Toyota and Subaru confirmed as far back as April of last year that the two companies would collaborate on the development of a new affordable sports car and earlier this week we saw the first tangible evidence of the partnership with the unveiling of the 2009 Toyota FT-86 Concept.
As we all know, Subaru is set to develop its own unique version of the car and the preview sketch (catch it at the link below) is reportedly the real deal. Leaked by an insider at Subaru, the sketch confirms that Subaru’s version of the new rear-wheel drive sports car will be completely different to Toyota’s.
Subaru doesn’t have deep pockets like Toyota, so for it the new sports car project is still uncertain. Furthermore, Subaru has heavily promoted the benefits of its symmetrical all-wheel drive system so switching to a rear-wheel drive chassis for one of its most exciting models remains controversial.
If given the green light, the car will be a Subaru at heart, with a four-cylinder boxer engine in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms planned. Not much else is known but there are rumors that a high-performance all-wheel drive version may eventually be launched. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard, although an automatic is also expected to be available.
Toyota’s version of the car is scheduled to go on sale in the Japanese market late next year or in early 2011, but for now the Subaru sports car is still only an idea. To see the sketch of Subaru's take on the new car, hit the link below.
[Autocar]
