Today in Cars: Tokyo’s Track Teases, Australia’s Power Shuffle, and the EV Price Squeeze

I’ve had two kinds of coffee this week: one you sip, and one you strap into. Tokyo brought the latter with a flurry of go-faster show specials, while Australia quietly redrew its family-car playbook with emissions rules and new players muscling in. And in EV land? Prices are wobbling, badges are jockeying, and the Model Y just heard footsteps.

Tokyo Auto Salon: Hype vs. Hardware

Toyota GR Yaris Morizo RR: The real-deal hot hatch, turned up

Toyota’s limited-run GR Yaris Morizo RR is exactly the sort of thing that makes track-day people text their brokers. More power, more grip, less fluff. The standard GR Yaris already feels like it was designed by people who autocross for breakfast—nimble, talkative, and hilariously playful. The Morizo RR twists the dial again.

• Harder-edged setup with stickier rubber and aero addenda that actually look functional.
• Weight shaved where it matters; you can feel it in quick transitions and over mid-corner bumps.
• Manual gearbox joy intact—the clutch action in the regular GR Yaris is wonderfully clean when you’re trail braking; expect the same, just sharper.
• Limited numbers, track intent. Consider your favorite backroad a waiting grid.

When I last hustled a GR Yaris across a frost-laced road, it begged for more tire and a smidge more bite on corner entry. This addresses both. It’s the world’s best hot hatch, made spikier—in a good way.

Subaru WRX STI Sport#: Not the comeback you were promised

Subaru rolled out a WRX with a lot of letters and a big wing, but here’s the thing: it’s a concept. If you’ve been daydreaming about a full-fat STI return, this isn’t it. The Sport# reads more like a styling and chassis statement—teasing aero, wheels, and some track posture—than a production sign-off.

As someone who’s tracked the old STI until the brake pedal went long, I miss that car’s gritty charm. The current WRX is capable (especially on the right tires), but this Sport# is a mood board, not a build sheet. Expect hints to trickle into future WRX bits, not a halo model tomorrow.

Nissan Aura NISMO RS Concept and Honda’s HRC duo: Show-stand sizzle

Nissan’s Aura NISMO RS Concept previews a punchier take on its electrified hatch—racy seats, aero garnish, and that low-speed EV surge that’s oddly satisfying in city cut-and-thrust. Honda, meanwhile, dressed the Civic Type R and the Prelude concepts in HRC garb: think motorsport aero, track-ready cosmetics, and the tacit promise of dealer-accessory catalogs getting busy.

Mid-engine Toyota tease and Subaru’s flat-six renaissance

Toyota also wheeled out a mid-engined performance concept—call it MR2-adjacent energy with the sort of proportions that make you linger at the stand. Will it happen? Fingers crossed. And Subaru? The brand’s flat-six is headed to Super GT in 2026. That’s a big deal. A boxer-six soundtrack returning to top-flight racing gives the brand some goosebump cred again, and it hints at engineering muscle beyond rally-bred fours.

Australia Watch: Leadership, Emissions, and New Names

MG’s local shake-up and a fragmented market

MG Australia is changing captains after nearly a decade at the helm—no small footnote considering how quickly the brand has climbed rental fleets and suburban driveways alike. It lands as the market itself fractures: the big legacy names are ceding slices of the pie to a swarm of newcomers and niche models. I’ve noticed it at airport counters too—more small Chinese-badged hatches and SUVs where a Corolla or i30 used to be the default. The 2025 rental-car best-sellers tell the same story: value-first nameplates dominate, and supply wins as much as demand.

Kia Carnival and Sorento drop the V6

New emissions rules are rewriting spec sheets. The V6 that made the Carnival an easy pick for big families—and the Sorento a smooth cruiser—bows out. If you tow or road-trip the Hume like I do, you’ll miss the creamy throttle response, but your fuel card won’t. Hybrids and efficient fours make more sense on paper and, increasingly, in practice. The Sorento hybrid I ran last summer was quieter at 110 km/h, and its real-world economy turned long-haul drives into fewer servo stops.

Incoming: Zeekr 8X and Jaecoo J8

China’s premium push continues. The Zeekr 8X breaks cover as a big, plush plug-in hybrid SUV—three-row vibes, lounge-like cabin, the sort of whisper-quiet EV glide in town with engine backup for weekends in the Snowies. The Jaecoo J8 is a touch more pragmatic: seven seats, PHEV option, family-first packaging. Think school drop-offs Monday to Friday, muddy bike trails on Saturday.

• Shoppers will see more PHEV badges at sensible prices—ideal if you charge at home but do country miles on holidays.
• Expect spec sheets loaded with driver aids and huge screens; check for software slickness and cable storage (some early PHEVs hide the charging lead in awkward underfloor bins).
• Resale is the wildcard. Fleet uptake and brand momentum will matter.

EV Squeeze: BMW Targets Model Y, Hyundai Chops Prices

BMW’s coupe-SUV EV is gunning for Tesla

BMW’s new electric coupe-SUV shapes up as a direct Model Y antagonist. Think sleeker roofline, driver-first cabin, and that firm-but-fair ride tuning BMW nails when the development team has its coffee. Two quick notes from my time in similar coupe-roof SUVs: rear headroom can be tight for tall teens, and the cargo floor often sits high—fine for a pram, less so for a Labrador crate. Expect dual-motor punch and range figures designed to calm your Sunday-range-anxiety scroll.

Hyundai slashes $7k on its smallest EV—still undercut by China

Hyundai just took a meaningful bite out of the sticker on its tiniest EV, but even a $7k haircut leaves it roughly ten grand dearer than its sharpest Chinese rival. If your life is mostly urban hops, it’s worth test driving both. Hyundai tends to deliver tidy ride quality over pockmarked city streets and a friendlier infotainment layout; the Chinese car will wave a longer features list and a lower price. Ask about DC fast-charge curves and heat-pump availability—those two determine winter range sanity more than any lab number.

Oddballs and Eyebrow-Raisers

’54 looks, Z06 lungs

A Corvette that dresses like 1954 but sprints like a modern Z06 stole a few hearts. It’s a charming contradiction—chrome-and-coves on the outside, track-day telemetry on the inside. Picture valet parking at a vintage hotel and leaving 315-section tire prints when you depart. It’s tasteful heresy, and I’m here for it.

Only in Florida

A police chase ended with an officer hopping into an Uber. Look, I’ve been in enough ride-shares to know a good driver when I see one. Surge pricing during a pursuit? Let’s hope not.

Conclusion

Tokyo reminded us that enthusiasm still rules—even when badge wars and regulations complicate the brochure. Australia’s market is pivoting toward efficiency and value, with fresh badges accelerating that trend. And in EV land, price and packaging have become the entire ballgame. This week’s winner? Drivers who like choice. Your move, test-drive calendar.

FAQ

Is the Toyota GR Yaris Morizo RR a real production car?

Yes—limited in number, track-focused in intent, and more hardcore than the standard GR Yaris.

Is Subaru bringing back the STI?

Not yet. The WRX STI Sport# shown is a concept that previews styling and chassis ideas, not a confirmed STI return.

Why are the Kia Carnival and Sorento losing their V6 engines in Australia?

New emissions regulations are pushing brands toward cleaner powertrains. Expect hybrids and efficient fours to fill the gap.

What’s BMW’s new electric coupe-SUV going after?

It’s aimed squarely at the Tesla Model Y, pairing BMW dynamics with a sleeker crossover silhouette.

What are Zeekr 8X and Jaecoo J8?

They’re new large family SUVs from Chinese brands—both offering plug-in hybrid options, seven-seat practicality, and premium-leaning interiors.