Toyota planning a new RWD Coupe?

[Kent]

as that too is already a moderately heavy car to begin with (more than 4400 lbs according to Edmunds, MORE than a GM Zeta car!

I thought that looked wrong so I decided to check with Lexus instead of Edmunds.
3500 is more like the actual number.
That's the IS350 RWD.

 

[YSSMAN]

I thought it was high too, so thanks for clearing it up. If it would have been heavier than a Zeta car, that would have been a serious problem...

 

[Azuremen]

Your quest to fault Toyota FAILS! Or just blinds you to the truth ;p

I would have remembered if it was over 4k... cause that would be just excessive.

In all odds, a car in the category would probably weigh in at 2700-2800 lbs, just with the current weight of compacts ever increasing.

And this could be Toyota also responding to continuous RWD concepts from Mazda and Nissan for a similar market target. In addition to the GM "threat" (hahaha )

 

[Race Idiot]

Screw it, if I want something like an AE86 i'll just pay over the odds and import a 20 year old one to the uk.

Yeah i'm dumb what of it.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> As far as I know, Toyota won't "stoop" to that level. I mean come on, deleting most safety features, deleting A/C, limiting some convienience features, and making the car a RWD economy sports car. Toyota will not even considering of building a car like this, in fact that will be a huge step backwards on their book, plus, they are going to be very afraid of doing it so. Toyota of all people will go that low for a niche market, heck, the 2007 Corolla hasn't even arrived in Stateside yet and the rest of the world has it 6 months ago. Also this car would not qualify as a Scion, because the "glorified toyota Corolla" (aka. tC) occupies that spot, and I'm sure Toyota would'nt replace their best-seller. Toyota will just ignore this possibility as a whole and move on to make more Camrys.

-> Sure I love the idea, so much that I'm willing to trade in my wagon for a "revived Hachi".

 

[YSSMAN]

The only way Toyota could ever convince me to buy one would be if they managed to strip everything out (all I need is A/C, power locks, and ABS), stick in at least 160 BHP, and sell it for well-under $20K. But I can almost guarantee it won't happen, unless someone else does it first.

The only people who can do it is GM, and they're dragging their feet. They could do it very easily on the Kappa chassis, and as a matter of fact they did (see the Nomad Concept, Solstice Coupe Concept). They just haven't done it.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

I will believe it when I see it.

 

[niky]

The only way Toyota could ever convince me to buy one would be if they managed to strip everything out (all I need is A/C, power locks, and ABS), stick in at least 160 BHP, and sell it for well-under $20K. But I can almost guarantee it won't happen, unless someone else does it first.

The only people who can do it is GM, and they're dragging their feet. They could do it very easily on the Kappa chassis, and as a matter of fact they did (see the Nomad Concept, Solstice Coupe Concept). They just haven't done it.

Somehow, I understand exactly what you mean. Here, we were all expecting something to beat the Miata at its own game... super-light, super-tactile... instead, they go 80% of the way, turn around and say... heck... let's shove some big powah and sum mo of thet big grip in there... and come up with something completely different.

2006/Early 2007 was almost a decade ago?

And there's your answer, folks. (Gods, I wanted to reply to this the other day, but I forgot!)

Toyota will and does make cars like that. The MR-S should have been a legend... I mean, an exotic, mid-engined car at supermarket prices? Wow!

But their corporate image, design and marketing just worked against good old Kermit the convertible (yes, he does look that cute)... Toyota of today seems completely unable to sell a "sporty" car... which is why most of them are sold under the "Lexus" or "Scion". They've made their image of safety so safe that people just don't believe that they can be anything else.

It's not a question of if they can build it... it's a question of "how can they market it?"

Toyota already has a subcompact unibody chassis for rear wheel drive. It would cost them just a little to modify it to meet EuroNCAP and US standards, then they could sell it with an engine range from 1.5 to 2.0 liters... with, say, 130 hp for the base model and up to 160-200 hp for the bigger models. And it would still come in under the Miata's weight... much lower, maybe.

In all this argument about weight, some of you are forgetting that Toyota builds the lightest cars in their market segments right now. The Corolla may not be the most modern there is, but it's a lot lighter than the current Civic. The Yaris is about the same weight or lighter than the Fit. Toyota knows how to build light cars.

