Update (2/29/16): Toyota and BMW still keen to collaborate on sportscar

Status
Not open for further replies.

JT

Administrator
Joined
Oct 25, 2013
Threads
75
Messages
208
Reaction score
879
Location
MA
Car(s)
Supra
Vehicle Showcase
1
Reuters has posted an update on the joint Toyota-BMW sportscar project, which will presumably yield the next Toyota Supra (MKV) and the Z5, but it appears the timeline has still not been finalized.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autoshow-geneva-toyota-bmw-idUSKCN0W22P9

Toyota, BMW strongly motivated to collaborate on sportscar: Totora executive

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Germany's BMW (BMWG.DE) are still keen to develop a common sportscar architecture but have yet to decide on a timeline for the project, a senior executive at the Japanese carmaker said on Monday.

BMW and Toyota have for some years been collaborating on fuel cell technology, lightweight components, and on possibly jointly developing the underpinnings of a sportscar, which would spawn separate vehicles for each brand.

Speaking ahead of the Geneva auto show, Toyota executive vice president Didier Leroy said all three projects were going very well and there was strong support for the sportscar from both firms.

"On both sides we have strong motivation to make it successful, we want to make the car," Leroy said. "We know exactly which kind of body we want to do, we know exactly which kind of powertrain we want to use ... now we just have to decide by when we want to start this car."

He declined to comment on a possible timeframe.

Toyota's sales in Europe, which for the carmaker counts 56 countries, including Israel, Russia and Turkey, fell slightly to 874,000 vehicles last year as higher deliveries in the western part of the region failed to offset a sharp drop in Russia.

But volumes are seen returning to growth in 2016.

"In 2014 we sold 888,000, and we’ve set ourselves a target of stepping above that (in 2016)," Toyota's head for Europe Johan van Zyl said at the same event. He expects overall industry sales in the region to grow by 1 percent this year.

Some 70 percent of Toyota's vehicles sold in Europe last year were produced in the region. The carmaker expects to increase that percentage this year by adding two localized models, the C-HR crossover that will be manufactured in Turkey and the RAV4 that will be assembled in Russia.

Van Zyl said Toyota was committed to the Russian market, despite the challenges there. In 2015, total car industry sales in Russia plunged by 36 percent to 1.6 million.

"We will not give up on the Russian market ... we will keep on investing to prepare ourselves for when the market recovers," he said.

Van Zyl said Toyota expected hybrid vehicles to make up half of its sales in Europe by 2020 from 24 percent last year.
Sponsored

 

Supra93

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Threads
82
Messages
2,486
Reaction score
4,339
Location
TX
Car(s)
Supra & RX7
I find this a little hard to believe. Especially because we have already seen the next BMW Z testing. If the article is true. Than this lends me to believe the BMW/Toyota project will not be the next Supra and Z5. Rather the new Supra will underpin the Lexus LC, and the Z will continue to be based on the 3/4 series.

BMW-Z5-front-three-quarters-view-1.jpg
 
Last edited:

Levi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Threads
1
Messages
238
Reaction score
315
Location
France
Car(s)
Alfa Romeo
I find this a little hard to believe. Especially because we have already seen the next BMW Z testing. If the article is true. Than this lends me to believe the BMW/Toyota project will not be the next Supra and Z5. Rather the new Supra will underpin the Lexus LC, and the Z will continue to be based on the 3/4 series.

BMW-Z5-front-three-quarters-view-1.jpg

Not possible. If not Toyota, BMW would not build any Z4 successor, because its sales have been dismal, and a 3 Series based Z car, as before, just doesn't cut it anymore.
 

Supra93

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Threads
82
Messages
2,486
Reaction score
4,339
Location
TX
Car(s)
Supra & RX7
Not possible. If not Toyota, BMW would not build any Z4 successor, because its sales have been dismal, and a 3 Series based Z car, as before, just doesn't cut it anymore.
Correct, Z4 sales are crappy. But the spy shots contradict the article.

Also as pointed out by many, Sato-san said "Supra" during the test drive of the LC at the 5:00 mark. So this has lend some too believe the new Supra will be LC base.

 

Levi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Threads
1
Messages
238
Reaction score
315
Location
France
Car(s)
Alfa Romeo
Correct, Z4 sales are crappy. But the spy shots contradict the article.

Also as pointed out by many, Sato-san said "Supra" during the test drive of the LC at the 5:00 mark. So this has lend some too believe the new Supra will be LC base.

I think he just slipped. He wanted to say LC, but said Supra. Maybe because he is working on both. If the LC and Supra are share anything, it does not mean that they share the same chassis. Toyota wants the Supra to be lighter and smaller, this cannot happen if it uses the LC chassis.
 

black-supra

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Threads
4
Messages
211
Reaction score
114
Location
Florida
Car(s)
Very Fast
I think he just slipped. He wanted to say LC, but said Supra. Maybe because he is working on both. If the LC and Supra are share anything, it does not mean that they share the same chassis. Toyota wants the Supra to be lighter and smaller, this cannot happen if it uses the LC chassis.
Why, is the LC heavy?
 

gymratter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2014
Threads
15
Messages
1,046
Reaction score
1,162
Location
TX
Car(s)
Silver Spur & F-150
I think he just slipped. He wanted to say LC, but said Supra. Maybe because he is working on both. If the LC and Supra are share anything, it does not mean that they share the same chassis. Toyota wants the Supra to be lighter and smaller, this cannot happen if it uses the LC chassis.
i thought Tada san said he was in change of the Toyota flagship sports car?

the Supra was never a light weight car to start with. if it is based on the LC it could lose some weight by shortening the chassis and removing some of the unnecessary luxury stuff. Like what they did in the 90s with the SC and MIV.

on a different note, the weight differences between the old SC and MKIV was about 300 lbs.

