Motor Trend Report: FT-86 to get 305hp STI engine!
 

Toyota Extending Subaru Product Sharing to Highlander-Tribeca

FT-86 to Get More Powerful Subie STI Engine

January 03, 2011 / By Todd Lassa

Toyota is studying how to more closely converge its products with Subaru, and might share its next-generation Highlander midsize crossover platform with the Tribeca. The two have similar dimensions, notes a source familiar with the tie-in.

As always with Subaru, the sticking point is how to share a platform that would use a longitudinally mounted boxer engine, in the case of the Tribeca, with a transverse-mounted engine, as in the Highlander. The platform also will have to accommodate a hybrid version of the Highlander, and it's a good bet the system would be adapted to the pancake-engine Tribeca.

Toyota tackles the problem with the upcoming FT-86 rear-wheel-drive sports coupe by going with a Subaru pancake engine -- the STI's 305-horsepower, 290 pound-foot version of the 2.5-liter turbo four, our source says. Earlier reports had the FT-86 launching with less-powerful Subaru engines. Toyota's development costs have ballooned, however, and the FT-86 is now seen as a mid-$20s car rather than a sub-$20,000 car.

Subaru's version of the 086A, as the project is known, is still scheduled for 2013 model year introduction and will likely be sold with all-wheel drive only, as part of its differentiation from the Toyota.

Subaru is leading development of the 086A, while the converged crossover platform looks to be more of a Toyota project. To accommodate both types of engines, the platform could be the same from the A-pillar back, but would need a different floorpan from the firewall forward. Subaru's flat engines require specific solutions for crash standards.

As for the crossover/utility vehicles, both the Camry-based Toyota Highlander and the slow-selling Subaru Tribeca are due for replacement in the 2014 model year.

from http://www.motortrend.com/features/a...eca/index.html

Hm... interesting on the Highlander and Tribeca thing, but idk on the FT86c info... Motor Trend's source is bout 50/50 correct, so I'll wait and see

Intersting. Now hope the follow through. And also not release this as a scion

Not a chance in hell that a 25k compact sports coupe is gonna come packaged with a 300hp engine only available in a 34k rally rocket.

I'm sure they'll use the engine, but it's not going to be the base engine. If this thing really comes in around 2700lbs, putting a 300+hp turbo engine in it would allow it to hand the 370z it's ass on a plate, and you can bet it'd be priced accordingly.

*edit*

On the other hand, I could totally see them using the regular WRX engine in a 25k car (since, you know...subaru does). If this car came in under 28k, with the underrated WRX engine and weighed 2700lbs, it would be a religious experience....

Yeah this needs to sell as a Toyota but it would definitely be sick with the STI engine!
Can't wait for the official word from Toyota!

ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

Although i'm not taking this as fact, it would be interesting.

Of course the price would definitely go up, or maybe not as much as we think because Subaru would be making mass quantities of sti engine which could reduce the cost a bit

If true, we have a real competitor folks, strap on your seat belts and enjoy the ride

They might stick a $38k sticker on it and call it a Supra. There is no way such a car would be sold for $25k.
If it did then I would buy 2!

i'll believe it if i see it. notice i didn't say "when" because i never expect it to happen. a high-revving 2.0L n/a is perfect for this car.

My source (very credible source) has told me that the FT-86 will be released as a Scion. It will have a less expensive non-turbo platform and a "sports model" turbo platform and will be hitting show room floors this fall in the United States.
My guess is, the information I got was accurate. The reason being; this car has been on the drawing board for a while now and seems to be getting very close to release. Toyota, as well as many other auto makers, have an inexpensive or base model, and they have a sports model. (i.e. - Celica and Celica All-Trac, Supra and Supra turbo, etc.) Seems quite credible to me.
But again, one source is only as good as their source. So as usual, we have to play it by ear, see what happens and hope for the best!!

-Josh

They think there will be flat-4 (pancake!) in Subaru's model, with a different engine altogether in Toyota's model. Do they think the FT will have an inline Toyota engine in it?

Do they know what they're talking about?

lol toyota sure likes stringing us along. just as we are showing signs of malnourishment from lack of info they toss out a little scrap of meat keep us salivating, only to leave us out in the cold for another 4 months until the next tidbit.

The problem I'm seeing, not just with this article but with the whole thing in general, is that here in the US at this point, we only have the 2.5L boxer engine while every where else uses the 2.0L engine.(I THINK this is correct but could be wrong). So even if the Japanese version had the 2.0L that wouldn't 100% say that ours would as well.

That article looks more like a google bomb to me. Too many keywords thrown around and not enough hard data.

Moving along.

longest session of blue balls ever!

Toyobaru can we skip the rest of the foreplay and get straight to the nasty cuz I need this car now....


As for this topic, I don't think there was ever any doubt that a high powered turbo version using the next generation WRX/STi engine would be made available. This article makes it seem like due to the sky rocketing production cost and higher base price that the turbo engine will be the only trim level.

I think motor trend is misinformed on that assumption. I still see toyobaru going with the two tiered high revving NA base model 200hp version and the 265-305hp turbo top of the line model.