The only question is: How many of us knuckleheads will actually buy it if Toyota makes it? Better be a lot of us, or nobody else will make one, either...

 

[V1P3R]

-> As far as I know, Toyota won't "stoop" to that level. I mean come on, deleting most safety features, deleting A/C, limiting some convienience features, and making the car a RWD economy sports car.

As I said earlier in the thread... It's not Toyota that's the problem it's the lazy ass materialistic people of the world that are the problem. Do you really NEED _______ heated seats?! Don't buy _______ leather then... geez.

Again, if WE (as in the world) want to really impact our "environment" then we would go back to the stone ages with only WHAT WE NEED in a car.

Physics people... less weight, less power needed to go, less gas wasted, and more efficient. You can't have your "cake" and eat it too. People can't get that through their thick skulls.

 

[Race Idiot]

Toyota will and does make cars like that. The MR-S should have been a legend... I mean, an exotic, mid-engined car at supermarket prices? Wow!

But their corporate image, design and marketing just worked against good old Kermit the convertible (yes, he does look that cute)... Toyota of today seems completely unable to sell a "sporty" car... which is why most of them are sold under the "Lexus" or "Scion". They've made their image of safety so safe that people just don't believe that they can be anything else.

The general concensus from MR2 fans is that the MKIII MR2 is butt ugly (compared to the 2nd and even 1st) and underpowered. Most enthusiasts that own them have either turboed them or swapped that celica engine into it.

The only way I could get excited over a new MR2 would be heavy involvement from Lotus and Yamaha.

 

[a6m5]

Everybody I know LOVE ALL Toyotas(not scientific, obviously, but you get the point). IMO, last of their sports cars in the States didn't sell, because they looked ugly to some, weird to a lot of people. They also didn't have any power, like Race Idiot said. I don't see any brand image issues in the real world(on gtplanet, yes).

 

[RICHARDO]

Race Idiot

Dosen't the MK3 MR2 weigh less than the original? And dosen't it have about the same power as the original NA (naturally aspirated) one?

 

[Race Idiot]

Race Idiot

Dosen't the MK3 MR2 weigh less than the original? And dosen't it have about the same power as the original NA (naturally aspirated) one?

The weight is about on even with a MKI i'm pretty sure depending on options. I'd say it's on par with a MKI but with none of the charm of the MKI. It's probably quicker than the 5S-FE non turbo MKII that the us got but lacks torque compared to the EU/Japanese non turbo MKII's. I test drove one before I went for a MKII and it was allright, but the MKIII engine just felt kinda gutless.

Also the MKI/II has a crapload more trunkspace. Iono i'd rather have an MX-5 than a MKIII mr2 anyway.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

As I said earlier in the thread... It's not Toyota that's the problem it's the lazy ass materialistic people of the world that are the problem. Do you really NEED _______ heated seats?! Don't buy _______ leather then... geez.

Again, if WE (as in the world) want to really impact our "environment" then we would go back to the stone ages with only WHAT WE NEED in a car.

Physics people... less weight, less power needed to go, less gas wasted, and more efficient. You can't have your "cake" and eat it too. People can't get that through their thick skulls.

^ Heh, heh, I hate leather interiors and other BS that they like to be put on their cars, iDrive anyone?

-> Unfortunately, that is the mentality of most people here in America (we [@ GTPlanet] are only less than 1% of Toyota's total sale figures). A lot of people don't like basic stuff on their vehicles, the want an aftermarket equipped Escalade with 10,000 TVs and a BBQ grill.

-> Most people want more needless features on their cars for a low price (take Hyundai for example), no one would like to go back to those days. Sure in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia wouldn't mind but here in the US that car will not be as popular as the other markets.

-> If ever they will release this "AE86-II", it will probably (like 90%) won't arrive in the US. Toyota will not market a car that risky in the US, it will be one of those wonder cars that will never see a US soil.

 

[RICHARDO]

The only thing I would change about the concept is the styling, I HATE that damn new-age styling!

But I DO love the AE86's styling, (I know I'm in the minority.) if Toyota could make it look like its predessor, without scaring away the mainstream, (Plus actually build the damn thing.) I will be impressed.

