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The most hotly anticipated model of the New York Auto Show, Scion’s version of the Toyota FT-86 sports coupe concept, finally made its world premiere today. The study is named FR-S, which stands for ‘Front-Engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport’, though we prefer the definition given by Jack Hollis, Scion vice president, during the New York Show presentation.

“FR-S stands for Front-engine… Rear-wheel drive… Sport. Pretty simple. I personally believe it should stand for Friggin’ Really Sweet… but the legal department at Toyota was NOT feeling the same way,” said Hollis.

The first thing most readers will notice about the FR-S is the refined design compared to the latest concept version of the Toyota FT-86, shown in Geneva this past March. Though it’s hard to pinpoint all the changes without having the cars side by side, the photos reveal a tweaked front end with revamped headlamps and a different bumper design without the aftermarket like add-on LED strips.

The ninth-generation Honda Civic made its world premiere in New York today. The new Civic’s highlights are a mildly revised style and a fuel-efficient lineup, made up of the following models: the conventional gasoline-powered Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, the high-performance Civic Si Coupe and Sedan, the Civic Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas and the Civic HF (an all-new high fuel economy model).

For 2012, Honda announces higher fuel economy ratings, up by as much as 8 percent on the highway in the Civic Sedan and Coupe models equipped with automatic transmissions.

The base model Civic DX Coupe has an MSRP starting price of $15,605 (€10,750), which is unchanged from the outgoing model. The base Civic Sedan and Coupe models are powered by a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine that delivers 140 horsepower and 128 lb-ft (173.5 Nm) of torque.

There has been a lot of conversation lately about electric cars and racing, with some even talking about introducing the technology into the F1 stage. Nissan, on its part, has a lot to gain in terms of awareness given the brands focus on the development of dedicated electric vehicles like the Leaf.

With this in mind, the Japanese carmaker developed a purpose-built prototype racer loosely based on the production Leaf that will receive its first public outing at the 2011 New York International Auto Show . Compared to the production model, the Lead NISMO RC (for Racing Competition), does away with the rear doors, rear seat, trunk, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, while gaining a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter.