Toyota’s sports car partnership with Subaru might be coming to an end. The tie-up delivered the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, but a recent report shows that Toyota may take its version of the car in a different direction.
A new report from Japan hints at a new partnership between Toyota and Mazda that could yield a Miata-based GR86 in the future. Toyota will reportedly use a Miata platform for the car, but would likely rely on one of its in-house powertrains, including the new four-cylinder engines we’ve been hearing about.
The GR86 has always been a small, fun-to-drive car, but it didn’t have the power it needed to deliver real thrills until an update a few years back. That said, it’s a completely different animal than the Miata, offering four seats (well, two usable seats) and more weight, so a change to a new platform could completely transform the car with better handling and a more playful attitude.
The Subaru BRZ hasn’t seen the best sales numbers in recent times, which could lead to its demise. It’s always been an oddball in the automaker’s catalog, anyway, with its rear-wheel drive format clashing with the rest of the automaker’s all-wheel drive lineup. While the loss of the BRZ would be a bummer, a more powerful GR86 with better handling would not be a bad thing at all.
[Images: Toyota]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Toyota plus BMW. Toyota plus Subaru. Toyota plus Mazda. Toyota minus Subaru plus Mazda. So confusing!!!
Toyota + Chevrolet, Toyota – Chevrolet. Toyota always + Subaru, 20% stake.
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So the Toyota GR86 could end up being a four seater coupe version of the Miata.
