[Perian]

Link: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/ANA02/901310862/1197

TOKYO -- Toyota's long-anticipated sports car will arrive in 2011. It will be jointly developed with Subaru and boast a boxer engine.

The compact, rear-wheel-drive " affordable" car will be built at a new Japanese plant to be set up by Fuji Heavy Industries, parent of the Subaru brand.

The model is part of a sweeping expansion of the tie-up between the Japanese companies.

At a news conference here today, CEO Katsuaki Watanabe also said that Toyota Motor Corp. would boost its stake in Fuji Heavy to 16.5 percent, from its current 8.7 percent.

Toyota will pay 31.1 billion yen ($311 million) for the increased holding, effectively snapping up the last of the shares sold back to Fuji Heavy by General Motors in 2005.

Full article at link.

 

[Perian]

At a news conference here today, CEO Katsuaki Watanabe also said that Toyota Motor Corp. would boost its stake in Fuji Heavy to 16.5 percent, from its current 8.7 percent.

Toyota will pay 31.1 billion yen ($311 million) for the increased holding, effectively snapping up the last of the shares sold back to Fuji Heavy by General Motors in 2005.

Nice move Subaru. GM received $315 million for the entire 20% stake!

 

[vanshmack]

2011 and affordable, ehh?

Once again, the Gen IV pushrod motors will have an opportunity their assert dominance over "more advanced" DOHC mills from Japan.

I'm sure the Camaro fans will be salivating!

 

[BGH]

I find it interesting Toyota will be using a boxer engine instead of their V6 which is probably cheaper to build. Is it possible this thing may have an MR setup?

 

[CamaroCrazy]

Forget Gen IV, where's the Gen V small block with VVT, AFM, and DI? Was it that 4.9L V8 from the Denali concept?

Bring on the Subyota, or Toyaru, or what ever this thing is. A new Supra?

 

[SUPERBADD75]

sorry, but a RWD sports car with a boxer engine sounds really intriguing to me. it sucks that it will wear a Toyota badge, but it could be a pretty cool ride.

 

[tamatt27]

sorry, but a RWD sports car with a boxer engine sounds really intriguing to me. it sucks that it will wear a Toyota badge, but it could be a pretty cool ride.

I agree. It sound like a Solstice competitor a bit. 2011 huh?...the Solstice should be all new by then right? TT DI Ecotec Solstice targa GXP

 

[vanshmack]

sorry, but a RWD sports car with a boxer engine sounds really intriguing to me. it sucks that it will wear a Toyota badge, but it could be a pretty cool ride.

It could just be a variant of the flat-4 in the WRX, or a flat-6. I guess my question would have to be "Why?". And I ask it if GM were doing the same thing, too.

It seems like that if Toyo wanted to compete, they could just use the 3.5 from the IS. There is no tangible selling point to using a horizontally-opposed engine, other than saying "Hey, look at the new 2011 Toyota RS2 Million, now with the same kind of engine as a Porsche".

Just my .02!

 

[skylark68]

Well, the last "affordable" Toyota Sports Car was the ragtop MR2. It sucked badly. Maybe the next one with a Subaru powerplant will perform better. I wonder if it will be badged as a Subaru also? Seems unfair to me if it wasn't.

Give me the Challenger or the Camaro over either anyday.

 

[LONGHORN]

I stated this on another thread,its frustrating to think GM did not take full advantage of its partnership with Suburu. This car in developement should be an upcoming Pontiac. Heck Pontiac should have gotten a reskin version of Suburu's STI. Imagine the cult following that would have started............

 

[momo67]

Uh, hello. RWD with a boxer engine...can you say Porsche? And it'll probably be 1/3 the price of a 911 and at least 20% cheaper than a Boxster.

 

[ericmvest]

sorry, but a RWD sports car with a boxer engine sounds really intriguing to me. it sucks that it will wear a Toyota badge, but it could be a pretty cool ride.

If Subaru designs it, it more than likely will be a pretty ugly ride.

 

[vanshmack]

Uh, hello. RWD with a boxer engine...can you say Porsche? And it'll probably be 1/3 the price of a 911 and at least 20% cheaper than a Boxster.

So, boxer automatically means high-performance? There are plenty of 150 HP Imprezas on the streets that will beg to differ.

 

[ericmvest]

I stated this on another thread,its frustrating to think GM did not take full advantage of its partnership with Suburu. This car in developement should be an upcoming Pontiac. Heck Pontiac should have gotten a reskin version of Suburu's STI. Imagine the cult following that would have started............

From what I heard, Subaru was not a cooperative partner and that is why General Motors wanted out.

 

[vxl]

From what I heard, Subaru was not a cooperative partner and that is why General Motors wanted out.

I read that as well but it didn't take them long to cooperate with Toyota.

 

[EldoFan]

So, boxer automatically means high-performance? There are plenty of 150 HP Imprezas on the streets that will beg to differ.

:clap::clap:

 

[D C]

I stated this on another thread,its frustrating to think GM did not take full advantage of its partnership with Suburu. This car in developement should be an upcoming Pontiac. Heck Pontiac should have gotten a reskin version of Suburu's STI. Imagine the cult following that would have started............

Boxer engines and AWD technology. GM didn't put any of it to good use.

 

[vsd]

This car is supposed to be a light weight rwd inspired by the Corolla AE86. I don't think it'll be anywhere in Porsche's league, or a new Supra. If anything it'll be the new Celica or possibly, but not probably an MR2. Subaru will probably make it an Impreza Coupe.

 

[Mplsspyder]

Found this-

Toyota, Subaru Rear-Drive Coupe A Go

UPDATE: Automotive News is reporting that Toyota has confirmed the arrival of both sportscars for 2011.

When Toyota bought into Subaru a few years ago, auto pundits assumed that the companies would start sharing brainpower at some point. Now Britain’s Autocar magazine says it has the first evidence that the companies are working on a new vehicle together — a rear-drive sportscar that would be sold by both companies.

Autocar has also published a sketch of one of the cars on its Web site. According to the report, the new car will be a spiritual successor to the Corolla GT from the mid-80s, but will be based on Impreza mechanicals. Priced from about $20,000, it could give Toyota a replacement for its MR2 Spyder and its Celica.

The magazine’s sources claim that the new sportscar will be small, light and fast. They also say the 2+2 will be powered by a version of Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat-four engine, making it the first Subaru engine to take a place in a Toyota vehicle.

Base cars would have a 175-horsepower version, but the turbocharged 2.5-liter four from Subaru could also make its way into the car. However, Subaru’s hallmark all-wheel-drive system would be left off to save weight, or could be available on a single version of the new models.

Subaru will build both cars in a plant in Japan, with a production time frame in 2010.

 

[TheGeneral]

Subaru+affordable=Disaster