ somewhat recalcitrant shift quality. There’s also a slight feeling of elasticity to the drivetrain, exacerbated by a baked-in rev hang when you get out of the throttle. It’s likely that a computer reprogramming, lighter flywheel or a combination of the two would do away with the hang, but if you modify your shifting technique slightly you can get around it for the most part.

The Genesis isn’t a small car in the mold of the BRZ/FR-S or MX-5, and its back seat accommodations are more on par with the larger American pony cars than those that fall in the “vestigial” (Subaru/ Scion) or “nonexistent” (Nissan and Mazda) categories. Still, the back seat isn’t the first thing on buyers’ minds when it comes to two-door sport coupes, so I’ll just mention that it’s got one and leave it at that. Where its size does show up is on the scales, and with 3,300 pounds give or take, the Genesis has a good 500 pounds on the Frisbee twins and even more than that over the Miata. The Genesis 2.0T wears its weight well, though, as it never feels ponderous and turns into corners with gusto – noticeably more so than the Genesis V6, leading you to wonder just how much of the six-cylinder’s weight is hanging out front compared to the four.

The 19” wheels and Bridgestone RE050A tires that come equipped on R-Spec Genesis coupes keep the car firmly planted even when cornering spiritedly, and the R-Spec doesn’t succumb to oversteer or understeer without major lapses in judgment. With grippier rubber, the stability of a longer wheelbase and a more powerful engine, the 2.0T R-Spec will show its taillights to an FR-S/BRZ in nearly all cases. That said, it also doesn’t exhibit the playfulness of its lighter competitors through the corners. Instead, on the move the Genesis exhibits a maturity of character that the porno-red seats, row of accessory gauges and flashy wheels suggest doesn’t exist. Truth is, even on the no-frills R-Spec, the cabin is a nice place to spend time, and on the highway the Genesis proves to be a serene and comfortable cruiser. The blue-lit radio display might be a little archaic looking and the materials are nothing to write home about, but the driving position is spot on – the low dash provides an expansive view of the road like countless 1990s and early 2000s Japanese models.

Perhaps the R-Spec is facing a bit of an identity crisis – at first blush, you’d think it was pretending to be a Turbo magazine cover car, circa 2002. It’s got the turbo lag, whining fuel pump, grille-filling intercooler and bright red Brembos of any of the most memorable tuner rides. Its styling absolutely looks the part. And yet, from behind the wheel, the Genesis proves to be as quiet, docile and well-mannered as a Sonata. It’s for those grown-ups who don’t want to appear to be that grown up, perhaps wanting to revel in the qualities of the cars of their youth without having to make the associated sacrifices in noise, comfort or safety. It’s not the sexiest idea, but it makes sense – we’re not 16 anymore, after all. But there is a RWD sports coupe on the market that absolutely would appeal to our 16-year-old selves, and it doesn’t require as much sacrifice as you might think…more on that one next.

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec

Base Price: $27,375

Price as tested: $27,375

Options on test car: None

Powertrain: 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder, 6-speed manual transmission; 274 Horsepower/275 lb-ft Torque

Hyundai provided the vehicle for testing and one tank of gas. Photos by the author.

Thirty thousand units: it would represent a fantastic month for the Ford Fusion or Nissan Altima, but Mazda isn’t thinking in terms of months. That is the year-end sales goal for the 2014 Mazda6. Mazda sold 42,000 CX-5s in 2012—its abbreviated launch year—and more than 120,000 Mazda3s, but the number crunchers in Irvine are aiming for just 1.5% of what I’ve called the most important segment of the U.S. auto market, and one that represents more than two million sales in the United States each year.

But let’s look at that number in context. When the first-generation 6 debuted for 2003, Mazda managed to move 66,000 of them in its first full year (compare that to 413,000 Camrys sold in the same time period).  That number increased to just over 72,000 in 2004, the best-ever year for the nameplate, and then tapered off gradually until the first-generation car was phased out in 2008.

When the crew of an aircraft carrier commences flight operations, they turn the ship into the wind and throttle up, thus maximizing the airflow under the wings of the departing aircraft as they’re catapulted from the massive steel deck. Mazda attempted something similar with the introduction of the overhauled Mazda6—going for broke on an updated, U.S.-specific chassis and launching it headlong into the hurricane-force gale that was the economic collapse of 2008-2009. A great strategy for Super Hornets, as it turns out, that doesn’t quite work for family sedans, as the overhauled 6 clawed its way to a meager 35,000 sales in its strongest year.

