Toyota, Subaru Joining Forces for Small Sports Car

Toyota fans have been jonesing for a sports car ever since the Supra was discontinued in 1998. They’ve been clamoring for a small sporty car of any kind since the Celica was euthanized in 2005. Now they can rejoice: Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe has confirmed his company is working jointly with Subaru to develop a small, affordable, rear-wheel-drive sports car. 

Check that: it’s actually two small, rear-wheel-drive sports cars — one for Toyota and one for Subaru. According to Automotive News, both will be powered by a Subaru supplied boxer engine similar to what’s currently under the hood of Subaru’s Impreza, Legacy and Forester.

This isn’t the only confirmation, as a Subaru executive said he’s driven the test vehicle already. Expect the new car to go on sale in 2011. Plans are for a Japan introduction with overseas markets to follow and presumably, the U.S. will be included. If you’d be willing to put money down at your local Toyota or Subaru dealer for one, let us know in the comments below. 

Comments

I would rather see an electric car or hybrid developed that looks like a sporty car. I don't think the engines in the Subaru impreza are all that impressive. They may makes some horsepower with a turbo, but they aren't all that fuel efficient even without the turbo. It just seems like there has been any improvement there in the last 5-6 years.

sczech,
they're also powering four wheels. These sports cars would be RWD so should see better mpg. Also I'd hope it's a newer version of that engine by 2011. Subaru is about due for a replacement of it.

Fuel efficient or not, that boxer engine is a lovely engine for a sportscar - throbby and burbling. It reminds me of the old Alfasud engine...

I understand that the impreza is 4 wheel drive, but is it the added weight that causes the drop in fuel efficiency or the losses associated with 4 wheel drive, or neither? I see a camry that weighs well more than the impreza gets better mileage. Yeah it doesn't have 4 wheel drive though. I think a toyota engine in there would probably do better... but I am all for more cars that are sporty or sports.

As for Mart, that is funny that you say that. I always thought that subaru's had a burbly kind of sound too, but I never thought it was a good thing. To each his own.

I think it's a difference between whether you want a quiet car which is probably a bit characterless or whizzy at the top end, or something a little louder, a little more characterful...

It's a similar thing to saying you prefer the sound of a lexus V8 over that of a Shelby Cobra engine.

For me, a sports car should have a memorable sound. A boxer is very distinctive. The impreza has always sounded lovely, even without the blunderbuss exhaust pipes they are often found with. There is a whiff of old school about it, to the days when cars idled a little roughly but you'd want to blast down mountain passes all day just to hear the noise reflecting off the walls...

For me, i'd rather have the Boxer (even with its admitted inefficiencies) over a regular straight 4, even a good one like a VTEC.

Doubtful that Toyota would go with the boxer, and Subie to be not having AWD.

Actually the Boxer engine only sounds odd, but it's smoother than an I4. Because the pistons are acted on agaisnt each other.

As for fuel economy, I don't know what sczech is talking about, sure the Camry weighs more than the Imprezza, but it's an "understressed" six verses a High output 4. The gearing is probably completely different, the parasitic driveline loss, etc. etc. etc.

Still what dissapoints me is that so many great engines on the market right now are going into SUVs instead of sporty cars. Honda's Turbo 4 in the RDX, the Subaru H6 in the Tribecca, etc.

Still I bought a used MR-S last year and I love it. (I traded in a WRX for it, ironicly) I don't know why Toyota pulled the plug on this thing so early, but I'd bet it has to do with their supplying engines to Lotus.

Still it's about time automakers focused on small sporty (or outright sports) cars. I'm sick of SUV's. It's like a bad nightmare every time a new one is introduced, it's made being a car-fan boring and that's saying a lot.

I'm no enviromentalist, but I'd hate to think that 20 years from now I won't be able to get gas for a small sports car because a generation of baby boomers decided they NEEDED 4-twenty inch spinner-drive on Florida interstate in July with the A/C running.

