Interesting announcement from Subaru

[PaulDexler]

My daily blog from Automotive News included this this morning:

Toyota sports car to arrive in 2011 with Subaru engine

Hans Greimel
Automotive News
April 10, 2008 - 10:46 am ET

TOKYO -- Toyota's long-anticipated sports car will arrive in 2011. It will be jointly developed with Su-baru 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. Each company will market the car separately and badge it as its own. 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.

Under the growing partnership, Toyota will supply Fuji Heavy with a compact car. Fuji Heavy also will start receiving minivehicles -- cars with engines no bigger than 660cc -- from Toyota affiliate Daihatsu, start-ing in 2009.

No more minicars
Fuji Heavy will eventually jettison all of its own minicar development.
Under the hood of the sports car will be Subaru's trademark horizontally opposed engine. The companies did not say how many cylinders the engine will have. The car will sit on a new Subaru platform and be " de-signed" by Toyota, the companies said. " I think there is high potential for this car," Watanabe said, adding that it will be sold in Japan and overseas. " We haven't had a sports car for a long time. This is a long-awaited-for model." Pricing would be " not prohibitively high," he said.

Other details, such as engine displacement and production volume, are under wraps. But Fuji Heavy President Ikuo Mori said he has driven the test vehicle and is pleased.
" I'm confident we have an excellent car," Mori said.

New Fuji plant
Fuji Heavy will build a plant next to its Gunma Oizumi engine and transmission factory to manufacture the sports car. It will start operation in late 2011. Work there may expand to include other Toyota-commissioned vehicles, Mori said. Fuji Heavy is deciding how big to make the plant and how much money to invest.

The new car fills a gap left by the retirement of the MR2 two-seater. Toyota's midengined MR2 dates back to 1984. It was rechristened the MRS in 1999 and retired last year. Other sporty models over the years have included the Celica, which was discontinued in 2006, and the Supra, on the roads for nearly a quarter of a century from 1978 to 2002.

Watanabe said the success of the joint manufacturing at Fuji Heavy's Lafayette, Ind., plant pushed him to go ahead with the sports car. That plant now makes Camrys for Toyota. " We thought what might be the next step," he said. " Fuji Heavy is a very reliable partner. I hope to identify new areas for collaboration as we continue with the relationship."

Thought you all would be interested.

Paul

[Hocrest]

Am I the only one that read that as

blah blahblah a rwd transmission that will bolt to an eg33 blah blah blah

[subeman90]

now your talking!

[Crazy_pilot]

What I'm seeing is: A Subaru engineered platform with a body/interior designed by Toyota. Could we be on the verge of seeing a good looking new Subie? Dare I hope?

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Crazy_pilot

What I'm seeing is: A Subaru engineered platform with a body/interior designed by Toyota. Could we be on the verge of seeing a good looking new Subie? Dare I hope?

Yeah like the Tercel wagon, 1st gen Rav4 and the ever stylish Corolla

[Manarius]

Please don't say they're going to stick a Subaru engine in a car with a Toyota badge. That's just blasphemy.

[Speedklix]

Originally Posted by benebob

Yeah like the Tercel wagon, 1st gen Rav4 and the ever stylish Corolla

...if it has the taillights of the lexus Is, I'm in... I have an odd obsession with them recently

[Nomake Wan]

Originally Posted by Manarius

Please don't say they're going to stick a Subaru engine in a car with a Toyota badge. That's just blasphemy. That is madness!

Madness?

THIS
IS
MERGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to see this car, honestly. Should be pretty cool.

(And the current Impreza sedan looks like a Toyota anyway...)

[JaySVX]

Other than RWD celica's, early MR2's, and late 80's/early 90's supras, there's not much I like about toyota. They've left the sports car era, and are doing economy class vehicles, which are valued at a dime a dozen. Nothing stands out about their vehicles. I just hope this is done right...

[Nomake Wan]

Originally Posted by JaySVX

Other than RWD celica's, early MR2's, and late 80's/early 90's supras, there's not much I like about toyota. They've left the sports car era, and are doing economy class vehicles, which are valued at a dime a dozen. Nothing stands out about their vehicles. I just hope this is done right...

Hmm...kinda like Subaru's current lineup!

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by Manarius

Please don't say they're going to stick a Subaru engine in a car with a Toyota badge. That's just blasphemy.

Way better than the Chevy-badged Foresters GM was selling in India.

Just what the world needs; another "sports" car. Gas will soon cost four bucks per gallon. Somebody wake me when Subaru announces a revolutionary, high-mileage, sporty commuter (that's not upchuck-ugly).

dcb

[benebob]

Originally Posted by JaySVX

Other than RWD celica's, early MR2's, and late 80's/early 90's supras, there's not much I like about toyota. They've left the sports car era, and are doing economy class vehicles, which are valued at a dime a dozen. Nothing stands out about their vehicles. I just hope this is done right...

In another word, the buick of japan!

[JaySVX]

Originally Posted by Nomake Wan

Hmm...kinda like Subaru's current lineup!

The WRX STi is quite standing out. Speed close to the fastest of corvettes, for less than half the price, with all the modern technologies available. When's the last time Toyota did something interesting? Last time I thought about them was when they re-introduced the MR2 in early 2000's.

[svxistentialist]

Thanks for the info Paul, that is interesting all right.

Subaru had a pretty concept car at the Tokyo 2003 show. They called it the B9 Scrambler. [nothing related to the Tribeca SFAIK] It was supposed to be AWD with variable height suspension for off road stuff, and it was meant to have a hybrid engine.

If it comes out looking as good as that concept did, it would sell by the shed-loads.

Joe

[JaySVX]

I was just about to post something about the b9 scrambler too... But it looks like it'll finally be competition to the Miata. The Saturn Sky, Dodge Demon, and another that escapes me, came close, but failed, in weight, power, maneuverability, comfort, virtually every category. But at least people are trying.