Toyota USA could be relocating its US headquarters from Torrance, California to Texas, multiple reports say. Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, has been selected as the new location, and residents have reportedly seen executives from a large company scouting the area for development.

The news broke Sunday evening on Bloomberg, leaked by sources within Toyota who chose not to be named as the information had not been made public yet. They say high-level employees were informed Friday and were expected to inform their subordinates this week. Toyota currently employs over 5,300 people at its southern California location. Many Toyota USA employees first heard of this development through the news and not from management.

Reasons for the move include putting Toyota USA’s executives closer to its manufacturing hubs in San Antonio, Kentucky, and Mississippi. However, it is also speculated that the state’s famously business friendly climate, including a unrestrictive regulatory system, fewer taxes and lower cost of living may have something to do with the decision too.

Since its founding in 1957, Toyota Motor Sales USA has been located in SoCal, the nexus of American car culture. Starting from a small dealership in Hollywood to what is now a sprawling campus in Torrance, it has been a Los Angeles area fixture.

This echoes Nissan USA’s 2006 move from California to Nashville, Tennessee. Only 42% of its staff decided to stay. It is expected that it will take two years for Toyota to make the transition.

The sexy Saab 9-3 SportCombi is making a return, to be reintroduced alongside the electric 9-3 sedan that saw production begin earlier this month.

Mikael Ostlund, communications director of NEVS, Saab’s current owner, told Autoblog that plans to revive the SportCombi are under way and that it has the option of adding a convertible to the lineup is also on the table, but that a decision on the latter has not yet been made.

Also rising, phoenix-like, is the Phoenix architecture that Saab was developing just prior to its 2011 bankruptcy. Funded by its short stint under GM ownership, the platform was set to succeed the GM Epsilon platform underpinning the 9-3 and is, according to Ostlund, flexible enough to spawn several different body styles, including a crossover. The Saab PhoeniX show car displayed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show referenced the new platform, but Olstlund could not confirm any plans for the new architecture at this time.

No specifications or pricing have been announced at this time. Although the sedan can achieve a range 30 miles beyond that of a Nissan Leaf, the wagon will presumably have that distance shortened due to weight and aerodynamic restricitions.

For the moment, the reborn Saabs are slated for two markets, its native Sweden and China (NEVS is a Chinese consortium). The initial run of 200 electric 9-3 sedans will undergo testing in Qingdao before a large scale rollout in spring or summer of this year.

A Ferrari FF coupe has appeared at a gathering of prancing horse aficionados in Japan. Called the SP FFX, it’s a custom one-off officially built by Ferrari under the One-Off Programme.

Surrounded by a crew of technicians, car was photographed and submitted to Jalopnik by a fan. The body seems to match the car seen on a mysterious patent drawing that appeared last October, depicting a fast back two-door GT. Telltale features include its white rocker panel treatment and a series of three slat vents on the front fenders reminiscent of the classic 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO.

At the time the patent drawings were leaked, some speculated that it could have been based on a Ferrari California, but based on the SP FFX name, it would appear that the base car is indeed an FF. The One-Off Programme produces exclusive bespoke cars for customers, the most famous of which was musician Eric Clapton’s SP12 EC unveiled in 2012. Of course, all of this comes at a price, which is not disclosed by Ferrari but estimated to be in the territory of $5 million.

The SP FFX was formally unveiled at a private event in Japan in January. It was supposedly commissioned by a Japanese customer to be used for track day events.

Morgan Motors has lifted the veil off of a limited-edition roadster called Plus 8 Speedster. The car is designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the firm’s Pickersleigh Road factory.

Official pictures are not available yet but computer-generated images reveal the Plus 8 Speedster will be available with a tiny windshield that harks back to British roadsters built in the 1940s and 1950s. Morgan promises the Speedster will stand out from the regular Plus 8 thanks to a series of model-specific styling cues.

Power will come from a mighty BMW-sourced 4.8-liter V8 engine that will send 367 horsepower and 490 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or a ZF-built six-speed automatic unit. The Plus 8 Speedster will be able to reach 62 mph from a stop in 4.2 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 248 mph.

Morgan is keeping additional technical details under wraps until the car’s official debut, but it promises the Plug 8 Speedster will boast “the latest in aluminium chassis developments ensure that its performance and road-holding will match its looks.” Full details will be published over the coming weeks.

