How Does the Alfa 4C Stack Up Against the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S and Porsche Cayman?

As the newest arrival and first sensibly priced (affordable might be kind of a stretch) rear-wheel driven Alfa Romeo since, well, the days of the Spider in the 1990s, the new mid-engine 4C has attracted some well-deserved attention from the press and gearheads alike, but does it make the cut against the competition?

That's what Autocar magazine's Steve Sutcliffe set to find out, at least partially, and by that, we mean on a twisty track.

Taking into consideration its mechanical layout and entry price in the UK at £45,000 (equal to $73,900 / €54,600), the 237hp Alfa 4C's direct competitor is a no brainer: the £41,616 ($68,400 / €50,500) Porsche Cayman (you can see how Carscoops readers voted in a poll between the two models here).

Just to shuffle things up and make the video review a bit more intriguing, Sutcliffe also brought along the Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S in North America). While not a real challenger to the 4-cylinder Alfa, it does have an excellent fun-to-price ratio that's really hard to overlook.

Since you don’t like spoilers, we'll just let take a look at the video below and then by all means, head to the comments for your thoughts.

Screenshots via Autocar/YouTube

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You Can Now Drive the Toyota FT-1 Concept…in GT6 [w/Videos]

On the same day that it was making its debut at the North American International Auto Show, the Toyota FT-1 Concept was also going up for download as part of a DLC (downloadable content) for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) title Gran Turismo 6 (GT6).

However, the show car lacked an actual engine, so we don’t know what exactly will power it in the game, since the official information from developer Polyphony Digital comfortably avoided the subject..

What was specified though was the fact that it was actually made in-game first, courtesy of Calty Design Research, in order “to realistically demonstrate what a production FT-1 could achieve.”

It’s a cool idea (even if it’s not all that new to the franchise) and according to GT series creator Kazunori Yamauchi, "it’s always been a dream of ours to have our automotive partners use Gran Turismo in exciting new ways…"

"The design team at Calty developed a stunning concept car and we were honored to work with them to render the car digitally for the concept presentation," he added. "The FT-1 is a forward-looking, technically advanced and beautiful concept car. We can’t wait to see fans’ reactions as they drive the vehicle and get to know it the way I was able to.”

GT6 players will be able to obtain the car either by achieving a bronze (or better)  finish in the FT-1 challenge at the Laguna Seca track. Otherwise, it can be purchased separately from the Toyota dealership.

The concept comes as part of an update (the third released so far) which also brings the game up to version 1.03, fixing some bugs, also adding a detailed interior for the BMW M4 along with additional unique Seasonal Events to take part in.

By Andrei Nedelea

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Toyota's FT-1 Sports Coupe Concept Revealed, Do You Want it to be the Next Supra? [82 Photos]

Toyota managed to keep the FT-1 a secret until its world premiere today at the Detroit auto show. The brand's Calty Design Research in California devised the front-engine, rear-wheel drive study, originally for the PlayStation Gran Turismo game, with the name standing for “Future Toyota,” and the number “1” for ultimate – always according to the automaker.

There's no question that everyone's mind goes to the long-rumored Supra replacement, and while Toyota did mention that the study builds upon "a rich sports coupe heritage dating back to the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently Scion FR-S", it did point out that it's only a design exercise.

“Our team was heavily influenced by Toyota’s sports car past, especially Celica and Supra, and we sought to capture some of that history," said Alex Shen, Calty’s Studio Chief Designer. "It is an aggressive, track-focused sports car concept with a presence that has been amplified for shock and awe"

Nonetheless, design elements from the FT-1 concept will find their way into future Toyota products, and possibly even the next Supra, if it comes to materialize.

Toyota said that the study is a rolling concept with no real powertrain, adding that it envisioned the sports coupe to be powered by "a high-technology, high performance internal combustion engine".

If you like what you see, you will be able to drive the FT-1 in Gran Turismo 6's virtual environment as the car will be offered to players for free via DLC (downloadable content) as part of the Vision series.

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