Subaru is indeed working on a next-generation BRZ with partner Toyota. This information was confirmed by Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, president of Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company.

Despite stories stating that BRZ (and Toyota 86 and Scion FR-S) sales volumes are too small to warrant investment in variations, it appears that the model will continue for another generation, Yoshinaga revealed in an interview with Automototive News. In fact, just this week the idea of an electric turbocharger was floated by STI head Yoshio Hirakawa.

Yoshinaga also stated that a plug-in hybrid is planned for release in 2018, built to satisfy markets with strict emissions regulations. The car is not expected to sell in Japan.

In fact, limiting sales is something Yoshinaga says Subaru might need to do across the board. The automaker’s meteoric rise in sales has been the fairy tale story of the auto industry, but Yoshinaga wants to cap sales at 1 million per year. US sales are expected to hit 600,000 this year, up from 513,693 in 2014, which will mark the seventh consecutive year of record growth.

Placing a cap on on sales will preserve Subaru’s “niche appeal,” says Yoshinaga, and at this point no new factories are planned. “Many companies try to be bigger or sell more vehicles. If Subaru does the same thing, we will lose our characteristics,” Yoshinaga told Automotive News.

Lada has introduced a brand new crossover called XRAY in its home country of Russia. The XRAY signals the company’s intent to ditch its ultra-low-cost image and move up a notch on the market.

The XRAY is built on Renault-Nissan’s B0 platform, a unit that also underpins Nissan’s Juke, NV200, and the defunct Cube. Lada promises the XRAY features no less than 500 brand-specific parts including a front end whose X-shaped design is inspired by the 2012 XRAY concept and heavily sculpted side panels.

Official pictures of the cabin haven’t been published yet. However, the car allegedly ships with niceties not usually found in a Lada such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, USB and AUX ports, parking sensors, manual A/C, as well as power doors and locks. Select trim levels might even be offered with a touch screen-based infotainment system.

Base models come with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 105 horsepower. Mid-range models get an evolution of the 1.6-liter tuned to deliver 113 ponies, while the range-topping mill is a 1.8-liter unit that generates 121 horsepower. All engines come standard with a manual transmission that spins the front wheels, though the bigger four can be ordered with an automatic gearbox at an extra cost.

The Lada XRAY is scheduled to go on sale across Russia in February of next year, and it will be sold in a host of neighboring eastern European countries shortly after. Pricing information will be published in the weeks leading up to its on-sale date.

BMW-owned Rolls-Royce has announced the very first Dawn built for the United States market will be auctioned off for charity.

Customized by the car maker’s Bespoke division, the auction-bound Dawn will be finished in an elegant hue called Arctic white, and it will gain a contrasting deep red soft top as well as a thin strip of dark red trim right below the belt line. The two-tone look is set to continue inside with white trim that matches the body and consort red leather upholstery on the seats, the dashboard, and the door panels.

Power will come from a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine tuned to send 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls’ newest convertible sprints from zero to 62 mph in under five seconds.

Well-heeled individuals interested in becoming the first Dawn owner in the United States will need to attend the 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festival that will kick off on January 29th of next year in Naples, Florida. The car will be built in February of 2016, and it is scheduled to be flown from Rolls-Royce’s headquarters in Goodwood, England, to its new home the following April.

Rolls-Royce says Dawn #1 is worth over $400,000 — at least $65,000 more than a base model –, but it hasn’t revealed how much it expects the droptop will sell for.

With the 2015 edition of SEMA winding down, our weekend editor Ben Hsu took some time away from drooling all over Mazdas to shoot some photos for the Leftlane gallery. We’ll have stories going live throughout the day with snippets from this, but if you just want to look at the pretty pictures, this is your one-stop shop.

Enjoy!

Bookending its four-cylinder-powered 1967 Nova, Chevrolet has unveiled a 1970 Camaro RS packing a supercharged 6.2L V8 at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The SEMA Camaro uses the same basic LT4 V8 engine used in the Corvette Z06, giving the vintage muscle car a decidedly modern dose of power — 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque to be exact. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

Chevy is using the SEMA concept as a way to promote its LT4 aftermarket crate motor.

“Chevrolet Performance pioneered the concept of high-performance crate engines and the LT4 represents a new threshold in technologically advanced, production-based choices for builders,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Whether it’s in a classic Camaro, like this resto-mod concept, or a vintage truck or street rod, the possibilities are almost endless – and that’s exactly how we continue to fuel the dreams of enthusiasts.”

In addition to its upgraded engine, the 1970 Camaro concept also features a sports suspension, Z06-based disc brakes and 19-inch wheels. The concept is finished is Hyper Blue Metallic, which is an optional paint color for the current sixth-generation Camaro.

Builders interested in recreating the 1970 Camaro restso-mod can buy the LT4 engine from Chevrolet Performance for $15,625.

Live images by Ben Hsu.