Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Spy Shots: Toyota-Subaru coupe prototype caught ringin' der Nürburg]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/toyota-subaru-coupe-prototype-spy-shots/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/toyota-subaru-coupe-prototype-spy-shots/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/toyota-subaru-coupe-prototype-spy-shots/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Toyobaru testing on the 'Ring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota's FT-86 concept, which will be officially unveiled at next week's Tokyo Motor Show, combines attractive, aggressive aesthetics, rear-wheel drive and a Subaru-sourced boxer engine with the hopes of injecting a bit of passion into the Japanese automaker's admittedly sterile lineup. And since the vehicle has reportedly been a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru all along, we've been anxiously awaiting the Subaru-branded coupe that is sure to follow.

Last week, we gave you an update regarding Subaru's progress with its half of the Toyobaru project, complete with a sketch-tastic rendering from the UK's Autocar. Fast forward to today, and although we can't be sure if this Nürburgring-circling, cobbled-together prototype is a Subaru effort or a Toyota joint, it appears to be a development of the FT-86 that we know is headed for production.

As shot here by our friends at KGP Photography, the little coupe is well disguised, but it looks like a Fuji Heavy project to us, as it shares some Subaru design hallmarks. Up front, the masked prototype takes on the basic shape of the WRX, with bold, bulging curves and a snub nose. There is no trademark Subaru hood scoop, but the big hood has a very aggressive appearance. Out back, the car's rump is also Impreza hatch-like, with a massive rear wing disguised by some heavy camo. It isn't at all clear that what's seen here is in any way, shape or form production bodywork, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the Scooby crew adopt a chunkier aesthetic than their compatriots at Toyota.

The basic layout of the vehicle also appears to favor motivation via the rear wheels, as the 2+2 cabin is pushed back over the rear axle. The Subaru will likely sport the same direct injection 2.0-liter boxer engine currently sitting under the hood of the Toyota concept. If the little boxer can indeed produce nearly 200 horsepower as has been rumored, we're thinking it will be solid punch for the Subaru, as the Toyota FT-86 is nearly a foot shorter than an Impreza and the spy photos show what appears to be a very small form factor. Add turbocharging down the line and we suspect you've got a tuner's delight capable of taking on the big boys.

Word on the street is that Subaru isn't quite sold on the idea of the Toyota-designed rear-wheel drive platform, which may or may not be able to accommodate Subaru's signature all-wheel drive setup. We're not sure that theory makes much sense if the two are collaborating on concept versions of the vehicle, and it would be difficult to understand how Subaru could enter such an agreement without first knowing whether it could add its trademark drivetrain, but we've heard this word ourselves from Subie folks as well, so perhaps Toyota is throwing some of its weight around.

Check out the high-res gallery below and our spy shooter's thoughts after the jump.


Gallery: Toyobaru Testing on the 'Ring


[Source: KGP Photography]

Continue reading Spy Shots: Toyota-Subaru coupe prototype caught ringin' der Nürburg

Spy Shots: Toyota-Subaru coupe prototype caught ringin' der Nürburg originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ft-86fuji heavy industriesFujiHeavyIndustriesnordschleifeNurburgringrwd coupeRwdCoupespy picsspy shotspy shotsSpyPicsSpyShotSpyShotssubarutoyobarutoyota ft-86ToyotaFt-86Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:26:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19193995/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/13/toyota-subaru-coupe-prototype-spy-shots/19193995/article-detail.xml 19193995 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toybarucoupe.nr3.kgp.ed_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/toybarucoupe.nr3.kgp.ed_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Dead Again: Toyota/Subaru RWD cars reportedly put on indefinite hold]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/dead-again-toyota-subaru-rwd-cars-reportedly-put-on-indefinite/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/dead-again-toyota-subaru-rwd-cars-reportedly-put-on-indefinite/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/dead-again-toyota-subaru-rwd-cars-reportedly-put-on-indefinite/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Like a schizophrenic love affair, the on-again, off-again Subaru/Toyota rear-wheel drive coupe is apparently off again. That morsel of sobering news comes via Detroit Free Press columnist Mark Phelan, who says that both automakers now admit that the project has been put on hold. The inexpensive 2+2 sports coupes had been the subject of much speculation and a seemingly infinite number of renderings, and in fact what looked to be an early prototype had been spotted last year.

Many enthusiasts were hoping that the car would signal Toyota's intent to return to the performance heritage of the AE86 Corolla, while Subaru stood to benefit from having a sportier-bodied, less expensive coupe than the WRX (although the car's RWD configuration was seemingly at odds with the company's all-wheel drive ethos).