In that context, 30,000 units doesn’t seem an unreasonably low starting point. And fortunately, the new 6 is every bit as sharp as the car that first bore the name.  Like the first-generation car, the 2014 is again a “world” model, but as was the case with the outgoing generation, we won’t get anything but the sedan here in the States; the sexy wagon will only be sold overseas.

It’s a shame, for sure, but given Mazda’s financial situation (they’re just flirting with profitability for the first time since parting ways with Ford), it’s not unexpected. The wagon made up single-digit percentages of the first generation’s sales volume and given the extra training, supply chain and inventory costs of selling an additional body style in the U.S., it just doesn’t make sense for Mazda right now.

Speaking of single-digit sales percentages, let’s talk about diesel. Mazda’s SKYACTIV-D engine will be available in the 6 in Touring and Grand Touring trims starting later this year. However, according to Mazda6/Mazda3 program manager David Dildy, it will not be offered with a manual transmission for the foreseeable future. The only group faring worse than diesel fans? V6 fans. There won’t be one of those available anywhere.

Our tester was a Sport-trimmed model in Meteor Gray equipped with, well, very little, actually. The manual transmission was only available on the Sport at launch, but will be found on Touring models shortly (and may even be available by the time you read this). For those who crave simplicity, the lack of baked-in extras at this trim level may seem a boon, however I must say that Mazda really needs to step up and offer Bluetooth as a standard feature. Who needs hands-free phone options more than a buyer with a stick-shift to operate, after all? And while the standard auxiliary and USB input are great for those who don’t mind being wired in, wireless streaming is much more convenient (and not nearly as dependent on device compatibility as a wired connection). Those who opt for the more feature-rich Touring model will find standard Bluetooth connectivity.

On the whole, the interior is a significant upgrade from the 2013. The seats are nicely bolstered and the cloth in the Sport trim looks attractive and feels durable. The stitching on the seats is especially well done, and the contrast-stitched seats in a Grand Touring model make the Passat’s seating surfaces appear dowdy by comparison. And while the oft-maligned navigation surround is actually assembled from solid materials, the cheap LED clock on the dash does ruin the mood a tad. But hey, if Lexus can get away with it, so can Mazda, right?

Where Mazda really scores points is with the touch points. The switchgear feels better than in previous Mazdas, and the controls are all very conventional. The standard leather-wrapped wheel is pleasant to hold and the audio, cruise control and MFD controls are all mounted on the spokes, not buried around the hub. Kudos there. The biggest improvement in this department, however, is the shifter. I loved my 2006 6s, but the feel of the five-speed was far from the best in the business. The SKYACTIV six-speed in the 2014 is buttery smooth, light and just wonderful to throw. The clutch feel could be better, but that’s the only negative here. This is one of the best front-wheel-drive shifters out there, period.

I’ve mentioned SKYACTIV twice without much explanation, so allow me to expand on that a bit. The CX-5 and the 6 are the first generation of “true” SKYACTIV Mazdas. Where the Mazda3’s aging Focus platform won’t accommodate a SKYACTIV-G engine with all of the bells and whistles, these newer, larger cars underpinned by Mazda’s GJ platform have more than enough room for the SKYACTIV-engineered exhaust header. The massive, equal-length collector hanging from the back of the 2.5-liter, direct-injected four cylinder engine is a dead giveaway.

The lightweight, high-tensile steel construction and reduced suspension complexity (gone are the first- and second-generation cars’ double-wishbone front suspension) work in harmony with the highly efficient engine and transmission, resulting in a lighter, quicker, funner (yes, funner) package. The sheer size and weight of the Americanized second-generation car could make it feel ponderous at times. No longer.  At the helm of the 2014 Mazda6, it feels like 2003 all over again.

The 6 reacts to wheel inputs with gusto, turning in aggressively and accurately. The chassis is so willing that it’s very easy to over-drive the family-friendly OEM tires when you get aggressive. Our Sport was specced with the standard 17” wheels and 225/45R17 all-season tires. Unfortunately, the 19” wheels on the Touring and Grand Touring come with all-season tires of the same width (likely for fuel economy reasons, as wider tires mean more drag), so if you’re in search of more lateral grip, you’ll have to eschew the OEM replacements in favor of a summer compound (or something wider).

