Report: Toyota Could Drop Subaru to Partner With Mazda On New GR86
Toyota’s sports car partnership with Subaru might be coming to an end. The tie-up delivered the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, but a recent report shows that Toyota may take its version of the car in a different direction.
A new report from Japan hints at a new partnership between Toyota and Mazda that could yield a Miata-based GR86 in the future. Toyota will reportedly use a Miata platform for the car, but would likely rely on one of its in-house powertrains, including the new four-cylinder engines we’ve been hearing about.
The GR86 has always been a small, fun-to-drive car, but it didn’t have the power it needed to deliver real thrills until an update a few years back. That said, it’s a completely different animal than the Miata, offering four seats (well, two usable seats) and more weight, so a change to a new platform could completely transform the car with better handling and a more playful attitude.
The Subaru BRZ hasn’t seen the best sales numbers in recent times, which could lead to its demise. It’s always been an oddball in the automaker’s catalog, anyway, with its rear-wheel drive format clashing with the rest of the automaker’s all-wheel drive lineup. While the loss of the BRZ would be a bummer, a more powerful GR86 with better handling would not be a bad thing at all.
[Images: Toyota]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I remember when my dad sold the Mazda rx 4 it was extremely quick car back in the day my dad’s favorite car to take people out in
If Toyota builds the Miata that everyone wants (with the 300hp R-Type motor) then who would buy the Miata? I think nobody would. At minimum, they could continue to sell Miatas to people that don't want a "sportscar" they want a "cute little convertible" to putt around in...either way, I see tanking sales of Miatas if they give the bones to Toyota; Mazda doesn't offer anything like a GR package for the Miata. Honestly, the amount of body roll I experienced driving one recently indicates that the current gen suspension isn't ready for Auto-x, let alone track use. Toyota offering a track ready model just by putting in the 2.4l turbo motor/6 speed and dialing in the suspension would send ALL enthusiasts straight over to Toyota...just like they are now with GR sales, Toyota is killing Mazda by the numbers, practically doubling Miata sales.
BAD idea for Mazda...unless they can offer a comparable trim as the GR trim.