Toyota/Subaru merger

brumbyrunner · Post by **brumbyrunner** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:46 pm

Looks like Toyota is buying into Fuji so they can use Subaru's boxer engine for their next sportscar.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyo ... aru-boxer/

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 30402/1024

ChPLAT · Post by **ChPLAT** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:58 pm

I liked the concept sketch. Has potential to be awesome.

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:23 pm

i aggree...it is quite a nice looking sketch

be interresting to see if they develop a whole new motor for it or whether they going to be using existing product lines or what

could be potentially a very good thing for subaru and subaru's marketing and investment oppurtunities

dave

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:29 pm

reminds me of a Hyundai Tiburon.

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:32 pm

Toyota and subaru, the worlds most reliable car?

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:06 pm

I don't think this'll mean a great deal for Subaru, as far as autonomy goes at least. GM owned a chunk of FHI for a while there, and there are various alliances coming and going between car makers all the time (Toyota Lexen, anyone?), but this looks like a good thing for Subaru overall.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:20 am

That sketch looks a bit like the Prodrive P2 as seen on TopGear.

Id love to see it use the Prodrive active AWD system. It would then out-preform the Mitsubishi EVO AWD system.

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:37 am

Thalass wrote:I don't think this'll mean a great deal for Subaru, as far as autonomy goes at least. GM owned a chunk of FHI for a while there, and there are various alliances coming and going between car makers all the time (Toyota Lexen, anyone?), but this looks like a good thing for Subaru overall.

Last I heard GM still owns part of Subie and SAAB and probably some others. I remember a while back seeing a Chevrolet Forester

.

BrennyV · Post by **BrennyV** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:36 am

Actions speak louder than words. Love the concept but what will we end up with?

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:00 pm

Going to be a rear driver according to wheels mag. Will be the drifters next big thing im guessing, but the design looks promising

sublime · Post by **sublime** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:56 pm

Lightning_Silver_RX wrote:Last I heard GM still owns part of Subie and SAAB and probably some others. I remember a while back seeing a Chevrolet Forester .

GM off loaded their 25% a while ago. Toyota bought around 9%, Fuji Heavy also bought some back. The rest was sold to 'unknown' interests, although it is thought it may be a major bank.

jedi_luke · Post by **jedi_luke** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:33 pm

the word is they will be re launching the celica with a EJ20t

also rumors of a re make of the AE86 (hatchi) with a EJ , now that one i would like to see! ... and wack off to!

... also hi people!

BrennyV · Post by **BrennyV** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:06 pm

welcome luke! way to start it off

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:16 pm

Lightning_Silver_RX wrote:Last I heard GM still owns part of Subie and SAAB and probably some others. I remember a while back seeing a Chevrolet Forester .

That doesn't count, man, I see chevy commodores and chevy utes all the time! It must be a fashion trend to rebadge your boring v8 into some supposedly fancy american brand.

(Me, I'm going to rebadge my brumby into a Baja

)

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:46 pm

Rumors only I bet. Just because companies are merging doesn't mean there will be all sorts of strange design mergers either

Time will tell I guess. I want to see some kind of EJ20turbo powered RWD car!

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:40 pm

AndrewT wrote:I want to see some kind of EJ20turbo powered RWD car!

Why go RWD when Subaru already have such a solid AWD background.

They just need to put a little more into their Active AWD to make it better than the Mitsubishi EVO. Prodrive have the technology, Subaru probably need to cough up a bit more money to gain permission to use it in more than just a prototype

jedi_luke · Post by **jedi_luke** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:26 am

AndrewT wrote:Rumors only I bet. Just because companies are merging doesn't mean there will be all sorts of strange design mergers either Time will tell I guess. I want to see some kind of EJ20turbo powered RWD car!

that would be the EJ powered hatchi if they make it , as good as that would be its only a rumor that will prolly stays just that.

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:26 am

Suparoo wrote:Why go RWD when Subaru already have such a solid AWD background.

They just need to put a little more into their Active AWD to make it better than the Mitsubishi EVO. Prodrive have the technology, Subaru probably need to cough up a bit more money to gain permission to use it in more than just a prototype

The idea of the car is to fill a gap in the market. at the moment there arent many small, reasonably priced rwd cars on the market. Amongst young and middle aged men (including myself),a cheapish performing rwd would be great. I reccon they'd make a bit of money off it.

There are plenty of awd sports hatches and sedans going around already, why bother doing another?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:36 pm

theclick wrote:There are plenty of awd sports hatches and sedans going around already, why bother doing another?

Because subaru australia have spent so much in building the All Wheel Drive brand that to have a Rear wheeler would ruin all that work.
A year or two ago Subaru UK offered Australia a "povo pack impreza" for the lower end of the market. It was front wheel drive with little options to minimise the cost. Subaru Australia turned it down due to the work on the AWD brand.
If there is a RWD subaru ever produced, i bet it won't be subaru australia bringing them here.

Bennie

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:33 pm

Unless it can directly compete with the falcodore, then it could be worth it.

Though why you would drive a rwd when the awd goes so much better, but I guess it'd be a matter of personal choice.