The 6’s 184 horsepower isn’t class-leading, but its 38-mpg highway rating is (tied with Nissan), and the 6’s fuel economy numbers are expected to get a boost when Mazda’s capacitor-based i-ELOOP system becomes available for purchase this summer. i-ELOOP is a capacitor-based system that runs power accessories using energy stored from engine braking.  A 6 equipped with i-ELOOP hasn’t been tested by the EPA as of yet, however Mazda is aiming for a 40mpg highway rating for vehicles so-equipped.

What’s truly remarkable about this powertrain, however, is that its power and efficiency are both very honest.  When you start to rip on it, the 6 feels like it has just shy of 200hp. You can pass without taking the 6 out of top gear if you’re so inclined. It won’t be the sort of pass that sucks the doors off of granny’s bingo barge, but it’ll happen. But the best part is that you can drive the car like a normal human being and get the gas mileage you see on the sticker. Some cars require borderline hypermiling techniques to accomplish the same thing. I won’t name names. You know who I’m talking about.

While the new 6 may be smaller than the car it replaces, the interior is still roomy and practical. The trunk is massive—much bigger than I had expected, in fact—and while Mazda decided to cost-cut in its trunk hinges this time around, the intrusion points are covered by trim, so there’s no guesswork involved in placing your suitcase. If it fits inside the trim, it fits inside the trunk. Hey, if it’s good enough for Audi, it’s good enough for Mazda, right?

Inside and out, the 2014 6 is a winner, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Mazda. The market—the image-critical midsize segment in particular—is on the upswing and the messy Mazda/Ford divorce is long over.  30,000 units? Here’s hoping they blow that figure away.

Mazda provided the 6 for the purpose of this evaluation.

Since its introduction, Toyota’s Prius has strived to be many things to many drivers – from fleet workhorse for taxi operators, to buck-stretching commuter car for normal working slobs, to eco status symbol for the planet-savvy or those who just aspire to be. Now, with the Plug-in Hybrid model, the Prius aspires to be…a Chevy Volt. Well, not really, but that’s the general concept: provide a full electric option for owners that have access to a wall plug, and a gasoline motor for everyone else. I spent a week with one to see how it fared in everyday commuting and city travel, and to see whether a plug-in hybrid is any use at all to a condo/apartment dweller without regular access to a garage wall outlet.

I’ll preface this by once again reinforcing the fact that during my time with the Prius, I did not have access to a wall outlet to charge it. I did, however, stumble upon a local supermarket with an electric car charging station. In my metro area, charging stations aren’t all that prevalent, limited to about a dozen installed by the city and a few dozen more by privateers in select areas. Over seven days and 400 miles, I encountered exactly one. During the 25 minutes spent charging at this particular 240V source, I garnered 3.5 miles of electric-only driving; nearly enough to travel back from the market to home.

Using a 4.4 kW-hr lithium-ion battery pack as opposed to the 1.6 kW-hr nickel metal hydride unit on offer in the standard car, the Prius Plug-in charges quickly and depletes that charge even quicker. Standard 120V wall outlets will top off the Plug-in’s battery in around three hours, and on 240V that time is halved – a useful savings over the Volt’s four hour minimum on high-power, and 10-16 hours on 120V. A full battery in the Prius will take you 11 miles on electric-only power, but during those miles you’ll probably need to dip into the gasoline engine’s 98 horsepower on at least one occasion simply to get out of another driver’s way. Forward progress in an electric-only Prius is far from stately. But, if you can avoid crazed traffic, you’ll be whisked silently from village to dell in relative comfort. The air conditioning system has no trouble keeping the cabin cool in whichever drive mode you’re in, an important factoid if you live in a humid southern state like this author does.

Our “Advanced” package tester also came with a host of goodies seemingly designed to help you drain that battery power just a bit quicker – LED headlights, premium navigation with Entune, “SofTex’’ power heated pleather seats, radar cruise control, a collision warning system and a heads-up display are all included in the $7,525 package price tag. Couple that to an MSRP already inflated by $7,845 over a base Prius, and the Plug-in suddenly appears to be a very pricey way of shouting one’s eco-consciousness.

Especially when you consider that the Plug-in drives much like every other Prius ; it’s a fairly unobtrusive device that dissects the most basic aspect of driving – getting from point A to point B – and serves up exactly that function in the most efficient way possible. Far from being a hypermiler, I still averaged close to 50 mpg during the Prius’ week-long stay with me, and that was with just a single three-mile jaunt on wall-provided electric power. The rest of the time, the Prius was doing its thing with the battery, electric motor and gasoline engine to provide me with just enough “go” to get me where I needed to be, and not a drop more.