Morgan has not specified how many examples of the Plus 8 Speedster it plans on building but it has announced each car will cost £69,995 – a sum that converts to approximately $118,000 – before taxes and options are factored in. Production is scheduled to kick off in June.

Chinese-owned MG is celebrating its 90th birthday with a battery-powered concept car called Dynamo. Essentially a re-badged Roewe E50, the Dynamo was unveiled at a private event held in London.

Like the E50, the Dynamo takes the form of a four-seater sub-compact hatchback that is roughly the same size as the tiny Volkswagen up! The car wears a futuristic design that intentionally breaks all ties with MG’s past and current lineup.

Fully functional, the 2,376-pound Dynamo is powered by a 70-horsepower electric motor linked to a small lithium iron phosphate battery pack. The car takes over 14 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop and tops out at 80 mph, though MG points out it is primarily designed to be driven at low speeds in urban areas.

The Dynamo’s battery pack provides a 50-mile driving range. A full charge takes six hours when the car is plugged into a regular household outlet, and a quick charger will restore anywhere between 10- and 80-percent of the battery’s capacity in just 30 minutes.

MG says the Dynamo can be quickly added to its lineup as a regular-production model if there is enough demand from European buyers. The automaker has not announced when it will decide whether to move ahead with the project.

Though President Barack Obama usually rides around in an armored Cadillac, during a recent state visit to Japan he had an encounter with a Honda. Specifically, the POTUS met ASIMO at Tokyo’s museum of science.

The Honda ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, is a bipedal robot with an array of functions that mimic human movement. The meeting took place as the Commander-in-Chief stopped by Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

During the man-machine mini-summit, Honda demonstrated some of ASIMO’s key functions, including walking, running (defined as both feet leaving the ground simultaneously), and hopping on one foot. As part of the demonstration ASIMO kicked a ball to Obama, who skillfully stopped it with his foot, surely to go down in history as the world’s first President-automaton soccer pass.

Obama described the robot as “a little scary,” “too lifelike,” and “amazing.”

Introduced in 2000, Honda developed ASIMO to promote human-machine interaction. Potential uses for the robot include helping the handicapped or elderly with basic tasks. ASIMO can also communicate in American and Japanese sign language.

Honda has been working on robotics since the 1980s. Most Japanese automakers, including Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi, have similar programs in place. Watch the video of the presidential soccer block below.

As part of the launch for the updated Japanese-market Vitz, sold in North America and Europe as the Yaris, Toyota has released a slew of modified versions available in dealers throughout Japan.

Issued under its Modellista brand of dealer-sold, factory-warrantied equipment, the Vitz Modellista (shown in yellow) adds a more aggressive nose with large grille similar to the European version that expands visually into a two-tone front spoiler. Driving lights that double as daytime running lights flank the opening. A new rear fascia is more squared off than the original, integrates reflectors on either side, and was designed to be used with the sport center exit muffler that also comes as part of the package. 17-inch Weds 10-spoke alloys provide are optional.

The Vitz Modellista Cross Style (red) dresses up the hatch like a Subaru XV, complete with matte black and polished edge alloys and wheel arch guards that give it an off-road capable look. A two-tone matte silver and black front spoiler and matte silver rear molding add to a faux-ruggedness look. The Vitz Modellista Street Style (white) offers sportier front and rear lips, a sport muffler and 20mm lowering springs.

Most interestingly, however, is the Vitz RS Racing, a stripped down version that expects to be modified. With a helical LSD, beefed up suspension bushings and motor mounts, standard 15-inch steelies and a roll-cage, it’s meant for track use in one of Japan’s many compact club racing leagues. A 5-speed manual is the only transmission available.

Though none of these versions are expected to be offered in the US, the Vitz’s new look will likely show up as an updated Yaris in the near future.

A report coming out of Germany finds the next Volkswagen Beetle will spawn a small sub-lineup of retro-styled cars. Volkswagen will be able to grow the Beetle lineup while keeping cost in check because the third front-engined Beetle will ride on the automaker’s modular MQB platform.

