Car and Driver compares the latest subcompacts with somewhat surprising results.

The folks over at Car and Driver has posted their six-car comparison that includes the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Kia Rio, and Chevrolet Sonic. All but the Fit are 2012 models. The results of the comparison are a bit surprising, too.

Yaris driver participates in land speed races; sets class record

Does the notion of a Toyota Yaris land speed car sound crazy to you? Me too, which is why I love it.

Adrian Tauer of Caribou, Maine entered his turbocharged 2007 Yaris S sedan into the LTA (Loring Timing Association) Land Speed Races, specifically their Harvest Event, outside of Limestone, Maine. The race is held at the former Loring Air Force Base, which features a two-and-a-half mile strip of asphalt, making it the longest asphalt land speed track in the world. These events are all about top speed: You get 1.5 miles to accelerate, and one mile to decelerate.

Road Race Motorsports' 1967 Lancia gets paint

As you may remember, Rob over at Road Race Motorsports has been working on a piece of vintage Italian iron: A 1967 Lancia Fulvia. I posted photos of the beautiful engine that's going into it. But here's photos of the body wearing a sexy shade of red. This is one gorgeous Italian! Can't wait to continue to see progress on it.

The Teal Terror gets a bumper ... sort of

I recently coudln't believe my eyes when I found a Shrockworks bumper appear on craigslist for sale in Vancouver, WA. This was the bumper I had wanted, but the company was no longer making them. I hurried out to Vancouver and picked it up. It didn't have the hardware, but that wasn't an issue, as it was easily sourced. One thing I wasn't sure about were the mounting brackets. The Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker apparently changed something on the frame in 1996, and when buying/building a bumper, it was important to get the right brackets so the bumper can be installed. After buying everything I needed for the bumper, a quick test fit revealed that—of course—I have the wrong brackets; they're for a '96+. So now I'll need to have a couple of brackets fabricated. I know plenty of people that can do it, though so hopefully it won't be to much of a wait until I can get this thing installed.

We're going wide.

No, literally. I've upped the width of the blog to bring you larger photos, bigger videos, and a new look. Hopefully you like it. Hey, after all: sometimes bigger is better—even on Subcompact Culture.

- Andy

Behold: The MINI El Cooperino

Behold: The MINI El Camino El Cooperino. This custom Cooper was spotted yesterday in Portland on I-205 northbound. How cool? I mean really: Who wouldn't want a MINI Coooperino? All those other variations on the MINI are great, bit this ... oh yes. It's almost as cool as the Suzuki Lapin Pickup Concept from 2002 (see below).  Plus, the MINI is actually in the U.S. Anyway, it's totally cool.

Turbo, mid-engine 1972 Honda N600 to race Grassroots Motorsports' $2011 Challenge

The Grassroots Motorsports Challenge (put on by Grassroots Motorsports magazine) happens each year. And with each year, comes a new pricetag. Literally. For 2011, the car being raced can't have a budget of more than $2,011. One of the local entries this year is a super-sweet 1972 Honda N600 that's been "converted," if you will, into a race car.

1972 Honda 600 prototype gets 173 mpg, can be yours

A lot of the new compacts and subcompacts are getting up to 40 MPG on the highway. Although that's pretty good for 2011, can you imagine what it'll be like in 1972? Wait, what?

That's right, back in 1972, Honda had an experimental 600 model (complete with fender skirts, aero nose, two engines, and boat tail) that got 173 MPG, and it's documented—just see the car's rear panel.

According to the description, the car has the original 600cc engine where it should be, but there's a second, single-cylinder diesel mounted closer to the firewall. There's apparently a host of engineering goodness ala snowmobile-like clutch to make the thing actually drive. However, if I were to guess, this one will likely end up in a museum. It's actually pretty cool, totally obscure, and delightfully wonky.

For the vintage hypermiling enthusiast that has nearly everything, this little rarity can now be yours. As of right now, the price is $3,100 (with 5 hrs. to go). Bid early, bid often. Be sure to click the link below for more pics and info.

Thanks to Matt U. for the tip!

LINK
1972 Honda 600 prototype (eBay)

Unboxing the 2012 Toyota Yaris

Interesting take on the promotion of the 2012 Yaris. I kind of like the ad, and its tounge-in-cheek reference to the whole "driving appliance" thing. Pretty clever. We'll see if people take to the next-gen Yaris.

