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AutoCar procured a sketch of the oft-rumored and all-but-confirmed lightweight coupe that's being jointly developed between Subaru and Toyota, and their sources confirm that the final design will be signed off in July. According to the Brit pub, both automakers will have their own version of the rear-wheel-drive, two-door, powered by Subaru's own 175 hp, 2.0-liter boxer engine. A 2.5-liter, turbocharged version is also being considered, which might send power to all four wheels in a nod to the historic Celica GT4. Sales are expected to begin in Japan, the UK and North America in 2010. Here's hoping they can keep it under the $20k mark when it hits U.S.shores.

At a press conference in Japan today, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe finally confirmed that his company is jointly developing a pair of rear-wheel-drive sports cars with Subaru. Each brand will get its own version of the car, which will be powered by one of Subaru's boxer engines, though the engine's displacement, power output and even number of cylinders is not yet known. We're also not sure if the Subaru version will feature the brand's trademark all-wheel-drive system either as an option or standard equipment, or whether Toyota might offer AWD as well in an homage to the Celica GT4 (we hope so!). The styling will most likely resemble the sketch that was leaked out yesterday, though we don't expect one car to be a rebadged version of the other. Mark your calendars for 2011, which is when the new sports cars are scheduled to arrive. They'll be riding on a brand new platform and be built in Japan at a new plant by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Toyota also confirmed rumors this morning that it will be buying up more of Fuji, raising its stake in the company from 8.7% to 16.5%.

These RWD sports cars will mean a lot for both companies, as Subaru hasn't offered a performance coupe since the slightly odd SVX, and Toyota all but abandoned performance models after the Supra, Celica and MR2 were cancelled.

complacent wrote:giggity.

complacent wrote:giggity.

complacent wrote:giggity.

WRXWagon2112 wrote: rear-wheel-drive, two-door, powered by Subaru's own 175 hp, 2.0-liter boxer engine. A 2.5-liter, turbocharged version is also being considered,

Toyota hearts Subaru
Toyota and Subaru are lighting the scented candles, cranking up the Marvin Gaye and settling down for a frantic bout of rear-wheel-drive coupe-making.
Yes, the two Japanese companies have confirmed that they are combining to develop a pair of rear-drive sports cars, set to arrive in late 2010.
This is big news: Toyota has quietly slipped out of the performance car game with the demise of the Supra, Celica and MR2, while Subaru hasn't had a proper coupe since the SVX, which died in 1997.
Some less reputable sites have published so-called first-sketches of the coupe, but naturally we've taken the far more sensible measure of taping together a SVX and an MR2 for our interpretation. What do you think? No?
The coupes' engines will come from Subaru, so expect a two-litre, four-cylinder boxer followed by a version of the 2.5-litre boxer found in the Impreza STi.
In fact, both cars could sit on a modified Impreza platform, but word is that they'll differ significantly in the looks department.
Probably good news for Toyota, that, given Subaru's penchant for, erm, unadventurous styling.
We mock, but the thought of a pair of tail-happy coupes with a boxer thrum and Japanese build quality makes us inordinately happy.
The only question is what to call the joint development: the Subayota SVXMR2 doesn't really have much of a ring to it...

Cereb Daithi wrote: Top Gear is commenting on it... and included their own rendering of what they think it'll look like

avriette wrote:I, for one, welcome our new two-motor overlords.

Subaru Owner Newsletter - April 2008 wrote:Subaru and Toyota to Jointly Develop Sports Car

Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), parent company of Subaru of America, Inc., recently announced that it will team up with Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in the development of a new compact sports car.

The groundbreaking relationship means more good things are in store for FHI and the Subaru brand, including a new manufacturing facility at FHI's Gunma plant and the development of the all-new vehicle to be marketed by Toyota and Subaru.

The all-new Subaru compact sports car will be powered by a horizontally-opposed Boxer engine and is expected to come to the United States in late 2011. We'll keep you posted on this exciting development so watch for more details!

AutoBlog wrote:One topic of debate that began raging after Toyota and Subaru officially announced their collaboration on a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupe was how the Toyobaru would be marketed, particularly with both brands getting their own models. Apparently, Subaru execs share our concerns.

Subaru has branded itself as the purveyor of competent, multi-purpose vehicles that begin and end with one distinct feature: all-wheel-drive. By adding another vehicle into its lineup lacking that core trait, Subaru risks diluting its hard-earned image, not to mention going toe-to-toe with the Toyota monolith by selling a badge-engineered variant.

Automotive News spoke with Fuji Heavy Industries overseas sales chief, Mat Nagato, who said, "We may lose our longstanding territory, or we may lose the great niche brand image. The potential risk is there. We have to be very smart on marketing strategy." This issue has to be weighed against the short-term gain of a new, inexpensive model for enthusiasts and Subaru's continued growth, but the simple solution would be to nix the Subaru version altogether, allow Toyota to brand the new coupe as its own and rake in the cash provided by the partnership. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, so the only thing Subaru can do now is make an attempt to differentiate its own version from Toyota's, while praying that consumers won't forget what "Makes a Subaru a Subaru."

WRXWagon2112 wrote: Subaru Worried that RWD Coupe May Dilute Brand

both Toyota and Subaru models will employ a revised version of the naturally aspirated boxer 2.0-liter unit generating around 220 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox from the current Impreza WRX STI.