love forever
11-19-2009, 06:22 PM
Filed under: Coupe (http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/), Performance (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/), Japan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/japan/), Tokyo Motor Show (http://www.autoblog.com/category/tokyo-motor-show/), Subaru (http://www.autoblog.com/category/subaru/), Toyota (http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/toyobaru-1258530107.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/)
Toyota FT-86 Concept - click above for high-res image gallery
While sports car fans everywhere are waiting with bated breath for the new Toyota FT-86 (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ToyotaFT86/) to arrive from the Land of the Rising Sun, some of us are a little bit more excited about the car's Subaru cousin. Why is that, especially considering that the FT-86 appears to be kinda just what the doctor ordered (rear-wheel drive, 200 horsepower, light, cheap)? Well, for one thing, Subarus are all-wheel drive. And while rear-wheel driven sports cars definitely have there charms (earlier rumors even suggested that Fuji Heavy was even caving and going rear-drive with its version of the Toyobaru), there's really little in life as fun as blasting down a gravel road at a seemingly unsafe clip while kicking up mountainous clouds of dust. Plus, you know, rain and all that.
Then there's the engine. Our pals at Inside Line (http://www.insideline.com/subaru/toyobaru-new-details-on-subarus-version-of-the-toyota-ft-86.html) are reporting that the Subaru iteration of the FT-86 will have more power - 250 hp according to them. Using Jeremy Clarkson-style logic, 250 hp is better than 200 hp. Because it's more. IL claims that the Toyobaru will use a version of the just-developed-for-the-FT-86 flat-four 2.0-liter engine - supposedly naturally aspirated like in the FT-86.
But here's the thing - the smallest engine Subaru offers American consumers these days is a 2.5-liter boxer. And that motor, turbo-tuned for WRX duty, makes 265 hp (though we've driven it and we'd wager it kicks out a bit more than that). Why would Subaru put a smaller, weaker engine into a $30,000 coupe ($30,000 according to the IL article) than the motor they stick in the $25,000 WRX? Exactly -we don't think they would.
Inside Line also says the Subaru version will be larger than the Toyota car because of a "stretched platform." We're not sure if that means longer or wider - or both - but we'd err on the side of longer, as in more backseat room. What we're looking at then, is a big-ish, AWD coupe with a lot of power. Can you say 2011 SVX? We knew you could.
Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-86 Concept (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)
[Source: Inside Line (http://www.insideline.com/subaru/toyobaru-new-details-on-subarus-version-of-the-toyota-ft-86.html)]Rumormill: Subaru version of Toyota FT-86 to be bigger, get substantially more power, AWD (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19243971/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/#comments)
أكثر... (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/toyobaru-1258530107.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/)
Toyota FT-86 Concept - click above for high-res image gallery
While sports car fans everywhere are waiting with bated breath for the new Toyota FT-86 (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ToyotaFT86/) to arrive from the Land of the Rising Sun, some of us are a little bit more excited about the car's Subaru cousin. Why is that, especially considering that the FT-86 appears to be kinda just what the doctor ordered (rear-wheel drive, 200 horsepower, light, cheap)? Well, for one thing, Subarus are all-wheel drive. And while rear-wheel driven sports cars definitely have there charms (earlier rumors even suggested that Fuji Heavy was even caving and going rear-drive with its version of the Toyobaru), there's really little in life as fun as blasting down a gravel road at a seemingly unsafe clip while kicking up mountainous clouds of dust. Plus, you know, rain and all that.
Then there's the engine. Our pals at Inside Line (http://www.insideline.com/subaru/toyobaru-new-details-on-subarus-version-of-the-toyota-ft-86.html) are reporting that the Subaru iteration of the FT-86 will have more power - 250 hp according to them. Using Jeremy Clarkson-style logic, 250 hp is better than 200 hp. Because it's more. IL claims that the Toyobaru will use a version of the just-developed-for-the-FT-86 flat-four 2.0-liter engine - supposedly naturally aspirated like in the FT-86.
But here's the thing - the smallest engine Subaru offers American consumers these days is a 2.5-liter boxer. And that motor, turbo-tuned for WRX duty, makes 265 hp (though we've driven it and we'd wager it kicks out a bit more than that). Why would Subaru put a smaller, weaker engine into a $30,000 coupe ($30,000 according to the IL article) than the motor they stick in the $25,000 WRX? Exactly -we don't think they would.
Inside Line also says the Subaru version will be larger than the Toyota car because of a "stretched platform." We're not sure if that means longer or wider - or both - but we'd err on the side of longer, as in more backseat room. What we're looking at then, is a big-ish, AWD coupe with a lot of power. Can you say 2011 SVX? We knew you could.
Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-86 Concept (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toyotaft86live_05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tokyo-2009-toyota-ft-86-concept/low/)
[Source: Inside Line (http://www.insideline.com/subaru/toyobaru-new-details-on-subarus-version-of-the-toyota-ft-86.html)]Rumormill: Subaru version of Toyota FT-86 to be bigger, get substantially more power, AWD (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19243971/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/#comments)
أكثر... (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/)