Production of MR2 stopped in 2007; new car will be a coupé instead of roadster

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by reni

I head sad trombone inside my head every time I see this car

It's another Toyota fish face this one's a puffer.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by krayzie

It's another Toyota fish face this one's a puffer.

May of been what started the whole look since the render is from 2011!

[gymratter]

did some digging, looks like more rehash rumors of a "mid engine BMW & Toyota/Lexus sports car".

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-sho...-new-supra-z7/

also rereading the evo article, Tada san was never quoted saying anything about a new MR2. only that Toyota wants a 3 sports car line up.

Speaking to Evo at the Geneva Motor Show, Tetsuya Tada - Gazoo Racing’s boss - said that Toyota’s sports car line-up will consist of “The Three Brothers”. By that, he means the GT86, the Supra, and - the motoring world is assuming - a new MR2.

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/it-...-as-the-supra/

[DrifterD]

I dig it.

[teamturbo]

Eh, $10 says the Supra will basically be a rebadged BMW or Mercedes. Expensive, no longer a "Toyota". Somewhere along the lines of a Corvette + in price. It will be too heavy and hyper loaded with gadgetry.

MR2...I don't see happening, but would be interesting. Either way, it will probably suck and be heavy. Every day, these companies are distancing themselves further and further from the classics they once produced. NSX is a perfect example of taking a very high performance car that was attainable, and turning it into an elite space shuttle like vehicle that costs as much as a Lamborghini.

FR-S is an outlier in recent history and will go down as a classic sports car 30yrs from now, like the S2000.

Day by day, I'm becoming more interested in cars with less gadgetry and more about performance and purity. That's what made me fall in love with the FR-S. Contemplating picking up a low mile supercharged Elise / Exige for 35-55K as a weekend sports car and call it good. Not the fastest, but who cares. Hella fun and it's something none of the car companies are doing.

[SCQTT]

What do the twins weigh now? 2,800ish on a good day? For a 300HP version you are going to be at 3,300 and 35K.

Sure it is fairly easy to get 300 with bolt-ons, lots of people do it, but Toyota Corporate can't do that. There are a million reasons why they can't. It was engineered for 200HP maybe 250, that is why it is fairly light. Add a bunch more power and things start to get wonky. That's OK for the enthusiast, overcoming challenges is part of the fun, but Toyota Corporate is huge and challenges for them become massive. Anyone want to guess how much R&D and engineering went into making sure our floor mats stay correctly positioned? Multiply that times the variations all over the world of all the Toyotas that are manufactured and sold.

They prefer challenges such as how do we manufacture each Corolla for $100 less per unit while maintaining customer satisfaction. Seriously.

Consider if it were a $35K car what the buyers would expect for their money....some would be happy with performance, but most would want some luxury. Luxury adds weight and is a horsepower drain and necessitates bigger stronger and heavier everything else. It's a slippery slope. A 3,000lbs 300 HP car...with all the right driving dynamics (and meeting corporate needs) is a real challenge.

[zigzagz94]

Originally Posted by krayzie

Leave the latest Toyota sports car rumors to Best Car magazine.



I think it's saying 50th anniversary of Toyota 2000GT and Mazda Cosmo this year could these models make a come back?

I'm more interested in that Mazda in the back. Can we get scans of that (maybe in one of the RX-7 return threads)? Thanks.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by zigzagz94

I'm more interested in that Mazda in the back. Can we get scans of that (maybe in one of the RX-7 return threads)? Thanks.

Done. The bestcarweb.jp website just changed the cover so I took the link from my original post.

You know it does say Mazda Cosmo in Japanese not RX-7.

Next issue is rumor of Nissan Silvia return (wonder why they don't connect it to the Renault Alpine but not like I can actually read Japanese).

[SCQTT]

The RX9 is a Miata RF....that is it, end of story. The only thing you can hope for is a Mazdaspeed version. No more rotary, it is simply too dirty. the EPA has gutted things like this. With CAFE and VW/Dieselgate I do not see people stretching on dirty stuff.

I'd like to have two stroke street motorcycles again They would sell in such small numbers it would not make any difference, but the green Nazis have killed those too.

[zigzagz94]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

That's a nice looking Toyota Camaro

LOL, but the first gen 70's era Celica was called the "Japanese Mustang" so who knows maybe Toyota is feeling nostalgic

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by zigzagz94

LOL, but the first gen 70's era Celica was called the "Japanese Mustang" so who knows maybe Toyota is feeling nostalgic

A Japanese pony car would be cool. Too bad Nissan is dead now.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by SCQTT

What do the twins weigh now? 2,800ish on a good day? For a 300HP version you are going to be at 3,300 and 35K.

Sure it is fairly easy to get 300 with bolt-ons, lots of people do it, but Toyota Corporate can't do that. There are a million reasons why they can't. It was engineered for 200HP maybe 250, that is why it is fairly light. Add a bunch more power and things start to get wonky. That's OK for the enthusiast, overcoming challenges is part of the fun, but Toyota Corporate is huge and challenges for them become massive. Anyone want to guess how much R&D and engineering went into making sure our floor mats stay correctly positioned? Multiply that times the variations all over the world of all the Toyotas that are manufactured and sold.

They prefer challenges such as how do we manufacture each Corolla for $100 less per unit while maintaining customer satisfaction. Seriously.

Consider if it were a $35K car what the buyers would expect for their money....some would be happy with performance, but most would want some luxury. Luxury adds weight and is a horsepower drain and necessitates bigger stronger and heavier everything else. It's a slippery slope. A 3,000lbs 300 HP car...with all the right driving dynamics (and meeting corporate needs) is a real challenge.

You really don't know what you're talking about if you don't think Toyota is capable of developing a more powerful FRS, at a reasonable cost, at less than 3000 lb. Must have a very low opinion of their engineering ability.

[SCQTT]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

You really don't know what you're talking about if you don't think Toyota is capable of developing a more powerful FRS, at a reasonable cost, at less than 3000 lb. Must have a very low opinion of their engineering ability.

No, not at all. I'm actually in awe of their ability.

Their financial people also have a high level of competence.

As it was stated before, enjoy the car, it will NOT continue. From a financial standpoint it is NOT a success. Sure there are a few on here that are passionate about the car, but that is few and far between. Even the dealers are not interested.

We are more like likely to see a 200HP Corolla or a 350HP Camry, before we see a 275HP 86

The twins were an exercise, we benefitted, Toyota lost.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

That's why I added 100lbs for the turbos and stuff. The shortblock should not be much heavier in I6 or V6 configuration.

Why do you keep talking about a V6? BMW isn't going to put a V6 in it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_B48
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_B58

Originally Posted by teamturbo

Eh, $10 says the Supra will basically be a rebadged BMW or Mercedes.

Jesus, Toyota will be rebadging a BMW Z5, that's been clear as day for years, there's nothing to speculate about on that front.

Originally Posted by SCQTT

What do the twins weigh now? 2,800ish on a good day?

Mine weighs under 2,750 without my fat ass in it.

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

You really don't know what you're talking about if you don't think Toyota is capable of developing a more powerful FRS, at a reasonable cost, at less than 3000 lb. Must have a very low opinion of their engineering ability.

That's the trick, 'reasonable cost'

For logical people, that reasonable cost would be ~$35k give or take trim options.
For armchair internet quarterbacks it's $29k because 'all you have to do is put a turbo on it!'