2012 Mazda5 Sport: The most fun you can have with two sliding doors

So you’ve decided a subcompact vehicle will no longer fit the bill—you need something bigger. You’d like a wagon, but nothing fits the bill in your price range. Although you don’t want to admit it, a minivan—a dirty seven-letter word to many auto enthusiasts—would be super practical, but most are bigger, thirstier, and more expensive than you want. So what’s a small-car fan concerned with gas mileage, price, and driving enthusiasm to do? I’d say drive a Mazda5.

A great photo of The Teal Terror and an update

My friend Curt (a professional art director and photograher), took this photo of "The Teal Terror" on Friday. I'm fairly certain Curt could photograph nearly anything and make it look good.
In addition, I also just bought a Shrockworks winch bumper off of craigslist. This was the bumper I had wanted originally wanted to purchase, but they haven't offered new units in some time. Score for me. I'll need to get the hardware and do a small bit of fab work, and test fit it to make sure I've got the right brackets. Once mounted, I'll likely get a WARN VR8000 winch.

Slammed '92 Plymouth Colt Vista makes me want to spend money

As you may know, my first car was a 1992 Mitsubishi Expo LRV. I've had a fondness for them for a long time, and always dreamed of buying another one, slamming it, putting on some cool wheels, and doing a 4G63T swap (e.g. a turbo Eclipse engine). This vehicle above has the wheels, the "slammed," and "a swap."

This isn't the first time this car has appeared on Subcomapct Culture. I ran across this vehicle in March, 2010 and swooned—a slammed Expo/Colt Vista/Summit wagon! Awesome. A few months later, the actual car zoomed past me in Tillamook, OR. And low-and-behold, look what pops up on craigslist ...

Behold: The Boat tail Metro

Mercedes, my wife and daily eyes on the street, snapped this boat tail Geo/Chevy Metro in the Oregon City, Oregon area. WTF is this, you may ask. Well, Mercedes' first thought was also "WTF is this?"

"I thought, does someone need some more room in their Metro so they can sleep in it? Either that, or it's an Amphicar wannabe, or something," Mercedes said.

Well, the addition of a boat tail can increase fuel economy by quite a bit due to aerodynamic properties. If you're a hypermiler, you may be familiar with this money-saving, albeit aesthetically unpleasing modification. Although not exactly attractive, I bet this guy is saving a boattail ... er boatload of cash at the pump. Plus, think of all the awesome stuff you could put in that boat tail.

Frankfurt: Ford Fiesta ST concept and Suzuki Swift Sport: Will they appear here?

Appearing right now at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show are two outstanding hot hatches: The above-pictured 2012 Suzuki Swift Sport and the below pictured Ford Fiesta ST concept.

The two are quite different. The Suzuki comes with a 134 hp. normally aspirated engine. The Ford concept (yes, concept) has a 175–180 hp. turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine. Both look great, in my opinion, flaunting econo-sexy hot-hatch three-door guises. I'd rock either one, frankly.

The big question is, could I actually rock either one living in the U.S.? We keep hearing rumors of the Suzuki Swift coming to the U.S. However, the last conversation I had with Suzuki's PR folks (which was last week) was not too confidence inspiring. So, perhaps there's a better chance of the U.S. getting Fiesta ST? I haven't heard any for sure, but I have heard the turbo Fiesta rumors since 2009. Would the U.S. get the three door, though?

Since there is about to be a hot-hatch battle here on the U.S. market soon (think MINI Cooper S, Fiat 500 Abarth, even Chevrolet Sonic Turbo), I can see Ford throwing its blue oval-shaped hat into the ring. The Swift is one of the few Suzukis American enthusiasts seem to want, but of course, can't get. So, maybe American Suzuki Motor Corporation will finally give us what we want.

It's all speculation until the rubber hits the road, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Suzuki Owners Day at Road Race Motorsports: September 17

Tuner of all things Suzuki (and a host of other brands, too), is hosting a Suzuki Owners Day (SOD) from 10:00am–2:00pm on Saturday, September 17. From Samuris to Kizashis, Road Race Motorsports says that all Suzukis are welcome.

