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Originally Posted by Ryephile
So, back to the question of price. There is only one other actual sports car on the market that starts at $23k, the Miata. Will Toyota be able to pull off a brand new car with more ratios, what's sounding like a custom Yamaha-tuned engine, probably larger wheels, and an interior from 2012 [not 2006 like the Miata] for the same price? I think it's safe to assume most of us want to say "YES!", but how do you think it'll actually happen? No convertible saves money, shared development and platform production with Subaru saves money. What about parts bin interior bits, suspension parts?
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Like you mentioned above, the thing this car has going for it is that it was a partnership project with Subaru. So they both split R&D costs 50/50 (or whatever it ends up being). That helps a lot. If you believe SOA blog on NASIOC, this project wouldn't have taken off the ground if Subaru and Toyota didn't partner together on it. The other thing that helps is Toyota and Subaru could theoretically use the FT86/216a platform to spin off other vehicles. Could Lexus use it for a sporty coupe/sedan? Maybe. Could Toyota use it to bring back something like a MR2? Maybe. Could Subaru use to for the WRX/STI? Maybe. I think the two companies were smart in coming together to limit the amount each would need to shell out to design a new car.