To say that Toyota’s relationship with Subaru has been fruitful is a bit of an understatement. The BRZ and Toyota GR86 (née Toyota 86 née Scion FR-S) are some of the most popular sports cars on the market and have been since their introduction. But a new report from Japan indicates that Toyota could be looking for another Japanese OEM to develop a sports car. Just take it with a grain of salt.
Toyota Turns To Mazda
The report from Best Car indicates that Toyota and Mazda will work together on a next-generation take on the current GR86 and Miata. The two will reportedly share a platform, thereby reducing the competitive field between the two to zero. It’s not clear where this leaves Subaru in all this. For now, at least, the GR86 and BRZ sell in comparatively small numbers. Little sports coupes always have, and Subaru just announced the end of the base BRZ in the face of slow sales.
Meanwhile, the GR86 should continue to offer its base trim, though Subaru has pointed out previously with many other models that the reason the company does this is because of slow orders: most buyers just don’t want the base trim. While a rear-drive 2+2 didn’t really fit into the traditional Subaru portfolio of outdoorsy AWD cars, the odd Subaru sports car has always stuck around, largely in the form of a sporty Impreza. While that continues to sell, the BRZ has seen sales decline of late. It’s possible Subaru could want out.
What Does This Mean For The Miata?
The GR86, meanwhile, is a little bit more compromised than the current Miata by way of a larger, heavier body with back seats – something Mazda has never bothered with in the Miata. The company is famously protective of what the Miata formula means, and it’s hard to imagine the two have agreed on something that satisfies both Toyota’s vision for the car and Mazda’s. Then again, 20 years ago, you may have said the same thing about Toyota and Subaru.
Mazda did shell out the Miata platform once in the past, though it did so within the company, lending the car’s platform to the larger 2+2 layout. In some ways, even this compromised the Miata of the time. Mazda’s own David Coleman, engineer for the Miata, told me once that in a world of Miatas, the NC is a little heavy. Given that outlook, if this is happening, it’s going to involve compromise, and all we can hope is that it doesn’t ruin two of the best sports cars on sale today.
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