 

[TopHat]

^ Heh, heh, I hate leather interiors and other BS that they like to be put on their cars, iDrive anyone?

-> Unfortunately, that is the mentality of most people here in America (we [@ GTPlanet] are only less than 1% of Toyota's total sale figures). A lot of people don't like basic stuff on their vehicles, the want an aftermarket equipped Escalade with 10,000 TVs and a BBQ grill.

-> Most people want more needless features on their cars for a low price (take Hyundai for example), no one would like to go back to those days. Sure in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia wouldn't mind but here in the US that car will not be as popular as the other markets.

-> If ever they will release this "AE86-II", it will probably (like 90%) won't arrive in the US. Toyota will not market a car that risky in the US, it will be one of those wonder cars that will never see a US soil.

Thats just silly, there is nothing wrong with luxury in a luxury car. I do agree that what people do to the Escalades is rediculous, but what's wrong with having leather in a 30K dollar car? So are you saying that if someone gave you a brand new 2008 Cadillac STS with the 300 hp V6, would you turn it down because it had leather and a 6X CD changer? Whatever.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

Thats just silly, there is nothing wrong with luxury in a luxury car. I do agree that what people do to the Escalades is rediculous, but what's wrong with having leather in a 30K dollar car? So are you saying that if someone gave you a brand new 2008 Cadillac STS with the 300 hp V6, would you turn it down because it had leather and a 6X CD changer? Whatever.

^ I'm really not pointing out luxury cars here. And you're pointing out a car I'm not particularly interested at.

-> Unless if the car doesn't have a cloth option like the best car I've ever driven, the Honda [AP2] S2000 or BMW [E46] M3, then I have no choice. And I didn't say anything about $30,000 cars. I'm not even close to that price range, I'm only implying cars that are $10,000-$18,000 only in which the price range of the 'AE86-II'.

-> I'm posting about the 'AE86-II', not some random luxury car that you're implying to me. I'm just generalizing here, and the over-equiped Escalade just a mere example to state my point.

BT-> I would love Toyota if they'll make it a modern version of this car (design-wise):

^ I'm kinda sick of the 'panda' paint scheme, and the Trueno body style. There's too much Initial D around.

 

[YSSMAN]

-> Most people want more needless features on their cars for a low price (take Hyundai for example), no one would like to go back to those days. Sure in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia wouldn't mind but here in the US that car will not be as popular as the other markets.

I'm not so sure on that... That may be a difference of market between states like California and New York versus that of Ohio or Michigan. A good number of cars sold here in Grand Rapids are in fact stripper models, and while dealers often stock-up on fully-loaded or at the very least well-equipped models, the core customers usually don't ask for more than ABS, all of the airbags, and usually a set of alloy wheels.

I can confirm that most of the Malibu and Impala models at the local Chevrolet dealers are usually pretty "average" models by comparison to similar models at Toyota or Honda. I would assume that is because people who are buying the Japanese cars here are more likely to spend the extra money than those who are not.

 

[Pupik]

If by "2-door": You mean pickup
 And by "RWD": You mean Tacoma...then yes.

If else, then Lexus, but price>$40000.
 Do Loop: FWD Toyota.

close="AnotherTrickByToyotaFanboys.exe"

End

 

[TopHat]

If by "2-door": You mean pickup
 And by "RWD": You mean Tacoma...then yes.

If else, then Lexus, but price>$40000.
 Do Loop: FWD Toyota.

close="AnotherTrickByToyotaFanboys.exe"

End

I like the way you think. Cynical, but most likely true.

 

[Azuremen]

If by "2-door": You mean pickup
 And by "RWD": You mean Tacoma...then yes.

If else, then Lexus, but price>$40000.
 Do Loop: FWD Toyota.

close="AnotherTrickByToyotaFanboys.exe"

End

Your code Fails to run correctly, so it is irrelevant. Clean it up first

 

[Pupik]

Your code Fails to run correctly, so it is irrelevant. Clean it up first

Apparently it works quite well, since it generates negative reputation.

Cunsider it a sukess, and wi'll schip it to Mikerhosoft for fun and prophet...all it's missing is the GUI!

 

[Azuremen]

Apparently it works quite well, since it generates negative reputation.