Infosaur,

I wasn't talking about a 6, but a 4 cyl to 4 cyl comparison. But even then I don't understand the point about being understressed. Wouldn't a compact car be engineered to get better gas mileage? If you want to say one is a performance car, from R&T I see a Camry V6 does 0-60 in 6.1 sec. and a WRX STI does it in 5.0 sec, so I would assume the regular WRX is somewhere in between, but the Camry beats it in fuel mileage. The Camry is heavier by over 300lbs yet the it gets better gas mileage. Not to mention the WRX goes on premium. Do you think the gearing and AWD is what changes that? I guess I could buy that for the WRX but not the standard Impreza. My original point was that I don't think Subaru's engines are all that great.

Infosaur,

Are you sure that the engine supplied to Lotus is the same as the ones used in the MR-S?
If I am not mistaken, the MR-S uses the 1ZZ-FED, while the Lotus is getting the 2ZZ-GE.

Fast acceleration does not a sports car make...I think I remember hitting on a similar point recently over a Sienna having almost as fast acceleration as a diesel Audi TT.

In regards fuel consumption, I think the Boxer engine is inherently inefficient. I'm not sure why, but Subarus have never boasted the best economy figures. Combined with 4WD it would definately have a negative impact on economy. But i'm not sure economy is the reason people buy a Subaru, generally.

Yes, it's a compact car, but even base models are often made as they are the quirky alternative, with an unusual engine etc.

I personally own a 08 Subaru Legacy SE 5-spd manual. The car is fantastic, the experience in driving is fulfilling, the engine sound is awesome but you are all right - the mileage stinks!

In the winter time here in Pittsburgh the AWD is great but the mileage is really disheartening.

I've gotten better mileage in a brand new Infiniti M45 V8 AWD. It's all about what you like and want. The Legacy has one of the best emissions ratings also. PZEV to be exact, Partial Zero Emission Vehicle.

Just some food for thought.

The mileage of Subaru is really average amongst it peers with similar output engines.

The weight plays a small part in the MPG loss. The major reason that Subaru's deliver less MPG is they use a full time active AWD system. It has many benefits over nearly all other AWD as its already engaged not after the fact and likely too late. It is also less reliant on traction control systems and simpler. The major downfall of course is that it has the drivetrain loss that in turn give you 2-3MPG less. Many other AWD systems are essentially RWD or FWD and engage the other sets wheels when needed but sometimes too late.

Good point Rami. The newer cleaner Subarus get less mileage than their predecessors. The technology of pollution control systems is all backwards. Add-ons and drag down afterthoughts. Time for a whole new concept of clean engines that don't rob efficiency and economy.

I thought the point of Rami's post was that the AWD system is what saps mileage, not the pollution systems. After reading about various AWD systems I believe this is a very valid point, however I don't know if the others come into play too late, I think Subaru might be going for overkill by having it on all the time. I think the newer pollution control systems actually improve mileage over old technologies, ie VTECH, Variable valve timing, etc.

I think that one of the better features of the boxer engine lies in that it provides the car with a lower center of gravity. This helps with handling. I was hoping that they would have located the engine behind the driver. Just imagine a boxer engine behind the driver; who else does that? But since it seems like it is going to be a front engine. I hope they have enough sense to place it behind the front wheels (kind of like the Miata engine) so as to get a more balance weight distribution (closer to 50:50). Oh, an a good sports car suspension, plus steering with lots of feedback (15:1).

If the car was competitive on price and performance with the upcoming new Z car, I might get one. I would probably prefer the Subaru as I have been less than impressed with my local Toyota dealers.

A boxer engine has a lower center of gravity.

THIS IS GOOD.

And i'm sure toyota has a couple of tricks they could learn subaru, to improve fuel economy.
If they put piëzo injectors in them, then the fuel economy will be way better, toyota has the technology to do this.

All I can say is this car is not supposed to be eco friendly or fuel efficent, if you want that, then don't get this car. As for me, it's about time toyota brought something out that is not meant to be eco friendly or save me gas, something that is sporty and would be a fun car to drive on the road and track. I never though that they would come out with a sporty car since they are making a killer on the hybrids here in america.

I won't get into what makes a good sports car or debate anybody,but I will say that if this car actually comes out to what its been expected to be: lightweight, agile, short wheelbase, etc... then I will consider getting it. Its tough to say if it will be better than my honda s2000.

Wow. What a sexy mix.