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<Toyota GR Corolla Teased with a Game of I Spy Toyota dropped a teaser on Instagram with tons of hidden clues about the upcoming hot hatch, which is expected to use a 268-hp three-cylinder engine. TOYOTA Toyota teased the upcoming GR Corolla hot hatch with an image shared on Instagram that featured hidden clues detailing the new model. The GR Corolla will be powered by the same turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine as the global GR Yaris. The GR Corolla is expected to debut sometime next year and go on sale as a 2022 model in the U.S. Ever since Toyota debuted the GR Yaris hot hatch and said that it wouldn't be sold in the United States, we've been itching for a version of one that we could buy here. After all, Toyota needs something to compete with the likes of the Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf R, and Hyundai Veloster N. Good thing Toyota isn't leaving us behind, because we're getting a GR Corolla soon. The company just dropped a teaser image on its Instagram account that give some hints of the new raucous hot hatch. WHAT WE EXPECT THE GR COROLLA TO LOOK LIKE. | ILLUSTRATION BY BEN SUMMERELL-YOUDE/FOX SYNDICATION | CAR AND DRIVER Naturally, the users over on the GR Corolla forum were quick to point out all the hints, which are scattered around an image of a standard Corolla's interior like a game of I Spy. GR stands for Gazoo Racing and is used on the Supra and the new GR86 sports car. The time indicated on the gauge cluster is G:16, which refers to the G16E-GTS turbocharged three-cylinder engine that's used in the GR Yaris. The 268-hp output of that powerful engine's Japanese version is found on the climate controls in the teaser image. European versions make 268 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, and the engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission. That's not all. There's even a camouflaged GR Corolla hatchback in the background of the image (we tried to zoom in; you can't see much, sadly). There's a GR Four road in the navigation system, which refers to the advanced all-wheel-drive system that has Torsen limited-slip differentials in the front and the rear and an electronically controlled center differential. Look for more details on the new GR Corolla soon, as Toyota is sure to trickle out details about the new hot hatch before its reveal, likely next year, since it released almost all the details on the new Tundra pickup before its official debut.>

Man, this is hands down the single best-ever-produced piece of automotive journalism I have ever watched, way better than even any Top Gear episode during the series' peak in the mid-2000s: It just so happens to feature the final word in internal combustion engine (ICE) performance luxury sedans, the 668hp supercharged V8 with a 6-speed manual transmission Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. If this doesn't get you all psyched and have your blood pumping, I don't know what else will. What a way to close one of the chapters in the ICE book of automotive history!

<Noble M500 Supercar Packs EcoBoost V6 With a Gated Manual and No Airbags Don't count on anti-lock brakes to save you, either. Boutique British automaker Noble has reappeared with a fresh look at its long-coming supercar, the M500. Marketed as a slightly more tame version of its M600, the mid-engine sports coupe was first announced at Goodwood in 2018. When the hype faded, the world kind of forgot about the M500...until now. Recently, Noble broke its silence during a sitdown with Autocar. Noble’s Managing Director Peter Boutwood revealed how far the company has come in finalizing the M500, and how close the brand is in bringing the low-volume exotic to market. VIA NOBLE Just like its more powerful (and expensive) M600 brethren, the M500 is a two-seater, mid-engine sports coupe built to satisfy the person in the driver's seat—which is a Recaro Podium, by the way. The heart of the car is its 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 sourced from Ford; a definite departure from the M600's Volvo-bred V8. Presently, the Blue Oval's EcoBoost motor has been tweaked to produce 506 horsepower and 594 pound-feet of torque. Noble plans to up that figure to 550 hp at launch. Another change—arguably, for the better—is the lack of the originally promised dual-clutch automatic transmission in the M500. Instead, it will come with a proper gated six-speed manual transmission sourced from Graziano. No automatic option will be offered, period. Autocar warns that this means it likely won't have the straight-line acceleration figures of a supercar competitor with an automatic transmission, so don't bet on this against a McLaren 570S. Even still, it ought to be plenty fun to drive. Just about everything on the M500 is as mechanical as it can get. Each corner is supported by a double-wishbone suspension and coilover springs paired with passive dampers. Power steering is hydraulic to keep the driver connected to the road, and it doesn't even have anti-lock brakes or airbags. Noble elaborates that this M500 is a "working prototype" and as such, some things are still set to change. The rear wing might get a bit more angle once it completes high-speed testing, and it may fluctuate in poundage like a wrestler trying to make weight. The M500 prototype presently tips the scale at around 3,086 pounds (1,400kg), but its production-ready version could reportedly shave off another 330 pounds. Noble says it will also offer the M500 with some carbon fiber upgrades, meaning that the weight could dip down even further. VIA NOBLE Noble says that despite not having an MSRP set in stone, the first customer orders—and subsequently, deliveries—will begin later this year. Boutwood says that the company is aiming for a price of around $205,000 (150,000 British Pounds, or around $70,000 less than the Noble M600), which it hopes puts the car in the realm of purchase for Porsche owners. With a less labor-intensive build and (relatively) more affordable price, Nobel hopes to pump out around 50 examples of the M500 each year. However, the chance of any making their way to the United States seems slim for now.>