Cunsider it a sukess, and wi'll schip it to Mikerhosoft for fun and prophet...all it's missing is the GUI!

Well, I didn't do the bad rep, because the fact is, the idea is probably true

And yes, I heards Mikerhosoft lieks bad codes.

 

[Leonidae]

Not so long ago, Toyota formed a committee that would research different chances for interesting cars.

And This is their suggestion.

That's right, Toyota could be doing new, RWD AE86 (AE08 or 09?)

They're also aiming for
-low price, 12,500 USD
-low weight (approx 1000kg)

 

[Azuremen]

There is already a thread on this... and your understanding of Toyota car codes is WAY off...

Considering the Sporty Corolla's go as follow, AE86, AE92, AE101, AE111... in the US the current Corolla is the ZZE-120

Goes like this... "ZZ" for engine (1ZZ-FE) "E" for chassis series (Corolla) "12" for generation (12th gen) "0" for model variations. Best example of model variations would be the AE-82 vs AE-86... one was FWD and the other was RWD, same production years though.

This next cars code would likely be... NZE-131 in all odds, if its still a Corolla chassis, which it won't be, so... something like this NZ(Letter)-1(single digit here). Example : NZB-11

Found the thread...

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=96410

 

[Leonidae]

argh, my bad. I knew that I had seen it on some forum but I forgot which one

 

[McLaren]

One more case of "nevergonnahappen.com" in the Toyota book. They keep throwing these concepts at us, and yet they've done nothing to show that these cars actually want to exist.

Don't worry Toyota, GM will be happy to beat you to the small RWD car market...

And what concepts are these right now that won't exist? The LF-A is in testing, and the FT-HS is more than likely being toned down style-wise, and would probably begin testing next year.

You know, not every manufacturer can just clone a car 3 or 4 times, throw it on the market, and call it new.

Face it,its never going to happen.I can only believe it when they produce the Toyota FT-HS or even the Lexus LF-A.I think its better to convert a car into a rear wheel drive then to wait for another manufacturer to produce another FR car which could takes years just to show the concept (let alone producing it)

The LF-A, as I said, is very close. Testing has been seen, and it's very likely it'll appear next year.

This AE86 has about as much chance of happening as Toyota buying Lamborghini.
It's not probable, but it is possible.

 

[Azuremen]

And what concepts are these right now that won't exist? The LF-A is in testing, and the FT-HS is more than likely being toned down style-wise, and would probably begin testing next year.

You know, not every manufacturer can just clone a car 3 or 4 times, throw it on the market, and call it new.

+Rep right there for that awesome rebuttal to Brad. Made my day, and more so cause its completely true.

 

[YSSMAN]

Toyota actually building the FT-HS? I'll believe it when I see it, but I highly doubt that their average 50-60 year old consumer will be looking to get into one. Otherwise, we already know the LF-A is going into production, furthermore that it is going quite smoothly (given the amount of Nurburgring spots).

Toyota could build the FT-HS, its a possibility, but as to it being a certainty, I often doubt it.

Still, I get to do the happy dance over GM beating Toyota to the small RWD coupe segment!



...You have to take small victories when you can get them...

 

[McLaren]

Toyota actually building the FT-HS? I'll believe it when I see it, but I highly doubt that their average 50-60 year old consumer will be looking to get into one. Otherwise, we already know the LF-A is going into production, furthermore that it is going quite smoothly (given the amount of Nurburgring spots).

Toyota could build the FT-HS, its a possibility, but as to it being a certainty, I often doubt it.

The LF-A took a while to get off its feet, but it's getting there. I'm sure the FT-HS will, too. Cars don't just come into production after being at the Auto Show for 1 year. Surprisingly, the Camaro has actually taken a few years to come out. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if its cloned into a Trans Am later on....

...You have to take small victories when you can get them...

So? Both vehicles are still clones that you linked to. OH wait, one's just a clone with an actual roof. Sorry.

So, they beat 'em. Doesn't mean they'll actually be any better because at least Toyota is sitting in Japan doing numerous tests to ensure performance while GM sit in Detroit and think,
"Hey guys, what can we do next?"
"An entirely new sports car, Bob?"
"Nah. Let's clone the Saturn Aura and call it a Chevrolet Solar. Then 2 months later, we'll call it a Pontiac Sun."