Toyota FT-Bh concept at 2012 Geneva motor show

Toyota's news at the 2012 Geneva motor show was the world premiere of the FT-Bh small car – a Yaris-sized supermini that's 25% lighter than the existing supermini. The FT-Bh weighs in at 786 kilograms.
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And if you're wondering about those smoothed-off looks, it's all down to aero. This small car has an admirable 0.235 drag coefficient.

The FT-Bh is basically the epitome of everything Toyota knows about small cars. While it has no immediate production intent, its thinking will help shape the superminis of tomorrow. We'd certainly look twice at a Yaris shaped like this, we reckon.
Toyota FT-Bh: the lowdown
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This is another hybrid Toyota – naturally – and its 1.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine is paired to a full hybrid powertrain like on the Yaris hybrid for an average consumption of 135mpg and just 49g/km of CO2.

Considering this car is close in size to a Yaris (3985mm long, 1695mm wide, 1400mm tall), its emissions are roughly half that of a trad supermini, says Toyota.

Mated to a CNG engine, this powertrain would cut CO2 to just 38g/km, says Toyota. Add a plug-in element to the battery charging, and that tumbles to 19g/km. That's some claim.
How come the FT-Bh is so lightweight?
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Thankfully, it's not down to exotic materials lurking on the pricey end of the periodic table. Toyota has cleverly stuck to existing materials to achieve that flyweight 786kg mass.

Thin pillars abound, to aid visibility and cut flab, and many of the learnings of the iQ are applied to this model. The engineers ended up in a virtuous circle where everything from climate controls to engines and suspension components could become lighter.
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Helping achieve that low drag figure – and that tip-toe stance – are slender 145/55 R18 low rolling resistance tyres.

Mitsubishi's Budget Mirage Supermini Enters Production, Laun

The all-new Mitsubishi Mirage, a no-frills supermini that we first saw at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, has entered series production at the company's brand-new factory at Laem Chabang in Thailand.
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The Japanese automaker's "global compact car" will first go on sale in Thailand next week before it is exported to other Southeast Asian countries followed by Japan, Europe and other markets around the world later this year.

"I am pleased to present the Mirage first in Thailand," said Osamu Masuko, President of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
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"The Mirage is an all-new compact car focused on premium fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions just right for the times where demand for superior fuel efficiency and eco-friendliness are increasing all over the world."

At 3710 mm long, 1,665 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, the new Mirage falls between city cars like the Fiat Panda and superminis like the Ford Fiesta.
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It is powered by a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder MIVEC gasoline engine that can be equipped with Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) system linked to a CVT driving the front wheels. Mitsubishi claims a combined fuel efficiency of 30km/L (equal to 3.3lt/100km or 70mpg US) on the Japanese test cycle.

The Thai-market Mirage will be priced between THB 380,000 to 551,000 (US$12,300 to US$17,900 or €9,400 to €13,600) depending on trim level, and Mitsubishi's plans are to sell approximately 2,500 units per month in Thailand.

R&T Pits 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Against Audi A7 Sportback

Lexus has high hopes for its brand new 2013 GS sedan in the highly competitive executive segment, or at least it does in the North American market because Europe is a different story.
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While one would consider the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the BMW 5-Series or the Audi A6 more direct opponents for the GS, Road & Track magazine chose a different adversary in the form of the Audi A7 Sportback.
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Audi's A7 may split the difference between a traditional saloon and a hatchback offering an in-between body style, but it in essence, it remains an executive model, so R&T's test is not too far off.

The Audi A7 is more expensive than the GS, but not as much as you'd expect. Not including a destination and handling fee, the base A7 with a 310hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6 starts at $59,250, while the Lexus GS 350 with a 306hp 3.5-liter V6 costs $46,900 plus $5,690 for the base F Sport package, which brings the total to $52,590.
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You can watch the comparison in detail in the video that follows after the break.
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2013 BMW X1 Facelift to Debut at New York Auto Show, U.S. Sa

The BMW X1 will launch in the United States sooner than what the Bavarian company has led us to believe the last time we reported about the matter, as the automaker today announced that the facelifted X1 would receive its world premiere at next month's 2012 New York International Auto Show and go on sale in the States this summer.
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When the German automaker introduced the X3's smaller sibling back in the summer of 2009, it said that it would offer the X1 in the States in early 2011, but that never happened with BMW constantly delaying its launch.

Back to the present, BMW said that the revised X1 will be offered in America with its new 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder gasoline engine. The automaker did not release any other details nor any photos of the facelifted model.
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Our most recent spy photos suggest that BMW will polish up the X1 compact crossover's looks, with most styling tweaks taking place up front with the headlamps and grille along with some minor changes at the rear.
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Also making its world premiere at the New York Auto Show will be the new M6 Convertible powered by a 553hp (560PS) 4.4-liter twin turbo V8, which will be joined by the new M6 Coupe and X6 M facelift, both of which will receive their North American debuts.