French-Made Toyota Yaris Models On Their Way to U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico

The latest Yaris was introduced in 2012. New Yaris models will be made in France. Photo by Curtis Reesor

A little less than a year ago we reported that Toyota's Yaris models bound for North America would have a production shift from its factory in Japan to a factory in France. Well, that has officially happened, and French made Yaris models are on their way to dealerships in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

This marks the first time in Toyota's history that it has offered European-made vehicles to the North American market. This was done due to the current Japanese Yen exchange rates that make it difficult to turn a profit on small Japanese-manufactured vehicles.

Of course, the big question will be whether or not there will be a difference in build quality; that will remain to be seen.

FYI, I believe the last French-made car sold in the United States was the 1991 Peugeot 405 and 505. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

What the Hell? VW Rabbit Pickup ... sort of

My friend Paul sent me this picture from Minnesota. This is a VW Rabbit hatchback that's been "converted" into a pickup. And yes, this used to be the five-door hatchback. This is not a real Rabbit Pickup (aka a "Caddy"). Hey,  someone likes it.

I wish I had more pictures of this Frankenrabbit, and this is the biggest I can really make the picture without making it any crappier.

Review: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible TDI

I might as well just get it out of the way: The Beetle Convertible is not the manliest car on the road. While I don’t subscribe to the whole “chick car” thing with most vehicles, I will go as far as to say that looking at the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, it isn’t a testosterone-injected man-mobile. In fact, I got so much shit from my co-workers about this car. Comments like, “Do you need me to stop and get some flowers for the bud vase?” (No bud vase on the Beetles anymore, by the way), or “Do you get a lot of attention from guys while driving it?” Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fine. I totally expected this kind of reaction. But what about if you threw in an engine that made 236 ft./lbs. of torque? What if I said that torque came courtesy of a turbocharged diesel engine? What if I said it can also has a six-speed manual transmission? That might make some people think twice about this cute convertible, me included.

Behold: The Rotary Bug

Here's something you don't see every day. Behold: A rear-engined rotary-powered Volkswagen Beetle. Now this could be a hell of a ride. No, it isn't the first rotary Beetle, but it's the first one I've seen a quick search of YouTube after seeing this yielded a few others including the 8.57-second rotary-powered Beetle race car below. Woah. Hey Scotty—how about one of these for a project vehicle?


SOURCE:
YouTube

In The Driveway: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

In all honesty, I didn't even know Volkswagen made a Jetta Hybrid until I saw it at the Portland International Auto Show in January. Well here it is in all of its beige glory. Admittedly, it isn't much to look at; not the epitome of excitement. The inside is very plain and simple, which I don't mind. No crazy futuristic gauges or retro-inspired chintz. 

However, for what this gas-electric hybrid lacks in funky styling, it makes up for in performance. This is definitely the driver's hybrid. It's got a turbo engine and an electric motor that really makes this thing scoot under full throttle. Plus, it's hooked up to VW's DSG  dual-clutch transmission. It's surprisingly fun to drive. After about 35 miles of driving, I'm getting 36 MPG.

More later; stay tuned. 

Subcompact Showcase: This Swapped '78 Civic—Ruby—Is a Gem

"Ruby," the 1978 Honda Civic with a 1983 Honda Accord engine swap.

 Ah, serendipity. Those wonderful accidental surprises that just seem to happen. It was a serendipitous event when my wife and Subcompact Culture contributor, Mercedes, ran across this gem of a first-generation Honda Civic.

Owner Corey Daggett says he brought the car, he affectionately nicknamed, "Ruby,"from his boss. His boss was the second owner since some guy named "Frank" had restored it.

"When I got the car, there were some 1stgencivic.com stickers on the side," says Corey. He then went to the site to learn more about it.

Corey learned that Frank was apparently retired and was looking for a project to pass the time. His daughter had the old hatchback sitting around and one day he just thought, I'll restore that. Frank used a 1979 wagon for donor parts and begin to rebuild Ruby.

A 1.8-liter engine from a1983 Honda Accord has been swapped into the Civc.

Ruby was originally a 1978 Civic CVCC with a 1.2-liter engine and four-speed transmission. Now, the engine is a 1.8-liter from an 1983 Accord that has a lot of internal work, as it's been bored, stroked, balanced, etc. The CVCC (compound vortex controlled combustion) system has been removed, and a Weber carburetor, two-inch exhaust system, and K&N filter have been added. Power is now put down through a five-speed manual transmission, also out of an '83 Accord. In addition, the brakes have been upgraded, suspension worked and lowered, bumpers moved in about three inches, and the taillights and turn signals have been modified. Additionally, the car has new carpet, seats from the '83 Accord, and a lot of custom touches inside and out.

We'd say Ruby is truly a gem. From the totally appropriate gold-mesh alloys, to the bright red paint and just-right stance, this old Civic not only looks good, but really gets up and goes thanks to that engine swap. We love vintage subcompacts, and Ruby is a fine example.

Ruby truly is a gem! Definitely a great small car project.

The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: The Smallest Entry Into the EV Market

2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive in Portland, Oregon

When I ask what someone thinks about Portland and its culture, they typically mention its all-around funkiness, an anything goes type of an attitude, and it’s propensity to embrace all things “green.” Well, I live in Portland and believe the above statement is pretty much true. I also believe the 2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive EV I had the pleasure to drive last Thursday would fit wonderfully in this quirky, edgy, and all-around tree-hugging town. Along with its petite five-foot wide, five-foot high, and under-nine-foot long size, this microcar has a lot going for it. It’s a fun, completely customizable, and peppy little electric runner.

In the Driveway: 2013 Ford Escape SE

In the driveway this week is the 2013 Ford Escape SE. This compact crossover is powered by the 178 horsepower 1.6-liter turbochraged EcoBoost engine instead of the 240 horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost, and it's a front-drive model, not the all-wheel drive variant. I think it looks very attractive, certainly less boring than some crossovers out there.

Initial impressions are that it has a good amount of low-end power, a modern if not somewhat futuristic-looking interior, and a lot of tech goodies. It seems to ride well and is quite comfy. Yes, it's got Microsoft Sync, and no it doesn't have the fancy swing-your-foot-under-the-rear-bumper-and-the-liftgate-opens tailgate. I tried doing that and just looked like a moron.

More later; stay tuned.

Behold: Possibly the Most Badass Suzuki SX4 Ever

There aren't a whole lot of vehicles that'd make me stop what I'm doing, park the car, and jump out and take photos, but this badass Suzuk SX4 was one of them. I was literally in my car leaving the Costco parking lot in Clackamas when I saw this car. I have seen an image of it before, but did not know it was local to the Portland area.

2013 Oregon Trail Rally Pics

Every year I've lived in Oregon I've missed the Oregon Trail Rally (that's coming up on seven years). So this year I made sure to mark it on the calendar on May 3. Ducati Scotty and I attended the first stages of the OTR at Portland International Raceway on The rally started just after 7:00pm just as the sun was setting. It was a cool environment to watch the race, and there were a lot of rally spectators at the event. Here is a smattering of photos I took from the event.