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Originally Posted by tachi1247
In regards to the original thread, I think that eventually there will be 2 engine choices. Based on what I've read/seen the introductory model is going to be normally aspirated and will be somewhere between 170 hp and 200. This seems realistic albeit very disappointing from an enthusiast's perspective. For $25k I would expect to have a minimum of 250hp.
I believe that later on the car will get a turbo variant and some suspension mods, rims, etc and a $30k price tag. People are shooting this down saying that it would be too expensive to develop a second engine option, but it is almost a guarantee that this car is going to share the engine with the next generation Impreza and turbo charged WRX version. Subaru is not a large car company and relative to the market doesn't sell a lot of vehicles so they certainly cannot afford to develop an all new engine and then not put it in a bunch of cars. I expect that we will see different versions of this same engine in their FT-86 variant, the impreza, the forester, and maybe even an outback. It seems only logical that at some point it will get a turbo and just to keep their relationship balanced toyota would want their car to have a similar spec sheet to the subie version.
I agree with most of the previous comments about the S2k and the MR-2. the MR-2 was definitely too impractical for the common man. I'm not buying a roadster if I can't at least get a set of golf clubs in it. The people that can afford to buy cars that are that impractical can afford to buy nicer more expensive ones that don't put out 140hp. They buy a boxster or an elise. As for the S2000 it wasn't too expensive for what you got, it just had the wrong engine. The average driver in the US wants low end torque and isn't impressed by a 240hp 4 cylinder revving to 9000rpm. They could have sold twice as many S2000s if they had put a straight six under that long hood. Just look at the Z3....BMW sold a ton more of those once they dumped the 4 cylinder and went to I6 engine choices.
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The Honda's 4 cylinder had about 100 more hp than the Z3's. Z3 was not the track weapon that an S2K is. S2K also had no auto so it was a (for the most part) poseur-free car, unlike the Ultimate Posing Machine BMW.
Torque was not likely the factor in the L6 selling more than the 4 for the BMW, it was likely the price expectation/justification part of it.
Honda knew exactly what they were doing with that one. They weren't trying to set sales records. Let's hope Toyota is even half as committed to performance and driver involvement as Honda was with the S2K.
Edit, more on topic...
Watched Road and Track's vid of Geneva. Pretty much the same as Hachiroku's, but the narrator mentioned that they are benchmarking the handling of the FT86 against the Porsche Cayman. If they can give us Cayman handling at the target price point, holy jebus this thing's going to be wicked. 180-200 hp at 2700-2800 lbs with Cayman-beating handling would be amazing!