The Toyota/BMW partnership is a wonderful thing to enlightened enthusiasts. Two storied makes (that have lost some petrolhead respect over the years) working together to build fast, exciting, likely hybrid, maybe front-engine, maybe mid-engine, perhaps Porsche-rivaling sports cars? Sign us all up. If any of the rumors are true. Or maybe it would be terrible. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t actually know.
Fortunately, there is a new Toyota sports car to add to the pile, complete with quotes from a real, live Toyota official. Australia’s Drive spoke with Tetsuya Tada, the Chief Engineer responsible for both the GT86/FR-S and the higher-end sports car project with BMW.
When asked if Subaru will co-develop the next GT86, Tada said, “Maybe, but this is not decided at the moment.” He also said, it “is one possibility” BMW could replace Subaru in that role. Does this mean Toyota is kicking Subaru to the curb for BMW? Not yet. However, it is noteworthy because it signals Toyota’s openness and willingness to move on.
Tada is intent on keeping the GT86 naturally aspirated, but also seeks to make it more powerful. For the mid-cycle update due in 2015, a boxer four with a larger displacement or upgraded intakes and exhausts are both possibilities. Looking forward, Tada says, “Maybe next generation 86 must have some kind of eco technology like racing hybrid,” a tie-in with their recent Le Mans racecar.
Toyota’s desire for super-capacitors in its future sports cars aligns well with its hybrid technology cooperation with BMW. Together, they are the clearest signals yet that Subaru may not have much more to offer the company.
By Nico Grant
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