One of the proposed models is a tall crossover that will be to the Beetle what the Audi TT offroad concept is to the third-gen TT. Similar in spirit to the Beetle Dune concept that bowed in Detroit, the crossover will feature a noticeable amount of Beetle-sourced design cues but it will look considerably more rugged than a stock Beetle hatchback and feature four doors. A raised ground clearance will help the Beetle crossover get over rough terrain with ease.

Volkswagen insiders told German magazine Auto Bild that the Beetle family will also include a small, family-friendly people-mover whose design will be inspired by the Bulli concept that paid homage to the original Volkswagen Bus. The yet-unnamed van will be taller and slightly longer than a Beetle, and it will feature a spacious interior with room for up to five passengers.

Finally, Volkswagen will launch a sporty version of the Beetle similar to the slow-selling MINI Coupe. Interestingly billed as a heir to the Karmann-Ghia, the car will pack up to 300 horsepower from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will spin all four wheels.

The next Beetle is not expected to launch until 2019 at the very earliest, giving Volkswagen execsplenty of time to decide whether or not the Beetle should turn into a full-fledged lineup.

Young apprentices working at BMW’s Munich and Dingolfing factories have teamed up with their instructors to create a two-seater pickup based on the Paceman crossover.

Called Paceman Adventure, the pickup is mostly identical to the regular Paceman from the tip of the front bumper to the B-pillar. Beyond that, the crossover’s steeply sloping roof has been chopped off and the passenger compartment has been replaced by a small bed protected by metal plates painted black. Cargo is loaded into the back of the Paceman via a functional tail gate.

The apprentices tossed out the Paceman’s space-saver spare tire and replaced it with a more off-road-friendly full-sized unit mounted on the truck’s roof rack. The Paceman’s capacity to leave the beaten path has also been increased by a snorkel that climbs up the A-pillar on the driver’s side.

The pickup truck is finished in Jungle Green Metallic paint job, a color that will be added to the Paceman lineup for the 2015 model year.

BMW’s redesigned entry-level coupe may wear a new 2-Series badge, but its mission in life hasn’t changed: to recapture the magic of the classic 2002 that essentially put the Bayerische Motoren Werke on the map in the United States.

Formerly known as the 1-Series, this model was introduced to fill the void at the bottom of the BMW lineup after the follow-up to the 2002, the 3-Series, gradually grew from its compact roots to become almost a midsizer.

The 2-Series range is anchored by the 228i, but it was the performance-minded M235i that really captured our attention. Can it deliver the experience of a modern-day 2002 Turbo? Join us as we find out.

What is it?

A two-door, four-passenger coupe, the M235i falls under the M Performance banner and is powered by a 3.0-liter TwinPower turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that produces 320 horsepower between 5,800 and 6,000 rpm, and 330 lb-ft of torque at a barely-breathing 1,300-4,500 rpm. As such, BMW says it’s the most powerful vehicle in the M Performance subset, which is not to be confused with the pure M-cars like the M3 or M4.

The engine sends power to the rear wheels through an eight-speed sport automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shift levers. For those inclined to row it themselves, a six-speed manual transmission is offered as a no-charge option. Launch control software allows for a 0-60 time in 4.8-seconds, while the car is electronically limited to a 155-mph top speed.

Our 2-Series tester rides on the adaptive M suspension and its electronically controlled shocks. On-the-fly adjustments are capable with this set up, which is standard on the M235i but an added-cost option on the 2.0-liter, 240-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder 228i model. Additionally, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) are part of the standard M-performance kit, while a mechanical limited-slip differential can be had as an option.

M-Sport braking and variable sport steering are also standard to assist with stopping and steering respectively, while a sport-tuned exhaust system keeps the natural audio track humming.

The M235 is also equipped with standard BMW Assist eCall and its enhanced automatic collision notification and BMW Teleservice for 10 years. Additional functionality is available through BMW ConnectedDrive.

What’s it up against?

The M235i is pitted against the performance versions of the new entry-luxury models coming from BMW’s German rivals, including the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and Audi S3. Yes, we already know they both have four-doors, but they all compete on a similar playing field.

How does it look?

Truthfully? It looks like last year’s 1-Series model that it replaces. Featuring a similar long nose and short rear deck design, it would appear as business as usual unless these two were side by side. With that comparison, it becomes evident that the M235i is longer (2.8-inches), wider (1.3-inches), and with a wheelbase that now extends 1.3-inches more than its predecessor.