RRM says to expect good fun, food, raffle for some prizes from RRM, American Suzuki, and a car show contest. Should be good fun and a great meet for West Coast guys.

So here are the details:

Suzuki Owners Day (SOD)
Where: Road Race Motorsports
13037 Lakeland Rd. Suite F
Santa Fe Springs, CA. 90670
Time: 10-2 Sat-Sept. 17, 2011

RRM hopes to make this an annual thing.  Call RRM for any details at (562) 906-0080.


LINK
Road Race Motorsports

Driven: 2012 Fiat 500c Lounge

It could be said that the Fiat 500 is one of the most anticipated small car offerings to be sold in the U.S. since the introduction of the MINI Cooper in 2002. I got a chance drive the latest 500—the cabriolet variant, or 500c—last week.

At certain angles, it's hard to tell that this is even a soft top. However, from the rear, it becomes apparent. Unlike most "convertibles," The 500c uses a sliding soft top, which maintains the car's rear pillars. Essentially, it's just the center section that retracts, starting at the windshield and ending at the top of the tiny trunk. In fact, the top can be lowered and raised while driving, up to a certain speed, of course.

The 500c Lounge's interior (the Lounge is a step up from the "Pop" trim level) confirms the fact that this is a premium subcompact, much like it's MINI competitor. There's leather, nicely made materials, and a great design. And yes, that's a white steering wheel—something that'll need frequent cleaning to maintain its brilliance.

Driving dynamics are very good. The car feels very nimble and is a lot of fun to throw into corners. The Lounge model comes standard with Fiat's six-speed automatic transmission mated to the sophisticated 1.4-liter Multiair four cylinder making 101 hp and 98 ft. lbs. or torque. This combo does have a shift-it-yourself "manumatic" feature, too. The 500c is available with a five-speed manual transmission, but only on the "Pop" trim level.

When I drove this car it was nearly 90 degrees outside and we had the air conditioning on most of the time, and there were two of us inside. So, naturally, the car didn't feel as fast as it would with no AC, a five-speed manual, and just one person. Regardless, it didn't have any issues keeping up with traffic. This is, of course, not a speed deamon, at least in a straight line. Of note: a very upright seating position and you sit in the middle of the vehicle. Also, the top felt very durable and was exceedingly quiet.

My overall first impressions were favorable: A comfortable, chic convertible that drives as well as it looks. The power top is very cool, and is easy to use. I prefer a manual transmission, but the six-speed auto does its job admirably.

 A 500c Pop starts at $19,500. This Lounge model can be had starting at $23,500; this version was around $25,000. This puts it on par with the MINI Cooper Convertible in terms of pricing, too.

So Fiat's diminutive 500c is a lot of fun to drive, feels solidly built, and is priced competitively. Will it have what it takes to challenge MINI for European small car supremacy here in the U.S.? We'll have to wait and see. However, from my short time with the 500c, I'd say it's a worthy competitor.

Spotted: 2012 Hyundai Accent SE

While at the Run to the Sun event a couple of days ago, I spotted a 2012 Hyundai Accent SE. Apparently, it's going in the press fleet, so I'll get a chance to spend some time with it in the near future. I thought it was very handsome, and looked good in the Mocha Bronze paint. Really looking forward to this one.

Run to the Sun preview

I'm at Tulalip Casino in Marysville, Washington for the annual Run to the Sun event. Twenty-four other journalists and me will get to drive 25 cars over two days. Although there are small car offerings to drive, such as the above 2012 Fiat 500c, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle and Eos, and the 2012 Honda Civic Si, there are also some powerhouses. These would be the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302, Lexus IS-F, Mercedes-Benz CLS63, and Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible, plus a host of other vehicles.

Looking forward to a couple of days of great vehicles on great roads. Of course, I'll post up photos and more. Stay tuned.

August 2011 subcompact sales

August: Not so great for subcompacts as a whole. There were only five models there were up August 2011 vs. August 2010: The Ford Fiesta continues to be very popular with sales up 76% vs. this time last year. Suzuki (a personal favorite of mine) was up 38% vs. this time last year, as well as a healthy 12% overall, which the company needs. Hyundai's new Accent is proving popular, as is the new 2012 Nissan Versa. Honda's two-seat sports hybrid, the CR-Z, also had a jump in sales vs. this time last year.