In any case, the goal of a pair of 2011 sports coupes has evidently fallen by the wayside as yet another victim of the global financial crisis. Despite this development, Toyota maintains its small stake in Subaru, and the two automakers will continue joint production of the Camry in Subaru's Lafeyette, Indiana facility.

Toyobaru, we hardly knew ye.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Dead Again: Toyota/Subaru RWD cars reportedly put on indefinite hold originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AE86rear wheel driveRear-driveRearWheelDriveRWDRWD CoupeRwdCoupeSubaruSubatoyToyobaruToyotaWRXThu, 26 Feb 2009 13:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1472553/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/02/26/dead-again-toyota-subaru-rwd-cars-reportedly-put-on-indefinite/1472553/article-detail.xml 1472553 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/086a_toyota_subaru_580op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/086a_toyota_subaru_580op.jpg <![CDATA[More renders from Japan of the Nissan FR coupe]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/16/more-renders-from-japan-of-the-nissan-fr-coupe/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/16/more-renders-from-japan-of-the-nissan-fr-coupe/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/16/more-renders-from-japan-of-the-nissan-fr-coupe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Affordable rear-wheel drive performance looks set to make a comeback, as both Nissan and Toyota are planning small, sporty coupes that should stack up rather nicely in performance and price. Another player comes from Korea in the form of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which is set to do battle with the Mustang until the other Japanese players show up (assuming they make it to the U.S. market). We expect both the Toyota and the Nissan to use four cylinder engines, with manual transmissions sending power to the rear wheels. Reports indicate that the Nissan may use a turbocharged 1.6-liter unit putting out somewhere north of 200-horsepower, but less than 250. That would leave the 370Z to do battle at a slightly higher performance plateau and should allow Nissan to keep the price comparatively low, though we believe that both Nissan coupes could be based on the same platform. We should know more soon enough, as previous reports peg the new FR coupe to debut sometime in 2010. There's one more rendering after the break.

[Source: 7Tune.com]

Continue reading More renders from Japan of the Nissan FR coupe

More renders from Japan of the Nissan FR coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nissannissan coupenissan frnissan fr coupeNissanCoupeNissanFrNissanFrCouperwd coupeRwdCoupeThu, 16 Oct 2008 10:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1343630/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/10/16/more-renders-from-japan-of-the-nissan-fr-coupe/1343630/article-detail.xml 1343630 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/nissan_fr_1_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/nissan_fr_1_450.jpg <![CDATA[VIDEO: New Hyundai Genesis Coupe commercial from South Korea]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/video-new-hyundai-genesis-coupe-commercial-from-south-korea/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/video-new-hyundai-genesis-coupe-commercial-from-south-korea/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/video-new-hyundai-genesis-coupe-commercial-from-south-korea/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above to watch video after the jump

When Hyundai publicly unveiled the Genesis Coupe at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, it did so with a barrage of stunt driving and indoor drifts that made us badly want to get behind the wheel. The marketing team over at Hyundai must have picked up on that vibe, because they've produced a nearly two-minute long commercial for the South Korean market that consists of a gun metal gray Genesis Coupe slip sliding across a baron landscape. The resulting montage of Genesis Coupe clips shows it drifting elegantly through a cloud of its own dust and makes us want the RWD coupe that much more. Good job, Hyundai Marketing Dept. The entire video was shot to look almost completely black and white, which makes the contrast of the Genesis Coupe's curves stand out in a most complementary way. We were somewhat disappointed by one graphic that states a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds, but that's in line with what we've been hearing for the V6 model (keep in a mind a 0-60 mph time would be a smidge quicker). Hit the jump to see the video for yourself, and let us know if you agree that it looks a lot like recent Mazda Zoom Zoom commercials.

Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe


[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: New Hyundai Genesis Coupe commercial from South Korea

VIDEO: New Hyundai Genesis Coupe commercial from South Korea originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>genesis coupeGenesisCoupehyundai commercialhyundai genesishyundai genesis coupeHyundaiCommercialHyundaiGenesisHyundaiGenesisCoupeRWD CoupeRwdCoupeMon, 13 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1340681/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/10/13/video-new-hyundai-genesis-coupe-commercial-from-south-korea/1340681/article-detail.xml 1340681 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/genesiscoupevideo2_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/genesiscoupevideo2_opt.jpg -1 2