Thursday 24th January 2013

BMW and Toyota buddy up

Collaboration announced twixt BMW and Toyota on fuel cells and new sports car projects

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'Promiscuous' is probably not a word you'd expect to use in association with Toyota but the Japanese firm has been putting itself about a bit lately in its bid to take over the sports car middle ground.

Collaboration with Subaru on the GT86 was, depending who you listen to, subcontracting construction of its own sports car to an ailing compatriot or a leg-up for a long-running coupe project Subaru was unable to realise on its own. Whatever the truth it's clear who the daddy is in that particular scenario.

Akio Toyoda and Norbert Reithofer shake on it

So who's in the driving seat of this newly announced partnership with BMW on fuel cell tech, a 'sports vehicle', lightweight construction techniques and 'post-lithium battery technology'? Difficult to say, both sides of the deal having expertise and able to claim a lead in one field or another.

Certainly Toyota has the lead in mass-market hybrid sales, BMW the sporting heritage. And with the i sub-brand it's been doing a lot of work on productionising carbon fibre construction for mainstream cars. Combine at least two of these four areas of expertise and there may be something PHers can take an interest in here. What could that be? A new Celica? A rear-driven affordable BMW sports car spun off the GT86 platform? Share your speculation here - for the record here's the stuff we're interested in direct from the press release:

1. Sports vehicle
   The companies agreed to set-up a feasibility study to define a joint platform concept for a mid-size sports vehicle that is to be completed by the end of 2013. The two companies aim to combine each other's technology and knowledge at a high level to maximise customer satisfaction. Both companies are to share the vision to further collaborate in the field of sports vehicle development.
2. Lightweight technology
   The companies are to jointly develop lightweight technologies for vehicle bodies using cutting-edge materials such as reinforced composites, with an eye to utilize these technologies in cooperation on the joint development of a sports-vehicle platform as well as other BMW and TMC vehicles.

 

[toppstuff]

I don't think we are likely to see any such fancies as BMWs merged with GT86's, that is not the point of this IMO.

Developing next generation hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars will cost a chuffing fortune. Working together in this way helps share the pain.

BMW and Lexus working together on drivetrains is A Good Thing. Some great engineering in both companies IMO.

And it is a great way to gain advantage over VAG and Mercedes. Good for BMW. Good for Toyota.

[djon]

RWD, lightweight, let's hope they get it right.

[SAndals]

That mash-up looks great!

[Anubis]

SAndals said:

That mash-up looks great!

+1

[Colt91]

Anubis said:

+1

+2

[MagicalTrevor]

The Germans and Japanese have collaborated before...

[TaylotS2K]

SAndals said:

That mash-up looks great!

Agreed. Maybe Honda should do the new S2000 similar to this. Lovely.

[scholesy]

I worry that this isn't conducive to Toyota producing more stuff like the GT86, it'll just help them churn out more mediocre family wagons.
Very noble of them, but not really exciting for us petrolheads.

[mr2j]

Colt91 said:

Anubis said:

+1

+2

+2.5

The 86 nose grafted on does a little bit to detract from the 'clown's shoe' profile that the Z4 suffers from.

[Twincam16]

I hope that 'sports model' is ME/RWD. A new M1!

[va1o]

I'm sure I read somewhere else BMW are planning to launch a Z2 to sit below the Z4 so perhaps this could be it? Would make sense to build alongside a replacement Toyota MR2 I guess.

[Zed Ed]

Stop this nonsense about Toyota wearing the trousers on the 86rz

Its built and engineered by a company with performance car pedigree.

Subaru have collaborated before, for example with the Legacy Blitzen (Porsche)

[hachiroku]

A lightweight 4 cylinder manual rwd half series would be nice, right way up pedals and not too long bonnet also.

[delays]

"Mid-size" sports car, it says; what does that mean?

Like, new Z4/Supra platform sharing wizardry?

[mr2j]

Zed Ed said:

Stop this nonsense about Toyota wearing the trousers on the 86rz

Its built and engineered by a company with performance car pedigree.

Subaru have collaborated before, for example with the Legacy Blitzen (Porsche)

:/

Are you suggesting that Toyota have no performance car pedigree and didn't have any real input on the chassis/handling aspects of the 86? Why is the Porsche comparison even relevant? Do you even know anything about the 86's development or are you just biased in favour of Subaru in this instance?

[valverguy]

Toyota have recently let BMW into there hybrid technology/green technology for the use of BMW diesel engines in thenew line up of Toyota's. That's the lowdown folks!

[f328nvl]

If both Toyota and BMW cannot afford to independently develop cars, there is something rotten at the core of either one or both of those businesses or the entire automotive industry. We are inexorably headed toward an automotive oligopoly. No oligopoly has ever been good news.

[valverguy]

f328nvl said:

If both Toyota and BMW cannot afford to independently develop cars, there is something rotten at the core of either one or both of those businesses or the entire automotive industry. We are inexorably headed toward an automotive oligopoly. No oligopoly has ever been good news.

If you bother to look around mate, this has been going on since the birth of the motor vehicle, it certainly isn't a new thing.

[Gizmoish]

Love the Z86

(Although Riggers' photoshop Paint skills are missed.)

[rustymx5]

Yup. Mid-size sports car. Probably with a BMW derived turbo straight six. Think we are looking at the basis for a new Supra here.