Jim Miles Fast Cars

A design sketch of what is rumored to be the logo for the upcoming Toyota FT-86 has surfaced online, clearly highlighting the Japanese sports car will be powered by a boxer engine.

The design sketch shows two horizontally opposed pistons; an engine design that has earned the ‘boxer’ title because of its visual similarity to two boxers tossing punches.

Rather than a crank in the middle, however, the sketch shows a stylized number 86, in reference to the rear-drive AE86 Corolla model that formed the inspiration of more than just the name of the FT-86.

Rumors have indicated the production FT-86 will get a 2.0-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine, donated from Subaru and if this is in fact the actual logo for the car, then those rumors would look to be true.

It’s not clear how the logo will be incorporated into the U.S. model, however, with recent reports indicating the car will be a Scion model and wear the FR-S badge.

There’s no shortage of similarities to be found between Australia and the United States. Both are former British colonies flying red, white and blue flags; both are big masses of land divided into states; both have Top Gear spinoffs and share a common affinity for Crocodile Dundee. We could go on, but the key commonality here is love for muscle cars. More than anything, that’s what ties these two countries together from opposite ends of the Earth.

General Motors has capitalized on that shared trait by bringing powerful Holdens over to America under Pontiac badges. Arch-rival Ford, meanwhile, has gone the other way, taking a popular American performance badge and slapping it on one of its Australian products.

The result is the Ford Boss 335 GT. Based on the Falcon sedan, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has given the Boss 335 GT a touch more power than the 2012 Boss 302 Mustang: the 335′s supercharged 5.0-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 pumps out 450 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque (compared to the 440hp and 380 lb-ft on the all-motor Boss Mustang). The power’s driven to the 19" rear wheels through a six-speed manual and kept in check by oversized, cross-drilled and ventilated Brembo brakes.

FPV’s also made sure the special Falcon got all the requisite striping you’d expect from a Boss, and equipped the interior with everything they bad to throw at it. With the American and Australian dollars close to par, though, the $70,000 sticker price may seem a little steep. UNfortunately, this is an exclusively Aussie product, so if you (i.e. our U.S. readers) want to show ‘em who’s Boss, you’ll have to stick to the Mustang. Dang.

In many ways, Volvo’s C30 is the perfect blend of modern styling and retro sensibility with its aggressive front-end and that oversized glass hatch on the back. Now, with the EV model, it’s looking better than ever. Okay, so we could do without the obligatory graphics up the side, but the wing on the back (shown below) gives it a smooth profile and, oh yeah, did we mention it’s an EV? The car has been graced with a 110hp equivalent electric motor and 24kWh battery pack that’s expected to deliver an average of 100 miles worth of range along with performance that, according to The Truth About Cars, matches the current petrol-powered version’s. Handling too is said to still be taut despite a 260lb weight disadvantage. Volvo is pledging the car will be making an appearance as a 2012 model, though we’re guessing lucky Swedish drivers will be getting a first crack at this one.

It’s no secret that the revival of the Maybach brand by Mercedes parent company Daimler has been a flop. Perhaps it’s because of how much the cars shared with their S-Class counterparts, but apart from the odd Russian oligarch, the world’s wealthiest folks have decided to stick with faithful British brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce when it comes to their ultra-luxury needs.

The ability of British brands to built true luxury cars has apparently not gone unnoticed by Daimler and according to a report by the Financial Times, Daimler may source Aston Martin to build the next generation of Maybach models.

In exchange, Aston Martin would reportedly get access to engine technology from Mercedes-Benz, something AM desperately needs as its 6.0-liter V12 engine (used in almost every vehicle it sells) is quickly becoming outdated.

A Daimler spokesman has denied the report, but did comment that the lines of communication between the two automakers is open. This comes as no surprise as Aston Martin’s Lagonda concept (which debuted at the Geneva Auto Show two years ago) was based on the Mercedes GL platform.

While still mostly a rumor, the story doesn’t have any obvious holes in it with Daimler eager to partner with other automakers (including recent agreements with Renault/Nissan/Infiniti), while Aston Martin is no doubt eager to find a large partner to offset costs, especially with rivals like Ferrari being owned by Fiat and Lamborghini by Volkswagen.