The stylized kidney bean-shaped grill remains, but this time around it’s complimented by new cat-like headlamp assemblies and signature daylight LEDs that ring the traditional headlight lenses. Our tester did not include foglamps, as the aggressive look of the M235i under-bumper intake area makes use of that space as a scoop for the BMW efficient dynamics’ Air Curtains, which help to trim airflow around the front wheel wells.

A swage line appears just forward of the A-pillar and carries rearward to the taillamps. A clever design element, its crease breaks up the expanse of sheetmetal and adds strength to the side panels as well. Black trim around the greenhouse makes the area look larger than it actually is, while bling is confined to the headlight surrounds and chrome trim pieces around the grill. A sharkfin antenna and rear decklid spoiler help to round out the list of pieces that make up this smallest BMW.

We were jazzed to see that BMW is joining more manufacturers in the use of gunmetal finishes, as seen in the case of our 18-inch Michelin Pilot-shod alloy wheels. Brake dust? What brake dust? Exactly.

And on the inside?

The Ultimate Driving Machine just wouldn’t exist if the seating accommodations for driver and passengers weren’t up to snuff, and in this case our M235i didn’t disappoint. Well, for the most part, anyway. Our test model was equipped with the black Dakota leather seating package ($1,450) with adjustable sport seats and a cold-weather accessory group ($550) that included a heated steering wheel and seats as well as retractable headlight washers.

While the cold weather group did nothing to improve our lot in Florida, the front seats offered good bolstering and support to keep us in place during an extended jaunt across the state. The rear seat is another matter though, with head- and shoulder room both at a premium.

Our M235i was equipped with the basic connectivity package, which cheaped-out by dispensing with SiriusXM in favor of the (whatsitgoodfor)? HD radio that seems to be floundering in the marketplace. BMW would do well to follow in the footsteps of Hyundai and Kia by including satellite radio as standard. iDrive infotainment makes another appearance here – we’ve found that once you learn the infotainment system’s operation, it becomes second nature. It is paired with a rather basic 6.5-inch display screen. We say spend the extra coin for the available navigation system with its larger screen and touch controller.

But does it go?

The concept behind the M235i, and the 1-Series before it, is to get closer to the sporty heritage of the brand that brought it popularity in the first place. With lithe handling and nearly brute power from the 3.0-liter TwinPower turbo, this dynamo displayed a great deal of playfulness that encouraged us to approach the limits of sensibility more than once. We managed to duplicate the acceleration exercise using the on-board launch control to match the claimed 4.8 second clip to 60 mph.

Sure, it’s fun to go fast, but we were more excited by the ease with which this 2′ managed to flow through the turns and twisties on certain rarely-traveled backroads. Firm, but not to the point of breaking loose your dental fillings, the M235i kept true to steering inputs without a trace of body roll. The chassis dynamic setup guys in Munich are certainly doing something right, based on the feedback we received from the M235i’s suspension while quickly whipping around on South Florida roads.

The standard Drive Dynamics Control (DDC) system, which adjusts the dampers, steering effort, shift logic and throttle calibration, includes settings for Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and ECO Pro mode. Comfort might be just the ticket for around town excursions during stop and go traffic, while we preferred the Sport and Sport+ modes, which do their part to get the adrenaline flowing in a positive fashion. The ECO Pro system with its auto stop/start engine mode became rather tedious as it tends to operate in a rougher fashion than similar systems found in other manufacturer’s vehicles.

The EPA says that this 3535-pounder should be able to get 22/32 city/highway mpg with 25 combined mpg. We didn’t even bother to look. We were having too much fun.

Leftlane’s bottom line:

The new M235i brought back memories of our first BMW experience. Eager to please in nearly every aspect, this coupe reminded us why we were originally so enamored with the brand.

With its power, handling and refinement, we never wanted to leave the M235i’s driver seat. And if the pricing was too rich for our blood, we would be happy with the 228i instead.

2014 BMW M235i base price, $43,100. As tested, $46,575.

Melbourne Red Metallic paint, $550; Dakota Leather Package, $1,450; Cold Weather Package, $550; Destination, $925.

Photos by Mark Elias.