The new sports car will have a mid-engined layout.
In the past, Toyota has teamed up with Subaru to build the GR86 and BRZ, and more recently the brands’ first-ever electric SUVs, while a BMW collaboration has given rise to the Supra and Z4. Now, according to a report in Japan’s biggest-selling magazine, Best Car, Japan’s No 1 carmaker is joining forces with small car experts Suzuki and Daihatsu to build a compact sports car.
Although Toyota can still produce its own in-house sports cars, like the recently released GR Yaris and GR Corolla, the consensus is that collaboration is the way forward if you’re going to build a cost-effective sports car.
So to realize the goal of creating a viable two-door, Toyota will lend its GA-B platform used on the GR Yaris while Suzuki will donate its turbocharged, 3-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine to the process. However, as Suzuki fitted its turbo powerplant to drive the front wheels of its Swift Turbo model, the engine will have to be switched to a rear-drive, mid-engine configuration for the new 3-company project to deliver the best handling possible.
And while the Swift Turbo generates around 110-hp, the new coupe is expected to be boosted to around 150-hp giving the lightweight sports car an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Suzuki’s 6-speed torque converter automatic is expected to do the honors in the transmission department.
As seen in the attached image, the joint project will have an overall mid-engined layout with short overhangs, sleek lines and a side air intake to feed air into the engine bay.
As with all co-developed cars such as the GR86 and BRZ, which employ the same platform, suspension and powertrain, the only room for differentiation falls to the aesthetics department, and of course some minor suspension enhancements. While we can expect each carmaker to adopt the same basic exterior and interior designs, we can look forward to seeing them tweak their styling to add uniqueness and flair.
Expect these three coupes to land in showrooms in 2025, with the as yet unnamed sports cars’ price hovering in the mid $20,000s.