Now, for the enthusiast driving subset that frequents S:S:L, there’s not a lot of joy to be found in that last paragraph. But as we all know, the motoring public as a whole simply doesn’t care that much about lateral –g and steering feedback, by a pretty vast majority. And if you look past its design roots as a vehicular appliance, you can still extract a modicum of real-car pleasure where you least expect it. Though wholly devoid of feel, the Prius has a pleasingly quick steering rack, and coupled with a fairly flat cornering attitude, it can make tight freeway off-ramps and decreasing radii corners honest points of interest – especially as you’re trying to balance the fine line between tire scrub and pure-electric power. Finding that delicate balance becomes its own reward after a few miles behind the Prius’ compact helm.

The overwhelming sense I got during my week with the pricey Prius wasn’t one of cynicism – it was an understanding that for a select group of buyers, the Prius Plug-In actually makes a lot of sense. And truthfully, that rational mindset is the one the Prius as a brand has appealed to all along. Much like the cab operator, the budget-savvy commuter and the greeny fashionista, the urban dwellers whose commutes are often short and terminate with charging provisions at both ends will find the Prius Plug-in Hybrid to be the perfect complement to their lifestyle. It also provides all the upscale tech you could ever want in a wrapper that won’t raise any eyebrows – although other Prius drivers that haven’t yet acclimated to the plug-in concept might look on lustfully at the sight of your Prius tethered to a nearby wall.

2013 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

Base price: $32,840

Price as tested: $40,365

Options on test car: Advanced package ($7,525)

Powertrain: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder + 4.4kWh Li-Ion battery; 134 combined system horsepower

Toyota provided the vehicle for testing purposes and one tank of gas. Photos by the author.

Photos/Words – Jennifer Stamps

Often called the Formula 1 series of motorcycle racing, the MotoGP series buzzed its way through Austin last week at Circuit of the Americas with the Redd Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. With newly (re)painted stars adorning the track, the fantastic new track welcomed MotoGP and its fans with open arms. To my surprise, the house was packed, with an estimated 131,000 people in attendance over the weekend. Race day alone drew a crowd of more than 61,000 eager and excited fans from all over the world, beating COTA’s own attendance estimates.

The attendance figures weren’t the most surprising part of the Red Bull of the Americas. That honor belonged to a rookie MotoGP rider named Marc Márquez. Turning 20 earlier this year, Márquez is the youngest rider in the MotoGP series. Making his debut at the first MotoGP race of the season in Qatar two weeks ago, Márquez finished a very impressive third place behind the MotoGP superstars, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

Fast forward to COTA for the second race of the season. While out on track, during practice, Márquez crashed his bike. Sure, these guys are taught how to crash and slide, and it usually happens to at least one driver during a weekend – but a crash is still a crash. After what seemed to be 20-30 seconds of unresponsiveness from Márquez, the rookie stood up and limped off the track. Márquez was unable to make it back out on track before the practice session came to a close – but he didn’t need to. After setting the fastest lap later that day during the qualifying session, he started Sunday’s race on pole position, seemingly forgetting that the crash ever happened.

After a very exciting battle on race day between Márquez and his Repsol Honda teammate, Dani Pedrosa, Márquez walked away with his first ever MotoGP win – after only his second start. If I were you, I’d take note and remember his name. Youngest rider, fastest lap setter, and in 2 for 2 on the podium.

The next race on the schedule is the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on May 5.

Lexus more or less invented the luxury crossover segment when it introduced the RX300 to the U.S. back in 1998, and has dominated the segment ever since. Pretty much every other luxury or near-luxury brand has rushed in to try to lift the sales crown off the RX’s head, with limited success. One could argue that the reason for Lexus’ success in the segment has been its measured, even restrained approach to comprehensively updating the RX. Only now in its third generation in as many different decades, the 2013 RX nonetheless manages to feel as fresh and competitive as ever. We spent a week with the F-Sport variant of the RX line, introduced last year, to see how well the luxury end of the crossover segment is represented in Lexus’ perennial sales champ.