And that's it for the good news.

The big loser this month was the Kia Rio, which is unsurprising, since the current models are in short supply and the all-new 2012 Rio is set to arrive on dealer lots soon. Ditto that with the Toyota Yaris.

Of the models not yet out for a year yet, Nissan's funky Juke is still selling strong, as is the Italian darling, Fiat 500. Next month Mazda will likely cross the 10,000 sales threshold with its Mazda2.

Make/Model	Aug. '11 vs. Aug. '10	Units Aug. '11	YTD '11 vs. '10	YTD sold '11
Ford Fiesta	+76.0%	5833	+592.4%	53258
Suzuki SX4	+38.0%	1181	+12.0%	8418
Hyundai Accent	+37.6%	5289	+3.9%	36245
Nissan Versa	+14.9%	5289	-14.2%	59811
Honda CR-Z	+3.2%	745	+1281.5%	9635
Kia Soul	-1.9%	6885	+64.8%	78003
Smart ForTwo	-9.6%	405	-21.6%	3417
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-18.1%	434	-25.4%	3548
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-19.7%	464	-15.3%	5056
Scion xD	-24.5%	750	-1.8%	6621
Chevrolet Aveo	-35.4%	2596	-5.3%	27211
Nissan Cube	-37.2%	598	-26.6%	13212
Honda Fit	-40.2%	3959	+19.0%	43234
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	-52.7%	1569	-29.4%	18961
Toyota Yaris	-63.1%	1112	-51.2%	14192
Kia Rio	-68.5%	658	-29.4%	13602
Nissan Juke	--	3464	--	24149
Fiat 500	--	3106	--	11088
Mazda2	--	1387	--	9899
MINI Crossover	--	642	--	10071

LINK
August 2010 subcompact sales

My Chevrolet Aveo5 rental

Whenever I travel, I almost always opt for the subcompact. Shocking, I know. However, usually this can be an upgrade in disguise. See, most of the times I've reserved the Aveo (or other lowest-end rental car), the rental companies don't have them, and I end up with something else. I ended up with an Audi A4 Quattro once. Another time I got a Chevrolet Equinox. One other time I got a Nissan Altima. Only one other time did I actually get the Aveo, and it was a sedan model.

Well, here in Wisconsin, I actually got the Aveo. It happens to be an Aveo5, which I was OK with. I wasn't much a fan of the Aveo sedan, so this was something new and different. I think it actually looks pretty decent, too. Since the weather here is akin to a Brazilian rainforest at the moment, I was glad to see it had air conditioning. And since people in Wisconsin judge distances in hours, I was glad to see it had cruise control.

Aside from those features, the Aveo is certainly not at the top of the subcompact list. This model is loaded: four-speed auto, several speaker stereo, power windows/locks, and fake woodgrain interior. Truth be told, the interior looks pretty good. There are, however, buzzes and rattles, especially when the stereo is on. You can factor in the regular rental car abuse, too, which likely doesn't help the matter. The automatic transmission won't help the 1.6-liter engine win any speed contests, and handling is OK, but bigger bumps/cracks produce a loud thud from the rear torsion bar axle. Fortunately for my large suitcase, the rear seat folds down. Unfortunately, it doesn't fold flat. I'm better off just throwing it in the backseat, and putting my backpack in the far rear.

My trusty (thus far) Aveo5 is fine as a rental car. In fact, it should yield pretty decent fuel economy, since I've had the cruise set at 70 MPH on the Interstates; 60 MPH on the highways. I'll refuel tomorrow and really see. Gas is about $3.75 here.

So would I buy a new Aveo5? No. Pretty soon nobody will be able to buy one, since it's being replaced by the U.S.-built Sonic (the Aveo is Korean made, and built on GM Daewoo architecture). However, for the time being, so long as the AC keeps cooling, the cruise control keeps cruising, and the stereo continues to hum, I'll be fine with it until Monday.

Autoblog drives the 2012 Kia Rio

The first drives of the 2012 Kia Rio are starting to come out. Autoblog just released its impressions of the Korean subcompact, and they look good. I'm really looking forward to driving one.

As I've mentioned in the past, I really like the looks. It's edgy, modern, and should get 40MPG highway, by the way.

Anyway, here's the link to their review.