2012 Toyota/Subaru RWD Sports Coupe To Hit The Market
We have said Toyota was plain boring before especially when it comes to sports cars or even “sporty” coupes. The question I have been asking for several years now, where is Toyota’s AE86 Corolla for the new millennium? Well, I think they have answered my question (and prayers). Toyota and Subaru, in a joint venture, plan to introduce a rear-wheel-drive sports coupe in 2011 or 2012.
Subaru is already an exciting brand but it is pretty sad that it takes Subaru to inject some excitement into Toyota. But anyway, it is going to happen and it is putting a big smile on my face already!
Road and Track explains in their July 2009 publication that Toyota will be entering into the affordable sports-coupe game with a new RWD model sporting 200hp and a $20K to $25K price tag. Those numbers remind me of the seventh generation 2000-2006 Toyota Celica only this time it will be rear-wheel-drive sports coupe.
Powering the coupe will be a Subaru 2.0 liter flat-4 power plant with 200hp and 145 lb-ft. of torque. Road and Track is predicting that the car will weigh in at about 2700 lbs. That would make this a pretty quick car pushing 0-60mph around 6 seconds or better. The chassis will be based off of the Subaru Impreza and Legacy and code-named 086A which is, as you may have guessed, reminiscent of the 1983-1987 Corolla/Levin AE86. Time for some drifting!
The joint venture is more along the lines of the brother-hood of Toyota and Pontiac building the Toyota Matrix along side of the Pontiac Vibe. Now with the out of Pontiac, Toyota will be forming some new alliances and this is one that I am really looking forward to!
This sounds like a tuners dream car! I can only imagine the mods that come out for this thing. Should we call up BMW and tell them they have a contender for the 135i? Okay, I am jumping the gun.
[source: Road and Track]
Other image renderings of the Toyota/Subaru 086A RWD Sports Coupe
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Malcolm on Thu, 4th Jun 2009 8:57 am
Larry,
Other rumors have said this will be either the “new” Celica or Scion tC.
Sue @ Used Cars on Tue, 9th Jun 2009 2:57 am
I am not a huge fan of the coupe, but this is a very different looking little car. Whether I would think of buying it I very much doubt it.
dave hart on Tue, 19th Jan 2010 9:16 am
Who has said “We have said Toyota was plain boring before especially when it comes to sports cars or even “sporty” coupes” Larry?
Seems like someone forgot the Toyota Supra.
Larry on Tue, 19th Jan 2010 9:25 am
Hi Dave,
I believe I was referring to AFTER 1998 when Toyota did not have the Supra. Everyone knows that the Supra was and still is one of the best Sports cars to come from Japan. We are talking about a gap of about 12 years that Toyota was “boring”.
Thanks for the comment Dave.
Rob on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 4:05 pm
I was jumping off the walls when I read the ft-86 was going into production. but if these new renderings are what is comming out, you can forget it! looks like borring is back.