https://www.motortrend.com/news/fastest-stick-shift-car-2012-ford-mustang/ <Fastest Stick Shift Car? Monster Manual Mustang Sets Drag Racing Record How fast can you shift gears? Joel Steele ran a 6.81-second quarter in his stock-block Coyote. Joel Steele made a name for himself after his 2012 Mustang became the first domestic, H-pattern manual transmission car to break into the 6s at FL2K earlier this year. That achievement made his car the fastest/quickest stock-block Coyote. Now he just upped the ante, becoming the overall fastest/quickest H-pattern car in the country, beating out Joel Granna's Supra in a heads-up race this past weekend at the World Cup Finals—Import vs. Domestic. Right off the trailer, Steele and team fought traction issues, but they discovered it was because their new bullhorn exhaust exits were leaking condensation onto the track ahead of the tires. They fixed that and made minor adjustments to the clutch before their last round of qualifying. "I was coming up to the staging lanes and saw Joel Grannas [previous overall stick-shift record holder] in the left lane so I jumped in the right. I thought I may not have another opportunity," said Steele. "I couldn't have asked for a better scenario; it was like a grudge race we set up three months prior." Steele made a 6.81 at 208 mph pass, beating out Grannas, then backed it up with a 6.81 at 210 mph in the first round of eliminations. A knocking noise ended their weekend early, however. The stock-block Coyote is heading back to engine builder TKM Performance, and Steele hopes to make the Mod Nationals this weekend. The driveline features a Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans based on a Tremec Magnum XL. It features a PPG dog-ring/faceplated gear set and Tick Performance billet front plate with integrated spray bar, which coats the front gears with oil. He leaves the line with the slipper clutch, but all the following shifts are clutchless, using the Holley Dominator ECU to cut torque between shifts. Jonathan Atkins, owner of Tick Performance is Joel's new tuner. Jonthan campaigns the GrubbWorm Camaro powered by a stock-block Gen-II LT1 with a forged, destroked rotating assembly and Precision Turbo Pro Mod 102mm single turbo. It also features the Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans based on a T56 with G-Force faceplated gear set and Tick Performance billet front plate. Right off the trailer, Atkins fought some intermediate traction issues, too. The team tried nitrous for the first time, but the car spun once the nitrous hit, so they opted against it for the remainder of the weekend. During Saturday's qualifying, Jonathan laid 6.97 at 211 mph and a 6.96 at 208 mph during eliminations. That was his first time breaking into the 6's, a goal the team has been chasing for over a year. He fought his way through eliminations, running against Joel Grannas, who unfortunately blew an engine on their heads-up pass. Atkins spun right off the line and backed out. "My run was over when I noticed a fireball from Grannas' car," said Atkins. "So, I got back in, spun, let out, back in it again, and thought I blew my engine. It was the ugliest pass in drag racing history, but it put us in the finals." Atkins and team finished in second place in the stick-shift class. Quickest And Fastest Stick Shift Car: Build Details 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Engine Gen-1 Coyote stock block, unfilled Frankenstein ported stock heads and oversized valves Ford Performance Boss 302 crank, Manley rods, Wiseco pistons 16 Holley injectors, Dominator ECU, and Holley dash Twin Forced Inductions 76/83mm turbochargers TurboSmart wastegates and blowoff valves Runs on methanol from Renegade Performance and Lubricants 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Drivetrain Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans 4-speed conversion based on a Tremec Magnum XL Tick Performance Billet front plate and integrated front oil spray bar PPG billet dog-ring/faceplated gear set Hammer Concepts and Designs rear axle housing with Moser center section and axles MGW Shifter>

Kinda sad that it is hard to find nowadays new cars with manual transmissions. Can anyone enlighten if one can still buy a MIT, MIJ or MIK manual transmission sedan?

[extract] With the recent release of the latest generation 911 (991 series), Porsche has introduced a world