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Toyota and Subaru will launch their jointly-developed sport coupe in late 2011. Fuji Heavy Industries is the parent company of Subaru. Testing is almost complete and the design team is making their final adjustments. The vehicle is expected to be “very comfortable and fuel-efficient”. It features a low center of gravity that will instill driver confidence.
Spy photographers have captured a few images of Subaru’s version of Toyota FT-86. The prototype is reportedly undergoing hot-weather testing in an American desert.
Come November 2011, and Toyota will be ready with its FT-86. The production version of the car is said to be almost 50 per cent complete. Though not many details have been revealed, it is being speculated that the car would be attached with a price tag of 2.5 million yen ($28,610 / €22,000).
If you would remember, the Toyota FT-86 was earlier been in the news for having been delayed till 2013. However, the latest reports that suggest a November 2011 launch have brought more discussions on the new Toyota offering.
What we get to know is that the new Toyota FT-86 would be based on a design similar to the concept that had been shown to us earlier. Though there might be minor modifications, the overall shape and design are said to be more or less the same. The concept was shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
The concept car had been showcased then with a Subaru 2.0-liter Boxer engine, six-speed manual transmission, ADVICS brakes, and rear-wheel drive. Get set for the latest Toyota offering soon. By the way, what do you think about the pricing?
[via 7tune]
The fate of the Toyota FT-86 Sports Car hangs in the balance as Toyota has decided to postpone the production and launch of the vehicle for another two years. The exact reason is not yet known but the speculation is that Toyota is not happy with the concept designs.
Also, if Toyota goes ahead with the production and unveils the car by next year, the financial scenario will not be ideal and hence it cold result in poor sales.
Toyota had plans to team up with Subaru a couple of years back but then again, the economic situations made Toyota put the project on hold. Toyota still went ahead with the production in 2009 and even unveiled a concept at the Toyota Motor Show in the same year. Now again, the design has been rejected and the hopefuls will probably have to hang around for a couple of years.
We want Toyota .. we want!
Toyota might be the highest automobile manufacturing brand in the world but even then it needs to fill the void in the compact roadster segment. Instead of raising or developing a new platform altogether, Toyota is thinking on the lines of manufacturing a less-expensive version of the FT-86 sports car. The touted model will be a rear-wheel driven commuter with a front-mounted engine. It will be powered by Toyota’s very own 3SZ-VE engine which is a 1.5 liter 4-banger with 109 bhp power output. The current FT-86 sports car which has been developed together by Subaru and Toyota is expected to go on sale soon.
