A Vehicle for Rural Africa

By Christopher A. Sawyer

Though few people remember Tony Howarth and the Africar, a structural plywood off-roader designed to be built and sold in Africa, that program continues to inspire. The Global Vehicle Trust (GVT) has picked up the idea, and sponsored the creation of a cost-effective light truck made up of mostly interchangeable panels. Designed and built in the UK, it — like furniture from Ikea — is placed in a flat pack and shipped to its final destination. Once there, it takes three people a total of 11.5 hours to unpack and assemble the vehicle. Because it is packed within its own footprint, there is no need for pallets or individual boxes of parts, which cuts down on shipping costs. The trust claims that six of the OX vehicles, including engines and transmissions, can fit into a 40-ft hi-cube container. Plus, because assembly costs are transferred to the destination country, the final cost is lower than it would be if the vehicle was imported in completed form.

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First Run: 2014 Lexus IS

By Christopher A. Sawyer

When Lexus first burst upon the scene in late 1989, it was a revelation if not a revolution. Toyota, which had no upscale brand to which it could send customers once they outgrew its mainstream offerings, was taking on the overpriced Germans, BMW and Mercedes. (Audi, at the time, was in the midst of the 60 Minutes-hyped unintended acceleration nonsense, and was not a player.) Coming out of the starting gate with a $38,000 full-sized luxury sedan that undercut the competition by nearly $15,000 made folks sit up and take notice; as did the car’s enviable build quality, quietness and solidity.

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A Tale of Two Kias

By Christopher A. Sawyer

The 2013 Kia Soul !

Of course it's a cemetery. Where else would you go to photograph a Soul?Kia’s Soul was a hit from the moment it hit the market in 2009. Following in the footsteps of Scion’s funky original xB, the Soul gave young buyers an affordable vehicle with room for four (five in a pinch), and the ability to haul large items securely. Its upright tail, wedge-shaped window line and large nose made it instantly recognizable, and all were integrated in such a way that the Soul had soul.

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2013 Scion FR-S: Purely Japanese… Like Roast Beef

By Christopher A. Sawyer

Prologue

The Scion FR-S (Toyota GT-86 in other markets) has been the object of intense coverage since it first broke cover as the FT-86 Concept in 2009. That car carried styling cues pulled from Toyota’s FT-HS concept car, and reportedly was built on a modified Subaru Impreza platform. Subaru, which sells the same car as the BRZ, wasn’t crazy about abandoning its all-wheel drive roots, and initially resisted being part of the project, other than supplying the boxer engine. Even that was problematic, however, as the Subaru flat four didn’t have the output Toyota desired.

Legend has it that Toyota created a prototype in 2008, and invited Subaru engineers to drive the car, hoping to get the smaller automaker back onboard. Without Subaru’s sales, the entire program was in danger of collapsing; Toyota alone could not shift enough to sell its affordable sports car profitably. Once they had driven the test mule, Subaru executives relented, and the GT-86/BRZ program never looked back. Or so the story goes…

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