The most meaningful upgrade the F-Sport package provides over the run of the mill RX350, besides the flash body kit, is the 8-speed automatic transmission – the base RX makes do with a 6-speed. From the get-go, this 8-speed imbues the RX F with an eager character, and instead of resolutely sticking to top gear for maximum efficiency, this ‘box is more than willing to kick down a couple of gears with little more than a brush of the accelerator. With 4,500 pounds to tote around, it’d be nice if Toyota’s evergreen 3.5-liter V6 was tuned to deliver more grunt in the F-Sport than the 270hp on tap, but we can live with it. After all, it’s not as if the F purports to be all that sporty.

Or does it? After all, there’s firmer suspension underneath sheetmetal with a few more swoops and creases, particularly around Lexus’ now-signature Predator mask – or, in manufacturer speak, “spindle grille” – standard 19” graphite-finish wheels and a few other additions. We think the hourglass grille works as well here as on any Lexus design shown before, and the dark wheel color sets off our car’s Claret Mica paint particularly well. But does it really pull off the “sporty” characterization? You know what? To the RX’s target market, it probably does. And we’re OK with that. For the motoring public that’s prepared to drop 50-large on a luxury crossover, firmer suspension and a few design touches will be all that’s needed to justify the $6,290-jump over a similar non-F Sport RX350 AWD.

Granted, you get a few other niceties thrown in at that price that are optional on lesser RXs. For example, power-folding heated outside mirrors, a power sunroof, roof rails and rain-sensing wipers all come standard instead of as packaged upgrades, and the transmission cooler and upgraded radiator are wholly unavailable on other RXs. We’ll leave it up to buyers to decide whether $6k is a worthy entry price for what amounts to a premium package, a transmission, and a body kit. For those that like the look, it’ll be an easy sell. Others will look to the RX450h Hybrid, which has a similar price tag and gets 30 mpg combined (versus 21 mpg for the F-Sport) and make their decision accordingly.

Still, as a package, the 2013 F-Sport makes it easy to understand why the RX has been a sales champ for Lexus for so long. The RX gives the sense that it was built to withstand the coming decade or longer, a feeling altogether lacking in many German cars of late, and coupled with rock-steady resale values, 90% of the metal on Lexus lots will be sold on perceived integrity alone. Integrity and entirely respectable feature content. The infotainment system is well resolved; the “mouse” down by the armrest well-placed for your hand to rest atop it and it even provides noticeable detents while scrolling so that you don’t have to cast your eyes off the road.

For the remaining customers in this class that actually worry about driving dynamics, there’s not much to set the Lexus apart from the rest of the field. The electric power steering is quick and progressive enough off-center but lacking in feel, body roll is present but never vertigo-inducing, the ride is stiff-legged without being harsh and understeer is never more than a ham-fisted valet driver away. But, none of the these dynamic characteristics diminish the F-Sport’s integrity as a supremely well-assembled, coddling and practical crossover, sure to satisfy any upper-middle management type minted enough to afford the lease payments.

2013 Lexus RX350 F-Sport

Base price: $47,895

Price as tested: $53,924

Options on test car: Blind Spot Monitor ($500), Heads Up Display ($1,200), Mark Levinson Sound System ($995), Navigation System ($2,775), Intuitive Parking Assist ($500), Cargo Net ($59)

Powertrain: 3.5 Liter 270HP VVT-I V6, 8-speed automatic – 270 hp, 248 lb-ft. torque

Lexus provided the vehicle for testing purposes and one tank of gas. Photos by the author.

Audi has announced a new long-tail variant of the hybrid R18 e-tron quattro, which will make its racing debut at the Spa 6 Hours on May 4th.  Spa will be the first race in which Audi will be entering three R18 e-tron quattro cars, with two out of the three being the standard R18 e-tron quattro. Audi Sport Team Joest is using Spa as preparation for the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans which will be held on June 22nd and 23rd.

The winning team of the WEC opening round at Silverstone, Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish, as well as the current WEC and 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans champions,   Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer will pilot the standard e-tron quattros.  The third Audi R18 e-tron quattro driven by the team of Marc Gené/Lucas di Grassi/Oliver Jarvis, is fitted with a new aerodynamic package which Audi say has been optimized for high speed tracks such as Le Mans’ Circuit de la Sarthe.

Rather than focusing on overall lap times, Audi Sport will analyze time differences between the cars on a sector by sector basis. This data will be reviewed to better prepare the team for Le Mans.

The Spa 6 Hours can be watched in its entirety on audi-liveracing.com on May 4th.