Why, is the LC heavy?
it is a luxury cruiser after all. the official weight has not been released yet, but the rumors have it at 4,100 lbs. lets compare that to other cars in its class.

Mercedes S550 coupe: 4,707 lbs
BMW 650i: 4,275 lbs
Maserati GranTurismo: 4,144 lbs
Jaguar XK (V8): 3,865 lbs

weight of potential competitors for the new Supra.

GT-R: 3,922 lbs
Viper SRT: 3,297 lbs
Corvette: 3,298 lbs
 
Last edited:

Supra93

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Threads
82
Messages
2,486
Reaction score
4,339
Location
TX
Car(s)
Supra & RX7
I think he just slipped. He wanted to say LC, but said Supra. Maybe because he is working on both. If the LC and Supra are share anything, it does not mean that they share the same chassis. Toyota wants the Supra to be lighter and smaller, this cannot happen if it uses the LC chassis.
I guess that could be possible. Historically the Supra and the Soarer (SC) have gone hand in hand. Some are viewing the new LC as a successor to the SC. So from that point of view; a new Supra underpinning the LC isn't too farfetch. I don't know, anything could be possible at this point.
 

Supraman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Threads
3
Messages
542
Reaction score
772
Location
FL
Car(s)
.
I don't know about it coming in over 4000 lbs. + . The RC F is around that weight. This is a new chasis using lighter materials. I think it will come in at 3500-3700 lbs
 

Scino

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Threads
1
Messages
91
Reaction score
51
Location
Shoreline, WA
Car(s)
2015 WRX Limited, 2015 GLA250 AMG Sport
I think he just slipped. He wanted to say LC, but said Supra. Maybe because he is working on both. If the LC and Supra are share anything, it does not mean that they share the same chassis. Toyota wants the Supra to be lighter and smaller, this cannot happen if it uses the LC chassis.
LC500/h is the first to ride on Toyota Premium RWD luxury platform A.K.A modular designed chassis. They can go light and small if they want to.
 

Wally World

Active Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2014
Threads
0
Messages
27
Reaction score
23
Location
TN
Car(s)
--
I don't know about it coming in over 4000 lbs. + . The RC F is around that weight. This is a new chasis using lighter materials. I think it will come in at 3500-3700 lbs
I'm praying it stays 3500 pounds or lighter. An (essentially) 2 seater sports car heavier than 3500 pounds is not gonna cut it IMO.
 

Supraman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Threads
3
Messages
542
Reaction score
772
Location
FL
Car(s)
.
I'm praying it stays 3500 pounds or lighter. An (essentially) 2 seater sports car heavier than 3500 pounds is not gonna cut it IMO.
Well I'd assume this would be weight of the LC500 and possibly the Supra (Hybrid version). A non Hybrid Supra I can see coming in at 3200-3500 realistically.
 

Craigy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Threads
3
Messages
562
Reaction score
708
Location
Louisiana
Car(s)
M3, Lexus GX
"On both sides we have strong motivation to make it successful, we want to make the car," Leroy said. "We know exactly which kind of body we want to do, we know exactly which kind of powertrain we want to use ... now we just have to decide by when we want to start this car."

So aside from the skin, the design of the car hasn't even been started, and they haven't even decided when to start. Maybe 2020, if ever?
 

Supraman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Threads
3
Messages
542
Reaction score
772
Location
FL
Car(s)
.
"On both sides we have strong motivation to make it successful, we want to make the car," Leroy said. "We know exactly which kind of body we want to do, we know exactly which kind of powertrain we want to use ... now we just have to decide by when we want to start this car."

So aside from the skin, the design of the car hasn't even been started, and they haven't even decided when to start. Maybe 2020, if ever?
This leads me to believe that maybe the project started with the intention of building a Supra/Z4 successor. Maybe somewhere along the way plans changed and both agreed on making this project something bigger. Toyota now has a back up platform to use based on the LC 500. All they need is a new engine. They have recently got back into the Turbo technology world. They've been building V6 and V8's for quite some time now. Why not just make new V6 twin turbo? Emissions are only getting stricter so why not start building a new engine that can also be used on future RC F/GS F / LC500. Remember the 2JZ-GE (non turbo) was shared from the Supra/SC300/IS300/GS300 and a few other Lexus and Toyota cars during the MKIV Supra era. I really hope we see something next week. I think it's time we hear from Toyota. The new updated Toyota 86 (FRS replacement) will be there, maybe showing a new concept of the 'bigger brother' would make a splash.
Sponsored

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
 




Top